Loretto CEO George Miller said he had approved a vaccination clinic at Trump International Hotel and Tower in downtown Chicago for hospitality workers on March 10.
In a memo obtained by CNN, Miller told staff in part, “We were under the impression at the time that restaurant staff and other workers on the frontline of the hospitality industry were considered ‘essential’ according to the City of Chicago’s eligibility requirements. for 1b. ”
According to the Cook County Real Estate Tax Portal, Ahmed owns a $ 2 million apartment in Trump Tower.
CNN has contacted the Trump organization twice, but has not yet received a response. CNN has also contacted Ahmed for comment.
Dr. Allison Arwady, the Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner, said some people who didn’t meet admission requirements received the shot.
“The main concern here is that they were vaccinating people who were not yet eligible, but on top of that, of course, the greater concern that it seems like they were prioritizing people who were well connected and giving them the chance to cross the line. jump, ”said Arwady. “It’s disappointing where providers we prioritize don’t choose to live their mission.”
Late Wednesday, Edward M. Hogan, chairman of Loretto Hospital’s Board of Trustees, said the board will continue to investigate wrongdoing.
“If our review further reveals anything that indicates that our processes have been compromised, additional consequences will be imposed on those responsible for these actions,” he said in a statement.
Julie Kudlacz, a hospital spokesperson, said in an email exchange with CNN earlier on Wednesday that the vaccines administered at Trump Tower were not part of Protect Chicago Plus, a city program aimed at vaccinating minority communities.
They were part of the hospital’s vaccination allocation, Kudlacz said.
Kudlacz also told CNN that a hospital audit found that 68 of the 72 people who got the vaccine at Trump Tower were black, Latino, or Asian. The remaining four classified themselves as other / non-Hispanic.
Miller said in his statement that the Trump Tower clinic was the result of requests from West Side residents.
Illinois governor: ‘letting people jump the line is unacceptable’
Councilor Emma Mitts stopped saying over the past year how many friends – many who voted for her – died of Covid-19.
“There was so much we couldn’t keep up with them, and it was just heartbreaking,” she said. “They called and said, ‘My mother has passed away.’ ”
After suffering from Covid-19 more than a year ago, Mitts is now dealing with a different kind of pain. The hospital is located in the Austin neighborhood near the Mitts neighborhood, which has served as an alderman for two decades. She said her constituents are among the most vulnerable.
“For this to happen is certainly a tragedy,” said Mitts. “Everyone shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s mistake if you know they have nothing to do with it.”
Illinois Senator Kimberly A. Lightford, vice chair of the Loretto Board of Trustees, said Miller and Ahmed had been “reprimanded” by the hospital’s board of trustees.
“And that doesn’t change the fact that what they’ve done wrong is wrong,” said Lightford, adding that the public may hear of more wrongs related to vaccine distribution. “We have extensively reprimanded the president and (former) COO of the hospital. Sanctions were imposed (and) financial charges were also imposed. Neither of us was satisfied, of course. Maybe we thought we were a bit harsh. don’t happen again. “
Lightford said that, like Mitts, she is disappointed.
“I think they did a bad job going to Trump Tower,” she said. “My frustration is when someone doesn’t follow the rules here … everyone suffers, but I think the hospital has to deal with it.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called what happened “unacceptable.”
“It’s unacceptable to get people to cross the line, especially when people have made their way through it,” he said.
People who need the most vaccine can suffer, the doctor says
The Chicago Department of Public Health has released a statement saying it will ensure that people vaccinated through Loretto can get their second dose on time.
Loretto will not receive the first doses until CDPH can confirm that Loretto’s vaccination strategies and reporting practices meet all CDPH requirements, according to a statement from the office of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
The city’s first Covid-19 vaccines were delivered at Loretto Hospital in December. The hospital was chosen because of the need in the community and its proximity to the Austin neighborhood.
The hospital was also the first to create a test site on the West Side in April 2020. State statistics show that this area has seen 10,535 cases of Covid-19, the second most Covid-19 cases in the state, according to Loretto Hospital.
Dr. Wendy Goodall McDonald – who treats patients across the city – said the people who need the vaccine most could suffer.
“I think pulling the vaccines for the area will harm and harm black and brown communities,” she said. “They brought it from an area on the west side of Chicago where there is already a lack or reduced number of places where people can be vaccinated.”
McDonald, who is an OB-GYN at Women’s Health Consulting, said some of her patients have had a hard time getting Covid-19 vaccine appointments, comparing appointment booking to trying to get Beyoncé concert tickets.
She said she hopes the controversy surrounding this case is a motivation for minority communities who are hesitant to get the vaccine.
“The vaccine is safe,” she said. “Look at the people screaming about it.”
Councilor Mitts, who received two doses of the vaccine from Loretto earlier this year, said she doesn’t want the people she’s served for nearly two decades to miss out on a life-saving vaccine.