36-year-old Sydney Danielle Clay, a nurse at Advanced Healthcare of Nashville, reported several false allegations against a travel nurse, Kaleisha Lax, to The Department of Human Services on August 8th. The report alleged that Lax dismissed a patient’s concerns and failed to collect their vitals, contact an ambulance as required, and document any of their health complaints on the evening of August 8th. Then, Clay stated that due to the neglect of the patient, he was found deceased in his bed the following morning. After this, officers, TBI investigators, and The Department of Human Services visited the facility unannounced. While there, they spoke with administrators, who immediately produced the patient’s records, case notes, and all the nurses scheduled for August 6th through August 10th.
The facility’s records revealed that Clay was not inside the building or even at work when she claimed the negligence occurred. It was also discovered that the patient was experiencing shortness of breath during the evening hours of August 9th and that no travel nurse was working that night before his death. The police report stated that it was proven that Clay knowingly and intentionally submitted a false report about the incident. Then, Marquita Williams, an administrator at this facility, told police that Clay had a history of making false allegations of neglect and abuse. Williams added that she had made numerous mendacious claims about other employees she did not get along with. The police discovered that all allegations Clay claimed were false and untruthful. A warrant was obtained for Clay’s arrest on September 9th. Clay was taken into custody for three counts of false accusations of vulnerable adult abuse and neglect on September 10th.