Complaint Review: PROGRAM MANAGER DIANE FORTUNA - STATESVILLE North Carolina

For several years, the Human Resource Department for Easter Seals Crisis and Recovery Unit has been made aware of the unethical practices of staff including Program Manager Diane Fortuna, Doctor Travis Anderson, CSS Supervisor Barbara Obrien, possible medicaid fraud, nurses giving wrong medications to clients and not being reported by Program Manager. The CEO Connie Cochran and HR Directors Heather Brewer, Leigh Elrod, Anna Lovell were told of many instances via email, phone calls, face to face interactions and ALL complaints have been either ignored or swepted under the rug. One of the staff members tried to comit sucide twice because no one would listen about what was going on at the Easter Seals Crisi and Recovery Center. The Program Manager(s) Diane Fortuna (new) and Laura Longino (old manager), the nurses, and the counselors treated this employee with the utmost disrespect, and treated this employee like trash. 

Another employee was accused of many things after that employee would not participate in the wrongdoings at Easter Seals Crisis and Recovery Center and chose to expose the truth. This emplyee was stripped of her title, pay, and treated poorly. Several other previous employees who decided to state the truth, was found to be a liability and let go from their jobs. The reason given was either their services were no longer needed, or they were laying off and they were on the bottom of the totem pole to be laid off.  A staff memeber complained of the instances to the HR at Easter Seals and to the Nursing Board to Tammy Hearden, but nothing was done. One of the nurses by the name if Anitra White was reported numerous of times and nothing was ever done. The doctor, Travis Anderson, as it was told by staff, slept around with the staff and had wild sex toy parties at his house amongst other things. Open sexual relationships with Doctor Travis Anderson, Program Manager Diane Fortuna, and CSS Supervisor Barbara O'Brien. Grievances have been file by clients, but were mysteriously gone and never followed up on once the forms were given to counselors or the Program Manager Diane Fortuna.

Staff had to be refunded their monies to pay the cost of grocery for clients and other servies for clients. Reports were made to the LME which is Crossroads Behavioral Health Mr. David Crosby and LME CEO Mr. David Swann. Crossroad David Crosby stated that Crossroads handle everything, but according to LME Crossroads Behavioral, the claims filed against Easter Seals Crisis and Recovery Center was not substantiated. When questioned of the questions of why the accusations were unsustantiated, LME CEO David Swann made a statement that he too had reported the nurses to the board (again nothing had happened) and when CEO David Swann was asked why LME Crossroads Behavioral did not sustantiate the claims, it was merely stated that they did not handle those types of claims so it could not be investigated, but yet LME Crossroads Behavioral Health wrote the findings were unsustantiated. When asked why not report that the findings was not something that the LME handles, LME CEO David Swann stated that it should have been written that way, but letter was written differently. LME CEO David Swann suggested to staff to go forward and file charges against the center or try to settle.

Needless to say that nothing had changed.