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Palm Coast, Florida – A seven-month investigation culminated in the arrest of Autumn Bardisa, 31, at her Palm Coast residence on August 5th, after authorities uncovered a scheme were she allegedly impersonated a licensed nurse to gain employment at AdventHealth Palm Coast. She is currently held on a $70,000 bond.
The investigation, a joint effort between the Flagler county Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Health, and the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, revealed bardisa fraudulently assumed the identity of another Autumn, a legitimate registered nurse. Both women share the same first name and attended the same college, but had no prior personal connection. The actual Autumn, whose identity was stolen, was alerted to the potential fraud by AdventHealth in January.
Deputies apprehended Bardisa as she entered her vehicle, still clad in blue scrubs, according to video released by the Sheriff’s Office. The warrant for her arrest followed the extensive investigation into the alleged identity theft and subsequent employment at the hospital.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly described the case as “one of the most disturbing cases of medical fraud” his office has encountered.
“This woman possibly put thousands of lives at risk by pretending to be someone she was not and violating the trust of patients,their families,AdventHealth and an entire medical community,” Staly stated in a press release.The Sheriff’s Office emphasized the severity of the potential harm caused by an unqualified individual providing medical care.
The investigation revealed internal shortcomings within AdventHealth’s hiring process. The charging affidavit details that Bardisa never submitted a marriage license as part of her employment verification, and discrepancies in her employee facts were initially overlooked. AdventHealth’s internal procedures are now under scrutiny.
AdventHealth has declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings or personnel matters, citing
