Licensing of hospital officials under review
Resume at issue, official resigns
The state Department of Public Health has launched a sweeping review of how it verifies the licenses of employees at public hospitals following the resignation of the director of social services at the state-operated Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain over allegations that she falsified her academic credentials and licenses.
Commissioner John Auerbach has directed the chief executive officers and human resources heads at all four state-run hospitals to "review current procedures for verifying licenses of professional staff at the time of hire and on a periodic basis and to review the licenses of current employees," said Donna Rheaume, spokeswoman for the Department of Public Health.
Sarah Pawa, who ran a department of seven people at a hospital geared toward the indigent and mentally ill, resigned last week after her superiors received an anonymous letter alleging that Pawa had lied on her resume.
Pawa -- hired on June 20, 2002 -- listed a doctorate in education and a master's degree in social work from Boston University on the resume she gave hospital officials when she applied for the job. BU officials confirmed for the Globe this week that she holds no degree from their school, though she did attend classes.
Pawa, 44, also said on her resume that she was a practicing psychologist and clinical social worker.
She said in a letter that accompanied her resume that she treated patients with "significant addiction issues and trauma history" in private practice.
State licensing officials said this week that she has never held either license in Massachusetts.
The case has raised questions over how carefully state agencies review job candidates.
"The commissioner became aware of this, and he has instructed all hospitals to exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the credentials of current employees as well as potential employees," Rheaume said. "We do have policy issues regarding hiring and will be reviewing those as a result of this investigation."
She was unable to say what the Shattuck did to confirm Pawa's credentials at the time she was hired.
The anonymous letter arrived last month, spurring an investigation by both the Shattuck and the state Department of Public Health, Rheaume said.
Last Wednesday, after the Globe received a copy of the letter, a reporter made calls to the state Division of Professional Licensure. On Friday, Pawa resigned her position at the Shattuck, Rheaume said. She earned $63,755 a year.
The hospital serves mainly indigent patients referred by public agencies and private healthcare providers.
It is one of four public hospitals in the state run by the Department of Public Health and treats the homeless, prison inmates, acute and chronic AIDS patients, noncompliant tuberculosis patients, and substance-abuse patients, and maintains a special unit for patients with behavioral problems who cannot be managed in an open unit, according to the hospital's website.
Pawa, interviewed by a Globe reporter in front of her Dorchester house on Wednesday, refused to discuss her educational background or job at the Shattuck, other than to say she had recently resigned.
Pressed on the particulars of her resume, Pawa responded with a series of "no comments" before entering her residence.
Meanwhile, the state's Division of Professional Licensure filed a complaint last week against Pawa, giving her 10 days to respond.
An investigation is being conducted by the division, and the findings will be forwarded to the Board of Registration of Social Workers, which will decide whether to pursue civil charges, said Charles Borstel, a spokesman for the division.
At the Shattuck, Pawa did not directly provide clinical care to patients. She directed a staff of seven social workers who helped patients on insurance, housing, income, and guardianship issues, Rheaume said. Pawa had authority to hire and fire employees.
Borstel said that Pawa's position at the Shattuck may not have required her to be a licensed social worker or psychologist.
But he said that if Pawa billed clients for her services while working in any capacity as a psychologist or social worker, she would have needed the licenses.
On her resume, Pawa listed a section titled: "Private Practice, Boston, MA. Psychologist/Clinical Social Worker." Beneath that, she listed several components of her practice, including, "Individual treatment focused on eating disorders," and "Negotiated, billed third-party payers for treatment provided."
In the cover letter she submitted with the resume when she applied for the Shattuck position, she stated: "Importantly, I have also practiced in the field for the past 15 years concentrating on hospital based social work. Additionally I have a private practice that has two components of private supervision and of clients with significant addiction issues and trauma history."
As the Department of Public Health was launching its investigation, the Globe was attempting to verify Pawa's resume.
A member of the BU registrar's office said Pawa attended the university from 1984 to 1986, but did not receive any degrees.
Pawa, on her resume, listed the doctorate degree in 1990, and the master's in 1986.
Pawa also listed a bachelor's degree in psychology and French from Cornell University in 1983, but Simeon Moss, the director of the university's press relations office, said there was no record of Sarah Pawa attending or graduating from the school.
Pawa also stated that she worked as an adjunct faculty at Lasell College in Newton, teaching several psychology courses, and that she was director of social work at the Jewish Memorial Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in Roxbury.
Authorities at the college and hospital did not return calls yesterday seeking verification of those credentials.
Brian R. Ballou can be reached at bballou@globe.com. 