Pennsylvania police ask health care providers for help building case against "imposter nurse"

CBS News

7 days ago

Pennsylvania State Police are asking healthcare companies to review their employment records, as the investigation into a woman who used false identities to pose as a nurse at healthcare facilities across the state continues.
Shannon Womack is believed to have used at least 10 different aliases to pose as an LPN, RN, and nurse supervisor at rehabilitation facilities and nursing homes across the commonwealth.
Now, state police are asking healthcare agencies and providers to review their employment records for fraudulent activities that may have involved Womack.
Investigators confirmed that Womack used the following names:
State police are asking providers to call them at 724-223-5200 if any of those names match their employment records.
Womack is facing several charges, including corrupt organizations, endangering the welfare of care, unlawful use of a computer, identity theft, forgery, and theft by unlawful taking.
Womack was taken into custody earlier this week after it was learned that she used several different identities to work as a nurse, despite not being a licensed professional.
"The investigation showcased Womack was using the identification and nursing certifications from four different confirmed nurses from southern states," state police Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said. "She was acting as this RN for about five years now, and that ranges all the way from George to Connecticut. So, you have a bunch of different states in that range."
State police provided at least six facilities in Pennsylvania where Womack worked:
She worked anywhere from one to 10 shifts at these facilities, and according to a criminal complaint provided to KDKA-TV, she was placed on a "do not retain" list for reasons including professional misconduct, poor performance, and was accused of stealing drugs in some cases.
The investigation began when troopers pulled the 39-year-old woman over in Cecil Township on a regular traffic stop in April. She allegedly provided aliases that had numerous active warrants.
"The search warrant of the vehicle showcased multiple forms of ID, a lot of medical records were in the car, and a bunch of prescription medications that were attached to residents in health care homes or nursing home facilities," Gagliardi said.