On Tuesday a Palm Coast woman received five years of probation after entering a no-contest plea in a case where investigators say she posed as a registered nurse and treated more than 4,400 hospital patients without a valid license. Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols withheld adjudication, ordered 50 hours of community service and required a written apology to the nurse whose credentials investigators say were used. As part of the plea, authorities say she surrendered a nursing license and is barred from practicing medicine while on probation.
According to WFTV, 29-year-old Autumn Bardisa entered a no-contest plea to counts of practicing health care without a license and fraudulent use of identification. The station reports the agreement calls for five years of supervised probation and a prohibition on working in health care during that period, along with community service and the apology letter ordered by the judge.
How Investigators Say She Got Into the Hospital
Investigators say Bardisa was hired in July 2023 as an advanced nurse technician after providing AdventHealth staff with a license number that actually belonged to a different nurse and then failing to produce a requested marriage certificate, according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office news release. Hospital administrators say the discrepancy surfaced when Bardisa was being considered for a promotion in January 2025, which triggered an internal review and her termination on Jan. 22, 2025. The sheriff’s office says detectives, working with state and federal partners, opened a criminal probe that led to arrest warrants last summer and a multi-month investigation.
As detailed by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, detectives obtained arrest warrants in August 2025 alleging multiple counts tied to Bardisa’s employment at AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway.
Scope of the Alleged Care
An affidavit reviewed by WKMG says Bardisa took part in medical services for roughly 4,486 patients between June 2024 and January 2025 and that she was paid for some of that care. The charging documents cited by WKMG/ClickOrlando also allege she sold a prescription medication, semaglutide (often called Ozempic), to a coworker and administered a birth-control injection to another employee. Those details appear in the affidavit and were part of investigators' findings during the probe.
Plea Terms and Professional Fallout
Local reporting says Bardisa surrendered a nursing license she obtained after her initial firing and that the plea bars her from practicing medicine while she is on supervised probation. WFTV reports the Florida Department of Health will decide any longer-term discipline, and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly cautioned that the case could keep her out of health care for multiple years.
What Patients Are Being Told To Do
Officials say anyone who believes they may have been treated by Bardisa should contact the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office; the agency set up a dedicated email, [email protected], for potential victims. The sheriff’s news release and local outlets note that investigators and AdventHealth are coordinating outreach and records reviews as part of the follow-up to the probe.
Legal Implications
Prosecutors accused Bardisa of multiple felony counts for unlicensed practice and fraudulent use of personal identification, according to local reporting and the affidavit. Under Florida law, the unlicensed practice of a health-care profession can be charged as a felony and, in certain circumstances, carries a mandatory minimum fine and term of incarceration; the statute outlines penalties that include a minimum fine of $1,000 and a mandatory minimum period of imprisonment in qualifying cases. For now, the judge’s decision to withhold adjudication means Bardisa was not formally convicted at sentencing but remains under court supervision and subject to administrative action by the Department of Health. For readers who want to review the statute, see the state law on unlicensed practice.
The official materials and local coverage together detail a case that puts a harsh spotlight on employer credential checks and how hospitals verify license data. County investigators say the probe is closed, although victims can still contact law enforcement for information.
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