Gifted Gun, Shoddy Record Keeping Result in Discipline for Health Care Providers

March 17--The Washington state Department of Health recently released a set of lists that named at least 15 health care professionals who were sanctioned with official actions in February. In Western Washington, actions were taken toward health care workers in Thurston, Pierce and Clark counties. This is a sampling of the complete list provided by the Department of Health:

Thurston County

Mental health counselor Larry C. LeBlanc was charged by the Counselor Program with unprofessional conduct after a strange gift exchange. LeBlanc allegedly accepted gifts from a client and purchased vehicles from the client a prices that the seller did not believer were fair. Charges alleged that LeBlanc also gave the client a firearm but failed to document a safety plan after the client reported being assaulted by a relative. LeBlanc's own treatment records allegedly show that he failed to consult with any other professionals about the protocol for such actions.

The secretary of health ended probation for Shane Lynn Morris, an agency-affiliated counselor.

The Nursing Commission charged Carolyn Rhaye Brown, a licensed practical nurse, with unprofessional conduct after Brown allegedly failed to accurately document withdrawing and administering narcotics to patients at a skilled nursing facility where she was employed.

Pierce County

Nancy Alice O'Leary, a registered nurse, was charged with unprofessional conduct by the Nursing Commission. The charge relates to an incident where O'Leary was arrested after a vehicle collision and tested positive for controlled substances for which she had no prescriptions. O'Leary pleaded guilty to intoxicated driving in 2016.

Clark County

Tyler James Nieman, a registered nursing assistant, was charged with unprofessional conduct by the Nursing Assistant Program after he allegedly failed a drug test.

The Counselor Program came to an agreement with mental health counselor Tess E. Reese that places her on probation for at least two years and prohibits her from practicing solo. Reese's credential was suspended in 2015 after her counselor associate license was suspended in Arizona.

The Health Systems Quality Assurance Division works with boards, commissions and advisory committees in order to set licensing standards for more than 80 health care professions, ranging from medical doctors to veterinarians.

Information about health care providers is available on the DOH website at doh.wa.gov. Visitors to the webpage should click on the "How Do I" section for more information. The site includes detailed information about the license status of health care workers, including the expiration and renewal date of their credential, disciplinary actions and copies of legal documents issued after July 1998. The information is also available by calling 360-236-4700.

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