Nurse

Danville police arrested a nurse Monday after an investigation showed that she had used her position to illegally obtain prescription medications. Detective Robert Ladd said that police served an arrest warrant on Carrie Dotson, 34, of Junction City at the offices of Dr. Beto and Dr. Bogardus on Fourth Street in Danville, where she is currently employed. Ladd said the investigation, which began last week, showed that Dotson had been obtaining hydrocodone, a narcotic pain reliever, by calling in erroneous prescriptions over the past year.

High school students from Clark County Area Technology Center sat for the Nurse Aide Board exams May 21. The students completed a rigorous course of study that included comprehensive examinations and a clinical rotation at the Windsor Care Center in Mount Sterling. The students successfully completed all components of the training in order to sit for the Board exam that included written and performance components and were presented purple honor cords on May 28 by their teacher, Rebecca Smith.

When Carlos Serna, executive director of Homeplace Support Services, hired Carey Tinsley about a year ago, he didn't realize he was getting a two-fer. Serrna knew he was getting an experienced registered nurse to serve as nurse for the program and also operations manager. But not long after the Liberty woman moved into her office at the Homeplace complex off of South Second Street, he noticed he also was getting a dog that would become a favorite of the staff as well as the mentally and physically disabled patients that Homeplace serves.

FRANKFORT - Jaclyn Dawn VanWinkle, a former nurse's aide at Richmond Health and Rehabilitation Complex (Madison Manor) pleaded guilty to reckless abuse of an adult in connection with the care of a former resident of the nursing home in August 2008. The plea and sentencing occurred on April 6 in Madison County District Court. Under the terms of the agreement, VanWinkle of Richmond was sentenced to 12 months in the Madison County Jail. The sentence was probated for a period of two years conditioned on her good behavior and agreement to cooperate and testify in any case involving an ongoing investigation into alleged criminal conduct at Madison Manor.

Editor's note: This story comes from Tom Noie, a writer for The Advocate's sister paper, the South Bend Tribune. Eased somewhat awkwardly into a leather chair inside the Notre Dame men's basketball lounge last week, senior captain Zach Hillesland carried the look of someone who had succumbed to eight months of college basketball's wear and tear. An ice bag was strapped to his sore left knee, which Hillesland had hyper-extended earlier in the night while trying to dunk an alley-oop pass during the first round National Invitation Tournament win over UAB. He still wore the specially-padded T-shirt to protect a seriously-bruised sternum after absorbing an elbow from Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet last month.

HARRODSBURG - The family of a woman who died last year is suing a Harrodsburg nursing home, alleging the woman suffered beatings, physical and mental abuse, and other sufferings during her seven years at the facility. The complaint was filed last week in Mercer Circuit Court against Harrodsburg Health Care Center by John David Lane, son of Wanda Lane, who died at age 86 in April 2008. It seeks an unspecified amount of damages. The lawsuit does not claim HHCC, located at 853 Lexington St., is responsible for Wanda Lane's death.

Another family has filed suit against the Winchester Centre for Health & Rehabilitation, claiming the facility allowed a patient to develop pressure sores and maggots to infest the room. The suit, which was filed in Winchester a week ago, claims that Lucy Alice Hale was a resident at the facility for approximately four months from April 16, 2008 until August 2008. Hale's son, Vernon Johnson, who filed the suit on her behalf, said his mother was mentally incapacitated and needed total care.

HILLSBORO, N.H. - Lisa Duncan, RN, of Salvisa, a night shift nurse at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center in Lexington, was named one of four finalists in the Osram Sylvania SilverStar Night Shift Hero program. Duncan, whose husband Jeffrey nominated her for the honor, works in the Intensive Care Unit tending to veterans in very serious condition, including those who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. "Sometimes we forget about the people in our communities who make sure that important services are available around the clock," said Lorrie Piper, marketing communications manager, "That's why Sylvania created this award to honor and shine a public spotlight on extraordinary people who work at night.

The Clark County Community Education Program is offering two State Registered Nurse Aide Training classes beginning March 17 at the Clark County Area Technology Center. The Tuesday/Thursday classes meet from 5-9 p.m. Beginning March 21, a Saturday class will meet from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a half-hour lunch. Cost of the classes is $220 and textbooks are available at Bethany Book Room in Winchester. The $75 state testing fee will be collected in April near the end of the 75-hour course.