Omaha World-Herald (Nebraska)

January 16, 2006 Monday
Iowa; Metro; Midlands; Nebraska; Sunrise Editions

States discipline medical workers

BYLINE: Nichole Aksamit, WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 04B

LENGTH: 675 words

According to recently released documents, officials with the Nebraska Health and Human Services System issued the following allegations and disciplinary actions against medical professionals licensed in Nebraska:
Suspended Martell nurse Michael Ament for six months for habitual intoxication and working under the influence of alcohol at a hospice he co-owned.
Revoked the license of Lincoln psychiatrist Dr. Paulo Bahr for providing substandard care to four psychiatric patients and failing to report his subsequent termination.
Fined Lincoln dentist Dr. Christine Campbell $1,000 for administering nitrous oxide without a permit.
Placed Omaha nurse Steven Courson on five years’ probation for diverting morphine from a hospital where he worked last spring and for drug dependency.
Fined Papillion dentist Dr. LaMont Gillham $2,500 and placed him on five years’ probation. He failed to disclose his 2004 felony theft conviction for taking dental equipment from a veteran’s program where he worked in Virginia and selling it on eBay to finance his purchase of anabolic steroids. He also was diagnosed with alcohol dependency and steroid abuse.
Suspended Holdrege nurse Amy Henriksen, also known as Amy Easton, for 30 days and placed her license on probation for one year for failing to perform a urinary catheterization and indicating in the patient’s records that she had.
Limited Omaha nurse Nancy Knicely to working in psychiatric or mental health settings. Knicely removed a still-inflated tracheal tube from a patient, failed to maintain accurate patient records and admitted she wasn’t comfortable performing some clinical duties.
Suspended Lincoln nurse Louise Lebow for one year for failing to report for scheduled shifts, being dependent on alcohol and failing to disclose information about her treatment.
Accepted the voluntary license surrender of Lincoln mental health practitioner Steven Liechti in lieu of discipline for having a sexual relationship with a client.
Fined York nurse Jeannie Linder $500 for failing to report all medications she used, a condition of her probation for a previous disciplinary action.
Fined South Sioux City nurse Carla Schleisman $500 for falling asleep and failing to respond to pages while on a break during a night shift in a cardiac care unit.
Revoked the license of Ogallala physician assistant David Stogin. He asked a patient to return unused portions of hydrocodone and did not properly document or obtain witnesses to prove he’d destroyed the drug; refused a drug screen; made unauthorized home visits to a patient; and failed to report his resignation from a hospital.
Placed Lincoln nurse Monique Tolston on one year’s probation. She was convicted of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and driving during suspension and failed to report those convictions.
Placed Alliance nurse Lori Ann War Bonnet on one year’s probation. She was convicted of misdemeanor driving under the influence and driving during suspension and failed to report the second conviction.
Revoked the license of Lincoln nurse Janet Williams for diverting hydrocodone and oxycodone from patient supplies for approximately one year and falsifying medical records.
According to recently released documents, officials with the Iowa Board of Nursing issued the following allegations and disciplinary actions against nurses licensed in western Iowa:
Fined Council Bluffs nurse Janis Andersen $150 for working as a nurse manager at a Nebraska clinic during two months when her license was inactive.
Fined Omaha nurse Kathleen Archer $200 for practicing as an advanced registered nurse practitioner at an Iowa clinic during four months when her registration was inactive.
Ordered continuing education for Sioux City nurse Colleen Holtzen for using a doctor’s name to obtain prescription medications for herself without a doctor’s order.
Ordered continuing education for Macedonia nurse Thelma Sorensen for falsifying a patient’s records.
Warned Council Bluffs nurse Julie Tucker for diverting a small amount of a patient’s medication for personal use.