Nurse Says Competitor’s False Complaint Cost Her To Lose License Over Lymphatic Massage

Stephanie Skipper, BSN, RN, owner of The Body RN, a wellness spa in MD, says a "false complaint" led her to lose her nursing license for nearly a year, and now, she's planning to sue for $400 million. 

An alumna of Coppin State University, Skipper spent eight years in nursing across clinical and public health roles, including services as a nurse liasion between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and all vaccine providers in the District of Columbia during the pandemic and being charged with independently researching and drafting Health Alert Notices and all other guidances issued by DC Health throughout the pandemic. 

She then launched a career that included offering post-surgery services such as manual lymphatic drainage and recovery concierge packages. 

"I’ve been a post-op nurse since 2022," Skipper tells Nurse.org. "I provide manual lymphatic drainage to plastic surgery patients to reduce their swelling after surgery." 

Despite her long history as a nurse, a complaint—which Skipper says was false—ended up in the immediate suspension of her nursing license. After nearly a year of fighting back, Skipper had her license reinstated, but she says the suspension was unlawful, so she's planning a hefty lawsuit.  

The Complaint That Led to Her License Suspension

In July 2024, the Maryland Board of Nursing placed Skipper’s nursing license under emergency suspension following a complaint filed by a business competitor.

The complaint was filed by the owner of CSL Therapy Organization, LLC, a company that Skipper had signed up to take a continuing education class through. Skipper tells us that she signed herself and her spa clinic staff up for a virtual class "out of curiosity," but did not expect to gain a certification from the class because she went in with a "firm foundation prior to ever crossing paths with that organization."

"Her course was a review of what we already knew," Skipper adds. "I was curious to see if her class offered more than others because she claimed federal accreditation."

Skipper says she didn't end up finishing the course, as it focused primarily on machine-led techniques, while she offers manual lymphatic massage. Additionally, Skipper was not interested in joining CSL or providing the woman with her own curriculum that Skipper says she requested. 

Skipper was sent notification that she was "in violation" of CSL's policy that states that no course member is allowed to run "a foundational class" within six months of earning a CSL certification, even if they practiced independently prior to taking the class."

Source: Stephanie Skipper

It was Skipper's refusal to provide her own educational curriculum, along with the fact that Skipper also teaches post-surgical courses, she believes, that led the business owner to report Skipper to the board of nursing. Skipper also says that the woman running CSL courses is not certified herself in any way. 

"She is not a nurse or a massage therapist (she advertised herself as a licensed massage therapist)," Skipper claims. "She sent me two letters threatening to report me to the board of nursing if I didn’t provide her with my intellectual property. EVERY claim she made in my complaint was proven to be false at my hearing." 

According to documentation and statements provided by Skipper, the complaint included serious allegations that Skipper was:

• Causing harm to a patient during treatment
• Spreading infection
• Employing unlicensed nurses
• Operating outside the scope of nursing practice

However, Skipper maintains that:

• The patient referenced in the complaint testified under oath that no harm occurred
• Her wellness spa maintained a 0% infection rate over four years
• All staff held valid nursing licenses
• Supporting letters from more than 50 patients and healthcare professionals described her care as safe and professional

Additionally, a letter allegedly authored by a physician was submitted as evidence, but the physician later testified he had no involvement and did not write the letter.

Source: Stephanie Skipper

Skipper says the complainant also allegedly presented themselves as a regulatory authority without official state or federal designations. She claims that other nurses across multiple states—including New York, Texas, and Florida—have reported similar experiences with the same individual.

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'Unlawful' License Suspension

Source: Stephanie Skipper

Skipper claims that upon CSL reporting her, the Board of Nursing issued an emergency suspension of her license in July 2024 that was unlawful because it occurred without a hearing and without:

• Any patient injury
• Patient complaints 
• Proof that Skipper was a danger to the public

"Legally, there needs to be substantial evidence that I am an imminent threat to the public to issue this type of suspension because it is done without a hearing," Skipper says. "I had to wait nine months to present ANY evidence to refute these accusations. The suspension was unlawful." 

At the heart of the dispute is Skipper's technique of offering manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), a therapeutic technique used to reduce swelling and inflammation.

Skipper maintains that:

• MLD is widely used in post-surgical recovery, oncology, and lymphedema care
• It is commonly performed by nurses, physical therapists, and massage therapists
• It is not classified as a cosmetic procedure requiring physician oversight

She reports that before opening her practice, because MLD isn't specifically regulated, she consulted directly with the Maryland Board of Nursing to verify her scope of practice and was told the procedure was permissible.

During her hearing, however, the board allegedly argued that existing regulations regarding “cellulite lymphatic drainage” should apply broadly to all forms of lymphatic drainage—effectively redefining the scope mid-case.

"The board thought the woman who filed the complaint was credible, they accepted forged documentation and added it to States’s exhibits and when they realized everything was all nonsense, they tried to rewrite their regulations because they had NO REGULATION that I’d actually violated and would otherwise have to dismiss the entire case after I’d been sitting suspended for over 11 months w/o cause," Skipper says. 

License Reinstatement and a Lawsuit

Source: Stephanie Skipper

Skipper did have her license reinstated about eight months ago, but says she plans to appeal the board's arbitrary ruling. 

"They cannot change their regulations in the middle of a hearing," Skipper says adamantly. "They also cannot change science. They cannot completely redefine MLD as a cosmetic procedure. MLD is not a cosmetic procedure. It’s used by nurses in oncology & also with patients who suffer from lymphedema. It is also usually performed by massage therapists and physical therapists without medical oversight." 

Skipper maintains that the Board violated her constitutional right to due process countless times, and says she plans to file a $400M lawsuit against the state of Maryland as soon as her appeal in circuit court is complete.  

She concedes that while she could have kept "better documentation," because her clinic is outpatient, it is not held to the same standards as hospital regulations, and that previous court rulings have stated that documentation deficits are not a reason to take emergency action against someone’s professional license.

"I know I didn’t do anything wrong," Skipper says.

🤔 Nurses, share your thoughts in the comments below.