Tollackson named Healthcare Professional of the Year
Billye Tollackson has spent nearly her entire nursing career in a county jail, caring for people who oftentimes cannot, or will not, care for themselves.
Her patients can be manipulative. Many aren’t in the best state of mind. Some can be angry and frustrated. But correctional nurses must be able to cope – and flourish – under these conditions.
“Some days I have to remind myself why I’m here,” said Tollackson, health care manager for the Chelan County Regional Justice Center. “I have to remind myself that a lot of these people have lived traumatizing lives. So it isn’t personal.”
Tollackson also is the first to point out that her job can be very rewarding.
“I enjoy caring for the more vulnerable population in our community who have limited access to health care and resources,” she said. “That is near to my heart.”
On June 11, Tollackson was honored in Chandler, Ariz., with the Healthcare Professional of the Year Award at the National Institute for Jail Operations' JAILCON25 Western Regional Conference. The award honors someone who “sets the bar for jail medical programs and best represents the overall spirit of professionalism, caring and dedication.”
Tollackson said she is humbled and honored by the award but feels blessed to have an amazing nursing staff working beside her. “This is a team effort every single day,” she said.
Every jail facility wants a nursing staff that not only does its job but also truly cares about what they do, wrote Chris Sharp, director of the Regional Justice Center, in the award's nomination.
“I can say without any hesitation that Billye is that person,” he said. “Our facility would not operate at the levels we have for the last 10 years without Billye’s expertise.”
Tollackson keeps up on trends in correctional health. She seeks out training for her staff and herself. She advocates for her patients. She demonstrates an amazing ability to handle inmates and gain their trust. And she has led several efforts at the jail, including securing 24-hour nursing staff and pursuing medical sensors now installed in single-occupancy cells.
“Today’s correctional settings have evolved over the last five years into medical triage, detoxification and mental health and treatment facilities, which jails were never designed to be,” said Sharp. “Billye has accepted these challenges and is always looking for ways to enhance our health care for individuals.”
Nearly fresh out of college, Tollackson started at the jail in February 2002, when the facility had only two people on its medical team. She had always enjoyed the idea of behavioral health and nursing, so she was drawn to the jail’s environment.
“I thought it was a good way to get my feet wet,” she said.
Twenty-three years later, Tollackson heads a staff of six nurses. The team provides 24-hour care in a facility that averages a daily population of about 180 people. The jail also generally has a daily population of 15 people whose health is classified as high-risk.
Most people don’t know correctional nursing is a job, Tollackson said. When she interviews potential nursing candidates, she warns them there aren’t many outside windows in the facility. There will be few chances to see sunlight working in a jail. When those cell doors slam hard behind you for the first time, you will probably jump, she added.
You also never know who is going to walk through the door, or the medical issues that will come with them. She and her staff are working hard to stabilize and care for these chronic needs, or even find a new diagnosis that may have been going untreated.
Correctional nursing is more challenging today than it was 20 years ago, Tollackson said. The nursing staff went from putting out fires every day to treating the chronically ill. They do more drug treatment in the jail than ever, she said.
“And it continues to become more challenging,” she said.
For the nurses who stay, it is because they ultimately enjoy working in a fast-paced environment that offers much autonomy.
“I want people to know that correctional nursing is different – it’s a specialty,” she said. “Our nurses have to have a wide knowledge in a wide range of issues.”
Sara Eggers, a mental health professional and registered nurse at the facility, said Tollackson has played a crucial role in her career as a correctional nurse. Eggers started at the jail as a licensed practical nurse, later earning her RN degree and moving from the jail’s medical department to its mental health department. Tollackson provided her with support and advice and Eggers continues to seek her guidance at times, she said. And that trust in Tollackson spills over to their patients and the jail staff, Eggers said.
“Trust is difficult to earn in here with those we serve, and she has earned it with her years of hard work,” Eggers said. “The incarcerated individuals trust her, so when they see her, they want her attention to address their issues. While she actively seeks ways to improve the treatment of our patients, she also checks in with our staff and their well-being. There are countless staff members in different departments who go to her for advice.”
Tollackson plays a crucial role in the jail’s operations, Eggers added.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have someone with so much knowledge who is dedicated to those she takes care of, both staff and our population,” Eggers said.
It can be hard to see the impact you are having on someone when you are a correctional nurse, Tollackson said. But you take those small wins when they come your way.
Like the time she was dining in a restaurant and the waitress approached her. In the Chelan County jail, Tollackson and her team had given the woman a medication that blocks the effects of opioid addiction. The woman now had a job, was clean for several years and had even gotten custody back of her children. It was her time spent in the jail that allowed her to start a new life.
“I love seeing that happen and knowing that it can happen,” she said. “When you see these impacts, it’s huge and you know you are making a difference.”
Last Updated: 06/17/2025 11:25 AM