A radiologic technologist charged with submitting false mammogram results during her tenure at a Georgia hospital has turned herself in and is being held without bond at the Houston County, GA, detention center.
Former Perry Hospital employee Rachael Michelle Rapraeger surrendered herself to the Houston County sheriff's office on September 9, after sheriff's deputies began a search for her at her home and at work, according to Jason Ashford, chief assistant district attorney for Houston County. She appeared in court for the first time on September 10 for a hearing on her charges, Ashford said.
A grand jury indicted Rapraeger on September 7 on 10 counts of reckless conduct and 10 counts of computer fraud -- entering negative mammography results into the hospital's computer system without a physician's review -- according to a statement issued that day from Houston Healthcare System, which operates Perry Hospital. Nearly 1,300 patients may have been affected, and as many as 10 women had suspicious findings but were never notified due to the technologist's alleged actions.
"[Rapraeger] has been indicted on 20 counts, two per victim," Ashford told AuntMinnie.com. "Each one of these 10 women had a positive mammogram that was labeled as negative."
On September 10, Ashford and Houston County District Attorney Rabb Wilkerson met with women whose results were actually positive, according to one of them, Miriam Mizell of Kathleen, GA. Mizell had a mammogram at Perry Hospital in February 2009, which at the time came back negative, Mizell told AuntMinnie.com. This year, Perry Hospital informed her that doctors had never read the mammogram, and a retest came back positive. Mizell has already been fighting metastatic colon cancer for three years, she said.
"What I regret most [about not having the correct information] is that I could have done something about my breast cancer. Now I have cancer in my lungs that I have to deal with first," Mizell said.
Rapraeger can request a bond hearing, which could be held as soon as September 16 at the Houston County Courthouse. Ashford said that if Rapraeger requests a bond hearing, Wilkerson plans to oppose it.
"Very often [bond hearings] get postponed," he said. "Rapraeger will be in custody until a judge lets her out. If she's denied bond, she'll be eligible for bond reconsideration in 30 days. But as long as she's denied bond, she'll be held until a trial."
By Kate Madden Yee
AuntMinnie.com staff writer
September 14, 2010
Related Reading
Technologist indicted over false mammo results, September 9, 2010
Ga. hospital asks for police investigation, May 14, 2010
Hospital to retake 900 mammograms due to employee error, May 12, 2010
FDA cracks down on mammo RT records, February 26, 2010
Suspended Canadian radiologist: 'This is a modern-day lynching,' July 30, 2009
Copyright © 2010 AuntMinnie.com
