Former RI Dir. of Health Calls for Investigation Into Lifespan & Care New England Board Vaccinations
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Dr. Michael Fine is calling on Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) to investigate Lifespan and Care New England for vaccinating non-medical board members who were not eligible for vaccinations under the state’s Phase I guidance.
“I really think the Attorney General should use the power vested in him in the oversight of nonprofits to move against their nonprofit status. I don't think we should play games like this -- this is a pandemic and a time of a great sort of social instability,” said Dr. Fine, the former Rhode Island Director of Health.
Fine appears daily on GoLocal LIVE and is regularly quoted nationally and recently appeared on CNN and featured in the Daily Beast.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTVIDEO: See Fine on GoLocal LIVE BELOW
On Friday, GoLocal reported that despite promises by RIDOH that vaccine doses would be targeted to medical professionals, first responders, nursing home staff and residents, etc --- that has not been the case.
It was unveiled that non-healthcare, wealthy donors and board members of Lifespan and trustees of Care New England received the opportunity to get vaccine shots out of turn -- a development that is sure to undermine any confidence in the state’s vaccine program. The vaccinations were first reported by the Providence Journal.
RIDOH said in an email to GoLocal, “We have communicated to our hospital partners how important equity is to our vaccination campaign. We asked the hospitals to direct some of their allotted vaccine to vaccinate outpatient healthcare providers outside of their hospitals, which is happening.”
Governor Gina Raimondo’s office refused to comment on the disclosure.
Lt. Governor Dan McKee’s spokesperson told GoLocal, “The Lieutenant Governor defers comment to Governor Raimondo as he is not in charge of vaccine policy.”
When asked if it was appropriate for wealthy, connected individuals to jump the line, McKee’s spokesperson did not respond.
Fine Says “It’s Moral Corruption”
“We need to respect these kinds of basic rules and respect the needs of others as we try to stop death from this disease," said Fine. "To have hospital board members -- who have a significant public trust -- engaging in this kind of behavior...I don't think it should be tolerated by anybody."
"Both the Attorney General and the Department of Health which has considerable oversight over licensure should move clearly move decisively and begin to talk about either taking licenses away or taking away non-profit status," said Fine.
Rhode Island's most successful entrepreneur Angus Davis took to Twitter Sunday night to blast the policy. “Any board member (of a non-profit hospital no less!!) who did this should resign immediately," he Tweeted.
Fine said, “it's moral corruption…and I don't think it's just hospitals. My guess is it's hospitals and their administrative staff. It's not just board members, it's people who don't do patient care."
"Not only is it unfair to the people who are 70, over 75 and who are at risk -- it makes people more cynical about our political system at a time when we need everybody to sort of come to the table and be together to defend this democracy," he adds.
Related Articles
- INVESTIGATION: RI’s Vaccination Plan Is Outdated and Includes Major Errors
- It’s All About Education: How Vaccination Affects Schools – and Society
- Raimondo Joins RI Director of Health to Promote Flu Vaccination
- Adolescent Vaccination Coverage in RI is Second in the Country
- HEALTH + RI Cities and Towns Team Up To Offer No-Cost Vaccinations
- RI Parents Battle State Over Mandated Vaccinations
- Flu Vaccination Campaign to Kick-Off at RI State House
- AARP RI Calls on Raimondo to Implement Greater Transparency for Vaccination Program
- Whitcomb: A Quiet Month, Except for Traitor Trump’s Terrorists; Vexing Vaccinations
- GoLocal Daily RI Vaccination Update: Wealthy Hospital Board Members Jump Line, RI Falls Further
- GoLocal Daily RI Vaccination Update: RI Has Utilized 44% of Its Vaccine, According to CDC
- GoLocal Daily RI Vaccination Update: Many Nursing Home Workers Are Refusing To Be Vaccinated
- GoLocal Daily RI Vaccination Update: MA Announces 65+ a Priority for Vaccine, No Word in RI
- GoLocal Daily RI Vaccination Update: RI Is One of 22 States Not to Prioritize 65+ Population
- Introducing: GoLocal Daily Rhode Island Vaccination Update
- NY Times Ranks RI #1 for New Coronavirus Cases, More Confusion with Vaccination Program
- RI Continues to Average Under 2,000 Vaccinations a Day - Reports 23 Additional COVID Deaths
- RI Dept. of Health Can’t (Won’t) Answer a Most Basic Question About Vaccination Program
- GoLocal Daily RI Vaccination Update: In NY, Seniors Quit Novavax Vaccine Trial and UK Races Past US
- United Kingdom First Country to Approve Use of Pfizer Vaccine - Vaccinations to Begin Next Week
- Supply Chain Issues Cause Pfizer to Slash 2020 COVID-19 Vaccine Target, According to Reports
- Pfizer Tells U.S. Supply of Vaccine Will Be Limited and Late, According to Reports
- Rhode Island Department of Health Warns of Vaccine Phishing Scam
- RI House COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force to Discuss Vaccine Distribution with CVS at 3 PM—Watch LIVE
- What RIers Need to Know About Vaccines: Who Will Manage Distribution, When, and Safety Concerns
- Shekarchi Appoints House Task Force for COVID-19 Vaccine, Dr. Fine to Testify
- Barely 50% of Americans Would Opt to Get Coronavirus Vaccine - Massive Drop in Confidence
- Johnson & Johnson Pauses Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Following “Unexplained Illness”
- 5 Major Coronavirus Developments - RI’s Conflicting Policies, Pfizer Vaccine, Are Outside Tents Safe
- Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine Reportedly 94.5% Effective
- Uber CEO & Brown Grad Tells Governors Company Wants Drivers to Get Vaccine Quickly, Easily & Free
- FDA Authorizes Pfizer’s Coronavirus Vaccine for Emergency Use
- AARP Calling for More “Clarity” on Vaccine Availability for Seniors
- UK Approves Use of AstraZeneca Vaccine for Coronavirus
- EDITORIAL: RI Insiders Pushed Most Vulnerable Out of Way to Get Vaccine, Anything Lower?
- RI Legislative Black & Latino Caucus Seeks COVID-19 Vaccine Priority for Communities of Color
- VIDEO: Biden Receives First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine on Camera
- RI Hospitals Begin Receiving Coronavirus Vaccine—Now Authorized to Vaccinate Frontline Workers
- Raimondo Claims Trump Short-Changed RI on Vaccine - 36% Decrease in Week Two
- Confusion and Finger Pointing Hits Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout, Impacting RI
- FDA Authorizes Moderna Coronavirus Vaccine for Emergency Use
