ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (WFLA) — Orlando Health Bayfront is being awarded for its work to advance care for patients struggling with addiction.

The emergency team at the hospital said they often come across people struggling with addiction who have also experienced health care trauma.

The Heath Impact Daisy Award is given to nurses who show compassion to underserved communities through policy changes at hospitals.

“It’s such a prevalent issue in our community that we knew we had to do something to help these patients because it’s not enough to watch this gap in health care when we knew we could do something to help save lives,” said Dr. Eric Shamas, who is an ER doctor and works with the Pinellas Matters Program.

The program provides care to vulnerable populations. Shamas said every day he sees the fallout of patients having overdoses and struggling with abuse.

“Anybody that’s listening to this right now has been touched by this epidemic,” Shamas said.

But through this program, the doctors said patients who would otherwise be turned away or discharged back home, are now getting new medications for withdraws, long term care, and follow ups from peer recovery specialists, like Angel Tomlin, who has a shared experience.

“A lot of these folks have health care trauma, like they haven’t been treated the best when they come into these settings,” Tomlin said.

Tomlin said the county-funded program trains staff on things like saying the word ‘use’ instead of ‘abuse’. Of the more than 1,500 people treated, she feels they’ve made a difference, and this award is proof.

“We just want people to know, hey you can come to your local hospital and get the help that you need and not be judged and not be treated poorly,” Tomlin said.

The hope is that the county will implement this program in every hospital in the area.