A woman in Florida, who impersonated a nurse and provided care to over 4,400 patients without a license, has been sentenced to probation and community service after pleading no contest. This case has been labeled quite troubling by authorities.
Autumn Baldisa, 29, from Palm Coast, entered guilty pleas on charges of unauthorized medical practice and fraudulent use of identification. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced the developments on Wednesday.
During her sentencing, Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols suspended the sentence, imposing five years of probation and requiring 50 hours of community service as part of a plea deal. Baldisa is also required to write an apology letter to the nurse whose license number she misused.
As part of the agreement, her newly acquired nursing license, obtained after her arrest, was confiscated by the Florida Department of Health. She is prohibited from working in any medical-related position while on probation.
Baldisa initially faced 14 charges: seven counts of unauthorized medical practice and seven counts of fraudulent identification usage, stemming from an investigation that lasted seven months. It’s reported that she treated these patients from June 2024 to January 2025, all while pretending to be a registered nurse with AdventHealth.
Authorities later found that she never had a valid nursing license at that time and was instead using another nurse’s license number, who coincidentally shares her name.
The investigation began when hospital officials uncovered that Baldisa had allegedly falsified records and used someone else’s nursing credentials to secure a job as an advanced nurse. She originally applied under a designation meant for nursing graduates who hadn’t yet passed their licensing exams. Baldisa went on to claim she had completed her exams and provided the license number of the other nurse.
To address queries about the mismatched credentials, she explained it away by saying she had recently married and changed her name, although she failed to provide any documentation to support her claim.
Despite the lack of proper documentation, Baldisa was promoted in January 2025. Her colleagues became suspicious and investigated her credentials, only to find that she held an expired certified nursing assistant license. This prompted hospital officials to alert the authorities.
After the discovery, Baldisa was terminated from her position, leading to a multi-agency investigation. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staley noted that her actions not only jeopardized patient safety but also eroded trust in health care professionals.
“Nursing is a respected profession, but there are proper ways to practice it. She chose a wrong path that could endanger patients,” Staley commented, adding that Baldisa’s actions have “ruined her career.” With the terms of her probation, she may not work in the medical field for at least three years, extending up to five years.
Authorities have classified this case as one of the most significant healthcare fraud incidents they’ve dealt with. Anyone who suspects they may have been treated by Baldisa is encouraged to reach out to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
