Health and Human Services officials visited the facility July 2 and also are investigating claims that patients have been sexually abused there, Weldon said. ] `| Su% J SJ^Q Many nurses across social media have taken issue with this, concerned that it is a product of hospitals and nursing regulatory boards seeking to avoid liability. hbbd`b`jbb`gb`\ &?2g0 Pd 20 February 2023 Di Texas Board of nursing for di United States don accuse twenty three nurses say dem use mago-mago get dia educational certifications. Those who purchased the fake diplomas are not currently being charged and individual state nursing boards have been tasked with finding and annulling the licenses in question. & d/5 cm1sw$'I>{c*=iwx4M{C}4?.Qz}C_~d` ;Gnb E/ i The crown jewel of the . endstream endobj 46 0 obj <> endobj 47 0 obj <>>>/Rotate 0/Type/Page>> endobj 48 0 obj <>stream "She just ran around crazily calling herself a nurse," Sparks said. Total mass shootings . Nurses. It has been reported that the nurses with the fake degrees found employment in various settings, including pediatric home care, assisted living facilities and veterans hospitals in several states, including Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Georgia, Maryland and Texas. EeV$Wd*.ZDN&|(?+|E_G#L`lZ)y+?=_Ag0>|x3qD Many of those buyers went to work as RNs and LVNs in Texas healthcare facilities. Applications from individuals who applied with education from one of the schools but who have not been licensed, will be contacted in the coming weeks. State nursing boards and hospital systems have been slow to respond, leaving upwards of several hundred or more licensed nurses in health care who are working illegally with no formal training. Between 2016 and 2021, a total of $114 million changed hands in exchange for the fake degrees with students paying between $10,000 and $17,000 for the service and never stepping foot in a classroom or clinical setting. Watch the video of workers internationally explain why you should donate to the WSWS. Georgia and Texas releasing names and photos of fake nurses & short biographies of their past criminal wrongdoings. "Prospective nursing students should do their research to make sure they are applying to a legitimate nursing school or program, including members of the National League for Nursing. According to documents, both states have referred several cases over to the district attorney's office. Opens in a new tab or window, Share on LinkedIn. Welcome First Time Texas Licensees! A significant number of the nurses who passed went on to secure licenses and work in healthcare settings in states including Louisiana, Washington, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Georgia, and Texas. /Im0 Do fraud Feds announce massive takedown of fraudulent nursing diploma scheme; 2 from South Jersey charged The conspiracy involved the distribution of over 7,600 fake nursing diplomas and. In the State of Texas there are 3 distinct areas of Nursing Practice: Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Registered Nurse . The unsettling result: fake nurses were working everywhere from Texas nursing homes to a New Jersey assisted living facility to a New York agency caring for homebound pediatric patients. Etienne was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud after allegedly creating and selling false and fraudulent transcripts and diplomas stating that the aspiring nurses attended Sacred Heart and completed all the needed coursework and clinicals for licensed practical and vocational nursing diplomas. %PDF-1.6 % 228 More than 2,800 people may be working as nurses under false pretenses after allegedly buying a fake diploma for between $10,000 and $15,000 from a massive Florida-based scheme recently. The defendants include "owners, operators and employees" of the schools who "prepared and sold fake nursing school diplomas and transcripts to nursing candidates, knowing that the candidates would use those false documents to one, sit for nursing board examinations, secure nursing licenses, and three ultimately obtain nursing jobs in medical fac. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Two Houston-area women are trying to figure out their next move after recently learning the nursing diplomas they've been working towards are bogus. 2. In addition, denied the applications of four individuals that had . Q Along with Florida and Texas, search warrants were also executed in Delaware, New York and New Jersey. So far, 25 people have . As part of a plan called Operation Nightingale, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General launched an investigation into an alleged scheme where prospective. To see previous Imposter Alerts select year: Sheremained there Wednesday with bail set at $62,500. Over nearly the last decade, there have been more than 50 mass shootings on July 4, more than any other calendar day. It has been left to the discretion of the nursing regulatory bodies in affected states to investigate individual cases and take appropriate action in accordance with their state laws and due process. The US government says some nurses in Texas have fake degrees. The allegations reflect a deepening crisis in the health care and education systems that the defendants sought to exploit. Once a disciplinary action has been taken by one state board of nursing related to diploma fraud, all of the other state boards of nursing will have access to that information in order to prevent additional fraud.". Currently, none of the workers who purchased the fraudulent materials are being criminally charged. Investigators say the 42-year-old former Goliad resident remains in custody pending sentencing. Once they start pulling on threads it will uncover patient harm and (more importantly to them) liability to their precious hospital systems/top donors. A similar sentiment was echoed by others on a thread related to the diploma scandal. Twenty eight hundred of seventy six hundred buyers passed their exams and became eligible to obtain nursing licenses in Texas, among other states. Copyright 2023 by The Associated Press. She studied human sciences, Spanish and journalism at the University of Dallas. Sign up for the WSWS Health Care Workers Newsletter! The US government says some nurses in Texas have fake degrees. 0 Vaught made a medication error that led to the tragic death of one of her patients, Charlene Murphey, in 2017. The Board has filed Formal Charges against the following nurses for fraudulently obtaining educational credentials. Charges include wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. ATLANTA Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray has learned that 22 nurses practicing in Georgia have allegedly obtained their licenses with fake diplomas or transcripts. Weldon did not say whether Basanes was connected to the allegations of sexual abuse. Opens in a new tab or window, Share on Twitter. Basanes faces charges of assault causing bodily injury, injury to a disabled person, possession of a controlled substance and two counts of nursing regulation violations. On January 25, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and law enforcement partners launched a multi-state coordinated law enforcement action to apprehend individuals engaged in a scheme to sell false and fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts. Georgia State University. Adrien and Woosvelt pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 27 months in prison after cooperating with the HHS-OIG investigators to identify other defendants. Boards of Nursing achieved this mission by establishing the standards for safe nursing care and issuing licenses to practice nursing. Opens in a new tab or window, Visit us on Twitter. Four defendants : Simon Itaman, Anna Itaman, Ludnie Jean, and Serge Jean are from Harris County, and investigators believe there could be more people working illegally as nurses. According to WSB-TV in Georgia, while the state has 22 practicing nurses who have been identified as allegedly fraudulently obtaining their licenses, the nurses are maintaining their innocence,. news Crime. Relief from medical debt doesnt top the typical holiday wish list. Glenda Basanes, 44, was booked into the Collin County jail June 28. Opens in a new tab or window, hundreds of licensees and more than 2,000 applicants. Watch on. . hb```f``c`d`4Ab, $?PX3)G.AI* ` 8mj4 fD8m4LNPf9eX` Opens in a new tab or window, Visit us on Instagram. Officials say Gallarzo would leave and immediately seek work at a medical facility in another city when her bosses discovered the deception. VICTORIA, Texas -- Prosecutors say a woman with no medical training faces up to five years in federal prison after she faked being a registered nurse at five medical facilities in Texas. FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2018, file photo, a nurse hooks up an IV to a flu patient at Upson Regional Medical Center in Thomaston, Ga. 5 states where licensed practical nurses get paid the most Nurse pay rose 8.5% in 2022: 8 findings Ludnie and Serge Jean also owned and operated Jean's NCFLEX Review LLC, a company operating out of Houston, according to court records. Get the latest on all things nursing by joining our email newsletter. Those charged including the four Harris County residents each could face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. According to news reports, 37% of the nurses who bought fake documents passed the exam. Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and US Department of Justice concluded a multi-state coordinated law enforcement action to apprehend people who were selling fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts. H[OP+uHT The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) has been made aware of attempted scams directed at nurses where scammers use falsified BON and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) documents to intimidate victims in an effort to have money sent to bank accounts outside of the United States. Leticia . Investigators with the US Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) were first tipped off to the fraud in 2019 when the state of Maryland reported two Florida business people, Geralda Adrien and Woosvelt Predestin, and their company PowerfulU Health Care Services LLC, which processed applications for buyers through the aforementioned Florida nursing schools and helped buyers coordinate testing preparation and any other requirements needed to sit for the licensing exam. Overall, the scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake diplomas issued by a trio of since-shuttered schools: Siena College and Sacred Heart International Institute, both in Broward County, and Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County. Board of Nursing Complaint Process: Investigation to Resolution 1801 Congress Avenue, Suite 10-200 Austin, TX 78701 | P: (512) 305-7400; | F: (512) 305-7401 To protect and promote the welfare of the people of Texas. Opens in a new tab or window, Visit us on YouTube. Jonathan Limehouse is a federal court reporter for the Houston Chronicle. The individuals who graduated from the programs and received a license to practice nursing have been contacted. endstream endobj startxref Investigators with the Department of Health and Human Services have communicated details about those who purchased the diplomas with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, HHS Senior Public Affairs Specialist Katherine Harris said. Last week, in the final stages of the multiyear federal investigation nicknamed Operation Nightingale, 25 people were arrested and charged in connection with the sale of 7,600 fraudulent nursing degrees. The health care system in the US is crumbling amidst continued surges of COVID-19 and the mass exodus of nurses and other health care workers who face unsafe and exhausting working conditions. The Delaware Board. Opens in a new tab or window, Visit us on TikTok. Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and US Department of Justice concluded a multi-state coordinated law enforcement action to apprehend people who were selling fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts. January 26, 2023 at 5:23 PM Three Florida nursing schools sold thousands of fake nursing diplomas worth millions in a scheme that allowed aspiring nurses to bypass the required training to. "While we have not received reports from our members about this issue, all leaders in nursing education must take reports of alleged fraud seriously," said Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, president and CEO of the National League for Nursing, which represents nurse faculty and nursing education programs, in a statement provided to MedPage Today. Woman faked nursing license, assaulted patient at facility facing sex abuse allegations, officials say Glenda Basanes, 44, was booked into the Collin County jail June 28. They put them in the quarterly newsletter. Nursing was regulated because it was one of the health professions that poses a risk of harm to the public if practiced by someone who was unprepared and/or incompetent. Siena College in Broward County, Florida; Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, Florida; and Sacred Heart International Institute in Broward County have all been closed after their suspected involvement in the scheme. 45 0 obj <> endobj Georgia and Texas releasing names and photos of fake nurses & short biographies of their past criminal wrongdoings. The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider. A Chronicle investigation finds the Houston Police Department is responding to Priority 1 calls when a life threatening event is in progress at the slowest rate since the 1990s, and responses to all other calls 4 Harris County residents accused of recruiting aspiring nurses for fake diploma, transcript scheme, 'Concerning' Houston police response times the slowest in decades, Pink dolphin caught on camera could be Louisiana's famous 'Pinky', Astros insider: Framber Valdez makes an abrupt exit, Texas is worst state in the U.S. to live in, CNBC ranking says, Texas A&M faculty blames 'outside influence' for McElroy botch, Exclusive: Razor wire along Rio Grande is hindering border agents, H-E-B named America's best grocery store by recent poll, Galveston's cruise industry has returned stronger than ever, Data shows teacher salaries in districts across Houston and Texas, Astros' Jose Altuve hopes to return on road trip, Adults-only waterpark in College Station closes to public. Texas Board of Nursing - Discipline & Complaints - 2022 Imposter Alerts Discipline & Complaints - Imposter Alerts If you have any knowledge or information regarding the employment practices of the following individual (s), please contact the Board's Enforcement Division immediately, at (512) 305-6838. Law enforcement told ABC News that nursing candidates would purchase the fake diplomas for as much as $15,000. She has covered the healthcare industry in NYC, life sciences and the business of law, among other areas. These fraudulent documents allowed purchasers to sit for the national nursing board exam, and if they passed it, to obtain licenses and jobs in various states, the DOJ said. A North Carolina native who grew up in Raleigh and graduated from UNC Charlotte, Jonathan previously worked at The Charlotte Observer as a breaking news reporter. Those applications will be held until the applicant demonstrates that they have met the requirements for acceptable education, examination, and moral character," the update said. 14 Names of Nurse Licenses Connected To FL Fake Nursing Diploma Scheme Released in WA. 2023 The Girards Law Firm, All Rights Reserved, Reproduced with Permission Privacy Policy, Website Built by Foster Web MarketingWebsite Powered By Dynamic Self-Syndication (DSS), The Texas Board of Nursing has so far disclosed the identity of fake nurses involved in Operation Nightingale. Review the current list. The Arizona State Board of Nursing also issued a statement, noting that it has identified 10 individuals with current licenses who may be involved in the scheme. 51 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<0DC162264020AF419C54F69941585ADB><3AE62B054E6123429054D3B4DA817A02>]/Index[45 9]/Info 44 0 R/Length 44/Prev 609648/Root 46 0 R/Size 54/Type/XRef/W[1 2 0]>>stream According to documents, both states have referred several cases over to the district attorneys office. endstream endobj 49 0 obj <>stream SAN ANTONIO - The Texas Nurses Association (TNA) told us it is concerned people are not taking the pandemic seriously. So far, 25 people have been charged for their involvement in the scheme. The scandal also calls into question the practices of state nursing boards, which were unable to detect the fraudulent documents for multiple years. Woman pleads guilty in fake registered nurse case. Code 301.458. The scheme, which. MORE FEDERAL COURT COVERAGE: Former Citgo officer sentenced for securing contracts for bribes. Jennifer Henderson joined MedPage Today as an enterprise and investigative writer in Jan. 2021. By signing up you agree to ourTerms of ServiceandPrivacy Policy. HPD: Shooting at southwest Houston bar critically injures 1, 1 critically wounded by stray bullet fired into Houston apartment, 2 bodies found at ATV park after kids, 6 and 12, went missing, Houston woman charged with tampering with evidence in murder case, An unfortunate baseball trend is now plaguing the Astros, HISD removes 3 high school principals 1 week after job cuts, Who would benefit from GOP accord on Texas property tax relief, Inside the internet obsession with the Houston Rudy Farias case.

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