A former nurse at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, Oregon, has been arrested and charged with 44 counts of second-degree assault for allegedly harming nearly four dozen patients by stealing fentanyl and replacing it with non-sterile tap water in intravenous drips. The nurse, 36-year-old Dani Marie Schofield, pleaded not guilty and is being held on $4 million bail.
The investigation began after hospital officials noticed a spike in central line infections from July 2022 through July 2023, leading them to suspect that an employee was diverting fentanyl, resulting in adverse outcomes for patients. Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, is commonly used for pain relief but has also been linked to the nation's overdose epidemic.
While 16 patients died as a result of serious infections, authorities did not pursue murder or manslaughter charges as they could not definitively link the infections to the deaths due to the patients' existing vulnerabilities in the intensive care unit.
Schofield voluntarily agreed to refrain from practicing as a nurse and suspended her nursing license pending the outcome of the criminal case. A civil suit has been filed against Schofield and the hospital by the estate of a deceased patient who suffered from a treatment-resistant bacterial infection after receiving care at the hospital.
Despite the criminal charges, Schofield denied negligence or causing harm to patients. An attorney representing several former patients affected by Schofield's actions stated that he plans to file lawsuits against her in the coming weeks.
If convicted, Schofield faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and 10 months in prison for each charge, with a potential maximum sentence of 10 years.
