Beyond the Badge, CDCR Weekender, Prison Health Care

Meet Anthony Hales, SATF nurse practitioner

November 15, 2024

Anthony Hales, nurse practitioner, works on a patient at SATF.

In honor of Nurse Practitioners Week, Inside CDCR caught up with Anthony Hales, a nurse practitioner at Substance Abuse Treatment Facility (SATF) and State Prison at Corcoran.

Q&A with Anthony Hales, nurse practitioner

How would you describe your role as a nurse practitioner?

I have taken advantage of nearly every growth opportunity over the past 11 years. Some of those include becoming departmental trainer, quality management advisor, and nurse instructor. My primary responsibility is the correctional trauma center, which includes a fair share of procedures. In addition, I work with the chief medical executive (CME) and (other areas) to support their various priorities, such as Prison Law Office (PLO) inquiries, Primary Care Provider training, and backlog management. SATF recently launched Empowered Relief, a cognitive behavioral therapy tool designed to augment chronic pain management. The CME and I tag-team weekly presentations and follow-up gatherings to chart the success of the program.

What do you find most rewarding about being a nurse practitioner?

As I close out my career, I recently re-branded my practice as restorative care — an intentional whole care approach. Restorative care focuses on utilization of the most appropriate tools (to) restore patient confidence in the provider-patient relationship and more importantly, increase their investment in their health.

All patients need inspiration, especially ours. When I perform diabetic foot care, I step into 30 minutes of trust and service, the ideal time to invest and receive. My best moments are expressions of appreciation and a desire to pursue better in health, community, and self.

What should others know about the important role of a nurse practitioner?

Registered nurse (RN) roles are central to the delivery of correctional health. Many nurse practitioners (NP) stand on that exposure and experience. Herein lies their importance. The exposure provides valuable insight into interdisciplinary roles that cross specialty and custody functions.

Coupled with advanced practice experience, the NP can step into various hybrid roles (to) support leadership, improve processes, patient outcomes, and overall performance. Few roles can reach across operational lines and significantly contribute to our success.

Story by Amanda Spangler, communications analyst
California Correctional Health Care Services

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