Article published Friday, May 30, 2008
Ex-hospice nurse had felony count
Mitchell faced no public discipline by nursing board
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 TALK BACK: Join Forums to talk about this story. | | | By MARK ZABORNEY
BLADE STAFF WRITER
The registered nurse who resigned from Hospice of Northwest Ohio after she was suspected of stealing liquid pain medication has not faced public discipline from the Ohio Board of Nursing in the 17 years she's been licensed, officials said.
Mary Ellen Mitchell, 51, of Maumee, has a valid license through August, 2009, said Lisa Ferguson-Ramos, board of nursing compliance manager.
Mitchell has renewed her license every two years since at least 2003, Ms. Ferguson-Ramos said.
Information about earlier renewals was not available yesterday. She received her license in March, 1991.
Mitchell was convicted in 2001 on a felony charge of theft of drugs, according to Lucas County Common Pleas Court records.
A felony drug conviction is a basis for the nursing board to discipline a nurse, Ms. Ferguson-Ramos said.
That action would be public. No such action is on Mitchell's record, Ms. Ferguson-Ramos said.
But until 2004, a nurse with a felony drug conviction who had a chemical dependency problem could be found eligible for an alternative program. Nurses in the program surrendered their licenses until the nursing board evaluated their recovery and deemed them safe to return to practice.
"In 2001, a nurse, in theory, who had a drug problem might have been eligible to participate in the program," Ms. Ferguson-Ramos said.
That participation would be confidential, she said.
Hospice officials filed a police report Tuesday in which they said they had monitored the nurse and the amount of pain medication she gave to patients from April 1 to May 22 at the hospice facility on South Detroit Avenue.
The medication is an injectable liquid, packaged and premeasured in a vial. Patients receive a prescribed dose, and the medication remaining is to be disposed. Hospice officials have alleged the nurse gave patients the prescribed dosage and kept the rest.
Mitchell has not been criminally charged. Hospice officials are likely to talk further with Toledo police today, said Judy Lang, hospice's director of communications.
Hospice conducts criminal background checks before hiring, but "somehow, for some reason that we honestly cannot explain, [Mitchell's 2001 conviction] slipped through the cracks," Ms. Lang said.
"Now procedures are very different and have been enhanced, and this would never happen again."
Mitchell was hired about 2 1/2 years ago.
"About two years ago, we beefed up our human resources effort," Ms. Lang said, which included hiring a director of human resources with training in the field.
In addition, hospice is reviewing the background of current employees, but Ms. Lang would not say how.
"That is a personnel matter. I'm not comfortable talking any more about our personnel procedures," Ms. Lang said.
Hospice, which has facilities in Perrysburg Township and South Toledo, employs more than 400 people, including about 150 nurses.
"This is the first time this has ever happened, and we feel we have had a very professional, well-managed team," Ms. Lang said.
After Mitchell's 2001 conviction, she was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to submit random urine samples and continue treatment with the state nursing program. Courts can order such treatment, but admission to the program would be up to the nursing board, Ms. Ferguson-Ramos said.
In 2004, the board decided that those convicted of felony drug offenses are not eligible for the alternative and confidential program. Instead, their licenses are immediately suspended pending final board action.
Contact Mark Zaborney at:
[email protected]
or 419-724-6182. |
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