Compiled by Baptist and Reflector
LENOIR CITY — A Knoxville television station reported last week that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has charged the director of nursing and the former administrator of Baptist Health Care Center in Lenoir City with tampering with records.
BHCC is affiliated with Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes, based in Brentwood.
The investigation stemmed from allegations of alleged abuse at the facility in early 2014, according to WBIR in Knoxville.
The investigation did not find any abuse but former administrator Cindy Wilmoth and nursing director Freda Jo Morton were charged with tampering with government records and failure to make a report. The charges are misdemeanor offenses. Both women were released on their own recognizance, the TV station reported.
Wilmoth retired last September, according to C. Kenny Cooper, president of Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes.
Morton was placed on paid administrative leave while additional information and details regarding the charges are obtained, Cooper told WBIR in a written statement. Morton later resigned on March 17.
Cooper told the Baptist and Reflector that “both of these employees have given their careers almost exclusively to Baptist Health Care Center with combined years of service exceeding 50 years.
“We are saddened by the circumstances which have resulted from the alleged abuse incident and pray in particular for them as well as for all the residents.”
In a media statement, Cooper said that TBAH cooperated with authorities throughout the investigation.
“The safety of our residents has always been and remains a paramount priority to all of us. Our facility enjoys an outstanding reputation for patient care and we believe it will continue to do so,” Cooper added.
