Ohio Grand Jury Indicts Man for Posing as a Licensed Practical Nurse for Four Years Using Stolen Identity
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office reports that a man posing as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) for four years was indicted in August and is now in jail. The man faces numerous felony charges that include engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, identity fraud, tampering with records, telecommunications fraud, Medicaid fraud, falsification in a theft offense, two counts of practicing nursing without a license, and three counts of endangering children.
The defendant is reported to have successfully carried out his duties due to the training he received at the first place he worked—a transitional care home where he worked from September 2015 until 2018.
The two employers indicated that there had been no complaints about the care he provided patients. The administrator at one of the home healthcare companies told reporters, “I see his notes. His nursing notes. He writes like a nurse, he does the job of a nurse, and he was taking care of the babies like a nurse. So, I had no clue—none.” She went on to describe the type of care he provided–“One of the patients he took care of had a ventilator machine to help him breathe, and one of the other children he was taking care of had a G-tube which helped him eat because he couldn’t really swallow. So, he would take care of feeding him through the G-tube, giving medication through the G-tube, and he was very successful at it.”
The man stole the identity of a female LPN and used her identity to obtain a driver’s license that further supported his fake identity.
Medicaid officials investigated the man after they received a complaint from a patient about his being late to appointments, and the identity theft was uncovered that led to the defendant’s arrest and indictment.
Both of the home healthcare companies have taken steps to ensure background checks are completed and licenses are verified prior to a potential employee being hired.
Compliance Perspective
Failure by a facility to ensure that employees requiring licensure, i.e., LPNs, RNs, Nurse Practitioners, and Therapists, furnish proof of identity (e.g., birth certificate) for license verification prior to hire might be considered employment of unqualified, incompetent staff and the provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures regarding the verification of identity, validation of licensure, and performance of background checks on potential employees prior to their being hired.
- Train staff regarding protection of their identities and the need to investigate and report any suspicious activities suggesting that identities and licensures have been stolen or are being misused.
- Periodically audit to determine if license verification is conducted prior to employment for all categories of employees for whom licensure or certification is required, and if background checks are performed for all potential employees prior to hire and on a regular basis thereafter.
