An undergraduate student at the University of Colorado Denver was caught posing as a medical student to treat patients at a city hospital, officials said.
Denver Health Medical Center said Friday that it learned the female student had unauthorized access at the hospital. “We have taken swift and aggressive action to address the issue,” Denver Health said in a statement.
Hospital spokeswoman Kelli Christensen said it was unclear how long the woman had been posing as medical student at the Level 1 trauma center. However, no patient appeared to have been affected.
“She misrepresented herself as a medical student and as such, she would have only had interaction with a patient under the direct supervision of a qualified Denver Health provider,” Christensen said. “We are not aware of any adverse event or harm that occurred as a result of patient interaction.”
University of Colorado Denver spokeswoman Emily Williams confirmed the young woman is a freshman studying biology at the Denver campus.
“Her involvement at Denver Health was not connected with her coursework at the university,” according to a university statement.
The hospital has suspended all student and learner badges as a result of the security breach, and is in the process of reverifying credentials, according to the hospital statement.
The hospital said it was taking the matter “very seriously” and is pursuing legal action.
The undergraduate student “has been banned from our campus and Denver Health is working with Denver Police and the Denver District Attorney’s office to pursue legal action to the fullest extent,” the hospital statement said.
The district attorney is reviewing the case.
“We have received a complaint and are working with DHMC to determine the facts, to see if a criminal investigation is appropriate,” spokesman Ken Lane told CNN.