The New York State Education Department (“SED”) Office of the Professions (“OP”) is alerting everyone to a vishing scam that has been brought to our attention. Phishing—or “vishing”—scams impersonate SED employees or websites attempting to collect licensure and personal information from the licensee. If you receive an inquiry which you believe to be suspicious do not provide any information. To verify if the inquiry was from OP, contact us directly. You may report any suspicious communication received to the Federal Trade Commission.
  • NYSED Homepage
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
  • NYSED Employment
  • Board Members Only

Enforcement Actions

Searching for Summaries

Summary information of disciplinary actions taken against licensees, professional practice business entities, and pharmacy establishments by the Board of Regents in New York State since January 1, 1994, can be searched below by year, month, and profession. You may also search for an individual’s, entity’s or establishment’s status, and any applicable enforcement actions, with our Online Verification Search. Applicable disciplinary information will be listed under the Enforcement Actions tab within the search results.


In New York State, professional misconduct in all the professions (except that by physicians, physician assistants and specialist assistants, which is investigated and prosecuted by the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) of the Department of Health) is investigated and prosecuted by the New York State Education Department's Office of the Professions. The Board of Regents, which also has responsibility for licensure in all the professions, is responsible for the final disposition of all disciplinary matters except those handled by OPMC.


Information on pre-1994 Regents Actions is available by phone: 518-474-3817, ext. 330; fax: 518-473-0578; e-mail: dplsdsu@nysed.gov, or by writing to the Office of the Professions.


By reviewing this material, the user accepts the terms, conditions and limitations under which this information is supplied.

February 2023

Nursing

JOSEPH PARKER AYCOCK; NEW YORK NY

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 397452; Cal. No. 33376

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application to surrender license granted.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of being habitually drunk, or being dependent on, or a habitual user of alcohol and controlled substances.

LISA FAYE BROWNING; MCCORMICK SC

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 730282; Cal. No. 33384

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application to surrender license granted.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of, in the State of Ohio, diverting the controlled substances Percocet and Vicodin for her own personal use on approximately ten occasions and documenting that she administered said controlled substances to patients when she had administered acetaminophen instead.

SUSAN LEE CECH; NEW CITY NY

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 429058; Cal. No. 33216

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 1 year stayed suspension, 1 year probation, $2,500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of permitting a registered professional nurse to inject Botox and/or dermal fillers into patients, without a valid order and/or without an adequate examination.

SUSAN LEE CECH; NEW CITY NY

Profession: Nurse Practitioner In Adult Health; Cert. No. 301690; Cal. No. 33217

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 1 year stayed suspension, 1 year probation, $2,500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of permitting a registered professional nurse to inject Botox and/or dermal fillers into patients, without a valid order and/or without an adequate examination.

SUSAN LEE CECH; NEW YORK NY

Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No. 207167; Cal. No. 33215

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 1 year stayed suspension, 1 year probation, $2,500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of permitting a registered professional nurse to inject Botox and/or dermal fillers into patients, without a valid order and/or without an adequate examination.

HALEY MAUREEN CURRAN (A/K/A CURRAN HALEY); PLANTATION FL

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 708390; Cal. No. 33353

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 1 month actual suspension, 23 months stayed suspension, upon return to practice in New York State, 2 years probation, $500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of having accepted an assignment to perform calculations to change the drip rate of infusion of a medication without having the proper competency.

CAROL LYNN CVIJANOVIC; CHARDON OH

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 487549; Cal. No. 33282

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application to surrender license granted.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of having been found guilty of professional misconduct in the State of Ohio, where the conduct if committed in New York State would constitute practicing the profession of nursing with gross negligence on a particular occasion.

MELINDA JO DICKINSON; BRENTWOOD TN

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 548306; Cal. No. 33397

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application to surrender license granted.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of, in the State of Oklahoma, forging a patient's signature on a home visit note to reflect that she performed said visit, when in fact she did not.

EMILY ECKLER (A/K/A PROSTKA EMILY ELOISE); FARMINGTON NY

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 490347; Cal. No. 33344

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 2 years stayed suspension, 2 years probation, $500 fine.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of having been convicted of Aggravating Driving While Intoxicated, an unclassified misdemeanor.

AMY J FAIRBANKS; ALDEN NY

Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No. 266646; Cal. No. 33185

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 2 years stayed suspension, 2 years probation, $250 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of, while employed and on duty as a licensed practical nurse, stealing six tablets of a controlled substance from the facility's drug supply.

SHEILA GAUGHAN; NEW CITY NY

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 502532; Cal. No. 33214

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 1 month actual suspension, 23 months stayed suspension, upon return to practice, 2 years probation, $2,500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of injecting Botox and/or dermal fillers into patients, without patient specific orders and/or without adequate examinations.

SHEILA MARY GAUGHAN; PEEKSKILL NY

Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No. 255914; Cal. No. 33213

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 1 month actual suspension, 23 months stayed suspension, upon return to practice, 2 years probation, $2,500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of injecting Botox and/or dermal fillers into patients, without patient specific orders and/or without adequate examinations.

ANDREA SHARON GITTENS; CONCORD NC

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 508820; Cal. No. 32826

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 2 years stayed suspension, upon return to practice in New York State, 2 years probation, $500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of failing to document conversations with the doctor and failing to document vital signs while practicing in North Carolina.

GABRIELLE MONIQUE GREEN (A/K/A GREEN GABRIELLE); ROCHESTER NY

Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No. 314362; Cal. No. 33279

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 2 years stayed suspension, 2 years probation, $250 fine.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of having failed to properly log and store medication.

MARY IANNOTTA; SAYVILLE NY

Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No. 337251; Cal. No. 32842

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 2 years stayed suspension, 2 years probation, $500 fine.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of administering medication to a patient in error, and on two other occasions signing out medication that was never administered.

RICHARD HERMANO JAPITANA; BRONX NY

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 570845; Cal. No. 33162

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application to surrender licenses granted.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of failing to properly de-escalate a situation with an agitated psychiatric 13-year-old patient and, without provocation, utilizing undue force to subdue and improperly restrain said patient.

RICHARD HERMANO JAPITANA; BRONX NY

Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No. 236231; Cal. No. 33161

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application to surrender licenses granted.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of failing to properly de-escalate a situation with an agitated psychiatric 13-year-old patient and, without provocation, utilizing undue force to subdue and improperly restrain said patient.

ELENA KUZMISHCHEVA; WESTBURY NY

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 649267; Cal. No. 33392

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 2 years stayed suspension, 2 years probation, $500 fine.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of having been convicted of Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, as an unclassified misdemeanor.

KATHERINE BARBARA LAIN (A/K/A LAIN KATHY BARBARA); BRIGHTON CO

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 698597; Cal. No. 33412

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application to surrender license granted.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of, in the State of Colorado, while employed as the Director of Nursing at a facility, failing to properly secure and destroy medications.

MELISSA ANN MAGARGLE (A/K/A GANNETT MELISSA ANN, GANNETT MELISSA A); ENDICOTT NY

Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No. 322952; Cal. No. 33332

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 1 year probation, $500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of having documented she administered medications to patients when she had not.

AMANDA LYNN MATTHEWS (A/K/A CUEVAS AMANDA LYNN, ULRICH AMANDA LYNN); POUGHKEEPSIE NY

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 575776; Cal. No. 33382

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 2 years stayed suspension, 2 years probation, $500 fine.
Summary: Licensee admitted to charges of having been convicted of Operating a Motor Vehicle While Impaired by Drugs, a class A misdemeanor; and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th Degree, a class A misdemeanor.

PATRICIA SUSAN MCARTHUR; NIAGARA FALLS NY

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 704620; Cal. No. 33273

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: Indefinite actual suspension for no less than 6 months and until fit to practice, upon return to practice, 2 years probation.
Summary: Licensee admitted to charges of practicing the profession of nursing while her license to do so was suspended and withdrawing controlled substances without a physician order.

TARA ANNE MCCABE (A/K/A PISANO TARA ANNE); EAST BRUNSWICK NJ

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 667796; Cal. No. 32123

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 1 month actual suspension, 23 months stayed suspension, 2 years probation, $1,000 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of writing controlled substance prescriptions for a work colleague without first consulting the New York State Prescription Monitoring Program Registry.

TARA ANNE MCCABE (A/K/A PISANO TARA ANNE); EAST BRUNSWICK NJ

Profession: Nurse Practitioner In Family Health; Cert. No. 340299; Cal. No. 32114

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 1 month actual suspension, 23 months stayed suspension, 2 years probation, $1,000 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of writing controlled substance prescriptions for a work colleague without first consulting the New York State Prescription Monitoring Program Registry.

SHAKIA MCGOUGH; SCHENECTADY NY

Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No. 327457; Cal. No. 32430

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 1 year stayed suspension, 1 year probation, $250 fine.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of having been convicted of Criminal Impersonation in the 2nd Degree, a class A misdemeanor.

GREENFIELD SONIA ELENA POVEDA; HACKENSACK NJ

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 677645; Cal. No. 33280

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 2 years stayed suspension, 2 years probation, $500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of failing to properly document medication administration.

MITCHELL SCOTT REINGOLD (A/K/A REINGOLD MITCHELL S); MEDFORD NY

Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No. 298569; Cal. No. 33331

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: Indefinite actual suspension for no less than 1 year and until fit to practice, upon return to practice, 2 years probation.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of failing to provide written notice of his employment, testing positive for the controlled drug oxycodone on December 13, 2016 and March 21, 2017, and failing to provide the required explanatory affidavit and medical report concerning said positive results, as well as failing to appear for an in-person interview on June 6, 2017 with an employee of the Office of Professional Discipline, all as required by the terms of probation imposed by the Board of Regents in Order No. 27348.

GEORGE WILLIAM SCHWAB; EAST AURORA NY

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 545725; Cal. No. 33319

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: Indefinite actual suspension for no less than 1 year and until fit to practice, upon return to practice, 2 years probation.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of having been convicted of Attempted Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child, a misdemeanor.

CHRISTINA I SIRERA; RIVERVALE NJ

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 501850; Cal. No. 33210

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application for consent order granted; Penalty agreed upon: 2 months actual suspension, 22 months stayed suspension, upon return to practice in New York State, 2 years probation, $5,000 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of injecting Botox and/or dermal fillers into patients, without patient specific orders and/or without adequate examinations.

YOLANDA VITULLI; MOHNTON PA

Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic. No. 473829; Cal. No. 33405

Regents Action Date: February 14, 2023
Action: Application to surrender licenses granted.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of having been convicted of Theft from Program Receiving Federal Funds, a felony.