Sharon Waltz

Sharon D. Waltz (born c. 1969) is a former psychologist and owner of Capstone Medical Resources. In 2019 she pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicaid, and was sentenced in 2021 to serve 3 years in federal prison and pay restitution of $1.5 million.

Waltz conducted post-doctoral research at UAB. In 2001 she took a job at Birmingham Health Care, a non-profit health center led by Jonathan Dunning. In 2002 Dunning offered her a promotion to serve as clinical director for the practice's mental health department. After she became pregnant by Dunning in 2004, she left BHC and took a job at the University of Alabama. She returned to BHC in 2005 and had a second child by Dunning in 2007.

In 2008 Waltz resigned with Dunning and began working for his "Synergy" group of businesses which derived revenues almost exclusively through contracts with BHC. Their personal relationship ended in 2012. Waltz sued for custody of their children and for child support. She also filed a sexual harassment complaint with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and a civil lawsuit seeking damages. The lawsuit was later dismissed.

Waltz's company, Capstone Medical Resources, provided group and individual counseling to youth considered "at risk" of criminal behavior. Medicaid investigated when it was found that the company's billings increased by more than 200% between 2015 and 2017. They found that Capstone had been reimbursed for services that were never performed, sometimes using the names of people who were never patients. Administrator Heidi Robertson was convicted on similar charges and sentenced to 18 months in prison and restitution.

References

• Robinson, Carol (August 15, 2019) "Birmingham psychologist defrauded state Medicaid of more than $1.5 million, authorities say." The Birmingham News
• Robinson, Carol (January 28, 2021) "Former Birmingham psychologist gets federal prison, $1.5 million restitution in Medicaid fraud case." The Birmingham News