DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE OF THE COLLEGE OF NURSES OF ONTARIO
PANEL: Sherry Szucsko-Bedard, RN Chairperson Sylvia Douglas Public Member Aisha Jahangir, RN Member Sandra Larmour Public Member Michael Schroder, NP Member
BETWEEN:
COLLEGE OF NURSES OF ONTARIO ) DOUGLAS MONTGOMERY for
) College of Nurses of Ontario
- and - )
MELINDA VICENTE ) REBECCA YOUNG for
Registration No.JD03428 ) Melinda Vicente
) CHRISTOPHER WIRTH
) Independent Legal Counsel
) Heard: September 15, 2022
DECISION AND REASONS
This matter came on for hearing before a panel of the Discipline Committee (the “Panel”) of the College of Nurses of Ontario (the “College”) on September 15, 2022, via videoconference.
The Allegations
The allegations against Melinda Vicente (the “Member”) as stated in the Notice of Hearing dated June 15, 2022 are as follows:
IT IS ALLEGED THAT:
You have committed an act of professional misconduct as provided by subsection 51(1)(c) of the Health Professions Procedural Code of the Nursing Act, 1991, S.O. 1991, c. 32, as amended, and defined in subsection 1(1) of Ontario Regulation 799/93, in that while working as a Registered Practical Nurse at Baycrest Hospital in Toronto, Ontario (the “Facility”), you contravened a standard of practice of the profession or failed to meet the standards of practice of the profession, and in particular, in or around 2011 to 2017, you submitted and/or accepted payment for false claims under the Facility’s employee group benefit plan (the “Benefit Plan”).
You have committed an act of professional misconduct as provided by subsection 51(1)(c) of the Health Professions Procedural Code of the Nursing Act, 1991, S.O. 1991, c. 32, as amended, and defined in subsection 1(8) of Ontario Regulation 799/93, in that while working as a Registered Practical Nurse at the Facility, you misappropriated property from a client or workplace, and in particular, in or around 2011 to 2017, you submitted and/or accepted payment for false claims under the Benefit Plan.
You committed an act of professional misconduct as provided by subsection 51(1)(c) of the Health Professions Procedural Code of the Nursing Act, 1991, S.O. 1991, c. 32, as amended, and defined in subsection 1(14) of Ontario Regulation 799/93, in that while working as a Registered Practical Nurse at the Facility, you falsified a record relating to your practice, and in particular, in or around 2011 to 2017, you submitted and/or accepted payment for false claims under the Benefit Plan.
You committed an act of professional misconduct as provided by subsection 51(1)(c) of the Health Professions Procedural Code of the [Nursing Act, 1991](https://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/so-1991-c-3