Saturday, April 5, 2014

NJ group home worker convicted of faking, stealing medical records to cover mistake


UNION COUNTY — An East Orange woman was convicted today of falsifying medical records to cover up her own mistake, then stealing the records after she was fired, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park announced.

Joy Ebuzor-Onayemi, 48, was convicted of third-degree burglary and fourth-degree falsifying medical records, following several hours of jury deliberation after a five-day trial before state Superior Court Judge Stuart Peim in Union County.

Ebuzor-Onayemi called a doctor instead of calling 911, an infraction that was uncovered by the management. But in the days leading up to a disciplinary hearing, she altered the medical record to cover up her misstep, Tomlinson said.

Ebuzor-Onayemi was fired on April 8, 2011, and after leaving the company's headquarters she drove back to the group home, broke in, and stole the records implicating her, according to Tomlinson.

In 2011, Ebuzor-Onayemi worked at a Berkeley Heights residence for people with developmental disabilities, where she took patients' blood pressure readings. On one occasion, though, she failed to follow protocol after taking an abnormally high reading, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Meghan Tomlinson, who prosecuted the case.

Full Article & Source:
NJ group home worker convicted of faking, stealing medical records to cover mistake

4 comments:

Thelma said...

So even if they pass a CORI check, a worker could be clean but bad news.

Anonymous said...

Just think how many times records are changed to cover up mistakes and they get away with it.

tina d said...

The word 'convicted' makes my day. One of many who are abusing their positions to cover up and protect others.

Records are not always based on facts in health care facilities, nursing homes etc especially when people are wrongfully admitted into Hospice to eliminate the problem and that's a homicide when intent is for the Hospice patient to die.

Anonymous said...

Now will the judge and prosecutor go after the predators in the Union County courts putting individuals under illegal guardianship.

Start with Anthony P Kearns III, Daniel Jurkovic, Donald Vanarelli and Russell Woods in the Matthew G. Taylor case.