Asante Fentanyl Diversion Civil Case Increases To 20 Plaintiffs Claiming Over $337 Million

MEDFORD, Ore. — A second amendment has been filed in the civil case instituted by Medford law firm, Shlesinger and de Villeneuve, against Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center (RRMC) in connection with the diversion of fentanyl by an ex-nurse.

Additional plaintiffs have come forward and the amount claimed overall has increased to over $337 million.

Asante Drug Diversion Civil Case

Earlier this year a $303 Million medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Asante. In their latest filing, Shlesinger and deVilleneuve have added Patrick Lewallen, Joy L. Manzo, Samuel C. Allison, Michelle Wood, and Douglas E. Young to the existing 18 patients claiming against Asante.

Lindsay Moyer had been added in the first amendment filed and Asante was served with a second amended complaint this month. In the amendments, the additional patient’s claim brings the total amount claimed to $337.78 million.

The claim by Shlesinger & deVilleneuve is one of at least three civil cases against Asante that relates to the pending criminal case in Jackson County.

Jackson County Criminal Trial In Asante Drug Diversion Case

The Civil Case against former Asante nurse, Dani Schofield was stayed pending the outcome of the criminal trial. Schofield, who is currently listed as living in rural, northern Eagle Point, faces 44 felony charges of criminal assault and the complaint lists 44 former Asante intensive care unit (ICU) patients as victims of drug diversion.

The complaint charges that Schofield diverted fentanyl pain medication from the patients listed for her own usage, and replaced the drug with hospital tap water that caused patients’ illnesses.

A criminal investigation was conducted by the Medford Police Department (MPD) after Asante reported possible drug diversion in December 2023. The MPD said in June that the investigation showed that 16 of the 44 listed patients had died, but it could not prove the deaths were caused by the drug diversion.

Schofield was indicted but pleaded not guilty in the criminal case. She is currently out on bail of $4,000,000. Her lawyers successfully argued for a delay in Schofield’s civil cases pending her criminal case conclusion, saying Relying on Scofield’s U.S.

Constitutional Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, her lawyers argued successfully for the delay of the civil matter as they say she would be compromised if she had to provide information in one case that could be used against her in a different case.

In a complaint filed in February, Central Point law firm, Idiart Group, filed the first known related civil case against Asante and Schofield. The Shlesinger and de Villeneuve civil lawsuit appears to be the biggest civil claim in the matter.