During his four years working with an air ambulance company, he provided medical care to patients on more than 50 flights in the capacity of a registered nurse, deputies said. He had been a licensed paramedic in Pennsylvania.

PALM HARBOR – The director of medical services for an air ambulance company had no medical license, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.

Timothy Leroy Lookabaugh, 59, of Tampa, was charged with one count of Unlicensed Practice of a Health Care Profession. Deputies said he admitted the allegations.

Detectives say a routine criminal history check showed Lookabaugh was arrested in Tennessee almost 20 years ago for fraud-related criminal charges under an alias last name. Lookabaugh served time in prison for those charges.

Pinellas sheriff’s detectives said their investigation began in after the Florida Department of Health Investigative Services Unit notified them of a potential licensing fraud.

Detectives say Air Ambulance Worldwide, a medical air service provider formally located in Palm Harbor, discovered that one of their employees provided a fraudulent Florida registered nurse license and
license number. The issue was identified in April during an internal review at the business.

The CEO for Air Ambulance Worldwide notified the Florida Department of Health of the discrepancy and the employee, Lookabaugh, was fired.

Detectives said Lookabaugh was a licensed paramedic in Pennsylvania before being hired by Air Ambulance Worldwide as a flight paramedic in February 2014. In August 2014, Lookabaugh told company officials he completed nursing school and provided Air Ambulance Worldwide with a document that appeared to be a valid Florida registered nurse license and license number. The license number Lookabaugh provided was assigned to a woman who previously worked for Air Ambulance Worldwide, but who is now retired.

During the four years Lookabaugh was employed with Air Ambulance Worldwide, the fraudulent license aided him in holding positions to include flight nurse, flight coordinator, and director of medical services. Deputies said that, during his employment, Lookabaugh provided medical care to patients and completed about 53 medical flights in a registered nurse capacity. No medical emergencies were documented during any of these flights.

At the time of his termination, Lookabaugh was working as the director of medical services for Air Ambulance Worldwide.

Pinellas Sheriff | Crime | Arrests | Tampabay News

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