25 June 2019 | According to the Denver Post, a former employee of Parker Adventist Hospital is facing up to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to tampering with a consumer product.

Jessica Sharman, a 35-year-old nurse, acknowledged that she stole the pain medication fentanyl intended for patients in the intensive care unit where she was stationed. She will be sentenced on September 24 by U.S. District Court Judge Christine Arguello.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Sharman siphoned off fentanyl and would sometimes replace it with saline solution.

Sharman’s usage of the dispensing machine was flagged for high fentanyl use in two audits.

Parker removed all fentanyl from its ICU on April 26, 2018 and interviewed Sharman, who confessed to stealing the drug. She also tested positive for the use of fentanyl. She was fired that same day.

Parker Adventist Hospital is part of Centura Health, a health system managed under a joint operating agreement formed in 2006 between Adventist Health System and Catholic Health Initiatives. It operates facilities in Colorado and Kansas.

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