Over the past three years, professional boards working for the state of Colorado under the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) have issued cease and desist orders to nearly 30 people accused of claiming to be health care professionals without valid licenses.
Unless otherwise noted, Denver7 Investigates could not find any charges against these individuals related to unauthorized practice in Colorado court databases.
Carlos Hernandez-Fernandez – Numerous boards issued cease and desist orders against Hernandez-Fernandez in 2016 after the boards learned he was performing cosmetic surgeries without a license. The Denver district attorney brought numerous criminal charges against him and he was sentenced to serve six years in prison in 2017.
Jennifer Jackson – Jackson was arrested by Commerce City police in early 2017 for using the license number of another woman with the same first and last name to get a registered nurse job at the Woodridge Terrace nursing home. According to state documents, she had used other people’s license information to get jobs at numerous facilities as a nurse’s aide for years before she was arrested.
Maria Alvarez – A state cease and desist order issued in November of 2016 says there is credible evidence Alvarez performed dental procedures and called herself “Dr. Maria” at U Smile Family Dental on Evans Avenue without a license.
The order arose out a complaint filed in September of 2015 by several former employees who claimed Alvarez would administer anesthesia and drill teeth, and did not properly sterilize equipment, without the license to practice as a dentist.
When asked if the dental board referred the complaint to law enforcement, a DORA spokesperson responded, “Our search did not reveal documents reflecting a referral; however, because of staff turnover, we are unable to confirm either way.”
DORA’s records also indicate Alvarez’s office stayed open for months after the dental board received the complaint.
Randy Flynt – Flynt received cease and desist orders from the boards of registered psychotherapy, psychology, and marriage and family therapists, in early 2017. The orders stemmed from a complaint filed in June of 2016 by a county Department of Human Services caseworker who said a client was receiving psychotherapy treatment from Flynt, who was unlicensed. DORA confirmed to Denver7 it did not refer that complaint or its findings to law enforcement.
Alfredo Ruiz – The medical board issued a cease and desist order in March of 2017 in response to a complaint filed in September of 2016 alleging Ruiz ran a laser and wrinkle care clinic without a medical license.
Un Sun Kang – The board of nursing issued a cease and desist order in March of 2017, more than a year after the board received a complaint she was running the “Un Sun Kang Clinic” in Aurora and ran advertisements calling herself an RN despite having no nursing license.
Gordon Fox – The board of nursing issued a cease and desist order against Fox in August of 2015 in response to a complaint filed six months earlier by Cross Country Staffing. The complaint alleged the staffing agency was verifying all licenses for its clinical staff when it discovered Fox had falsified his license number and did not have a valid license. The complaint does not specify where Fox worked.
Erin Siegel – State records show Siegel has been issued two cease and desist orders, one in 2015 and one in 2016, by the board of nursing after representing herself as a registered nurse in advertising for a business called Skinnovations Save Our Skin and while working at a plastic surgery center.
Seth Amponsah – The board of nursing issued a cease and desist order in July of 2015 in response to a complaint filed 11 months earlier alleging Amponsah used the name, social security number, and date of birth of a person named Kwame Frimpong to obtain a nurse aide certificate. The complaint claims Amponsah was “impersonating Kwame Frimpong and working with his document which was stolen.”
Teresa Duffin – The board of psychology issued a cease and desist order in December of 2016 in response to a complaint filed in September of the same year alleging the Denver District Court appointed Duffin to serve as a Child and Family Investigator for a child custody case.
Kristin Henning – The boards of registered psychotherapy and psychology issued cease and desist orders in early 2015 in response to a complaint filed in May of 2014. The complaint alleges Henning gave a training session at a conference of the state’s Division of Youth Corrections as part of her work with the Mile High Women’s Outreach Center. During the training, the complaint alleges Henning referred to sex trafficking victims who engaged in prostitution as “offenders.” The complaint alleged that during the training Henning demonstrated “several role plays in which she pointed out how she works with her clients. These role plays demonstrated a lack of empathy and a focus on criminal behavior.”
Pamala Pounds – Pounds was issued cease and desist orders by the boards of addiction counselors, professional counselors, psychology, and registered psychotherapy in the summer and fall of 2016. A complaint filed in November of 2015 alleged Pounds had counseled children and other patients without any licensure since 2013. She faced criminal charges alleging theft from Conejos County but court records show those charges were dropped. Areport by the Alamosa Valley Courier indicated those state cases were dropped because the U.S. Attorney’s Office was pursuing federal charges.
Judith Kirwan – The board of psychology issued a cease and desist order in July of 2015 after receiving a complaint which alleged that a public defender submitted a report by Kirwan pertaining to the mental competency of a juvenile offender despite having no valid psychology license.
Bethany Coop – The state board of registered psychotherapists issued a cease and desist order in July of 2016 in response to a complaint received in November of 2015 claiming Coop offered to develop a “behavior intervention plan” for a child involved in a custody case for $1500. The complaint indicates Coop was appointed by a court to serve as a therapist in the case.
James Henry -- The board of registered psychotherapy issued a cease and desist order in October of 2017 after receiving a complaint alleging Henry conducted training for mental health professionals on neurodevelopmental trauma assessment through county human services departments. The complaint alleges the training included assessments conducted by Henry on two children referred by a county department of human services and numerous mental health professionals in attendance were concerned about his methods.
Additional cease and desist orders for unauthorized practice:
- Brandy Dinolfo (Nursing)
- Betty Vanek (Registered psychotherapy and psychology)
- Stephen Greenspan (Psychology and registered psychotherapy)
- Nancy Armstrong (Medical)
- Jennifer Prevost (Psychology)
- William Campbell (Dentistry)
- Ansley Peterson (Registered psychotherapy)
- Jennifer Horning (Addiction counselors)
- Robert McIntire (Registered psychotherapy)
- Grace Sage (Registered psychotherapy)
- Marina Rit-Bloom (Registered psychotherapy)
- Terri Gorman (Psychology)
- Ryan Silberberg (Addiction counselors)
If you want to verify the license of a health care professional, visit DORA's licensure website. A separate DORA website contains disciplinary actions and cease and desist orders.
