Florida Woman Poses as Nurse, Sentenced to Probation
A woman from Florida, Autumn Baldisa, was recently sentenced to probation and community service after treating over 4,400 patients without a nursing license. This case has been deemed quite alarming by authorities.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Baldisa, 29, from Palm Coast, pleaded no contest to charges for unauthorized medical practice and fraudulent use of identification. Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols decided against prison time, opting instead for five years of probation and 50 hours of community service as part of her plea agreement.
Baldisa is required to write an apology to the nurse whose license number she misused. Following her plea agreement, the Florida Department of Health revoked the nursing license she had obtained post-arrest, and she is now prohibited from working in any medical setting during her probation term.
Originally, she faced seven counts of unauthorized medical practice and seven counts of fraudulent identification use after a lengthy investigation spanning seven months.
Authorities accused Baldisa of posing as a certified nurse at AdventHealth and providing medical care to patients from June 2024 to January 2025, even though she had never held a valid nursing license. Instead, she used another nurse’s license number who shared her name.
This situation came to light after hospital officials discovered discrepancies in her credentials, prompting a deeper investigation involving state and federal health agencies. It was found that she applied under a designation that is typically meant for those still awaiting licensure exams, falsely claiming to have completed them. She had told hospital staff she had a name change due to marriage but failed to produce any documentation to support her statement.
The investigation led to suspicions among colleagues about her qualifications, revealing that she only possessed an expired nursing assistant license, which ultimately resulted in her dismissal.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staley emphasized the danger her actions posed to patients, stating they disrupted the fundamental trust in healthcare professionals. “Nursing is a noble profession, but Baldisa chose the wrong path,” he said, noting that her misconduct could have serious consequences for patient safety.
Authorities labeled the case as one of the most serious instances of healthcare fraud they have encountered. Anyone who thinks they may have been treated by Baldisa is encouraged to get in touch with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
