A Florida female posed for a social worker. No person caught on until she died.



A Florida social worker surrendered her license immediately after an investigation uncovered her spouse pretended to generally be her and handled sufferers working with an online mental wellness System.

As outlined by a Florida Office of Health investigative report and on-line wellness Section data, Peggy A. Randolph was a accredited scientific social employee in Ellenton, about twenty miles northeast of Sarasota.

She was also accredited in Tennessee as a social worker, per on the internet information and paperwork submitted on the condition’s Board of Social Employee Licensure.

When Randolph was described, she labored for Brightside Health and fitness, a web based psychological overall health System, involving January 2021 and February 2023. All through that point, she delivered products and services to hundreds of clients via video call, Based on official documents.

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Affected person found out about impersonation after social employee’s spouse died
Randolph went on bereavement depart subsequent the death of her wife, Tammy G. Heath-Randolph. That’s when Randolph’s affected individual claimed that she were taken care of by Randolph’s unlicensed, deceased wife instead of the social employee herself.

The client who documented the specific situation supplied a photograph of herself Chatting with Randolph’s wife throughout a session. When Brightside Well being commenced an investigation and confronted Randolph, the social employee denied the affected person had been addressed by her spouse.

Randolph at some point admitted it was her spouse witnessed from the Photograph treating the affected individual and claimed her wife, Heath-Randolph, experienced an “uncontrolled bipolar affliction” which could have led to her looking at sufferers powering the social employee’s back again.

When Brightside Well being commenced investigating the situation, the organization acquired Randolph’s wife was seeing clients for really a while, As outlined by a report filed with the Florida Section of Wellness.

“This was a coordinated effort and hard work so Randolph could give solutions to people in particular person while (her spouse) supplied products and services in excess of the phone,” the report examine.

According to records filed in Tennessee, Randolph was compensated for periods her spouse attended.

"Brightside Health and fitness performed an inner investigation and identified (Randolph) had shared her log-in credentials with (her spouse)," the report reads. Brightside Health fired Randolph on Feb. 28, 2023 after which you can the social worker chose to retire her license.

Brightside Wellbeing Enable police find out about your situation on April seventeen, 2023.

Randolph could not be arrived at for remark but files filed in Tennessee exhibit that Randolph agreed not to apply to reinstate her license. She also should pay a civil penalty of $1,000.


Mental wellbeing business reimbursed sufferers for impacted treatment
Brightside Overall health reported in a statement to United states TODAY that Randolph was an impartial contractor to the platform, along with other psychological health internet sites.

The corporation stated it will require safety measures to stop conditions such as these, which includes interviews, qualifications checks and license verification. The corporation also stated it revalidates licenses for all of its healthcare industry experts.

Once Brightside Wellness discovered with regard to the claims towards Randolph and her spouse, the corporation removed her entry to the business’s devices and terminated her deal.

Brightside Health also mentioned it:

Reassigned Randolph’s sufferers to new Health care gurus
Reported the case to federal authorities
Noted Randolph to Skilled licensing boards
Executed an extensive stability audit
The organization also said it notified the Business office of Civil Legal rights of a potential HIPAA violation, and also contacted sufferers in crafting and by way of cell phone.

The organization reported Furthermore, it issued refunds for potentially-relevant classes and Allow insurers know.

“The claimed actions will be a breach of Randolph’s contractual settlement with Brightside along with a violation of her Specialist code of ethics,” the company mentioned during the composed assertion.

“We’re very let down that a single company was willing to violate the rely on that Brightside and, most importantly, her sufferers experienced placed in her, as have confidence in is the muse of the individual and service provider connection in both equally telehealth As well as in-individual care.”

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