Two ER doctors catch coworker forging patients' documents, report the fraud to their supervisor, but the next day, they are both fired for "causing a huge internal investigation", despite following protocol: 'The signature on the file did not match'

Author image for Emma Saven
Emma Saven
Nov 29, 2025 1:00 PM EST

They often say that being a bystander to a crime and remaining silent is just as damaging as being the one committing the crime. This ER doctor no longer wants to remain silent after noticing her coworker's sneaky habit of forging client documents. She thought maybe her eyes deceived her, but when voicing her concerns to another coworker, he too confirmed her suspicions of their colleague. It just didn't sit right with her, and she decided to anonymously file a complaint to their supervisor through the integrity system…However, the outcome was the furthest thing from what the two 'whistleblowing' doctors had expected…Instead of watching their fellow coworker walk out the door for fraud, they were fired and asked to leave immediately!

It is not just major institutions that exhaust corruption, but many companies too, even the ones intended for good! It's hard to come to terms with being punished for doing the right thing, especially from a lack of a case from their opposition. Life is not always fair…but at the end of the day, who wants to work at a place that uses your truth as a weapon against you to protect those who have wronged!

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  • These two doctors have been done wrong by, now forced to be unemployed for no valid reason. They've tried to get attorneys to fight their case, but each has claimed unwilling to go against a hospital of their size…Left feeling hopeless, they stand tall in their decision to expose the dishonesty in their workplace, and that takes a lot of courage!

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    A group of doctors
    via prostock-studio

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

    Fired from hospital job for reporting fraud

    I worked at this level 1 trauma center (emergency room) in southeast Tennessee for a year and a half, and I loved it dearly, but there were some coworkers in registration doing shifty stuff and filling out medical claims/insurance/paperwork without speaking to the patients and then signing their paperwork (known as the COA).
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 03
    I worked over in the children's ER and because I never personally witnessed it, I never said anything.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 04
    But one day, I actually caught coworker B committing forgery on a patient who needed worker's comp and he reached out to me because he knew me and asked me to report it.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 05
    I approached Coworker B and asked if she had spoken to him. She said yes, but then admitted she did not and did a standard auto accident claim because she didn't know it was a worker's comp claim.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 06
    Coworker C told me she had seen B do forgeries many times, and my partner told me to get the patient's signature from him.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 07
    She compared it to his signature on file and it did not match. At no point did I open his chart because it was not part of my workflow, but I did tell my supervisor.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 08
    However, my supervisor is sketchy at best, and I felt scared about getting in trouble for not reporting it, so I made an official complaint through our integrity system and included the patient's signature for them to inspect.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 09
    Doctors taking notes
    via gettyimages

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 10
    I did this anonymously, but my supervisor called later and said I was making life difficult for her, I had no business filing a report, and that there was no fraud and hung up on me.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 11
    The next day, I was terminated alongside Coworker C who was included as a witness in the report.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 12
    She said that I violated HIPAA and went out of my workflow to cause a huge internal investigation.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 13
    Coworker C was fired for being tardy (having no write ups or warnings at all). I was devastated.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 14
    I just found out I was six weeks pregnant (currently 10 weeks) and my life felt ruined.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 15
    I filed a Whistleblower complaint against the hospital through the EEOC website but was told it was outside their jurisdiction.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 16
    I sought out an attorney, but most attorneys are unwilling to go against the hospital because of their size, or conflict of interest, and the one attorney from Nashville who said I definitely have a case has since ghosted me.
    via NoisyTurnip
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    Medical worker on the phone in her office
    via sydaproductions

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 18
    This hospital just settled a whistleblowing lawsuit for surgical fraud this year where they fired two employees for reporting fraud too, but I've decided to give up.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 19
    I just wanted to share my story so I can move on. TLDR: Major hospital is covering up fraud/forgery AGAIN, and I'm on unemployment looking for a job with terrible morning sickness.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 20
    Mdamon808 You don't report retaliation for whistle-blowing to the EEOC. You report it to the Department of Labor. Contact the DOL and look for employment lawyers that will work Pro-Bono. The hospital violated the law. Which makes it a pretty easy slam-dunk of a case. If you had told anyone at the company that you were pregnant that could also add some complications for them. As pregnancy is a protected condition.
    via Mdamon808
  • 21
    OP Noisy Turnip Thanks for telling me this, and yes, I had told my supervisor a week before termination about the pregnancy.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 22
    thewharfartscenter_ You need an employment lawyer that will take you on a contingency, not pro bono. If you have evidence that verifies your story, your lawyer will be grateful. Don't take the first lawyer you find, take the best one that will take you.
    via thewharfartscenter_
  • 23
    OP Noisy Turnip Thank you. I've been searching, but the only lawyer willing to do anything was in nashville and has since stopped contact with me. I might give it another search.
    via NoisyTurnip
  • 24
    Suspicious_Story_464 I wonder if any local news reporters may be interested as well....
    via Suspicious_Story_464
  • 25
    Agent-c1983 Don't give up. Let an employment lawyer handle it.
    via Agent-c1983

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