NYS: Hudson Valley Clinic ‘Fraudulently Obtained’ COVID-19 Vaccine
A healthcare center based in the Hudson Valley is accused of fraudulently obtaining and distributing the COVID-19 vaccine.
On Saturday, New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said New York State health officials are looking into whether a healthcare center based in Orange County falsely obtained the COVID-19 vaccine.
Zucker said he's investigating if ParCare Community Health Network received the vaccine, illegally transferred it to other parts of the state and gave the vaccine out to members of the public, which violates New York State guidelines on the COVID-19 vaccine.
"The State Department of Health has been made aware of reports that Parcare Community Health Network, an Orange County provider, may have fraudulently obtained COVID-19 vaccine, transferred it to facilities in other parts of the state in violation of state guidelines and diverted it to members of the public - contrary to the state's plan to administer it first to frontline healthcare workers, as well as nursing home residents and staffers," New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said in a statement. "We take this very seriously and DOH will be assisting State Police in a criminal investigation into this matter. Anyone found to have knowingly participated in this scheme will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
ParCare Community Health Network has ties to the Hasidic Jewish Community and is located on Preshburg Blvd in Monore. ParCare has five other locations in New York State, four in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan.
“During these unprecedented times, we have striven to provide critical healthcare services and administer COVID-19 vaccinations to those qualified to receive them under the New York State Department of Health's guidelines, which includes frontline healthcare workers and first responders. Parcare Community Health Network has a long history of partnering with the City of New York to provide vital healthcare services to New Yorkers who need them most - including providing COVID-19 testing - especially for New Yorkers in medically underserved communities who've been hardest hit by COVID-19. As we actively cooperate with the New York State Department of Health on this matter, we will continue to perform top-quality healthcare services to help New York come out of this pandemic," the Parcare Community Health Network said in a statement regarding the investigation.