Cops Charge Teenager Who Posed As Physician's Assistant In A Florida Hospital

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Main Category: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Also Included In: Medical Practice Management;  Public Health
Article Date: 04 Sep 2011 - 3:00 PDT


Police have charged a teenager with posing as a physician's assistant at a central Florida hospital. They arrested 17-year-old Matthew Scheidt on Friday, after he allegedly spent five days at the Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, where according to a police report, he examined patients, provided care and had access to their restricted medical records, said ABC News.

In the emergency room, Scheidt carried out CPR on a patient with cardiac arrest, carried out physical examinations, and gave other forms of care to an undisclosed number of patients who did not know he was an impostor, says the arrest report.

Hospital staff became suspicious early last week and contacted the Kissimmee police who picked up Scheidt on Friday. The teenager faces felony charges for posing as a physician's assistant in the hospital's emergency room.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, he is being charged with five counts of impersonating a physician's assistant.

The deception is reminiscent of the film "Catch Me If You Can", based on a true story, where Leonardo DiCaprio plays Frank Abagnale Jr who, before his 19th birthday, posed as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, assistant attorney general and history professor, cashing more than 2.5 million dollars in fraudulent checks in 26 countries.

In Scheidt's case, it started on on 24 August when it appears he obtained a new hospital badge from the hospital's human resources office.

The Sentinel reports Scheidt obtained hospital credentials by claiming to be a physician's assistant in a program at Nova Southeastern University.

The teenager was employed as a part-time billing clerk in a nearby doctor's office, which is probably how he became familiar with the hospital; he told the hospital's human resources department that he needed a new hospital ID badge because the surgical practice he worked for had changed its name, says the arrest report.

During the time he posed as a physician's assistant, as well as conducting CPR, Scheidt is alleged to have interviewed patients, removed an IV, carried out physical examinations on naked male patients, cleaned wounds, and restrained a violent patient.

A local law firm says the incident raises questions about the hospital's security procedures and their ability to screen their staff.

John Morgan, an attorney with the personal injury law firm Morgan and Morgan told the Orlando Sentinel the hospital is "going to have real problems if somebody got hurt as a result of this kid".

When confronted by hospital staff, apparently Scheidt said he was a deputy sheriff working under cover, and the investigation was top secret so they would not be able to check out his employment records.

The police report says when officers went to his house on the Wednesday before his arrest, Scheidt said he had not posed as a physician's assistant, and had only been shadowing an emergency room clerk to learn about the billing system at the hospital.

The hospital's management told Fox35 they will investigate their procedures and practices to make sure this does not happen again. They said their records show all the patients involved got the care they needed.

Scheidt's father, who lives near but not with his son, only found out about the deception when the police knocked on his door. He said he was "embarassed" and "floored" by the incident, but he loves his son, he told Fox35. He said he was "all ears" to anyone who can come up with a reason for his son's behavior:

"I don't know if I need to get him some psychiatric help, I don't ... I don't know," he said.

It appears this is not the first time Scheidt has donned a uniform and a badge he is not entitled to wear. According to information uncovered by the Orlando Sentinel, Scheidt was a former exemplary member of the Osceola County sheriff's Explorer program but was kicked out for wearing a badge and gear in public that might make people think he was a deputy sheriff.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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