Nurses working at Arizona group homes run by Legend DDD Services say they have gone weeks without pay, locked out of the company's scheduling and payroll apps even as state agencies investigate the provider. The nurses describe a company that has gone largely silent toward its own staff while six of its group homes have shut down following license terminations.
Legend DDD Services is a health care provider that partners with Arizona's Division of Developmental Disabilities to serve clients with developmental disabilities across the state, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. State agencies are investigating the company, the station reports, though the Department of Economic Security said it does not comment on investigative activity. Separately, the investigation does not appear to concern unpaid wages, per the same report.
Multiple nurses told the station they have been locked out of company apps and have not been paid for weeks. One licensed practical nurse said Legend DDD owes her about $4,000. Carlota Hilbert, also a licensed practical nurse, said the company owes her $3,000, while licensed practical nurse Rosabelle Oben said she is owed at least $2,000.
Locked Out of Paylocity and Pulled From the Schedule
Oben said she was removed from the work schedule and could no longer find information in her Paylocity account, telling the outlet, “I was taken off schedule.” She and other nurses received messages saying their checks would be processed after state updates, even as the expected payday of September 18 came and went, the report notes.
Legend DDD management told employees that paychecks would be printed for pickup about a week after that payday. But when Hilbert and others arrived at the office on September 25 to collect what they were owed, she said it was closed. The same article reports that management has since stopped responding to calls, texts, and emails from affected staff.
One anonymous licensed practical nurse told the station her bank account balance had fallen to about negative $700 as a result of the missed pay. Nurses interviewed said the understaffing problems predated the payroll breakdown — the report notes Legend DDD homes were short-staffed, with nurses sometimes working 24 hours straight when no relief staff were available.
Six Homes Closed After License Terminations
Legend DDD operates 10 nursing-supported group homes licensed with the Arizona Department of Health Services, the station reports. AHCCCS terminated the licenses for several of those homes, resulting in six closures, according to the same account. Legend DDD sent staff an email about the closures on September 8, and Oben said she was essentially terminated after receiving that closure notice.
AHCCCS is involved in the broader investigation and works closely with the Department of Economic Security's Division of Developmental Disabilities and other state partners, per the report, with the agency saying it supports access to safe, high-quality care and services. The Division of Developmental Disabilities told the station it conducts thorough investigations when reported issues affect member care and collaborates with state partners to ensure essential services remain available.
A Pattern of Enforcement Actions Since 2024
The Arizona Department of Health Services has issued 16 enforcements against Legend DDD for 25 violations since 2024, the station reports. Those violations reportedly included failures to ensure staff had the required skills and knowledge, along with failures to ensure the required numbers and types of nurses and staff were on site — the same conditions nurses say contributed to the understaffing they experienced on shift.
Dr. Aldaoud, identified as Legend DDD's co-owner and medical director, also owns the company according to Arizona Corporation Commission records cited in the report. He did not respond to requests for comment. Kerri Masengale, Legend DDD's CEO, also owns Paradise Living Centers, the station notes.
The Division of Developmental Disabilities said it sends payment for all authorized services rendered by providers in full compliance with contractual terms and established procedures, and that it has sent payment to the provider in question, according to the report. Despite that assurance, nurses say they may not receive pay for dozens of hours already worked — leaving them to weigh their options as the money owed to them remains outstanding.
Arizona law allows an employee who is unlawfully denied wages to recover treble the amount owed in a civil action against an employer, under a statute maintained by the Arizona Legislature. The state also offers a formal path for workers in this situation: the Industrial Commission of Arizona maintains an Unpaid Wage Claim Form covering unpaid wages and related compensation categories.
