NY health care provider accused of vaccine 'scheme'
A health care provider in New York has been accused of misappropriating coronavirus vaccines.
In what amounts to a line-skipping scheme, the New York State Health Department and the State Police are investigating Orange County health care provider Parcare Community Health Network for an alleged maneuver to violate the state's distribution plan.
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State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said Parcare "may have fraudulently obtained COVID-19 vaccine, transferred it to facilities in other parts of the state ... and diverted it to members of the public."
This would run directly contrary to New York's current plan for "1A" distribution, which prioritizes front-line health care workers, nursing home residents and staff.
"We take this very seriously," Zucker said in a statement. "Anyone found to have knowingly participated in this scheme will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
ParCare Community Health Network told ABC News in a statement, "During these unprecedented times, we have striven to provide critical healthcare services and administer COVID-19 vaccinations to those qualified to receive them under the New York State Department of Health's guidelines, which includes frontline healthcare workers and first responders. Parcare Community Health Network has a long history of partnering with the City of New York to provide vital healthcare services to New Yorkers who need them most - including providing COVID-19 testing - especially for New Yorkers in medically underserved communities who've been hardest hit by COVID-19. As we actively cooperate with the New York State Department of Health on this matter, we will continue to perform top-quality healthcare services to help New York come out of this pandemic."
In October, New York's Test and Trace Corps announced an expanded partnership with ParCare to provide free COVID-19 testing and resources for the Orthodox Jewish community.
-ABC News' Sasha Pezenik and Aaron Katersky