A sheriff's office official says a Douglas County woman who assumed the identity of a registered nurse provided home healthcare to a child with a serious medical condition.
A Douglas County Sheriff's lieutenant told Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne that Heather Denise Banks had some medical training, but not enough to be a registered nurse and do what she was doing.
Banks is accused of posing as a registered nurse after an investigator said she provided home health care to a child with a serious medical condition.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Lt. Trent Wilson said Banks obtained a copy of a license for a real registered nurse also named Heather Banks but with a different middle name.
“It was all about money,” Wilson said.
Winne attempted to speak with Banks inside the Douglas County Jail, but she hung up the phone on him when he started asking her questions in the visitation area.
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Banks is charged with first-degree damage to property, cruelty to children, identity theft, reckless conduct, forgery, and willful destruction of medical records.
“It was the child’s father who was watching Ms. Banks when she was caring for the child who realized she possibly doesn’t know what she’s doing,” Wilson said.
The lieutenant said the sheriff's office has the name of one child victim but is looking for others.
“We do believe there are other victims, and if you would, give the sheriff’s department a call at 678-486-1242,” Wilson said.
Attorney Chris Flinn said he represents the owner of Omni Healthcare Services in Lithia Springs, where Banks had been working as an RN after presenting Omni with a copy of the license for the real registered nurse Heather Banks along with proof she had worked at another healthcare agency.
Flinn says the father of a child home health patient, whom Banks was supposed to care for raised concerns to the owner who investigated. Banks was ordered not to see patients and the father contacted the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Wilson said he believes Banks worked for another agency posing as an RN before being employed by Omni Healthcare Services
Flinn said Omni’s owner is now auditing his records and cooperating with the sheriff’s office.
Wilson said Banks had completed a certified nursing assistant program, which is far short of the training an RN must have.
By phone, the real Heather Banks told Winne that she’s glad the complaint was taken seriously and it was addressed quickly.
Cox Media Group
