DEMA Archives - Sonoma Magazine

Michelle Patino, a Kaiser ER nurse, helped to create a medical clinic at the Petaluma Fairgrounds for fire evacuees. Photo taken at the Petaluma Fairgrounds in Petaluma, on Thursday, November 9, 2017. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)

The Rise and Fall of DEMA Founder Michelle Patino

July 2025

The hero nurse turned Sonoma County homeless services provider has faced FBI scrutiny and civil lawsuits after her company crumbled. Where did it all go wrong?