Woman pleads not guilty to nursing without a license

A Bella Vista woman pleaded not guilty Monday to charges she worked at a Springdale rehabilitation facility while using another person’s nursing license and name.

Alicia Flanagan, 55, of 46 Annabell Lane in Bella Vista, is charged in Washington County Circuit Court with two counts of practicing medicine without a license and two counts of nonfinancial identity fraud. Flanagan is free on $10,000 bond while awaiting trial.

She was given a Dec. 9 court date before Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay.

The director of nursing at Springdale Health and Rehabilitation Center contacted police in June to report a previous employee had been practicing medicine without a license, according to a probable cause affidavit. The director told police the Arkansas State Board of Nursing had informed her Flanagan had been fraudulently using credentials of a nurse named Alicia Pierce, who lives in Virginia, in order to obtain employment.

Flanagan worked at Springdale Health and Rehabilitation from Sept. 6, 2022, until Jan. 1, 2023, using those credentials, according to the affidavit. The state nursing board became aware of the situation when Flanagan applied for and started working at North Hills Life Care and Rehab on May 4 using the credentials, the affidavit states. The nursing board contacted Pierce, who did not know her license was being used by Flanagan, according to the affidavit.

Flanagan does not possess a valid nursing license, the affidavit states.

Flanagan, during an interview with police, admitted she had worked at Springdale Health and Rehabilitation and she did not have a nursing license, according to the affidavit.

Ron Wood can be reached by email at rwood@nwaonline.com or on X @NWARDW.

Flanagan