Western New York has hiccups in vaccine distribution process
ECMC and Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center are two hospitals where initial doses of vaccines were distributed to the wrong place Author: Liz Lewin (WGRZ) Updated: 2:04 AM EST December 18, 2020
BUFFALO, N.Y. Approve the vaccine, prepare for the vaccine, distribute the vaccine. That s the expectation shared by most leading up to the arrival of the Pfizer vaccine and now the Moderna vaccine.
However, as Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz stated earlier Thursday, there have been some issues with distribution this week. ECMC s doses were not sent to ECMC, they were sent to Millard Fillmore Suburban and Olean General. I have no idea why, he said during a COVID-19 update.
Poloncarz: COVID vaccine doses intended for ECMC go to 2 Kaleida Health hospitals instead
2 On Your Side asked how Pfizer vaccine doses intended for workers at ECMC ended up going to two Kaleida Health hospitals. Author: Jeff Preval Updated: 8:46 PM EST December 17, 2020
BUFFALO, N.Y. Initial doses of the Pfizer COVID vaccine are in the process of being sent to hospitals across New York state.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says there was a distribution issue with doses slated for Erie County Medical Center.
This is the second time in two days we re hearing of doses being delivered to other health care systems, rather than the ones they re supposed to go.
Olean General Hospital nurse is first to be vaccinated for COVID-19 oleantimesherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from oleantimesherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
OLEAN â Dr. Jeremy Barnett admits that he cries when his patients are taken off ventilators and tell him theyâre hungry or thirsty because it is then he knows theyâll likely survive COVID-19 or other serious illnesses.
Barnett, who works in the intensivist unit at Olean General Hospital, which cares for critically ill patients affected by the coronavirus and other health crises, spoke of the overall success of the unit since the onset of the pandemic over nine months ago.
Barnett, formerly of Westchester Medical Center near Manhattan, and his new associate, Dr. Christine Healey, are employed by Upper Allegheny Health System and Kaleida Health, which are the parent companies of Olean General and Bradford Regional Medical Center.
Months ago, New York State required all hospitals to produce surge plans in case the load of Covid-19 patients became too large to manage.
Those plans didn t need to be activated here last spring, but the current rise in hospital caseloads is forcing hospital executives to think about them again.
With virus hospitalizations in the region 10 times higher than two months ago, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo sounded the alarm Monday by ordering all hospitals to increase their bed capacity by 25%.
Eight months ago, all hospitals were ordered to file contingency plans for a 50% increase in capacity, with the possibility of even larger increases. So, there are plans in place that Cuomo s order doesn t exceed â so far.