Ex-BGH CFO waives theft prelim
SANDPOINT — Bonner General Health's former chief financial officer waived her right Tuesday to a preliminary hearing on a felony theft charge.
The hearing in Norilina Salvatierra Harvel's case was set for today. The purpose of the hearing was to determine if the state possessed enough evidence to justify trying Harvel for grand theft.
Harvel's waiver binds her over to stand trial in 1st District Court. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 19.
Harvel, a 47-year-old who now resides in Washington, Utah, is free on $50,000 bail while her case is pending.
The charge against Harvel surfaced last fall. She accused of using a variety of schemes to bilk as much $220,000 from the hospital from 2012 to 2014. She left BGH in 2014 to take a job with a Colorado hospital, but is no longer employed at that facility.
Harvel and her defense counsel, Craig Zanetti, have declined to comment on the case.
Hospital officials contend that Harvel purchased a piece of medical equipment for the hospital, but sold it to a leasing company and pocket the proceeds. Harvel made payments on the lease using misappropriated funds and claimed to have purchased another piece of equipment without actually buying it, hospital officials have said.
A motive for the thefts has not been disclosed. Harvel earned an annual salary of approximately $100,000 and hospital officials said they discovered nothing indicating Harvel was in a financial crisis.
Hospital CEO Sheryl Rickard said Harvel exploited her trust at BGH and within the broader community to establish a bogus BGH banking account and a post office box to help execute the embezzlements. The hospital has since strengthened its financial controls.
The alleged chicanery was not discovered during external audits of BGH finances, according to hospital officials. The hospital has since strengthened its financial controls and insurance is expected to cover roughly half of BGH's losses.
Rickard said the embezzlement will have a material impact on hospital operations.