A former nurse who worked in the intensive care unit has been arrested for allegedly switching patients’ pain medication with tap water, according to police in Medford, Oregon.
Dani Mari Schofield is facing 44 charges of assault in the second degree. These charges are based on the number of patients affected by Schofield’s actions, the Medford Police Department said.
Assault in the second degree is when someone intentionally or knowingly causes serious physical injury to another person, according to the police statement.
The arrest follows concerns raised by officials at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, where Schofield worked. They noticed an increase in central line infections among patients, which are tubes inserted into large veins to deliver medication.
“There was concern that Schofield had been taking patients’ liquid fentanyl for her own use and then replacing it with tap water, leading to serious infections,” the police statement said.
It’s not clear how many patients Schofield allegedly mistreated have died. However, a lawsuit was filed in March on behalf of Horace Wilson, an Asante patient who died after being admitted to the hospital with injuries from a fall. The lawsuit claims Wilson’s pain medication was replaced with tap water, introducing bacteria into his bloodstream and causing his death.