Manatee County therapist loses license after letting spouse treat patients, investigation finds

ELLENTON, Fla. - A Manatee County therapist lost her license after health departments in two states found her spouse had been treating patients instead of her. 

Peggy Randolph's scheme was exposed after her wife died. An investigation done by the Florida Department of Health makes it clear: Peggy Randolph is a licensed social worker, but her wife Tammy was not. 

"It's patent fraud," said the University of South Florida's interim dean Dr. Jay Wolfson.

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But, their investigation shows that on February 27, 2023, a patient discovered through social media that she had been treated by Randolph's wife. An obituary posted online by Goff Funeral Home in Monterey, Tennessee shows Tammy G. Heath-Randolph died on February 11, about two weeks before the discovery. 

The Florida Dept. of Health report said, "It became apparent that Tammy was seeing all her patients and had been for a long time. This was a coordinated effort, so Randolph could provide services to patients in person while Tammy provided services over the phone."

A report by the Tennessee Department of Health said Peggy Randolph received compensation for the sessions conducted by her Tammy. 

Brightside Health said Peggy Randolph was an independent contractor on their platform, and that once they found out about what was going on, they notified potential patients and offered refunds. 

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Brightside Health released a statement that said, in part: 

"We’re extremely disappointed that a single provider was willing to violate the trust that Brightside and, most importantly, her patients had placed in her, as trust is the foundation of the patient and provider relationship in both telehealth and in-person care."

Tennessee's Department of Health wrote in their report that between January 2021 and February 2023, she was assigned to hundreds of clients over video calls. 

"It is not the technology of telemedicine that allows this fraud to be perpetrated," said Dr. Howard Forman of Yale Medical School. "This could happen in an office. This could happen in a hospital."

He said bogus doctors are often weeded out by strict regulations, proactive health care companies and even patients who do their research. The CDC said 30% of adults used telemedicine in 2022. 

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"I think we are better for having telemedicine," said Forman. "But this is yet one more example of the pitfalls that can occur when people believe that their care providers are acting in good faith, and unfortunately, not all of them are."

Once she was found out, Peggy Randolph forfeited her licenses in both Florida and Tennessee. FOX 13 tried to reach her by phone and went to her address in Ellenton, but have not heard back. If she reapplies to practice in any state, she must show the investigative paperwork produced by the State of Tennessee.

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