Law enforcement officials are calling it “one of the most disturbing cases of medical fraud.” A 29‑year‑old Florida woman has been arrested for posing as a registered nurse. She has been caring for more than 4,400 unsuspecting patients without a legal or valid medical license.
Autumn Marie Bardisa is from Palm Coast, in Flagler County, Florida. She was arrested on Tuesday following a multi-month investigation. In January, during a routine promotion review, hospital administration came across the information that Bardisa had an expired Certified Nursing Assistant license while she was employed as a Registered Nurse with the hospital. This medical hospital was suspicious, and the police were involved.
In July 2023, Bardisa was initially hired as an Advanced Nurse Technician at AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway. She then misrepresented herself as an “education‑first” RN. She claimed that she had completed the required nursing program but had not passed the licensing exam yet.
She also provided a license number that belonged to another nurse. Bardisa shared her first name with that nurse. She was then asked about the different surnames, and she said that she had changed her name after marriage. However, she never submitted any documentation to back up the claim.
For approximately 7 months, she fooled the staff and her deception went unnoticed. But then she was caught when a coworker uncovered her license discrepancy during her promotion review. This triggered an internal audit and led to subsequent law-enforcement notification.
A 29-year-old Florida woman was arrested after pretending to be a registered nurse and treating 4,486 individuals at a local hospital from July 2023 until she was fired in January 2025, the local sheriff’s office said.
Read more: https://t.co/WQKkEvyp2q pic.twitter.com/S3wIGVgvXg
— ABC News (@ABC) August 7, 2025
Authorities estimate Bardisa treated approximately 4,486 patients between June 2024 and January 2025. She billed for her services despite having no proper licence.
Her actions have triggered criminal charges. She has been charged with seven felony counts, each of practicing a healthcare profession without a license, and also the fraudulent use of personal identification.
She is currently being held on a $70,000 bond.
“This is one of the most disturbing cases of medical fraud we’ve ever investigated,” said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. “This woman potentially put thousands of lives at risk by pretending to be someone she was not … and violating the trust of patients, their families, AdventHealth, and an entire medical community.”
The Florida Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are assisting in the investigation. They also contacted the real nurse whose identity had been stolen. She has confirmed that she was unaware Bardisa had used her credentials.
🚨 FAKE NURSE ALERT: Treated 4,400+ patients with stolen license info.
Florida authorities have arrested Autumn Bardisa, who they say posed as a registered nurse for years — using someone else’s nursing license number to gain employment.She worked in clinics, hospitals, and… pic.twitter.com/22NDsV6t97
— Vlemx4u (@vlemx4u) August 7, 2025
This case shows the alarming gaps in healthcare credential verification. Maybe due to work pressure at hospitals and health care centres, there are cracks in systems, and such cases fall through.
Staff failed to notice inconsistencies until months later. And all the while, Bardisa had access to vulnerable patients and medical responsibilities. There have been warnings from industry professionals that healthcare institutions need to implement rigorous credential checks.
There should be more cross-referencing of the licensing databases, and it should be done frequently to prevent such fraud. The sheer volume of patients involved raises questions about potential harm and eroded trust in healthcare institutions.
