Florida Nurse Accused of Treating 4,400+ Patients with Stolen Identity

The Allegations Against Autumn Bardisa

• 🚨 Autumn Bardisa, a 29-year-old woman, is facing multiple fraud charges for allegedly using another registered nurse's license to work at an AdventHealth hospital.
• 🏥 Authorities claim Bardisa, who failed the RN licensing exam, had contact with over 4,400 patients while working as an advanced nurse tech and later as a registered nurse.
• 🆔 Bardisa is charged with seven counts of identity theft and seven counts of practicing without a license, stemming from her alleged deception.

How the Scheme Unfolded

• 🎓 Bardisa graduated from Rasmussen University in March 2022 and was hired by AdventHealth in July 2023.
• 📝 She reportedly claimed to be an RN with the necessary schooling but hadn't passed the licensing exam.
• 🤥 After failing the exam, Bardisa allegedly told HR she had passed and provided a license number belonging to another registered nurse named Autumn Hood.
• 💍 She further claimed a name change due to marriage, but failed to provide a marriage certificate, and AdventHealth did not follow up.

Discovery and Investigation

• 📈 A promotion to charge nurse in early 2024 triggered suspicion among colleagues, leading to a license status check.
• ⚠️ The check revealed Bardisa only had a delinquent certified nursing assistant license, prompting an inquiry by Advent Health.
• ⏳ The investigation by the Flaggler County Sheriff's Office took seven months, partly due to navigating HIPAA laws and obtaining victim information.
• ⚖️ Due to the impracticality of charging over 4,400 counts, prosecutors charged seven counts for each month Bardisa allegedly worked as a licensed RN, totaling 14 charges.

Hospital's Role and Potential Liability

• ⚠️ Legal experts suggest Advent Health has significant legal exposure due to their obligation to ensure professionals are licensed and credentialed.
• 💰 Potential liabilities include issues with billing government entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid, and civil liability if patients suffered harm.
• 🔍 The hospital's failure to verify Bardisa's license and follow up on discrepancies is highlighted as negligence.
• 🏥 It was noted that the real RN whose identity was stolen also worked for AdventHealth in a different location, raising questions about why this wasn't flagged.

Additional Allegations and Defense

• 💊 Court documents revealed allegations that Bardisa gave drugs, including semaglutide (Ozempic) and a birth control injection, to fellow employees.
• 💉 The administration of injections is problematic as a certified nursing assistant is not permitted to inject medication.
• ⚖️ A potential defense strategy may focus on arguing that Bardisa was not performing actual RN duties during her employment, despite her title.
• 🔑 The charges related to identity theft are considered harder to defend against.

Impact on the Victim

• 💔 The woman whose identity was stolen, also named Autumn, has experienced significant distress, described as her life being in "havoc."
• 🏥 Both women had attended the same university and worked for Advent Health, though they did not know each other.
• 🚨 The sheriff described the case as one of the most unusual he has investigated in his career.