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PA Nurse Slapped With More Charges For Killing Or Attempting To Kill 22 Patients: AG

A notorious nurse has been given more charges for allegedly "administering lethal doses of unnecessary medication that resulted in the death of patients," Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced on Thursday, Nov. 2. 

Heather Pressdee.

Heather Pressdee.

Photo Credit: Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry's office

Heather Irene Pressdee, 41, of Natrona Heights, was a registered nurse at Quality Life Services, "a skilled nursing facility in Chicora" when she allegedly gave three men too much insulin, causing hypoglycemia, the AG explained. 

A 55-year-old man died on Dec. 4, 2022, and an 83-year-old man died on Dec. 25, 2022, both passing from the illness. Still, the third victim, a 73-year-old man, survived "after emergency hospitalization," after receiving his "potentially lethal dose of insulin on Aug. 31, 2022," as stated in the release.

"Two of the three men were not diabetic," the AG said. 

Since she was charged for those patient deaths in May, 19 additional patients at five different care facilities between 2020 and 2023 who were abused in the same way by Pressdee have been identified, the AG said. In total, 22 patients between the ages of 43 and 104 years old were killed or abused, the AG explained. 

Pressdee began her nursing career in 2005 in the heart failure ward at Lancaster General, according to the criminal complaint. She then worked in the Pottsville Hospital Emergency room full-time in 2007 and part-time from 2017. She went on to assist in cardiac cases, and also began "working at a different primary care office as a nurse assisting with patient care and educating on test results," the AG's investigators stated in the complaint. 

That's when Pressdee began a series of short nursing jobs with "a pattern of Pressdee being disciplined for abusive behavior towards patients and/or staff resulting in her resigning or being terminated," as stated in the complaint. 

Those facilities were as follows, according to the complaint:

  • Encompass Health and Rehabilitation, Pittsburgh, Oct. 2018-Apr. 2019.
  • Allegheny Valley Hospital, Natrona Heights, Apr.-Sept. 2019.
  • Platinum Ridge Center for Rehabilitation and Healing, Brackenridge, Sept. 2019-Jan. 2020. 
  • Orchards of Saxonburg, Saxongburg, Butler, Feb.-Apr. 2020. 
  • UPMC Passavant-McCandless, Pittsburgh, Apr.-Oct. 2020.
  • Concordia at Rebecca Residence, Allison Park, Oct. 2020-Apr. 2021.
  • Guardian Healthcare (Operating as BelAir Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center), Lower Burrell, Apr. 2021-Feb. 2022. 
  • Woodhaven Care Center, Monroeville, Mar.-May 2022.
  • Quality Life Services, Chicora, May-Nov. 2022. *Where the alleged homicides happened. 
  • Premier Armstrong Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Kittanning, Nov.-Dec. 2022.
  • Sunnyview Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Butler, Jan.-May 2023.

The investigation remains active, and anyone concerned about their care or the care a loved one received involving Pressdee is urged to contact the OAG’s tipline at 888-538-8541.

Pressdee now has 64 charges filed against her in connection with these incidents, according to court documents. These include multiple felony and homicide charges, as well as multiple counts of neglect of a care-dependent person, and reckless endangerment.

She waived her right to an additional preliminary hearing, so her formal arraignment has been set before Magisterial District Judge Maura L. Palumbi at 1 p.m. on Nov. 14, according to her latest court docket. 

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