State health regulators say a Broward County licensed practical nurse has voluntarily given up her Florida nursing license after they accused her of documenting three telephonic visits with a patient who was already dead. The administrative complaint identifies the person only as Patient D.C. and says D.C. died on Feb. 20, 2024, yet nursing progress notes report phone visits on March 7, April 16 and May 9, 2024. Records show the nurse had been licensed since May 3, 2022.
What the complaint says
According to an administrative complaint and reporting by the Miami Herald, the filing alleges that LPN Demetria Kemmerlin, listed with official addresses in Miramar and Tamarac, submitted nursing progress notes documenting roughly 20-minute telephonic visits with Patient D.C. on those dates after the patient’s death. The complaint charges she “engaged in unprofessional conduct by falsifying or altering Patient D.C.'s nursing progress records,” and the paper reports that a final order accepting her voluntary relinquishment was posted last Tuesday.
Where she worked
Cleveland Clinic Martin Health operates hospitals and outpatient centers on the Treasure Coast, including Martin North and Martin South in Stuart. The system’s local footprint includes family health centers and ambulatory clinics that provide follow-up and telemedicine services for patients in the region.
How the state disciplines health workers
The Florida Department of Health treats a public administrative complaint as a charging document that can lead to discipline, and a final order can record resolutions such as voluntary relinquishment. The DOH’s MQA license verification portal explains how public complaints are posted and how disciplinary actions are reflected on a licensee’s record. The portal also notes that a public administrative complaint is not the same thing as a criminal charge.
Legal implications
State law gives the department authority to discipline licensees for unprofessional conduct, and falsifying or altering patient records is commonly treated as such in nursing enforcement. Chapter 456 of the Florida Statutes outlines the department’s powers and procedures for licensing and disciplinary action, which can include suspension, revocation or other measures when allegations are proven.
The DOH final order closes this administrative matter by recording the voluntary relinquishment, while leaving open whether other civil or criminal authorities will pursue separate investigations. For now, the licensing record and the administrative complaint remain the public documents that lay out the state’s case and the disciplinary outcome.
