Lafayette Hospital Employee Accused of Forging Lourdes CEO’s Signature to Secure $600,000 Federal Grant

A Lafayette woman has been arrested after authorities say she forged her hospital CEO’s signature in an attempt to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grant funding.

According to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s Office, 48-year-old Rachel Willis of Lafayette was taken into custody Monday and charged with one felony count of forgery. Investigators allege Willis created and submitted a forged letter while employed as a Patient Access Representative at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, part of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System.

Letter used to strengthen $600K federal grant application

The forged document, which appeared to come from the CEO of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, was submitted as part of a grant application for nearly $600,000 through the Health Care Employment Reinvestment Opportunity (H.E.R.O.) Fund, a program designed to support healthcare training and education in Louisiana.

Authorities say the letter falsely committed Lourdes to contribute more than $250,000 in matching funds to the grant application, which was submitted to the Louisiana Department of Health.

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The inclusion of the forged CEO signature reportedly strengthened the proposal’s appearance of legitimacy and financial backing.

Forgery discovered before funds were released

Fortunately, officials confirmed the forgery was discovered before any funds were distributed. The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation determined Willis accessed her employer’s internal systems to obtain the CEO’s signature, copying and pasting it onto official letterhead without authorization.

Willis was booked at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison and released on $2,500 bond. The Attorney General’s Office stated that the investigation remains ongoing.