2 — The Newnan Times-Herald — Heroes Among Us
HEROES 2023
Compassion BEHIND BARS Correctional nurses provide more than medical care
Breanna Greene and Barbara Walker look over new medical equipment at the nurse’s desk.
BY SHANNON POTEET
PHOTOS BY REBECCA LEFTWICH
Breaks are few and far between for the Coweta County Jail’s busy medical staff, but pausing for a quick group photo are front, Infirmary Division Assistant Director Barbara Walker; and back, from left, LPN Jonathan Tinney, Infirmary Division Director Breana Greene and LPN Priscilla Shirley.
Jail isn’t usually a place associated with hope or compassion. But for more than 40 0 inmates in the Coweta County Jail, that’s exactly what the nurses in the inf irmar y division aim to provide. T h e p a t i e nt s d o n o t c o m e i n voluntarily. “They are not the happiest. They don’t want to be here,” Infirmary Division Director Breana Greene said. “But you treat them the way you want to be treated.” She has worked at the jail for more tha n a decade a nd ha s ser ved a s division director for the past six. T he C owet a C ou nt y S he r i f f ’s Depar tment oversees the jail and its operations. Ensuring inmates are treated fairly and receive the care they need is a mission the department takes seriously. Greene oversees both county and contract worker s . The in f ir ma r y team includes a medical director, nurse practitioner, doctors and 12 nurses. The inf ir ma r y sta f f rev iews a ll medical screenings taken during the intake process. This includes information about chronic medica l or
mental health issues, Greene said. Verifying health records and connecting with inmates to determine what is really going on with them can be difficult, she said – they are not always forthcoming at first. And most do not arrive with their medical records in hand, making the task harder.
Compassion and care The intake process is designed to ensure all inmates receive the medical care they need, but it can also be the first time a person receives a diagnosis. “A lot of them don’t have access to medical care,” Greene said. This can be because they have no health insurance, live in pover ty or struggle with other issues that prevent them from being treated by medical professionals. Those who struggle with mental health or addiction can be diagnosed when the psychiatrist sees them, she said. Once patients are on the appropriate medications, they often begin to improve, and they also have access
NURSES • 3
