Not only is this a public safety concern, it also tarnishes the reputation of nurses who actually complete the demanding clinical and course work required to obtain their professional licenses and employment," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe said in Miami, adding that "a fraud scheme like this erodes public trust in our health care system.". An affidavit said about 175 graduates of the Virginia nursing school applied to the Maryland Board of Nursing, with 62 licensed practical nurses actively working in Maryland. In coordination with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG continues to aggressively investigate bad actors who so brazenly disregard the well-being of others in order to enrich themselves fraudulently.. Investigators said about a third of the people actually are practicing medicine. HHS: Insiders Pose Significant Cybersecurity Threat to Healthcare, Patients Sue Prince Georges Hospital After OB-GYN Faked Identity, 5 Ways Tech Can Help Patients Feel Safer in Your Healthcare Facility, Ex Hospital Respiratory Therapist Jennifer Hall Pleads Guilty in Deaths of 2 Patients, FBI 2022 Active Shooter Stats: Last Year U.S. Had Fewer Incidents but More Casualties. "The most important thing for us was to make sure, to the extent were talking about health care, is that we stop the bleeding," Lapointe said. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); In this webinar, attendees will learn the observable behaviors people exhibit as they head down a path of violence so we can help prevent the preventable. Sacred Heart International Institute. After passing the exam, they became eligible to become licensed in several states, where they eventually found jobs as licensednurses. Stop the bleeding. The philosophy of the School of Nursing at Palm Beach Atlantic University is one that is Christ-centered and focused on the success of the students . All rights reserved. Miami, Fl. Closed Palm Beach School of Nursing linked to federal arrests in Secure .gov websites use HTTPS NBC 6's Xochitl Hernandez has more on what the student had to say in an interview you'll see Only on 6. In 2021, an undercover FBI employee met with Fort Lauderdale businessman Geralda Adrien at her Fort Lauderdale office. U.S. v. Witherspoon, et al., case no. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. To report waste, fraud, corruption, or abuse, please call the Inspector General Hotline: (855) 561-1010. Related: HHS: Insiders Pose Significant Cybersecurity Threat to Healthcare. She was not named in the indictment. In fact, the aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. hide transcript show transcript. 25 people were charged wednesday . This case is being prosecuted in conjunction with a related criminal matter in the District of Maryland. First, create an account, then place the order. Multiple state officials yanked dozens of nursing licenses | Miami Herald It is alleged that these defendants solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as an LPN/VN. She currently works as a charge nurse in a busy outpatient primary care department. palm beach school of nursing is located in West Palm Beach, FL, but also offers classes online. "What do we learn when somebody gets injured? The phony credentials were sold by three South Florida-based nursing schools: Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, FL, Sacred Heart International Institute in Broward County, FL, and . Twenty-five defendants, including school directors and diploma recipients, were charged in the scheme and each face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. U.S. v. Russ, et al., case no. The college was run byEunide Sanon, who allegedly worked with three people, who are also charged, in New York and New Jersey who recruited aspiring nurses. Napoleon already pleaded guilty to wire and health care fraud charges, the DOJ said. Some schools will accept notarized copies of your own documents along with "proof" of the school's destruction. Have a question about Government Services? How Do I Get Transcripts from a Nursing School That Has Closed? No students were named in the indictments. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Photo: google. When Lucy Brown signed up for the Palm Beach School of Nursing, she thought she made the right choice. The information against Sanon alleges that he and others sold thousands of fake Siena College nursing diplomas and educational transcripts to nursing applicants who used them to obtain RN or LPN/VN licenses in various states and nursing jobs with unwitting health care providers throughout the country. The Palm Beach County school, which operated on 2695 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, offered an Associate in Science degree. About 2,400 of the 7,600 students eventually passed their licensing exams mainly in New York, federal officials said. They were charged with conspiring to and committing wire fraud, prosecutors said. Adrien and Predestin are also named as co-conspirators in the Siena College case. "I like to help people," said Brown, who concealed her face and didn't want to give her real name. : 23-60012-Cr-Singhal. The bleeding here is to stop those schools from being able to put more fraudulent diplomas out in the public sphere.". Online tracking is available 24/7. She began her career working night shifts on a pediatric/ med-surg unit for six years, later transferring to a telemetry unit where she worked for four more years. Court documents show that in 2021, an undercover FBI employee went into an office in Fort Lauderdale and was offered an associate's degree in the science of nursing for $16,000. : 23-60005-Cr-Smith, U.S. v. Sanon, case no. Not only is this a public safety concern, it also tarnishes the reputation of nurses who actually complete the demanding clinical and course work required to obtain their professional licenses and employment," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe said in Miami, adding that "a fraud scheme like this erodes public trust in our health care system.". The charges speak to the purpose of a nursing license which is to protect the public from harm by setting minimum qualifications and competencies. If they passed, they were able to obtain licenses and jobs in various states, prosecutors said. Prez said investigators have not found, however, that any of the nurses caused harm to patients. NOTE:If you exited the District within the past 3 years, contact the last school you attended to process your records/transcript request.Official GED transcripts: visit the Florida Department of EducationRequest GEDPostsecondary Career & Technical Education (CTE) transcriptsfrom the Department of Adult & Community Education: complete aPostsecondary Career & Technical Education (CTE) Transcript Requestform. 22-60111-Cr-Smith and 22-60118-Cr-Smith). What is disturbing about this investigation is that there are over 7,600 people around the country with fraudulent nursing credentials who are potentially in critical health care roles treating patients.

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