Incidentcase73

An employee at a Grand Rapids nursing facility kept more than 1,900 opioid tablets intended for clients for herself over two years, according to a state agency’s investigation.

The facility’s clients sometimes went without pain medications as a result, according to the report.

The investigation by the Minnesota Department of Health’s Office of Health Facility Complaints also found that other staff members were aware of the theft but didn’t report it because of fear of retaliation by the employee and by management at the facility, Majestic Pines Senior Living.

Jessica Wolf, executive director at Majestic Pines, said the facility reported the drug diversion to law enforcement and the health department as soon as it was discovered.

Itasca County and Grand Rapids attorneys weren’t available for comment Wednesday, but Wolf said criminal charges are expected to be filed. The employee no longer works for Majestic Pines, she said.

The medications were diverted on multiple occasions in 2017 and 2018 from 13 clients, according to Hatch’s report.

“Investigation also revealed staff members were aware of the suspected diversions early on, but were afraid to report their suspicions … because the (employee) was friends with management and staff feared retaliation,” Hatch wrote.

Wolf declined to comment directly to that allegation but attributed the theft to an employee gaming the system.

“We have safeguards in place to prevent such a diversion,” Wolf said. “Unfortunately, we had a staff member that we trusted that manipulated these systems and created a diversion that was not easily detected.”

Hatch wrote that staff members said the employee created an “overflow area” in her office, placing prescription medications in a filing cabinet there and that only that employee had access to the office. They said there was no need for an overflow area.

The woman accused of the diversion was interviewed and denied the allegations, he wrote.