A Florida lady posed as being a social employee. Not one person caught on right up until she died.



A Florida social employee surrendered her license soon after an investigation uncovered her spouse pretended to be her and handled sufferers working with an online psychological health System.

According to a Florida Department of Well being investigative report and on-line well being department records, Peggy A. Randolph was a accredited scientific social employee in Ellenton, about 20 miles northeast of Sarasota.

She was also licensed in Tennessee as being a social employee, for every on the net documents and documents filed to your point out’s Board of Social Worker Licensure.

When Randolph was reported, she labored for Brightside Health and fitness, an internet based mental health System, involving January 2021 and February 2023. Through that point, she presented providers to numerous clients by using online video contact, In line with official documents.

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Patient learned about impersonation soon after social employee’s spouse died
Randolph went on bereavement leave next the Demise of her spouse, Tammy G. Heath-Randolph. That’s when Randolph’s patient documented that she were handled by Randolph’s unlicensed, deceased spouse instead of the social worker herself.

The affected individual who noted the problem provided a photo of herself Talking to Randolph’s spouse throughout a session. When Brightside Overall health commenced an investigation and confronted Randolph, the social worker denied the affected individual had been taken care of by her spouse.

Randolph inevitably admitted it was her wife witnessed during the photo treating the client and said her wife, Heath-Randolph, experienced an “uncontrolled bipolar ailment” that could have brought about her looking at individuals driving the social employee’s again.

When Brightside Health and fitness commenced investigating the situation, the company realized Randolph’s wife was viewing sufferers for very a while, In line with a report submitted Together with the Florida Section of Wellbeing.

“This was a coordinated exertion so Randolph could present expert services to clients in man or woman when (her spouse) delivered products and services around the cellular phone,” the report examine.

As outlined by data filed in Tennessee, Randolph was paid for classes her wife attended.

"Brightside Wellness performed an interior investigation and decided (Randolph) had shared her log-in credentials with (her spouse)," the report reads. Brightside Overall health fired Randolph on Feb. 28, 2023 after which the social employee selected to retire her license.

Brightside Wellness let police know about your situation on April 17, 2023.

Randolph could not be achieved for comment but files filed in Tennessee show that Randolph agreed not to use to reinstate her license. She also needs to pay back a civil penalty of $1,000.


Psychological overall health business reimbursed people for impacted treatment method
Brightside Health claimed in a statement to United states of america These days that Randolph was an unbiased contractor within the System, together with other mental wellbeing websites.

The corporation stated it's going to take precautions to forestall situations for example these, including interviews, track record checks and license verification. The corporate also stated it revalidates licenses for all of its healthcare industry experts.

As soon as Brightside Overall health learned concerning the statements from Randolph and her spouse, the company taken out her use of the corporation’s systems and terminated her agreement.

Brightside Overall health also reported it:

Reassigned Randolph’s patients to new healthcare experts
Documented the case to federal authorities
Noted Randolph to Skilled licensing boards
Carried out a comprehensive protection audit
The corporate also claimed it notified the Business of Civil Legal rights of a possible HIPAA violation, and likewise contacted clients in crafting and by using cellular phone.

The corporation reported In addition it issued refunds for likely-similar classes and Permit insurers know.

“The claimed conduct will be a breach of Randolph’s contractual agreement with Brightside along with a violation of her professional code of ethics,” the corporate mentioned within the created assertion.

“We’re particularly unhappy that just one provider was prepared to violate the have faith in that Brightside and, most importantly, her patients experienced placed in her, as belief is the foundation of the client and supplier relationship in both equally telehealth and in-person care.”

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