The shocking case raises alarming questions about medical fraud and patient safety in healthcare settings.
**Florida Woman Arrested for Impersonating Nurse Treating Thousands of Patients**
**Florida Woman Arrested for Impersonating Nurse Treating Thousands of Patients**
A 29-year-old woman faces serious charges after allegedly posing as a nurse and treating over 4,000 patients in Florida.
A woman has been arrested in Florida on suspicions of impersonating a registered nurse after providing medical services to 4,486 patients between June 2024 and January 2025. Authorities began their investigation following the termination of Autumn Bardisa's contract with AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway. Concerns about her qualifications were raised when hospital administrators discovered inconsistencies in her documentation.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly described this incident as "one of the most disturbing cases of medical fraud we've ever investigated." Bardisa, 29, allegedly submitted false documents and used the license number belonging to a legitimate nurse with the same first name but at a different hospital. She attempted to resolve discrepancies by claiming she recently married and changed her last name, but failed to provide a marriage license when requested.
The investigation unfolded when Bardisa was offered a promotion and a colleague alerted authorities after realizing her nursing assistant license had expired. Following a seven-month criminal investigation, the sheriff’s office issued an arrest warrant charging Bardisa with seven counts of practicing a health care profession without a valid license and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification.
She was arrested on August 5 while wearing scrubs at her home. Sheriff Staly expressed grave concerns about the potential risks to patients, stating, "This woman potentially put thousands of lives at risk by pretending to be someone she was not," and emphasized the violation of trust in the healthcare community. The sheriff's office has established a dedicated email address, fakenursecase@flaglersheriff.com, for individuals who suspect they may have been treated by Bardisa.
Currently, she remains in custody at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, held on a bond of $70,000 (approximately £52,000).
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly described this incident as "one of the most disturbing cases of medical fraud we've ever investigated." Bardisa, 29, allegedly submitted false documents and used the license number belonging to a legitimate nurse with the same first name but at a different hospital. She attempted to resolve discrepancies by claiming she recently married and changed her last name, but failed to provide a marriage license when requested.
The investigation unfolded when Bardisa was offered a promotion and a colleague alerted authorities after realizing her nursing assistant license had expired. Following a seven-month criminal investigation, the sheriff’s office issued an arrest warrant charging Bardisa with seven counts of practicing a health care profession without a valid license and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification.
She was arrested on August 5 while wearing scrubs at her home. Sheriff Staly expressed grave concerns about the potential risks to patients, stating, "This woman potentially put thousands of lives at risk by pretending to be someone she was not," and emphasized the violation of trust in the healthcare community. The sheriff's office has established a dedicated email address, fakenursecase@flaglersheriff.com, for individuals who suspect they may have been treated by Bardisa.
Currently, she remains in custody at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, held on a bond of $70,000 (approximately £52,000).
