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Department urges continued monitoring in nurse licensing hearing; colleagues and spouse say Odow is fit to practice
Summary
At a Department of Public Health licensing hearing, the department urged ongoing random testing and therapy for registered nurse Charlie Odow citing past binge episodes; three witnesses — two colleagues and Odow’s wife — testified he is abstinent, reliable and has not endangered patients. The hearing officer will draft a proposed decision in 6–8 weeks.
A licensing hearing at the Department of Public Health on the fitness to practice of registered nurse Charlie Odow featured sworn testimony from two ER colleagues and Odow’s wife who said he is sober, reliable and has not endangered patients, while department counsel urged continued oversight because of past episodes of excessive drinking.
Marielle Watson, a registered nurse in the St. Mary’s Hospital emergency department, testified she has worked with Odow about three years and "absolutely" has no concern about his ability to practice safely. "He is on top of his patient care duties," Watson said, adding she had "never" seen him make a mistake that impacted patient safety and that she has "never seen Charlie consume alcohol."
Laurie Paoleto, a registered nurse at Trinity Health who said she frequently works in the same ER pod as Odow, gave similar testimony. Paoleto described the department as "very rigorous" and said Odow "is calm under pressure," advocates for patients and is "very reliable," and she said she has not observed any conduct that raised patient‑safety concerns.
Jennifer Rubio, who testified she is married to Odow, said she has "never seen Charlie take a sip of alcohol," that he participates in support groups, and that he uses a 'sober link' device and submits to random urine tests. Rubio said those monitoring requirements are stressful but that she supports them and believes they help him maintain sobriety.
Department counsel summarized the agency’s position in closing, stating the record includes a history of problematic drinking that dates back to 2020 and arguing that "ongoing support is needed to make sure that respondent continues to practice safely," including continued random screens, therapy and meetings to prevent relapse.
Respondent counsel urged dismissal of the charges and criticized ongoing oversight as a permanent stigma and barrier to employment. Counsel said Odow has been abstinent for about 20 months, has workplace supports and that "there is no evidence whatsoever that anything ever affected his work." The defense asked that the case be closed.
The hearing officer said they will review the record and draft a proposed memorandum of decision for distribution to the parties; the officer estimated the proposed decision should be ready in roughly 6–8 weeks and will then go before the nursing board for consideration.
No final order was issued at the hearing.
The hearing record includes testimony about monitoring practices (random and some supervised urine testing, use of a 'sober link' device), a stated employment start date for Odow at St. Mary’s in December 2024 (as testified), a witness description that Odow has been abstinent for roughly 20 months, and references to support persons including Ed Langford and a supervisor who could not testify due to HR constraints. Parties may submit comments on the proposed memorandum of decision when it is circulated.
