Nurse Headed to Jail for Medicaid Fraud

Donna Gatch was not tried in Gadsden County Court on 4/21/2008 for medicaid fraud- nor was she convicted on charges of medicaid fraud. She also did not receive 5months probation- she received 5 years probation. It also is my understanding you sent this misinformation in an email to the Department of Health. It would be nice if you reported accurate and truthful information. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me personally for truthful information. When this occurred in October of 2006, after a suicide attempt, I reported myself to the Fla Board of Nursing and the Department of Health. After being a registered nurse for over 30 years, and after making this horrendous mistake, I wanted others to realize this can happen to anyone in the medical profession. I also wanted others to know the warning signs of burnout and stress that goes along with taking care of the sick and dying. I am truly sorry for the mistakes I have made and am willing to pay for them whether financial, emotional or with incarceration and rehabilitation. I know my God and my family have forgiven me. I only now hope one day Big Bend Hospice, my patients and their caretakers and friends can forgive me for the huge mistakes I have made. I hold Big Bend Hospice harmless in this matter. BBH was and is one of the best organizationsI have worked with. They truly care about their patients and their staff deliver the highest quality of care. I was so proud to work for and with the BBH staff of Gadsden County. The Gadsden County BBH Team are the best of many I have worked with over the past thirty years. I hope that everyone in the medical field will know how to recognize the warning signs of severe depression and burnout and not be afraid to ask for help. I pray one day I can return to the nursing profession and be a part of what I have worked so hard to obtain. Thank you for the opportunity to give my honest feedback after so many comments that have been reported in the news media concerning this matter.For questions, personally contact me either by email or telephone. I have nothing to hide and will tell you the truth- Donna Gatch, RN

I don't consider having others pay your financial retributions back because they "believe" you did not know what you were doing at the time or sitting at a friend's house every day now and calling that "doing jail incarceration" being "truthful." If you are going to be so truthful, why not just say, a doctor friend wrote letters to the judge telling him you were too ill to be locked up like all the other criminals. Also, a suicide attempt???? Why should you go back to nursing when you are better suited for a soap opera role? After all, you did beat pancreatic cancer???? Do you even know truth?