Several fired Iowa healthcare professionals were recently awarded unemployment benefits by state administrative law judges who determined the workers had not committed workplace misconduct, according to state records reported by the Iowa Capital Dispatch on September 7, 2026. The rulings overturn employer allegations and grant financial relief in cases involving nursing home chains and regional medical centers.
Garmai Rogers and WesleyLife Dispute
One of the cases involves Garmai Rogers, who worked for the nursing home chain WesleyLife from September 2024 through March 2026, according to state records. WesleyLife alleged that Rogers failed to answer residents’ call lights in a timely fashion across 14 instances over a two-week period in July 2025. The company also disciplined Rogers in January 2026 for allegedly throwing a phone and call light onto a resident’s chest, leading to her termination for failing to treat residents, visitors, and coworkers professionally.
Following a hearing on Rogers’ unemployment application, Administrative Law Judge Michael Lunn ruled that Rogers credibly testified the state found insufficient evidence to substantiate abuse allegations against her. According to state records, Judge Lunn noted that WesleyLife failed to submit into evidence a March 2026 incident report cited in her dismissal, concluding the company failed to meet its burden of proving workplace misconduct. Rogers was subsequently awarded unemployment benefits.
Theresa Simpson and Terrace Hill Healthcare
In another case, Theresa Simpson worked as a certified nursing assistant for Terrace Hill Healthcare from June 2025 until her firing in June 2026 for alleged gross misconduct. According to state records, Terrace Hill stated that multiple complaints were raised during a June 15, 2026, resident council meeting regarding Simpson allegedly not helping residents or making derogatory statements.
Administrative Law Judge Elizabeth Johnson ruled that Simpson was eligible for jobless benefits. Judge Johnson found that Terrace Hill had failed to establish whether the complaints were investigated or found to have merit.
Heather Bartlett at Covenant Medical Center
Heather Bartlett worked for Covenant Medical Center from 1991 until June 2026, serving as the nursing manager for acute in-patient rehabilitation at MercyOne hospital in Waterloo for her final five years. According to state records, Bartlett raised concerns in the weeks prior to her discharge regarding a proposed dietary program change that she believed had a disruptive impact on patient care, and she filed a supervisor complaint alleging verbal abuse and profanity.
Administrative Law Judge James Timberland ruled that Bartlett was fired for reasons that do not disqualify her from collecting unemployment benefits. Judge Timberland noted that Covenant provided no evidence of workplace misconduct to support the termination.
Chasity Kephart at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital
Chasity Kephart worked full-time as a first-responder community health coach for Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital from May 2024 through April 2026 under a contract providing services to the City of Council Bluffs’ police and fire departments. State records show Kephart was terminated following an April 17, 2026, city investigation into an alleged incident involving the sharing of a photograph.
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