Ex Medford Nurse Plans To Leave County On $4M Bail As 44 Felony Patient Charges Loom
MEDFORD, Ore. — The Medford nurse indicted and arrested in the Asante drug diversion investigation, 36-year-old Dani Marie Schofield, has been issued a travel permit allowing her to leave the county to consult with lawyers, despite 44 charges of criminal assault for the deaths of patients hanging over her head.
Asante Nurse Charged
Accused of infecting 44 patients with hospital tap water that she replaced in their fentanyl pain medication while diverting the drug for personal use in the indictment, Schofield pleaded not guilty plea moment at her arraignment. A $4 million bail was set to allow her to leave Jackson County Jail after her arrest on June 13.
During their investigation into the drug diversion claim reported by Asante in December 2023, the Medford Police Department (MPD) arrested Schofield. According to the MPD, the investigation revealed that all 44 patients in the case were Asante intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and of those, 16 patients had died.
Schofield left jail on June 21 but has a Jackson County Circuit Court hearing scheduled for Monday morning. The Jackson County District Attorney’s office also filed a motion earlier this week- that was granted, to declare the case as being “a complex case” and required a specific judge to be assigned to hear any and all matters filed with the court.
Read also: Asante Drug Diversion Arrest Could See More Victims Coming Forward
Ex-Medford Nurse To Travel Outside County
Despite the 44 felony assault counts accusing her of infecting patients at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. A travel permit was approved by Jackson County Circuit Court today. This means Schofield has court permission to travel, while on $4 million bail from Jackson County Jail.
The travel permit states she will be traveling from Thursday, July 25, through Sunday, July 28 to meet with her Portland legal counsel. It also indicates that she plans to drive- possibly with her husband, to Portland as well as Washington state. She was licensed to practice nursing in Washington.
Calls to Schofield and her defense lawyers have not been returned.