A radiologic technologist who lectured on how to write case reports has been accused of falsifying mammography quality control (QC) reports at a Pennsylvania breast screening clinic.
Josephine Latini, 49, of Williamsport, PA, was charged Tuesday with making false statements related to healthcare matters, according to a report in the Patriot-News.
Specifically, the U.S. Attorney's Office has filed charges in federal court against Latini for falsifying quality assurance tests and related records necessary for the medical group to meet the requirements of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA).
Latini has agreed to plead guilty to all charges, according to the newspaper. Prosecutors said they will recommend probation instead of a jail term. Latini was let go from her position at Geisinger Health System immediately after the discrepancies were noted.
Latini's actions forced Geisinger to stop mammography screening at several clinics in the Danville, PA, area. The institution also had to offer free rescreening to more than 1,500 women. However, there has been no indication that breast cancers were missed during the period that Latini altered reports, according to Dr. Bruce Hamory, Geisinger's executive vice president and chief medical officer (Patriot-News, January 12, 2006).
The problem first came to light in February 2005, when an internal review showed that the clinic's single mammography unit was not being calibrated on a regular basis. Latini is accused of falsely dating 24 weekly QC evaluations between July and December of 2004. In an official statement, Geisinger authorities said that they were pleased that Latini was being held accountable.
How Latini's situation will affect her standing in the RT community is currently under scrutiny.
Latini has been an involved member in the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT), both in terms of financial contributions and her time. At the society's 2004 annual meeting, she led a seminar entitled "How to Write a Case Report." In 2006, she was assigned to the ASRT's nominating committee.
The ASRT does reserve the right to demote an active member, such as Latini, to associate status, which would prevent the member from holding committee positions in the future, explained Ceela McElveny, ASRT spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) has been informed of Latini's situation, said Tom Kraker, ARRT assistant executive director. In cases such as these, the ARRT's ethics committee investigates any claims of ethical and legal violations against an RT. That person will have an opportunity to participate in the review process.
"The sanctions range from reprimand to revocation of registration and certification," Kraker told AuntMinnie.com.
Kraker would not specifically comment on whether Latini's case is under review by the group's ethics committee, or if her registration and certification have been suspended. Immediate suspension depends on the circumstances, Kraker explained. "The question we look to answer is: Is the patient at immediate risk?" he said.
The outcome of the ARRT review also determines if an individual will remain an active ASRT member, McElveny said.
By Shalmali Pal
AuntMinnie.com staff writer
January 13, 2006
Related Reading
RT bears burden of QA failure at PA mammo clinic, June 9, 2005
PA mammo clinic fails QA, must pay for re-screens, January 7, 2005
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