Fake Nurse Injured Disabled Patient During G-Tube Procedure, Employer Charged With Fraud

Karen Wurst, 71, of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Suzean Langan, 48, of Manchester, Connecticut, face multiple felony charges in a scheme that placed an untrained individual in nursing roles across 18 Connecticut medical facilities.

According to state officials, Wurst, who operated the West Hartford-based staffing agency NurseSpan, fabricated nursing credentials for Langan by misappropriating another nurse's identification number without permission. Despite having no nursing education, training, or licensure, Langan was placed in positions requiring skilled nursing care for approximately nine months.

The case took a particularly alarming turn at a Rocky Hill medical facility, where Langan performed a gastrostomy tube procedure on a patient. This unauthorized intervention resulted in severe complications including choking, vomiting, loss of consciousness, and aspiration pneumonia. The patient's suffering led to additional charges against Langan for first-degree assault of a disabled person.

The financial impact of this fraud was substantial, with Wurst billing facilities $133,682.75 for Medicaid-qualified services that were performed by an unqualified individual. This figure represents not just financial fraud but a significant breach of trust in the healthcare system.

The charges against both women are extensive. 

• Wurst faces counts of health insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit health insurance fraud, first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, first-degree identity theft, conspiracy to commit first-degree identity theft, and multiple counts of licensing requirement violations. 
• Langan faces all these charges plus the additional assault charge. The potential penalties are severe, with B felonies carrying up to 20 years imprisonment and a mandatory minimum of five years for assault on a disabled person. 

Why It Matters

The rise of fake nurses and impostors across the U.S. has shaken public trust in healthcare and raised serious concerns about the systems designed to protect patients. Over the past decade, arrests, complex fraud schemes, and federal investigations have exposed significant weaknesses in credentialing and oversight.

For nursing professionals and healthcare administrators, this case serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of thorough background checks and credential verification. The National Association for Healthcare Quality recommends implementing multi-step verification processes that include direct confirmation with licensing boards, in-person document examination, and regular re-verification of credentials.

As this case proceeds through the legal system, with Wurst's next court date set for February 18 and Langan's for January 23, it offers an opportunity for healthcare facilities to reassess their verification protocols and implement more robust safeguards against credential fraud.

🤔Nurses, what do you think about this case? Share your thoughts in the discussion forum below!

 

Crime