Chicago hospital doctor resigns after improper COVID-19 vaccinations

CHICAGO: An executive at a Chicago hospital that improperly gave COVID-19 vaccinations to people outside the area the city asked the hospital to serve resigned, officials said Wednesday night.

The board of Loretto Hospital announced the resignation of Dr.Anosh Ahmed, the chief operating officer and chief financial officer.

Ahmed and CEO George Miller were reprimanded last week by the hospital's board of directors after news reports said hospital executives provided COVID-19 to some people who weren't qualified to receive it.

The executives have drawn recent criticism following revelations that the hospital improperly vaccinated workers at Trump Tower, at a suburban church where Miller is a member and at a luxury watch shop frequented by Ahmed.

"If our review should uncover anything further that indicates our processes were compromised, there will be additional consequences imposed on those responsible for these actions," Chairman Edward Hogan said in a statement.

City health officials said last week they would withhold first doses of vaccines from the hospital as authorities investigate the events.

The hospital was chosen last year to administer Chicago's ceremonial first COVID-19 vaccination as part of the city's efforts to encourage people in the West Side neighborhoods surrounding Loretto to get the shot.

The announcement of Ahmed's resignation came hours after Mayor Lori Lightfoot defended her administration's job overseeing COVID-19 vaccine supplies, even though Loretto and one other city partner have been shown to misallocate shots.

"We have very robust oversight," Lightfoot said Wednesday.

"We have a right to expect - and per our contract - that people abide by the rules and they give us accurate reporting. And what we've seen in at least two instances, that hasn't been the case."

The Chicago Department of Public Health on Tuesday ended its partnership with Innovated Express Care to vaccinate Chicago Public Schools employees.

The city says the vaccine distributor misallocated more than 6,000 doses and used vaccines set aside as second doses as first doses.

Clinic officials said in a statement that the issue was a miscommunication, which Lightfoot slapped down as 'absolutely false'.