Remember the investigation that landed illegal alien Marxavi Martinez, the Alamance County librarian, in jail a few weeks ago? Now the two county health department employees who allegedly wrote work notes with alias names are being reinstated. Be sure to read the paragraph in bold below...

Employees in health department investigation reinstated
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The doctor and nurse midwife face no criminal charges
September 9, 2008 - 3:51PM
Times-News

Following a two-month investigation into the use of aliases on work notes, a doctor and nurse midwife have been reinstated to their positions at Alamance County Health Department.

Dr. Kathleen Shapley-Quinn and Karen Saxer, nurse midwife, were scheduled to return to clinical service Tuesday. They primarily treat women and children, according to a press release sent Tuesday by the health department. They were relieved of duties in late June following an investigation by federal officials and the State Bureau of Investigation into alias work notes for Hispanic clients.

Both were cleared of any criminal intent or wrongdoing at the conclusion of that investigation several weeks ago.

Alamance County Health Director Barry Bass chose to reinstate the two, following their paid suspension, according to the press release. Clinical services related to women's and children's health will be able to resume as normal following two months of unavailable or limited care, the press release said.

Alamance County Manager David Smith suspended the two with pay on June 18, pending the outcome of inquiries into the health department's handling of work notes and aliases by the Alamance County Sheriff's Department. Johnson requested a SBI probe after a May meeting that possibly implicated the health department with a case of identity theft and fraud.

The joint investigation ended in August with no charges pressed.

The county health board is reviewing a draft policy covering the use of alias names in work excuse notes. Among other things, the draft recommends a client that requests the use of an alias fill out a "Personal Data Continuation Sheet" that will allow the use of one alias name. The alternate name also is listed on the patient registration screen and included on the "outside of the medical record" and any other forms in the record.

At an August meeting, the health board agreed by consensus to review the draft before voting on it.

In August, Bass said having a policy on work notes will help. "We're going to heal some wounds ... We're going to have a really good dialogue among ourselves and staff about where we are and how we want to move forward, and commit to each other that we will agree to disagree in a very professional way."

The State Health Department says the county health department must provide services regardless of residency status

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