Former Wedgewood nurse charged with felony appears in court

Apr. 19—CLARKSVILLE — A local nurse is facing a felony charge after investigators say she administered and removed oxygen from a nursing home resident with COVID-19 without approval from a doctor.

Connie Sneed, 52, appeared before a Clark County court Monday for her initial hearing. Sneed, a licensed practical nurse formerly employed at Wedgewood Healthcare Center in Clarksville, is charged with a Level 5 felony for practicing medicine without a license.

The charge follows an investigation into the death of James Godfrey, a 72-year-old resident who died April 30, 2020 at the facility.

On behalf of Sneed, the court entered a preliminary plea of not guilty. Sneed is not in custody.

Special Judge Susan Orth presided over the hearing at Clark County Circuit Court 1.

The court set future court dates. The pretrial conference is set for May 13, 2021 at 1:30 p.m.; the final pretrial conference for June 24, 2021 at 1:30 p.m.; the status conference for July 22, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.; and the jury trial for August 10, 2021 at 8:30 a.m.

The investigation started a few days after Godfrey died at Wedgewood after the administration at the nursing home became aware of a social media post made by Sneed May 1, 2020, the News and Tribune previously reported.

The social media post was listed in a report by the Indiana Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

"I just want y'all to know the hardest thing I've ever done in 28 years start a patient on O2 for 4 days 12 LPM with a non-rebreather mask and I asked him on day 4 if he's tired and he said yes I said do you want me to take this all off for you and let you go and fly with the angels and he said yes," the post read, according to the state report. "I took it all off for him I went in the hallway and cried and I let him go he passed away 1 hour and 45 minutes after I left."

Godfrey was admitted to Wedgewood March 13, 2020, the News and Tribune reported. Patient information for Godfrey noted that medical conditions included dementia and difficulty walking, and there was a Do Not Resuscitate form on file.

Records show that Godfrey's health quickly deteriorated soon after he was diagnosed April 26 with COVID-19. According to the state report, Sneed found Godfrey's oxygen levels to be at 64% on April 28, a level significantly lower than the healthy range of 90% or above.

The records indicate that Sneed then started Godfrey on oxygen without orders or permission from Wedgewood's physicians.

Notes made by Sneed on April 30 show that she later removed the oxygen mask, and the patient died less than eight hours later, the News and Tribune reported.

The incident occurred as the facility faced an outbreak of COVID-19 cases. The News and Tribune reported April 27 that 40 new cases were identified at Wedgewood for a total of 65.

Sneed's employment was terminated May 6 due to violation of the facility's policy and standard nursing practice, according to the state report.

Perry McCall, Sneed's attorney, told the News and Tribune after Monday's hearing that in regards to the defense's approach, he is looking into "protocols we believe were put in place by the nursing home that were detrimental to patients that were in this particular facility."

"I think there's a little bit that's going to come out, and we're going to give that to the state from our standpoint," he said.

Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull previously told the News and Tribune it was his "conclusion that this nurse was not justified in removing this man's oxygen without consulting with and getting the permission of the supervising physician."

Following Monday's initial hearing, Mull released this emailed statement to the News and Tribune:

"My office will continue the process of pursuing a just result in this matter," he said.

Sneed has an active nursing license, according to state licensing information. She received accreditation in 1992, and the license expires October 2022.

For a Level 5 felony, potential penalties include one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.