State disciplines Tri-City health care workers

The Washington State Department of Health has taken disciplinary actions or withdrawn charges against health care providers in our state.

Information about health care providers is on its website, doh.wa.gov. Click on “Look up a health care provider license” in the “How Do I?” section.

Here are the actions released in November for Benton County. There were no Franklin County cases listed.

▪  In October, the nursing commission charged registered nurse Marlena D. Morningstar with unprofessional conduct. Morningstar allegedly admitted diverting narcotics from the hospital where she worked.

▪  In September, the secretary of health denied a certified nursing assistant credential to Benjamin Joseph Turcotte, whose registered nursing assistant credential was suspended in 2016 after he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault in connection with pulling on a patient’s toe.

▪  In September, the secretary of health ended probation for home care aide Michelle Lynn Milliman.

▪  In July, the pharmacy commission charged pharmacy assistant Marianne Julia Folk with unprofessional conduct. Charges say she signed a drug court agreement on a first-degree theft charge after admitting to diverting thousands of controlled substance tablets from the pharmacy where she worked.

▪  In August, the secretary of health denied a registered nursing assistant credential to Elizabeth Padilla-Ortiz. In 2015, she was charged with third-degree theft in connection with the unauthorized use of a debit card belonging to a vulnerable adult for whom she provided care. The state Department of Social and Health Services found that she financially exploited a vulnerable adult and cannot be employed in caring for or having unsupervised access to vulnerable adults.

▪  In September, the massage program revoked the massage practitioner credential of Xia Wang, who received the license even though her exam score was invalid.

▪  In August, the pharmacy commission charged pharmacy technician Dana M. Linder-Michael with unprofessional conduct. Linder-Michael allegedly prepared prescriptions and compounded prescription mouthwash without supervision from a licensed pharmacist.

▪  In September, the secretary of health denied a registered nursing assistant credential to Faedra Dyane Smith. In 2009, 2010 and 2016, Smith was convicted of driving while intoxicated. In 2010, she was also convicted of reckless endangerment.

This story was originally published December 9, 2016 at 5:42 PM with the headline "State disciplines Tri-City health care workers."