A recent lawsuit filed in Iowa has brought attention to the fears of whistleblowing in nursing. The family of Shannon Billheimer, a traveling nurse who worked at the state-managed Woodward Resource Center, is suing the facility after a series of events that ended in her death by suicide.
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According to court documents filed in Polk County District Court, Billheimer was terminated from her position after reporting the abuse of a resident. The lawsuit claims she witnessed a patient being hit in the face multiple times by staff and reported the incident as required by professional standards and ethics. Rather than addressing the abuse, the facility allegedly retaliated against Billheimer by firing her. In April 2023, following her termination, Billheimer died by suicide.
The lawsuit names both the Woodward Resource Center and Maxim Healthcare Services, the Maryland-based staffing agency that employed Billheimer, as defendants. Her family believes the retaliation she faced for reporting abuse was a significant factor contributing to her death.
This case emerges against a backdrop of ongoing concerns at the Woodward facility.
In March 2025, the State of Iowa fined the Woodward Resource Center for the third time in just four months for deficiencies in resident care, according to KCCI 8 News.
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