Authorities in Florida reported that a woman, accused of impersonating a nurse, has been arrested after treating over 4,000 patients without being a licensed medical professional.
Autumn Bardisa, 29, was allegedly involved in fraudulent activities that began at AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway in July 2023. Reports surfaced on Thursday regarding her case.
According to a social media update from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation was initiated in January after a hospital administrator disclosed that Bardisa had been terminated for using someone else’s license number to falsely present herself as a registered nurse and for submitting fraudulent documents to obtain a position as a senior nurse technician.
The Sheriff’s Office elaborated:
Bardisa began working as an advanced nurse when hired on July 3, 2023, under the supervision of a registered nurse. During her application process, she claimed to be an “education number one” registered nurse, indicating she had completed nursing school but had yet to pass the national licensing exam.
She claimed she had passed the exam and provided a license number linked to another individual’s name, later explaining this discrepancy by saying she had recently married and changed her last name. However, she was asked to present her marriage license.
Although she was considered for a promotion in January, a colleague discovered Bardisa’s expired certified nursing assistant license, prompting a report to the administrator. When hospital officials reached out to the Sheriff’s Office, Bardisa could not validate her identity and was terminated.
“The investigation revealed that Bardisa had been employed by AdventHealth while also working at a different hospital, sharing a name with other nurses from her school. The nurses, however, were not personally acquainted,” authorities stated.
While working, Bardisa reportedly provided medical services to 4,486 individuals without holding a legitimate nursing license.
This week, she was arrested after law enforcement executed an arrest warrant, facing seven counts of practicing as a medical professional without a license and seven counts of unauthorized use of personal identification.
Bardisa is currently being held on a $70,000 bond. Video footage captured the moment investigators confronted her, showing her in medical scrubs and being handcuffed.
In a statement, Sheriff Rick Staley remarked:
This case represents one of the most alarming instances of medical fraud we’ve encountered. Bardisa jeopardized countless lives by pretending to be a healthcare provider, betraying the trust of patients and their families, as well as the broader medical community. I appreciate the collaboration between our detectives and the State Attorney’s office in addressing this reckless behavior.
A report detailed that AdventHealth “did not immediately recognize that Bardisa failed to submit a marriage license.”
