MEDFORD Ore. — Following an extensive seven-month investigation by the Medford Police Department (MPD), the Jackson County District Attorney (DA) indicted the nurse, Dani Marie Schofield, 36, alleged to be behind the patient deaths and infections at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford that resulted from fentanyl being diverted.
Schofield left Asante in July 2023 and was arrested by the MPD at approximately 12:30 PM on 13 June in the 5000 block of Rogue River Drive.
Medford Nurse Indicted In Hospital Drug Diversion Case
The MPD investigation culminated in the presentation of their findings to the DA’s office. A Grand Jury convened on June 12 and indicted Schofield on 44 counts under Measure 11 of Assault in the 2nd Degree The true bill reflected the finding that Schofield’s actions resulted in serious physical injury to affected patients between July 2022 and July 2023.
Assault in the 2nd Degree charges are considered where a person intentionally or knowingly causes serious physical injury to another. 44 charges were brought in respect of the 44 patients found to have been affected by Schofield’s criminal actions during the police investigation.
Detectives have narrowed the dates down to known infections between July 2022 and July 2023, and the investigation shows these infections occurred only in the ICU.
Schofield, like all suspects, is regarded as innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Police Investigation: Nurse’s Asante Medford Drug Diversion
Honing in on allegations that Schofield had diverted liquid fentanyl intended for patients and substituted it with tap water, the investigators looked at allegations that the substitution led to serious infections in many ICU patients.
Significant resources, including multiple detectives, were applied to the investigation by MPD. Extensive hospital records were sifted through and detectives conducted almost 100 interviews with patients, medical personnel, and others affected by the diversion.
MPD confirmed the police investigation began in early December 2023 after Asante officials contacted MPD. A rising number of central line infection cases in patients while in their care became a concern to Asante and after an internal investigation, provided MPD with extensive information on identified cases that were isolated to patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) over a specific date range. Based on records and interviews, investigators determined that Schofield had access to each of these victims.
MPD said, “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families who have been impacted by this case.”