Great Lakes Wire

LANSING – Tessy I. Idusuyi, 49, of East Lansing, was arraigned today in the 55th District Court in Ingham County for falsifying medical records connected to the fall of a resident under her care at a medical facility, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Idusuyi faces charges of one count of Medical Records-Intentionally Placing False Information on a Chart-Health Care Provider and one count of Vulnerable Adult Abuse-4th Degree.

Idusuyi, a former Licensed Practical Nurse at the Ingham County Medical Care Facility in Okemos, allegedly pushed a 93-year-old resident in a wheelchair in a manner contrary to facility safety policy on April 12, 2023. This resulted in the resident falling forward and sustaining head and shoulder injuries. The Department alleges Idusuyi failed to conduct the required neurological checks on the resident and did not complete an unusual occurrence (UO) document, as mandated following such incidents.

On the morning of April 13, 2023, Idusuyi allegedly denied any fall had occurred during her shift. However, when advised available video footage would be reviewed, it is alleged that Idusuyi then prepared a UO with a neurological flow sheet purportedly showing that Idusuyi had performed neurological tests on the resident from the night of April 12 into the morning of April 13.

Attorney General investigators became aware of this case as a result of a Sentinel Project visit conducted at the facility. The Sentinel Project is an initiative started by the Attorney General to better address vulnerable adult abuse in residential care settings. Under the Sentinel Project model, specially trained investigators make unannounced visits to facilities looking for evidence of criminal abuse or neglect of residents.

“We rely on nurses to provide reliable and compassionate care,” Nessel said. “The failure to follow basic safety procedures, coupled with attempts to avoid detection once an injury has occurred, is behavior that has consequences. My department is committed to protecting vulnerable adults and ensuring those responsible for neglect are held accountable.”

Idusuyi was arraigned this afternoon before Magistrate Stefani Godsey of the 55th District Court and bond was set at $15,000 personal recognizance. Idusuyi is next due in court for a Probable Cause Conference on July 2nd at 8:30 a.m. A Preliminary Exam is currently set for July 9th at 9:30 a.m.

The penalty for Medical Records-Intentionally Placing False Information on a Chart-Health Care Professional is four years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine; and the penalty for Vulnerable Adult Abuse-4th Degree is one year in prison and/or a $1,000 fine.

The Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division (HCFD) handled this case for the Department. The HCFD is the federally certified Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for Michigan, and it receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $5,541,992 for fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25%, totaling $1,847,326 is funded by the State of Michigan.

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Please note: For all criminal proceedings, a criminal charge is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Department does not provide booking photos.

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