Nurse Listing: Public Safety Threats
The following 96 nurses were terminated from the nursing board's recovery program for impaired nurses and were labeled public safety threats because their violations were considered severe. The chart below shows when each nurse was terminated from the diversion program and labeled a threat, as well as how many days it took the nursing board to file an administrative accusation against the nurse. The chart includes two nurses who faced disciplinary action for the first time in 2009.
Nurses were excluded from this list if the board did not explicitly call them a public risk or public safety threat in their accusations or if the board did not include a date for the action.
There are several limitations to this database.
| Name | Date Terminated from Diversion |
Days Elapsed | Accusation Filed | Decision Date | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott, Roberta J. | 12/11/03 | 1,706 | 8/12/08 | 9/27/09 | Probation |
| Wheaton, Laura Lynn | 5/20/05 | 1,425 | 4/14/09 | Accusation Pending | |
| Bostic, Debra Lee | 11/20/04 | 1,396 | 9/16/08 | Accusation Pending | |
| Roddy, Teresa | 4/30/04 | 1,342 | 1/2/08 | 6/18/08 | Revoked |
| Lawler, Susan Marie | 2/22/05 | 1,179 | 5/16/08 | Accusation Pending | |
| Volenec, Melanie M. | 7/8/04 | 1,154 | 9/5/07 | 7/29/08 | Surrendered |
| Fahrni, Tiffany Renea | 12/7/05 | 1,126 | 1/6/09 | 12/18/09 | Revoked |
| Soued, Toni | 7/22/04 | 1,118 | 8/14/07 | 4/21/08 | Revoked |
| Gish, Aerika | 6/19/02 | 1,069 | 5/23/05 | 11/25/05 | Revoked |
| Whitney, Jennifer Christine | 12/29/04 | 1,028 | 10/23/07 | 7/7/08 | Revoked |
| Ferea, Rebecca Grace | 3/26/06 | 897 | 9/8/08 | 7/2/09 | Probation |
| Wilk, Mary Ann | 12/20/01 | 873 | 5/11/04 | 4/27/06 | Revoked |
| Stump, Susan Michele | 7/29/04 | 873 | 12/19/06 | 4/25/08 | Probation |
| Wells, Catherine June | 6/23/05 | 869 | 11/9/07 | 12/18/08 | Surrendered |
| McMordie, Colleen M. | 2/23/05 | 842 | 6/15/07 | 9/18/08 | Probation |
| Gonzalez, Magda | 4/19/06 | 834 | 7/31/08 | Accusation Pending | |
| Rouchleau, Jennifer Ann | 3/30/06 | 824 | 7/1/08 | Accusation Pending | |
| Nordfelt, Ray Allan | 8/31/04 | 821 | 11/30/06 | 6/11/07 | Probation |
| Matcham (Engell), Jennifer Lynn | 9/7/04 | 800 | 11/16/06 | 7/2/07 | Probation |
| Frank, Edith Jenean | 1/8/00 | 796 | 3/14/02 | 11/24/02 | Surrendered |
| Herlong, Kathy R. | 6/28/04 | 787 | 8/24/06 | 6/15/07 | Surrendered |
| Couvertier, Patricia Ann | 4/6/00 | 783 | 5/29/02 | 7/4/03 | Probation |
| Bigley, Karla Ann | 1/13/05 | 768 | 2/20/07 | 8/25/07 | Revoked |
| Mora, Kathleen Joan | 8/16/07 | 761 | 9/15/09 | Accusation Pending | |
| Womack, Maria G. | 8/14/07 | 728 | 8/11/09 | Accusation Pending | |
| Dix, Gina Lynn | 11/14/02 | 718 | 11/1/04 | 7/18/05 | Probation |
| Barber, Lisa M. | 4/11/02 | 711 | 3/22/04 | 10/22/04 | Revoked |
| Ekelius, Anette H. | 2/28/02 | 686 | 1/15/04 | 8/30/04 | Revoked |
| Patterson, Carol Marie | 6/14/05 | 680 | 4/25/07 | 1/29/09 | Suspension/Probation |
| De Roque, Jennifer Beth | 6/6/00 | 651 | 3/19/02 | 1/22/03 | Surrendered |
| Hankinson, Kimberlly | 3/17/05 | 631 | 12/8/06 | 1/28/08 | Probation |
| Pence, Andrea Lee | 1/19/07 | 628 | 10/8/08 | 4/27/09 | Revoked |
| Pravel, Jane Ann | 6/10/03 | 611 | 2/10/05 | 12/19/05 | Probation |
| Kinney, Joseph T. | 8/3/07 | 598 | 3/23/09 | 10/30/09 | Revoked |
| Peterson, Phyllis J. | 8/5/02 | 597 | 3/24/04 | 6/3/05 | Surrendered |
| Kirkpatrick, Elvia Cecilia | 9/14/07 | 556 | 3/23/09 | Accusation Pending | |
| Murray, Cliff Lowden | 12/5/02 | 546 | 6/3/04 | 2/28/05 | Revoked |
| Iaquinto, Karen Mortiboy | 2/15/08 | 543 | 8/11/09 | Accusation Pending | |
| Smith, Johanna R. | 2/8/06 | 541 | 8/3/07 | 12/18/08 | Probation |
| Davis, Mary Kathryn | 2/2/08 | 535 | 7/21/09 | Accusation Pending | |
| Gott, Bianca Leigh | 1/31/06 | 521 | 7/6/07 | 3/21/08 | Surrendered |
| Obertrifter, Mary D. | 9/11/03 | 518 | 2/10/05 | 3/9/06 | Probation |
| Messick, Karen Diane Alison | 7/5/07 | 510 | 11/26/08 | 9/1/09 | Surrendered |
| Matheny, Chad Edward | 4/14/06 | 490 | 8/17/07 | Accusation Pending | |
| Dobbs, Deborah | 1/28/05 | 482 | 5/25/06 | 10/2/06 | Surrendered |
| Pitchford, Rosalind Y. | 4/27/06 | 476 | 8/16/07 | 12/24/07 | Surrendered |
| Briones, Deborah Starr | 12/12/03 | 462 | 3/18/05 | 9/6/05 | Revoked |
| Larson, Joseph Martin | 6/16/03 | 459 | 9/17/04 | 7/22/05 | Probation |
| Luciani, Kelly Louise | 7/22/01 | 456 | 10/21/02 | 8/12/04 | Surrendered |
| Callaway, Kevin Congrave | 8/11/04 | 454 | 11/8/05 | 12/7/06 | Probation |
| Murphy, Cary Ann | 2/15/05 | 447 | 5/8/06 | 12/18/06 | Probation |
| Whipple, Katherine Leigh | 5/25/06 | 435 | 8/3/07 | 3/15/08 | Surrendered |
| Doyle, Margaret Therese | 7/17/08 | 406 | 8/27/09 | Accusation Pending | |
| Wilson, Shelley O. | 3/4/04 | 404 | 4/12/05 | 6/16/06 | Probation |
| Antonini (Burkholder), Kelly | 1/31/03 | 402 | 3/8/04 | 2/26/05 | Surrendered |
| Stewart, Lavon Ann | 7/10/07 | 402 | 8/15/08 | Accusation Pending | |
| Farrell, Shannon | 8/31/07 | 389 | 9/23/08 | 8/6/09 | Revoked |
| McCray, Cynthia Ann | 10/18/01 | 385 | 11/7/02 | 8/12/04 | Probation |
| Robinson, Laura Lee | 9/30/05 | 364 | 9/29/06 | 3/24/08 | Suspension/Probation |
| Brown, Regina Colleen | 7/20/07 | 332 | 6/16/08 | 11/10/08 | Revoked |
| Rice, Judith Spencer | 9/12/02 | 329 | 8/7/03 | 3/31/04 | Probation |
| Lacambra, Sarah E. | 4/4/06 | 324 | 2/22/07 | 12/17/07 | Probation |
| Curiel, Claudia Ivette | 6/12/07 | 316 | 4/23/08 | 1/5/09 | Probation |
| Orella, Lori H. | 9/18/01 | 303 | 7/18/02 | 5/17/03 | Probation |
| Childress, Kathleen Janice | 10/20/05 | 294 | 8/10/06 | 4/15/07 | Probation |
| Bishop, Yvonne Maureen | 9/12/07 | 293 | 7/1/08 | 6/28/09 | Revoked |
| Cruz, Ronald James | 11/1/06 | 286 | 8/14/07 | 6/2/09 | Surrendered |
| Stalsworth, Bryan Philip | 7/17/08 | 285 | 4/28/09 | 10/30/09 | Revoked |
| Stell, Gail Landress | 9/6/07 | 284 | 6/16/08 | 12/17/09 | Surrendered |
| Coleman, Tina Marie | 8/14/07 | 250 | 4/20/08 | 11/10/08 | Probation |
| Valinoti, Patricia Jean | 1/3/08 | 249 | 9/8/08 | 6/22/09 | Surrendered |
| Carson, Laura Lee | 2/14/08 | 239 | 10/10/08 | 9/30/09 | Surrendered |
| Neeley, Michael Duane | 4/8/02 | 238 | 12/2/02 | 7/3/03 | Surrendered |
| Morrison, Susan Kay | 6/1/07 | 238 | 1/25/08 | 12/29/08 | Surrendered |
| Vanciel, Nancy E. | 10/30/01 | 224 | 6/11/02 | 2/10/04 | Probation |
| Dorman, David | 9/14/07 | 219 | 4/20/08 | 10/5/08 | Revoked |
| Sepulveda, Melissa M. | 11/21/07 | 216 | 6/24/08 | 1/2/09 | Revoked |
| Smith, Chantel Michael | 12/29/06 | 214 | 7/31/07 | 7/8/09 | Revoked |
| Currier, Melony J. | 9/11/06 | 196 | 3/26/07 | 4/28/08 | Suspension/Probation |
| Biswell, Jonna L. | 9/25/08 | 194 | 4/7/09 | 10/30/09 | Revoked |
| Perez, Karin Nicole | 12/15/05 | 193 | 6/26/06 | 1/15/07 | Suspension/Probation |
| Huang, Anna W. | 11/30/06 | 186 | 6/4/07 | 8/25/08 | Revoked |
| Phillips, Steven Ross | 4/7/07 | 171 | 9/25/07 | 3/20/09 | Suspension/Probation |
| Weber, Johanna Marie | 4/8/09 | 142 | 8/28/09 | Accusation Pending | |
| Masse, Robin Jeanne | 12/2/08 | 141 | 4/22/09 | Accusation Pending | |
| Aycock, Timothy Dale | 7/9/04 | 137 | 11/23/04 | 7/18/05 | Revoked |
| Browne, Michele | 4/3/07 | 133 | 8/14/07 | 6/15/08 | Suspension/Probation |
| Allen, Nicholas Paul | 2/23/07 | 124 | 6/27/07 | 11/18/07 | Revoked |
| Bohannon, Heather Megan | 10/20/08 | 120 | 2/17/09 | 9/10/09 | Revoked |
| Quijada, Jennifer Renee | 1/3/07 | 105 | 4/18/07 | 7/31/08 | Surrendered |
| Williams, Mona Lee | 9/30/08 | 104 | 1/12/09 | 7/8/09 | Revoked |
| Kohl, Catherine | 4/4/06 | 101 | 7/14/06 | 7/12/07 | Revoked |
| Delce, Tawana La Tecia | 9/8/08 | 93 | 12/10/08 | 9/30/09 | Surrendered |
| Muniz, Rebecca Marie | 11/20/07 | 79 | 2/7/08 | 10/16/08 | Surrendered |
| Baker, Diane Gail | 3/8/02 | 68 | 5/15/02 | 9/19/03 | Probation |
| Lopez, David John | 7/31/09 | 55 | 9/24/09 | Accusation Pending |
Data last updated Dec. 26, 2009
Please note there are several limitations to the database:
- This database includes nurses who faced disciplinary action between 2002 and September 2009, as well as any subsequent actions against these nurses. .
- Employers and patients seeking verification of a nurse’s license should use the Web site of the Board of Registered Nursing.
- Multiple nurses may have the same name, but each has a unique license number.
- The information on the database is based on the Web site of the Board of Registered Nursing and state documents. In some cases, the Web site and documents conflict; in such cases, reporters used dates included in the board’s documents.
- Documents for some cases are missing from the site in whole or in part.
- The database does not include discipline against nurses meted out as a condition of being licensed. Such discipline is only included if the nurse subsequently faced board action.
- The grounds listed for discipline in this database are based on the board’s public allegations against the nurses. Because accusations are sometimes written in an unclear or inconsistent manner, reporters did not try to guess the intent.
- This database includes discipline against some nurses who have subsequently died. The board has removed many of these nurses from its Web site. They are included here because they faced disciplinary action during the period examined.
Our Complete Coverage
- The Los Angeles Times and ProPublica have conducted a joint investigation into the failed oversight of California's health professionals. In July 2009, we reported that the Board of Registered Nursing took more than three years, on average, to investigate and discipline errant nurses. It failed to act against nurses whose misconduct already had been thoroughly documented and sanctioned by others. And the board gave probation to hundreds of nurses – ordering monitoring and work restrictions – then failed to crack down as many landed in trouble again and again. Read our complete coverage here.
Our reporting recipe: We've written a guide to how we conducted our nurses investigation. Take a look for help in investigating your own state's regulatory boards.
Ask the reporters about the series: Email QandA@propublica.org
Database
- California Sanctioned Nurse Database - The Los Angeles Times and ProPublica compiled a database of nearly 2,400 California nurses who have been sanctioned since 2002. Search the records of nurses who have faced disciplinary proceedings and the circumstances of allegations against them.
Multimedia
-
Follow Thomas's case -
Follow Kinney's case -
Follow Reed's case -
Follow Smart's case -
- Chart: California takes far longer to discipline registered nurses than many other large states, according to a review by the Los Angeles Times and ProPublica. Click graphic to see the full details.
- Interactive Chart: About the Board - The California Board of Registered Nursing oversees the education, licensure, practice standards and discipline of the state's 350,000 nurses.
Profiles
-
- Spencer Sullivan - In the prime of his life, Spencer Sullivan was rendered a quadriplegic. It took the nursing board more than six years later to revoke the license of a nurse involved in his care. Read more | LA Times Audio Slideshow
-
- Caitlin Greenwell - Caitlin Greenwell's family alleges that she suffers from cerberal palsy because nurses neglected to monitor her during her birth. LA Times Audio Slideshow
-
- Dr. Iraj Zandi – During a surgery, Dr. Iraj Zandi discovered that a nurse had stolen painkiller drugs intended for his patient. He found out later that the nurse had been accused of pilfering drugs from a previous employer. Read more...
-
- Veronica Glaubach – Veronica Glaubach’s nurses missed crucial signs of a life-threatening complication during and after childbirth, her family alleged. She died. The nursing board absolved the nurses. Read more...