In addition, Philly Fighting COVID (PFC) unexpectedly shut down its Covid-19 testing operations to focus on vaccine delivery and change from a non-profit organization to a for-profit entity – a move the health department learned, according to local news outlets.
Concerns have also been raised about changes to PFC’s privacy policy that make it possible to sell patients’ data collected through their online registration website, according to a report by a local news agency.
“Trust is the most important thing we have when it comes to vaccinating, and we could not ask Philadelphians to trust an outfit we no longer trust,” said James Garrow, a spokesman for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Told CNN on Thursday. “We ended the relationship immediately.”
The department announced on Tuesday that it would “no longer work with Philly Fighting COVID to deliver tests or vaccines that are effective immediately” following local news reports of growing concern about PFC’s operations.
Doroshin said he tried to prevent the doses from going to waste and that he could not find anyone else who needed the vaccine more than his friends before it expired.
“The doses were about to expire,” he told NBC. “We called everyone we knew. Every person. ‘
CNN released Doroshin for comment, but did not hear from him.
Group vaccinated approximately 6,800 people
On Tuesday, after the city announced that PFC would no longer supply vaccines, Doroshin said in a statement that he had never hidden the group’s intentions to move to a profitable business.
‘In order to take in large groups of people, resources, manpower and ultimately financial assistance are needed. … We have always been planning to sharpen the number of clinics to eventually vaccinate more people (we have been working for months on plans to increase vaccinations and have shared them with the city) and money is needed to do so , ‘he said.
Doroshin said that his PFC would never sell, share or distribute any data we collected as it would be in violation of HIPAA rules, and that the ‘problematic’ language in the company’s privacy policy had been removed.
He also stated that his business turned from testing to the provision of vaccines because ‘we did not have enough resources to do both and made a choice to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible because we believe that it will help end the pandemic. ‘
About 6,800 people, according to the company, received their first of two vaccine doses of PFC. The city’s health department says they are contacting everyone who received the doses to plan their second dose with another facility.
Allegations ‘are serious’, says AG
Philly Fighting COVID first received a contract from the city to provide Covid-19 testing services in August 2020, according to Garrow, a spokesman for the health department. At the time, the group presented itself as a non-profit organization.
It was mid-January when the health department ‘heard rumors of canceled test events’, but contracted test providers may draw up their own schedules.
The health department later learned through news reports that PFC had canceled all of its testing events in mid-January, despite the fact that the group was contracted to provide these services until January 31st.
Garrow said Doroshin called the group ‘unconditional’ that it was considering switching to a profitable venture in early January, and he was told it would not be a problem because the city has vaccine providers that are profitable. and is unprofitable. However, the health department learned that the change took place in December without his knowledge after news officers notified health officials.
District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office is investigating the allegations against Philly Fighting COVID, according to a spokesman for the office.
In his own statement, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said the allegations are “serious and that any consumer who believes they have been misled should file a complaint with our office, either by telephone or online.”
‘Taking advantage of people and their privacy under the guise of serving as a non-profit organization is not only unethical; it could also be in violation of Pennsylvania law, ‘Shapiro said.