Omaha hospice nurse speaks out after Nebraska AG disciplinary action

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A part-owner of Endless Journey Hospice is speaking out after the Nebraska Attorney General issued a 14-page petition of disciplinary action against her and another nurse at the company.

Melanie Costlow, who has been a part owner of Endless Journey Hospice since the company opened in 2016, said she is working to show the positives of the organization following allegations from the state.

Allegations and investigation

In April of last year, the state opened an investigation into Endless Journey Hospice following a self-reported incident. Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued the disciplinary petition against two nurses at the company.

Allegations against Costlow included failing to report misdemeanors on nurse renewal applications, transporting medications from a deceased patient, and allowing staff to sign medical reports as a physician.

The second nurse was accused of mishandling medications in an unlocked cabinet and signing patient records as a physician. That nurse has since been terminated.

Costlow’s response

Costlow said she was unaware the employee was keeping medications from a deceased patient, and that an automated computer system unknowingly marked employees as physicians in patient records.

“None of that happened knowingly. None of that was done with ill intent,” Costlow said.

She said the charting system issue was identified and steps were taken to correct it before the state investigated.

“I will tell you that we had a system. All hospices had a system that they chart and we changed our system,” Costlow said.

Regarding the failure to report prior misdemeanors, Costlow said she had an attorney at the time and was unaware she was required to report them to the state board of nursing.

“That was not done maliciously. That is not me trying to hide from the state board of nursing that I was caught driving without a driver’s license,” Costlow said.

Outcome

There is no longer an active investigation. Costlow will serve a 90-day suspension and pay a $10,000 fine. Endless Journey Hospice will remain open.

Costlow said her suspension had not yet begun but was expected to start in the coming days.

“I don’t want Endless Journey to suffer for something that we already been through, that we already handled, that we already took care of,” Costlow said.