Latisha Hudson
May 2024
Latisha
Hudson
,
BSN, RN
Nephrology Clinic
Emory Healthcare - The Emory Clinic
Atlanta
,
GA
United States

 

 

 

She dedicates herself tirelessly to obtaining prior authorizations to ensure that patients receive their medications.
Latisha Hudson is a nurse who works in the nephrology clinic at Clifton Rd. She dedicates herself tirelessly to obtaining prior authorizations to ensure that patients receive their medications. A few months ago, a post-kidney transplant patient visited the clinic. He was about to run out of anti-rejection medications, and he was new to Atlanta as he had recently retired. When he initially had his transplant, he was working and was on his wife's insurance. Now on Medicare, the insurance refused to pay for his anti-rejection medications because his transplant was paid for by private insurance. Latisha submitted prior authorizations, but they were refused. She then submitted an appeal, which was also denied. However, she refused to give up and called the insurance company and Medicare to figure out how to get the patient his medication. Although she kept hitting roadblocks, she persisted. She worked on this for over two weeks until she contacted someone in transplant to see if they could help. She requested the name of a contact who connected her with a social worker who could assist her and the patient's family with the necessary steps. Latisha directed the family on what to do and provided them with access to the company that was ultimately able to help the patient get his medications. When she came to her manager's office to inform them that the patient was going to get his medication, she began to cry with relief. Latisha is very caring and empathetic. She said that she thought of her dad when she was trying to help this patient. She went the extra mile because she would hope that if one of her family members needed help, someone would do the same for them. The patient and his wife were here last week, and they asked to meet Latisha and expressed their gratitude. They explained how scared they were that the patient would not get his medication and would lose his kidney. They hugged and thanked her for all of her hard work. Incidentally, the wife is a retired nurse who stated that she had never met a nurse like Latisha. Please help me celebrate this nurse by awarding her with recognition for going above and beyond the call of duty.