A senior executive at a San Jose hospital will be punished for his role in offering teachers the coronavirus vaccine before they are eligible.
County officials cut off vaccine supplies from Good Samaritan Hospital last week after learning that teachers from a nearby school district were allowed to join the queue, which was supposed to include only health workers and the elderly.
The executive, director of operations Gary Purushotham, remains employed at the hospital, which is reviewing the incident, spokeswoman Sarah Sherwood said on Wednesday.
Sherwood did not specify the discipline, citing staff privacy laws.
An email to the staff of the Los Gatos Union School District of Supt. Paul Johnson said last week that the Good Samaritan’s “Operational Director” approved the vaccination scheme.
In the email, obtained by the San Jose Spotlight, Johnson asked school officials to immediately schedule vaccination appointments on the Good Samaritan, registering online “under health buttons”.
At the beginning of the pandemic, school officials raised money to feed workers at two hospitals, including the Good Samaritan, Johnson noted.
Johnson said he had received the news the night before that “Good Sam would like to offer vaccines to our [LGUSD] employees. ”
“They mentioned that our goodness last year was not forgotten and how much they appreciated it,” wrote Johnson.
Johnson later clarified in a letter posted on the district’s Facebook page that the characterization of the Good Samaritan returning a good deed was his own.
He apologized for the characterization and said he understood why people were concerned about abortion in the vaccination program.
At a press conference on Monday, Santa Clara County councilor James R. Williams called the Good Samaritan’s actions “very worrying.”
The hospital appeared to be “reaching a specific district” based on the appearance of “meals provided”, and not in all school districts, he said.
California officials are prioritizing vaccinations for healthcare professionals, people who live or work in long-term care facilities and people 65 and older. Because of the vaccine shortage, Santa Clara County has restricted the elderly group to 75 years or older.
On January 12, the Good Samaritan said he was providing vaccines only to qualified health professionals.
However, a week later, the hospital appeared to be “affirmatively suggesting” that school district officials commit perjury, “registering as if they were health workers,” said Williams.
The hospital said in a statement that it erroneously expanded eligibility for educators and daycare workers to avoid wasting previously defrosted doses.
Williams, however, said the school district’s understanding of the situation “does not appear to be related to waste”.
County officials said they would provide the Good Samaritan with enough vaccine for people to complete their second dose.
But the hospital will not receive any additional vaccines until it provides “sufficient guarantees” and a concrete plan to follow state and municipal guidelines.