State disciplines Tri-City health care workers

State health officials have announced the following discipline action involving Tri-City health care workers. The actions were announced in February.

Benton County

In December, the secretary of health indefinitely suspended the registered nursing assistant credential of Jamie Jean Fiscus (NA60617279). The state found Fiscus neglected and abandoned a vulnerable adult and will not allow Fiscus to be employed in caring for or having unsupervised access to vulnerable adults.

In July, the nursing commission indefinitely suspended the registered nurse credential of Rebecca G. Erickson (RN00151530). Erickson didn’t comply with a requirement that she participate in a substance abuse monitoring program intake evaluation.

In July, the secretary of health suspended the registered nursing assistant credential of Benjamin Joseph Turcotte (NA60494467) for at least 18 months. In 2015 Turcotte pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault in connection with pulling on a patient’s toe. The state Department of Social and Health Services will not allow Turcotte to be employed in caring for or having unsupervised access to vulnerable adults.

Franklin County

In January, the secretary of health revoked the home care aide credential of Debbie Ann Olson (HM60583894). In 2016 Olson was convicted of fourth-degree assault.

In December, the Surgical Technologist and Medical Assistant programs entered an agreement with surgical technologist, medical assistant-phlebotomist and certified medical assistant Angela Marie Broders (ST60171520, PC60379751, CM60379757) that suspends her credentials for at least two years. Broders didn’t comply with a substance abuse monitoring program.

In July, the secretary of health indefinitely suspended the registered nursing assistant credential of Arthur Opel (NA60489600). His license was immediately suspended in June 2016 because he physically abused and neglected a vulnerable adult.

In August, the Home Care Aide Program entered an agreement with home care aide Cresensio Acevedo (HM60433195) that suspends his credential for at least five years. Acevedo engaged in inappropriate behavior in the room of an elderly dementia and Parkinson’s disease patient while she slept nearby. Acevedo took the patient’s wallet from her purse without permission, after which about $15 was discovered missing.

Walla Walla County

In August, the Dental Commission indefinitely suspended the dental assistant credential of Mersadeze Sidney Riojas (D160300836), who didn’t abide by a requirement to undergo an evaluation for a substance abuse monitoring program.

In August, the secretary of health suspended the certified nursing assistant credential of Christine Dickerson (NC10095818) for at least two years. Dickerson had access to a client’s debit card, and that card was used for a PayPal account the client didn’t have.

Yakima County

In June, the secretary of health suspended the certified nursing assistant credential of Ernestine Morrison (NC10001377) for at least two years. Morrison admitted not weighing a resident of the facility where she worked, but falsely recording the patient’s weight.

In May, the secretary of health indefinitely suspended the certified nursing assistant credential of Lori Ranee Maybee (NC10027627). Maybee made a medication error she attributed to her own medical conditions.

Health care providers charged with unprofessional conduct have 20 days to respond to the state in writing. If no disciplinary agreement can be reached, the case goes to a hearing.

Information about health care providers is on the Washington State Department of Health’s website. Click on “Look up a health care provider license” in the “How Do I?” section of the Department of Health home page (doh.wa.gov).

The site includes information about a health care provider’s license status, the expiration and renewal date of their credential, disciplinary actions and copies of legal documents issued after July 1998. This information is also available by calling 360-236-4700.

If you think a health care provider acted unprofessionally, you can call and report a complaint.

This story was originally published February 12, 2017 at 5:11 PM with the headline "State disciplines Tri-City health care workers."