ALBANY - The State Department of Health on Monday told The SullivanTimes that its investigation continues into Garnet Health board members / foundation members who may have received their Covid-19 vaccine shots before they were eligible - and may be nearing completion.
"While DOH is actively working to finalize its investigation of Garnet Health, no additional information is available at this time," DOH spokesperson Jeffrey Hammond said in a statement in response to our inquiry.
Sixteen directors and 25-members of Garnet's health foundation all received vaccine shots sometime between December 17 (when the first shipment arrived at the Middletown campus) and December 23 (when vaccines reached Harris facility).
On January 5, Garnet said on Facebook: "In addition to vaccinating our own Garnet Health heroes, we’ve begun to administer COVID-19 vaccines to priority individuals as identified by the NYSDOH."
On January 8, Gerard J. Galarneau, MD, MMM, president of Garnet Health, said in a video: "We look forward to when the state allows us to open up this vaccine to essential workers and our seniors and we hope that will be soon. "
But when that video was made, it was not yet public knowledge that 41 people making up the board of directors and foundation had already received their shots.
The state Department of Health reportedly began its investigation in mid January.
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