ALBANY, NY – A health care provider in Orange County is accused by the state of New York of “fraudulently” obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine, health officials said on Saturday.
The Parcare Community Health Network may have obtained the vaccine and diverted it to members of the public in violation of state guidelines, who want to get it to health professionals first, State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker announced in a statement.
“The State Department of Health has heard of reports that Parcare Community Health Network, an Orange County provider, may have fraudulently obtained the 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 – unlike the state’s plan to administer it first to frontline health professionals, as well as residents and nursing home staff, ”said Zucker. “We take this very seriously and the DOH will be assisting the State Police in a criminal investigation into this matter. Anyone who has consciously participated in this scheme will be held responsible to the full extent of the law.”
The Parcare website describes itself as “a multi-specialty center that provides services such as primary care, internal medicine, dermatology, physiotherapy and pediatrics; helping our patients to maintain optimal health and prevent potential diseases.”
Parcare operates facilities in Borough Park, Bensonhurst, Williamsburg, East Harlem, Monroe and Bed-Stuy / Crown Heights.
BoroPark24 reported that ParCare received 3,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine on December 21. The company’s CEO, Gary Schlesinger, retweeted photos of himself receiving the vaccine on December 22.
“You have to be on that list,” said Schlesinger, after consulting the registration lists that ParCare has online. “Once you are on the list, we have to examine it to make sure that you are a health professional, over 60 or have underlying diseases.