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January 27, 2023 / 9:05 AM / CBS News Thousands of practicing nurses in the U.S. could potentially be working with bogus academic credentials after federal officials uncovered an alleged scheme at. Among them are Burlington County, New Jersey residents Stanton Witherspoon and Alfred Sellu, as well as Westchester, New York resident Rene Bernadel. 25 Arrested Over Alleged Fake Nursing Diploma Scam In Florida - HuffPost He deployed to Afghanistan at 71. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page. Florida fake nursing license: New Jersey bars nurses from practicing Federal indictment over fake Florida nursing diplomas leaves 26 Copyright 2023 Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. A fake nursing diploma scheme brings 25 arrests in Florida : NPR Florida fake nursing diploma scheme resulted in 7,600 fraudulent In the meantime, healthcare providers should prepare to guard against the potential patient safety and billing implications to the extent they are employing or contracting with any RNs or LPN/VNs with credentials from the schools associated with this scheme. Health care fraud is nothing new to South Florida, as many scammers see this as a way to earn easy, though illegal, money, acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough said Wednesday. Siena College in Broward County, Fla., Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County . Newcastle School health team work to promote healthier lifestyles, and one of the ways we do this is to provide classroom and curriculum support to schools for provision of those important health messages. The fake diplomas and transcripts qualified those who purchased them to sit for the national nursing board exam. Siena College of Health Florida The indictment charges defendants Stanton Witherspoon of Burlington County, N.J.; Alfred Sellu of Burlington County, N.J.; and Rene Bernadel of Westchester. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Miami has indicted more than two dozen people in the scheme, which sold fraudulent nursing-school diplomas and academic transcripts from accredited Florida-based nursing schools to those seeking licenses to work as nurses. The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is available to those children in both reception and year6and provides an annual opportunity for our Service to engage with parents about their childs health. Feds: 3 South Florida nursing schools sold 7,600 fake degrees; 25 charged To date, the schools associated with the scheme are Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing, and Sacred Heart International Institute (each now closed), as well as Quisqueya School of Nursing LLC, Quisqueya Health Care Academy LLC, Sunshine Academy, and Florida College of Health. 2023-2024. More than two dozen individuals, including school directors and diploma recipients, are being accused of participating in the illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses. Letsgetstarted. Help support our work:Subscribe today. All rights reserved. To help you learn about these and a number of other options, check out the below list of the top nursing schools and programs in the Palm Beach area. Advertisement Some of those who purchased degrees were from South Florida's Haitian-American community, including some with legitimate LPN licenses who wanted to become registered nurses, the Miami Herald reported. AllRightsReserved. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Get updates from Newcastle City Council and find out about the work we do where you live. Trump declares himself the winner of his own club championship - in the Trumpiest way ever, 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star opens luxe real estate brokerage firm in Palm Beach County, Surprise visit from rock star Jon Bon Jovi marks Hanley Foundation's annual charity dinner, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The accredited nursing schools under investigation for allegedly issuing thousands of fake nursing diplomas worth over $100 million (roughly $15,000 per diploma) are based in Florida: Siena College in Broward County, Fla., Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, Fla., and Sacred Heart International Institute in Broward County. The students paid a total of $114 million for the fake degrees between 2016 and 2021, the newspaper reported. The schools involved Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute are now closed. Sign up here. The schools involved Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute are now closed. 2023 www.palmbeachpost.com. 73%. Justice Department Charges 25 in Alleged Scheme to Sell - NTD News According to the charging documents, Palm Beach School of Nursings objective was "to prepare students to meet Floridas licensing and nursing board requirements and become eligible to take the national licensing exam in order to work as registered nurses.". For charity details please visit the Charity site. One of them was the Palm Beach School of Nursing on Military Trail north of Okeechobee Boulevard. Palm Beach School of Nursing last had enrollment on 09/15/2017. Fraud Scheme Alert for Healthcare Providers: Bogus Nursing Degrees Sold Siena Global Connect P: +61 3 9835 0200 E: reception@siena.vic.edu.au 815 Riversdale Road, Camberwell VIC 3124 Siena College acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which the College stands. Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? A CATHOLIC COLLEGE IN THE DOMINICAN TRADITION, Wonders of Geoscience with Dr Hayden Dalton, Term 2 Wrap Up by Director of Music, Kerryn McGillen, Siena College promotes the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children, P: +61 3 9835 0200 E: reception@siena.vic.edu.au 815 Riversdale Road, Camberwell VIC 3124. Federal authorities charged 25 people from the South Florida schools Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute with selling the fraudulent . The problem is especially acute in the south and southeastern regions of the state, where for-profit schools had average pass rates under 45%. Student satisfaction. ", His club, his rules:Trump declares himself the winner of his own club championship - in the Trumpiest way ever, Celebrity business:'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star opens luxe real estate brokerage firm in Palm Beach County, Look who's here:Surprise visit from rock star Jon Bon Jovi marks Hanley Foundation's annual charity dinner. The schools involved -- Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing, and Sacred Heart International Institute -- are now closed. According to the DOJ's news release, the defendants are accused of selling fraudulent nursing degrees and transcripts from accredited Florida schools, Siena College and Sacred Heart. Quisqueya had last enrollment on 06/08/2018. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe, added that a fraud scheme like this erodes public trust in our health care system.. Districts are debating the rules. He jumped from planes. The purchasers were instructed to not complete dates on the forms, since the paperwork would be backdated to make it appear that they were students in or before December 2019, which was the Palm Beach School of Nursing's last graduating class. They work inlocalityteamsand work closely within the community family hub ensuring that they haveextensive knowledge of the local community and services. 25 Arrested and Charged in Fraudulent Nursing Diploma Scheme That Siena College, the Palm Beach School of Nursing, and Sacred Heart International Institute have lost their accreditation as nursing schools after federal authorities found that they issued more than 7,600 fake and unearned diplomas. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe speaks about a network of nursing school operators during a press conference at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida in Downtown Miami on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Siena College | Empowering young women from Years 7 | Siena College A persistent inability for employers to fill vacant nursing positions may result in decreased access to quality and safe nursing care for the people of Florida, the Florida Center for Nursing warned in a news release. Students were then able to use those bogus diplomas to take the national nursing licensing exam, and land jobs as registered nurses, practical nurses, and vocational nurses in assisted living facilities and Veteran Affairs hospitals throughout the country. This is a travesty and a blow to the nursing workforce, specifically diminishing the trust and credibility of our profession, said Dr. Rayna Letourneau, executive director of the Florida Center for Nursing, based in Tampa at the University of South Florida. The schools have since closed, and each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. PublishedJanuary 26, 2023 at 1:30 PM EST. for your support of our 2023 'Do More, Be More' Giving Day! The others were Siena College and Sacred Heart International Institute, both in Broward County. Three Florida nursing schools sold thousands of fake nursing diplomas worth millions in a scheme that allowed aspiring nurses to bypass the required training to become licensed in the profession, federal prosecutors alleged Thursday. The alleged selling and purchasing of nursing diplomas and transcripts to willing but unqualified individuals is a crime that potentially endangers the health and safety of patients and insults the honorable profession of nursing, said Omar Prez Aybar of HHS-OIG in a statement. Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing and Sacred Heart International Institute - all based in south Florida - combined to distribute more than 7,600 fraudulent diplomas worth over $100. Many of those charged in the scheme are from out-of-state, with many defendants from the New York and New Jersey areas. One of them was the Palm Beach School of Nursing on Military Trail north of Okeechobee Boulevard. During the plea hearings, four of the five defendants admitted to soliciting and recruiting individuals seeking nursing credentials, as well as creating and distributing the false credentials. Siena College of Health and Siena College of Health II closed on 10/13/2021. Find out about apprenticeship opportunities in Newcastle. Siena College policy prohibits discrimination against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status, and acts in conformity with all applicable state and federal . Terms & Conditions. School Health 5-11 - Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Three nursing schools in Florida are under fire for selling more than 7,600 fake diplomas worth over . We are no longer accepting comments on this article. MIAMI A now-shuttered nursing school in suburban West Palm Beach is one of three involved in a scam to create an illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses, federal officials in Miami said Wednesday. Registered 501(c)(3). Tampa Bay schools grapple with evolving rules on book removals, USFs new sailing classroom is docked at Port of St. Petersburg. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Three South Florida nursing schools have been caught selling thousands of fake diplomas in a massive scheme that allowed students to bypass licensing training. However, we can provide information around the UK vaccination programme in order to promote vaccine update within our area. All rights reserved. Pre-school assessment can help to support a childs smooth transition into primary or secondary school. 'Common sense has prevailed': Bill threatening Florida's historic buildings is dead, Ben Ferencz, the last living Nuremberg prosecutor of Nazis, dies at 103 in South Florida, Adrienne Kennedy akennedy@wlrn.org (305)-995-2256, FRIENDS OF WLRN, INC. AS MEDIA MANAGER OF WLRN PUBLIC MEDIA. Feb 1, 2023 5 REASONS TO CHOOSE SIENA BY.A NURSING STUDENT Jan 13, 2023 $500K for the Education of Nurses Lisa Lally The US Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General have identified a wire fraud scheme to sell false and fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts. To date, 25 individuals have been charged for their alleged participation in the scheme. Find out about apprenticeship opportunities in Newcastle. School Health 5-11. We can provide advice, guidance and support for a range of issues such as behaviour, healthy lifestyles, growing up, puberty, toileting and emotional wellbeing. Yet Florida has had the lowest exam pass rate in the nation since 2017, according to Tampa Bay Times analysis. The wire fraud scheme allowed people who purchased the fake degrees and transcripts to sit for the national nursing board exam and after passing it, attain licenses without ever taking the required training for the profession, per the Department of Justice. He said its particularly disturbing that more than 7,600 people around the country obtained fake credentials and were potentially in critical health care roles treating patients. Investigators identified the Florida nursing schools as the Palm Beach School of Nursing; Siena College, a school in Broward County that wasn't related to the college of the same. Florida nursing scheme provided fake diplomas - Palm Beach Post Northumbria University, Newcastle | Nursing courses | UCAS Subscribe to our free Gradebook newsletter. Federal indictment over fake Florida nursing diplomas leaves 26 - Yahoo They're Not Staying Silent, Taylor Swift Makes History As First Woman With Four Albums in Top 10 Simultaneously, DeSantis Against Personal Attacks on Trump Despite Struggling Campaign, Male GOP Senator Smears Pentagon Reimbursement Policy as 'Abortion Tourism', Watch Eminem Join Ed Sheeran to Perform 'Lose Yourself' at Detroit Concert. The fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts enabled defendants to obtain licenses and jobs in various states as registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs), prosectors claim. Recruiters at the Sacred Heart International Institute are accused of doing the same thing, arranging with owner Charles Etienne to distribute the false diplomas and transcripts. Use this link to enable the ReciteMe accessibility toolkit. Nurses licensed in New York are allowed to practice in Florida and many other states. How to find, apply for and become an apprentice. A fifth Palm Beach County resident, Johanah Napoleon, owner and president of the Palm Beach School of Nursing, pleaded guilty in November to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced in March. Thats far below the national average pass rate of 79.9% for first-time US-educated test-takers. It is both a demanding and rewarding profession that requires individuals to be adaptive to the evolving and complex health care landscape to ensure the delivery of safe and quality patient care.'. Charging documents say the three worked as recruiters at Sienna College, where they coordinated with Eunide Sanon who managed the nursing program 'to create and distribute false and fraudulent diplomas and transcripts' that were sold to 'thousands' of people seeking a nursing degree. It is yet to be determined what coordinated action licensing boards in affected states will take. However, federal prosecutors said aspiring nurses never completed the necessary courses and clinicals. By Please follow the link(s) below to opt out manually. The overall scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas issued by three South Florida-based nursing schools: Siena College in Broward County, Fla., Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, Fla., and Sacred Heart International Institute in Broward County. All rights reserved. Among these students were victims and those who knew the diplomas were fake. Court records show that the Palm Beach School of Nursing was licensed by the Florida Board of Nursing as a nursing education program in June of 2012 and incorporated in April 2016. Amid a statewide nursing shortage, many students at private for-profit programs are failing their national licensing exams. Learn how to navigate and strengthen trust in your business with The Trust Factor, a weekly newsletter examining what leaders need to succeed. Fewer than two-thirds of Florida nursing students passed the national licensing exam in 2022, according to a new report from the Florida Center for Nursing. Florida Nursing Schools Sold 7,600 Fake Diplomas, Say Feds Palm Beach nursing schools by NCLEX score Three nursing schools in Florida are under fire for selling more than 7,600 fake diplomas, federal prosecutors claimed Thursday. The charges speak to the purpose of a nursing license, which is to protect the public from harm by setting minimum qualifications and competencies. 'There are no shortcuts in nursing our patients and clients depend on us. As a part of the the scheme, the instructor directed purchasers to complete certain forms, including an application for the Palm Beach School of Nursing, court documents showed. EIN: 22-2306795, Fraudulent nursing diploma scheme leads to federal charges against 25 defendants, Plea agreement and factual basis in support of plea, Delaware Nurses Association statement on fraudulent nursing degree schemes, Operation Gold Seal Shuts Down Major Diploma Mill, Acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, FBI Miami, said: There are over 7,600 people around the country with fraudulent nursing credentials who are potentially in critical health care roles treating patients. [1], Special Agent in Charge Omar Prez Aybar of Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), said: The alleged selling and purchasing of nursing diplomas and transcripts to willing but unqualified individuals is a crime that potentially endangers the health and safety of patients and insults the honorable profession of nursing. [1]. The Florida Board of Nursing can place programs on probation if they fall below 10 percentage points of the national average pass rate for two years in a row. 'Not only is this a public safety concern, it also tarnishes the reputation of nurses who actually complete the demanding clinical and course work required to obtain their professional licenses and employment. Iinstead, they used fake diplomas and transcripts purchased from the owner and employees of Palm Beach School of Nursing to obtain licenses and employment with unwitting health care providers across the nation. Follow us on social media for all the latest news and announcements. Its unclear why the three programs were allowed to operate for as long as they did. Classes resume in a month. ", The comments below have not been moderated, By ', Meanwhile, American Nursing Association President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy said in a statement Thursday that the 'coordinated conspiracy' is 'disturbing' and 'deeply unsettling.'. "Ms. Napoleon is very remorseful for her conduct and is doing everything within her ability to make amends for her actions, " said her attorney, Joel DeFabio, adding that he could not comment on the facts of the case. If they passed, they were able to obtain licenses and jobs in various states, prosecutors said.