COUNTY RECEIVES GRAND JURY REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

​MONROE COUNTY, FL--The grand jury’s report was recently made public. The report makes a number of recommendations for Monroe County Fire Rescue (MCFR) and Monroe County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The report lists 14 recommendations stemming from a 2022 incident involving former Trauma Star Chief Flight Nurse Lynda Rusinowski and missing drugs.
 
County staff is reviewing all of the recommendations and will discuss them with the Board at its Sept. 11 meeting, starting at 9 a.m. in the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo. That meeting will be viewable online and on MCTV.
 
“We are thoroughly reviewing how our culture operates,” said Acting County Administrator Kevin Wilson. “We want to make sure we do not repeat any of the past mistakes and ensure that our controls are robust enough not to be circumvented moving forward.”
 
Immediately following the incident, Monroe County took action to improve the drug accounting inventory system and ensure proper controls are in place so similar incidents do not happen again. The additional controls included implementing a computer-based inventory system, installing security cameras and new medical supply safes with biometric locks, and adding additional personnel for quality assurance and oversight.
 
“The number one priority now is to regain the trust of our community,” said Monroe County Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein. “We will continue to be accountable and transparent while implementing the appropriate recommendations in the Grand Jury’s report and will have staff present regular updates at BOCC meetings into the foreseeable future.”

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