16 Florida Health Practitioners Suspended

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) today announced the Emergency Suspension Orders (ESO) of sixteen Florida practitioners. The ESOs immediately suspend the practitioners’ licenses to practice in Florida.

“The Florida Department of Health remains committed to protecting our residents and visitors from practitioners who do not follow the laws,” stated State Surgeon General Dr. Frank Farmer. “I will continue to suspend licenses of practitioners whose actions constitute an immediate serious danger to the health, safety or welfare of the public.”

Over the past week the following ESOs were filed:

• Joseph M. Hernandez, Medical Doctor, Lake City. Hernandez prescribed several potentially addictive controlled pain medications to patients who openly exhibited drug-seeking behavior and demonstrated a lack of need for the medication.  He prescribed controlled substances to patients on multiple occasions without conducting complete physical examinations of the patients.

•  Anthony David Vega, Registered Nurse, Ormond Beach. Vega violated Section 464.018(1)(h), Florida Statutes, by engaging in unprofessional conduct, by testing positive for any drugs under Chapter 893, Florida Statutes on his drug screen when he did not have a prescription and legitimate medical reason for using such drug.

• Silvio Jesus Ruiz, Registered Nurse, Miami. Ruiz entered a plea of guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of false statement for use in application for payments by Medicare.
• Stella Suzanna Wiseman, Licensed Practical Nurse, Green Cove Springs.  Wiseman engaged in unprofessional conduct by testing positive for any drugs under Chapter 893, Florida Statutes, on her drug screen when she did not have a prescription and legitimate medical reason for using such drug.

• Pamela R. Lynch, Certified Nursing Assistant, Hudson. Lynch intentionally Florida Statutes by failing to meet minimal standards of acceptable and prevailing nursing practice and  engaged in unprofessional conduct.

• Vonda Nicole Mathis, Certified Nursing Assistant, Panama City. Mathis violated Section 812.014(2)(c), Florida Statutes, by entering a plea of no contest to one count of grand theft; one count of credit card fraud, and one count of criminal use of personal identification.

•     Victor S. Stewart, Certified Nursing Assistant, Ft. Myers. Stewart intentionally engaged in unprofessional misconduct using abusive, threatening or foul language in front of a patient or directing such language toward a patient; and engaged or attempting to engage in sexual misconduct as defined and prohibited in Section 456.063(1), Florida Statutes.

•     Thomas V. Holland, Medical Doctor, Milton. Holland entered a plea of guilty to one felony count of violating Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C) and 846. These violations constitute the felony offense of Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute or Dispense, or Possess with Intent to Manufacture, Distribute or Dispense a controlled substance.

•     Robert E. Bourlier, Medical Doctor, Ft. Walton Beach. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, found Bourlier guilty of 17 counts of the offense of knowingly and willfully executing or attempting to execute a scheme or artifice to defraud health care benefit programs, or to obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises, money or property owned by or under the custody and control of the health care benefit programs in connection with the delivery of, or payment for health care benefits, items and services, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1347(1) and (2). Bourlier was also found guilty of 126 counts of the offense of knowingly and intentionally dispensing, or causing to be dispensed controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), (b)(1)(D), (b)(1)(d) and (b)(2).

• Michael Curtis Elliot, Registered Nurse, Deltona. Elliot violated Florida Statutes, by engaging in unprofessional conduct by testing positive for any drugs under Chapter 893, Florida Statutes, on his drug screen when he did not have a prescription and legitimate medical reason for using such drugs.

• Daniel S. White, Certified Nursing Assistant, Deland. White intentionally engaged in unprofessional conduct in violation of Section 464.018(1)(h), Florida Statutes.

• Karli E. Hough, Licensed Practical Nurse, Parrish. Hough entered a plea of nolo contendere to two counts of Obtaining Controlled Substance by Fraud, in violation of Section 893.13, Florida Statutes.

•     Maria A. Carballo Triana, Certified Nursing Assistant, Miami. Triana entered a plea of guilty to one count of insurance/false/fraudulent/staged crash, violating Section 817.234(9), Florida Statutes, and three counts of false and fraudulent insurance claims, violating Section 817.234(1), Florida Statutes.

•  Latonya Wright, Certified Nursing Assistant, Jacksonville. Wright entered a plea of guilty to one count of possession of cocaine, violating Section 893.13(6)(a), Florida Statutes.

• Joyce A. Mathis, Certified Nursing Assistant, Palmetto. Mathis entered a plea of guilty to one count of Controlling a Building Knowingly and Intentionally Making it Available for the Purpose of Unlawful Storing and Distributing a Controlled Substance, violating Title 21, United States Code, Section 856(a)(2).

•  Mary Suzanne Jean, Registered Nurse, Miami. Jean engaged or attempting to engage in the possession, sale or distribution of controlled substances for any other than legitimate purposes as authorized under Chapter 893, Florida Statutes; engaged in unprofessional conduct to include misappropriating drugs, supplies or equipment; and violated Section 456.072(1)(a), Florida Statutes, by making misleading, deceptive or fraudulent representations in or related to the practice of the licensee’s profession.