Tanya works on the LEAP Team at Lakeview Center Inc., an affiliate of Baptist Health Care in Pensacola, Florida. LEAP stands for linking, engaging, advocacy, and planning. LEAP primarily provides services to persons in the community who are utilizers of inpatient treatment services.
In 2018, Tanya received a referral for a patient with serious physical and behavioral health issues. In addition to her client's health care crises, the patient was also experiencing significant financial challenges. Tanya was focused on linking the client to health care services, which was difficult due to the need for specialized care and the absence of insurance coverage. Tanya successfully advocated for and assisted her client in obtaining approval for financial assistance through Baptist Health Care.
One day in 2019, Tanya "had a feeling" and she trusted her instinct to check on the client at home, even though an appointment was not scheduled. When Tanya arrived, she found her client on the bathroom floor in a state of crisis. Tanya checked for injuries, assisted her client, and called an ambulance for transport to the hospital. The client was admitted to a hospital for stabilization. Tanya's supervisor noted that she loves it when nurses "have a feeling" and then act on it. If Tanya hadn't followed her instinct on this case, the ending may have likely had a very different outcome.