Meet Tanner Haywood:

In the world of public healthcare, one area is constantly overlooked — the system inside America’s jails. While hospitals and urgent care centers are discussed in mainstream media, correctional healthcare is barely mentioned. It is out of sight and, unfortunately, out of mind. But for Tanner Haywood, a correctional nurse in southeast Ohio, this is where the work begins.

Tanner is the only full-time medical professional at a rural jail housing up to 120 inmates. Unlike hospitals with full teams, his facility offers no on-site doctor, no backup staff, and little formal training for the correctional officers who respond to emergencies. When a crisis happens — whether it’s an overdose, a diabetic crash, or a suicide attempt — Tanner is the only licensed medical authority available.

Most people assume jails have the same medical protections as hospitals or clinics. That assumption could not be more wrong. Jails often operate on outdated protocols, minimal staffing, and no clear guidelines on what to do in life-threatening situations. It is an environment where people can slip through the cracks, especially those with chronic health conditions or mental illness.

Rather than accept the chaos, Tanner started creating change.

One of his first major moves was developing a clear Code Blue response system. Before this, emergencies like cardiac arrest or unconscious inmates were handled with panic and improvisation. Officers were unsure who to call, what to grab, or how to respond. Now, every officer knows their role — one calls 911, one starts chest compressions, one grabs the AED. It is simple, clear, and most importantly, effective.

Tanner also restructured how medications are handled. In many rural jails, medications are administered by correctional staff without proper tracking. Mistakes can and do happen. To combat this, Tanner implemented a more reliable charting system that holds everyone accountable — not just for giving meds, but for understanding why they’re being given in the first place.

He took it a step further by improving intake screening procedures. Every new inmate is now asked a more thorough set of medical questions, and their answers are documented immediately. Conditions like diabetes, asthma, or psychiatric disorders are flagged faster. This allows for earlier intervention, which in turn reduces risk — both medically and legally.

These reforms did not come from a policy meeting or a government grant. They came from one person who saw something broken and decided to fix it. But Tanner’s efforts don’t stop inside the facility. He believes the public deserves to know what happens behind the walls of their local jails.

That is why he has started sharing his experience online. Through his TikTok account, @itstanner1740, he plans to talk openly about the realities of correctional healthcare — not as an outsider looking in, but as someone who lives it every day. He is not interested in glamorizing it. He is not trying to go viral. He just wants people to see what is really happening.

He plans to use his platform to educate, inform, and hopefully inspire change. Topics will include emergency preparedness, patient advocacy inside correctional facilities, and the emotional weight that comes with being the only medical voice in a place not designed for care.

This work has already begun making waves locally. Other small facilities have started reaching out to ask how Tanner created his protocols. Some have even requested his templates to adapt for their own use. His advocacy is growing, not through national attention or corporate support, but through word of mouth and lived impact.

Correctional healthcare should not be a mystery. It should not be a backroom operation. People deserve transparency — both the inmates receiving care and the communities funding these facilities. Tanner Haywood is trying to make that happen, one conversation at a time.

Follow his journey on TikTok at @itstanner1740 and be part of the shift toward smarter, safer, and more humane jail-based care.