Woodmere rehab center nurse indicted

Riadel Manzano, the former long-term care director of nursing at the Woodmere Rehabilitation and Health Care Center located between Irving and Franklin places in Woodmere, was indicted on April 1 of charges of falsifying records.

Manzano, 44, of East Williston, is charged with offering a false instrument for filing-first degree and tampering with physical evidence. She, along with three other nurses, failed to monitor a disabled patient in June 2012 as ordered by the patient’s doctor. The patient fell several times and was injured, according to New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. All the nurses were arrested last year following an investigation by the state Department of Health.

The nurses, Rodel Placino, 44, of Hewlett, Mariane Borromeo, 41, of Woodside, and Benetia Johnson, 25, of St. Albans, have already entered guilty pleas. They falsely documented or instructed others to falsely document that the patient was monitored every 30 minutes as per the doctor’s instructions after a series of falls, but the patient was not.

Manzano allegedly changed the records to indicate the resident had been watched, officials said. She no longer works at the facility. Her case has been adjourned for conference until May 13.