A Lansford woman accused of stealing more than $80,000 from Blue Mountain Health System specifically, patient accounts at the Summit Nursing Home has waived the charges to Carbon County Court.

It is stressed in court documents that the money was taken from "a general account that affected the hospital NOT individual patients."Theresa A. Bernardi, 42, of West Bertsch Street, was scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing before District Judge Edward M. Lewis of Jim Thorpe.Defendants have a right to a preliminary hearing, or can choose to have the charges forwarded to county court without the hearing.The charges against Bernardi were filed by Lehighton patrolman Scott S. Prebosnyak on June 13.It is alleged that the defendant committed the thefts between July 1, 2009 and May 29, 2012 while she was employed as the coordinator of patient accounts.Bernardi is free on $80,000 unsecured bail.According to the affidavit, Prebosnyak received a call from the CEO of Blue Mountain Health System regarding a large theft from their facility.The police officer says in the affidavit that Bernardi had been employed at the facility for 10 years.An audit of petty cash revealed a negative effect, which led to an investigation, the police report says.The affidavit says Bernardi admitted to police she had taken the money from cash accounts for several years. She said she committed the thefts due to money issues and medical problems, the court record says.