Scorpion's sting leads Yuman to open health center

Tanya Sorrell never imagined a scorpion named Pancho and a near-death experience would help give her a new direction in life and lead her to open her own business.

In October the Yuma woman stepped on a bark scorpion, one of the most venomous scorpions in North America and found in the Sonoran Desert. Sorrell recalled that within 10 minutes it was difficult to breath - and she was scared.

"I almost died," said Sorrell, who recently opened Yuma Health and Wellness Center.

During her recovery she participated in rehabilitation, including therapies such as Tai Chi.

As a nurse with experience in crisis management, the experience made Sorrell realize that she wanted to include more than just seeing patients as part of her profession.

Sorrell and her friend named the scorpion Pancho - and she credits the little creature with helping her find a new path in life.

"It actually moved me in a whole new direction," she said. "Without Pancho, none of this would have happened. Gracias, Pancho."

A certified nurse practitioner who has worked in the mental health field, she recently opened the Yuma Health and Wellness Center, located in the 200 block of W. 24th Street. With her own practice, she now incorporates services such as Tai Chi, yoga, individual and group therapy and she's working on completing training in traditional Mexican herbal medicine. She said she will also offer workshops to help patients and others work on career growth and personal growth.

Sorrell said the center will help people be "not just be symptom free, but (help) them lead productive lives."

And, the all-inclusive approach, she said, can help her provide oversight.

"We could see people for crisis, but people can fall through the cracks," she said, recalling her work in the past. "I wanted to do more than just the crisis management."

At the center she said is contracted with most major insurance companies, including Aetna, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the Medicaid in Arizona, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Medicare and TRICARE.

Sorrell, a graduate of Louisiana State University, earned her master's in nursing from Vanderbilt University. Now, she's working on her doctorate through the University of Arizona, with a coveted fellowship that covers her expenses.

As for the future, Sorrell said she wants to continue to expand mental health and wellness in the Yuma area and help make it affordable for people who otherwise might go without help.

For more information about the center, call (928) 304-3866.

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Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.com or 539-6857.