Department of Public Health seeks revocation of nurse Dana White’s license after positive alcohol test

The Department of Public Health asked a hearing officer on March 5, 2026, to revoke the nursing license of Dana I. White after evidence showed positive alcohol metabolites in a random urine screen, Department counsel said.

Attorney Kataya, representing the department, told Hearing Officer Stacy Shulman that White’s registered nurse license (E58780) had been on probation since Jan. 1, 2025, under a consent order that required abstention from alcohol, random urine testing and therapy reports. Kataya said the Department’s case rests on a positive urine screen from Aug. 11, 2025, and asked the fact finder to revoke White’s license or impose other discipline under Connecticut statutes. “On or about 08/11/2025, respondent’s urine screen resulted in a positive test for the presence of metabolites of alcohol,” Kataya said during opening remarks.

The Department called Lavita Sukram, a nurse consultant in the monitoring unit, who testified she monitors compliance with license orders. Sukram said the consent order set an ethyl glucuronide (ETG) cutoff of 500 nanograms per milliliter and that White’s August 2025 test showed an ETG level of 6,335 nanograms per milliliter — more than 12 times the cutoff. “The ETG levels were 6,335 nanograms per ml,” Sukram said, adding that the level is “extremely high.” Sukram testified White initially suggested an over-the-counter medication could explain the result, later consulted a physician, and then said she had consumed cookie dough that contained alcohol.

White, representing herself, admitted the facts that her license is RN E58780 and that the consent order placed her license on two years’ probation with requirements including abstention and random testing. She admitted the positive results on the dates read into the record and told the hearing she had served 45 days of punishment under the consent order and was released to return to work by the Department on Oct. 6. “I agree with the charges. I have no, I have nothing to really say about the fact that my urine was positive on those 2 dates,” White said in her opening statement.

The hearing officer entered multiple exhibits into the record, including the statement of charges (dated Feb. 9, 2026), a summary suspension order (Feb. 18, 2026), the prior consent order (petition 2020-41184), sealed monitoring and affidavit materials, and the respondent’s urine screens and treatment records (some exhibits filed under seal). The Department’s counsel cited Connecticut statutory provisions during opening remarks as the legal basis for discipline.

White declined to cross-examine the Department’s monitoring witness, and the Department then called White as a witness (she was already sworn). Because subsequent questioning would involve sealed medical treatment details, Attorney Kataya requested, and Hearing Officer Shulman granted, an executive session; the public recording was stopped and the panel moved to a private virtual room to discuss the sealed health information.

The hearing remains in progress; the panel moved into executive session to consider sealed evidence and testimony and did not announce a final disposition on the record during the March 5 session.