Healthcare Training Institute Class Action Lawsuit
By Matt O’Donnell
The Healthcare Training Institute has been hit with a class action lawsuit accusing the for-profit college of defrauding students by falsely telling them the school’s health programs would qualify graduates for national registry examinations and job opportunities as certified ultrasound technicians. As a result, HTI bilked hundreds of thousands of former students out of $3,000 to more than $32,000 each, the class action lawsuit claims.
“In reality, HTI’s programs were a fraud and a sham because they failed to include relevant clinical experiences and, upon successful completion of the programs, students could not take national registry exams and were not qualified for jobs in their fields,” the Healthcare Training Institute class action lawsuit says.
“Thus, hardworking, diligent students paid tuition, attended courses, completed homework, passed up other lucrative opportunities and in return received a worthless education from HTI.”
“Certification and registry have become increasingly necessary for employment in the field of Diagnostic Medical Sonography [also known as ‘ultrasound’]. Almost all ultrasound technician jobs require the employee to be registered in ultrasound or require that the employee become registered within one year of being hired,” the Healthcare Training Institute class action lawsuit explains.
Two relevant agencies certify or register professionals in the field of Diagnostic Medical Technology: the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Diagnostic Sonography (ARDMS) and Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). Both agencies require students to meet prerequisite criteria to take examinations, including a certain number of clinical hours and years in school, as well as accreditation. However, HTI graduates do not meet this criteria, even though they were promised by HTI that they were receiving the necessary training to become ultrasound technicians.
“Defendants failed to inform the students that, even if they successfully completed HTI’s program, that they would not be allowed to sit for registry examinations and thus, HTI’s programs were worthless,” the HTI class action lawsuit states.
The HTI class action lawsuit is brought on behalf of all students who paid for, received financial aid for, and/or took out loans and attended HTI’s courses conducted in New Jersey and who graduated or expected to graduate from HTI in the years 2009-2011. It is seeking damages, costs, interest and attorneys’ fees, as well as injunctive relief barring HTI from making similar misrepresentations alleged in the complaint.
A copy of the Healthcare Training Institute Class Action Lawsuit can be read here.
The case is Nancy Ellithy v. Healthcare Training Institute, Inc., et al., Case No. UNNL 2826-12, Superior Court of New Jersey, Union County. The Plaintiff is represented by Leslie A. Farber, LLC and the Law Office of Jeffrey J. Antonelli, Ltd.
Updated September 3rd, 2012
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One thought on Healthcare Training Institute Class Action Lawsuit
I just found that the school I went to Ultasound diagnostic school in. NY has a class action suit .I hope I am not too late !
I have all of my certificates for Ultasound And an additional one for Echocardiography.
I paid over 5000 a 10 year loan for the first one and I think 2000 for the second one . Once people heard you went to UDS they would not hire you . I tried to get hired with a hospital I worked for 10 years as an NA and it was a big NO