A traveling nurse accused of stealing painkillers from Hilo Medical Center was one of three Big Island professionals who agreed to settlements with the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs because of alleged violations. ADVERTISING A traveling nurse accused
A traveling nurse accused of stealing painkillers from Hilo Medical Center was one of three Big Island professionals who agreed to settlements with the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs because of alleged violations.
On Wednesday, the DCCA’s Office of Administrative Hearings reported the department’s latest disciplinary actions through August 2015.
Former Hilo resident Trisha J. Ramirez, who worked as a registered nurse, agreed to surrender her license after she was alleged to have “inappropriately obtained controlled substances from a Hawaii health care facility” while working there about March 2013, according to her settlement agreement with the state Board of Nursing.
Ramirez was indicted in 3rd Circuit Court in November 2014 on five counts of promoting a dangerous drug in the third degree, five counts of prohibited acts related to obtaining a controlled substance by deception or fraud, and five counts of prohibited acts related to drug paraphernalia.
The Tribune-Herald reported in May the woman worked at Hilo Medical Center as a traveling nurse and was accused of taking prescription painkillers for personal use. She was extradited from the mainland to face the charges.
Police said Ramirez procured meperidine, hydromorphone, morphine and fentanyl, which are opioid or synthetic opioid painkillers.
In June, Hilo Circuit Court Judge Greg Nakamura sentenced her to four years probation with one year in jail. A resident of Hesperia, Calif., she only will have to serve 30 days in jail provided she satisfactorily completes her probation.
According to the terms of her settlement with the Board of Nursing, she was to voluntarily surrender her license and agree not to seek reinstatement or restoration of her license or obtain a new license.
In an unrelated DCCA case, Kurtistown resident Derek Bitterman, an emergency medical technician, settled with the state Medical Board and agreed to be placed on probation for three months and pay a fine of $1,200 after his July 2012 conviction for DUI.
Bitterman has been licensed with the state as an EMT since October 2007.
Lastly, Kailua-Kona architect William C. Foulk was alleged to have submitted inaccurate information on an Existing Cesspool Information Form, which was submitted to the state Department of Health.
In his settlement with the DCCA’s Board of Professional Engineers, Architects, Surveyors and Landscape Architects, Foulk agreed to pay a fine of $1,000.
“Respondents enter into settlement agreements as a compromise of claims and to conserve on the expenses of proceeding with an administrative hearing,” according to a written statement from the DCCA.
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
