A woman has been taken into custody in Florida after allegedly impersonating a registered nurse and offering medical services to over 4,000 patients. The police investigation began when AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway dismissed Autumn Bardisa, 29, amid doubts regarding her credentials. According to reports, she provided medical care to 4,486 patients from June 2024 to January 2025.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly described the case as "one of the most disturbing cases of medical fraud we've ever investigated." Bardisa was employed at the hospital from July 2023 until her contract termination in January 2025. She is accused of faking documents and using the license number of another nurse who had the same first name but worked at a different location within the AdventHealth system.
When questioned about discrepancies in her documentation, Bardisa claimed that a recent marriage had changed her last name but failed to provide a marriage license as requested. A colleague raised alarms about Bardisa's expired nursing assistant license, which led to her contract being ended and a seven-month criminal probe launched against her.
Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Bardisa, outlining seven counts of practicing healthcare without a license and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information. She was apprehended at her residence on August 5, dressed in scrubs.
Sheriff Staly emphasized the potential risks posed by Bardisa's actions, indicating that she may have endangered the lives of countless patients and breached the public's trust. In response to the incident, the Sheriff's Office has created a specific email address, fakenursecase@flaglersheriff.com, for anyone who suspects they may have been treated by Bardisa. She is currently held in custody at Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on a bond set at $70,000.
