Connecticut settles $455K with Branford nurse over poor record-keeping

Connecticut officials just reached a $455,598 settlement with a Branford advanced practice registered nurse over allegations of mishandling powerful injectable medications. These drugs are used to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders.

The case spans several years of billing under the state’s Medicaid program. It really puts a spotlight on how controlled substances get tracked, documented, and administered in medical offices from New Haven to Hartford and pretty much everywhere in between.

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Branford APRN Settles False Claims Act Allegations

This settlement focuses on Dayna Giordano, APRN, and her Branford-based practice. The state accused her of violating the Connecticut False Claims Act.

Attorney General William Tong says the agreement resolves claims that Giordano’s office didn’t properly track or document certain injectable medications. That led Connecticut’s Medicaid program to pay for drugs that never actually got to patients.

Giordano participated in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program, including Medicaid, from June 2019 through August 2023. She ran her own practice and served patients from shoreline and central Connecticut towns like Branford, East Haven, West Haven, North Haven, Guilford, and others nearby.

How the Medication Program Was Supposed to Work

This all centers on medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for people struggling with opioid or alcohol use disorders. As part of MAT, Giordano prescribed and gave long-acting injectable medications, including:

Sublocade – a long-acting buprenorphine injection for opioid use disorder

Vivitrol – an extended-release naltrexone injection for opioid and alcohol dependence

Abilify Maintena – a long-acting antipsychotic injection sometimes used in complex mental health treatment plans

Specialty pharmacies shipped these drugs straight to Giordano’s Branford office. The pharmacies billed Connecticut Medicaid for each dose, expecting that every dose would reach the specific patient it was ordered for.

What Investigators Say Went Wrong

State and federal investigators allege that, over several years, Giordano’s office didn’t administer a number of these medications to the patients they were meant for. So, Connecticut Medicaid ended up reimbursing pharmacies for drugs that never made it into patients’ arms.

Authorities made it clear that Giordano herself didn’t personally seek or get paid for these medications. The main worry was about improper inventory controls and substandard medical record-keeping at her practice — problems that can cause trouble not just in Branford, but in places like Bridgeport, Stamford, Waterbury, Norwich, New Britain, and other Connecticut cities.

False Claims Act Implications

The Connecticut False Claims Act protects taxpayer-funded programs like Medicaid from waste, fraud, and abuse. Even if a provider doesn’t personally profit, the law applies if their practices lead to false or unsupported claims for state funds.

Investigators said that by failing to keep accurate records of which doses were available and which were given, Giordano let the system pay for medications that never reached patients. That gap in tracking and documentation is what the state based its claims on.

Multiple Agencies Involved in the Investigation

Several state and federal agencies worked together to investigate Giordano’s practice. Connecticut’s Department of Social Services and its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit teamed up with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General to review records, billing, and medication inventory practices.

This kind of multi-agency effort is getting more common as Connecticut keeps a close watch on opioid-related prescribing and billing. That includes urban centers like Hartford and New Haven, as well as suburban and shoreline communities from Middletown to Milford and up through Danbury and Enfield.

Key Takeaways for Connecticut Patients and Providers

The settlement highlights a few things that matter for healthcare providers and patients across Connecticut.

Accurate record-keeping is crucial – Medical offices need to track every dose of specialty medication that comes in.

Taxpayer-funded programs demand accountability – Even honest mistakes can bring scrutiny when public funds are on the line.

MAT programs remain vital – Medication-assisted treatment is still a key tool for fighting opioid and alcohol addiction, whether you’re in New London or Torrington.

If you’re a patient getting injectable medications, this case is a nudge to stay curious and involved in your care. Ask questions. Keep your own notes. Make sure you really get what each treatment involves.

Providers, take this as proof that strong systems for documentation and inventory aren’t just good habits—they’re necessary in Connecticut’s healthcare world.

Here is the source article for this story: Connecticut reaches $455K settlement with Branford nurse over ‘poor record-keeping’

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