(773) 626-4300 3 Simple Steps To Stop the Spread of COVID-19 WATCH THE PSA Loretto Hospital We are an acute care community hospital that serves over 33,000 patients each year from Chicago's Austin and surrounding communities. The sun sets on Loretto Hospital, a 122-bed medical facility, on June 2, 2021 in Chicago's Austin community. He arrived the same year the Loretto board decided not to renew Dr. Sonia Mehtas contract as president and CEO. Within a few months, Loretto was making headlines for inappropriate distribution of vaccines, including at Trump Tower downtown, where Ahmed owns a condo. Officials were also voicing concerns as many of the citys vaccine doses up to 40 percent were going to people who live in the suburbs. Guest Speakers: Dr. Nikhila Juvvadi, Chief Clinical Officer at Yvette Hunter, Public Safety Officer at Loretto Hospital uses her experience with domestic violence to Ben Leven, social worker at Loretto Hospital's Outpatient Mental Health clinic, discusses sleep Robin Jones is the Clinical Coordinator in the Lab here at The Loretto Hospital. In recent months, it's come under scrutiny over a series of scandals. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Left: Loretto Hospital has been embroiled in scandal. Metropolitan Behavioral Associates started its relationship with Loretto in August 2018, and the hospital paid it $980,000 from July 2018 to June 2019. The school was not aware of the allegations against Mellacheruvu in Mississippi, he said. The treasurer's office oversees the city's $9 billion investment portfolio, and the treasurer records the city's finances and shares reports on them with City Council. As this is an ongoing matter, we cannot provide additional information at this time.. Its unclear whether, or for how long, the two may have been at Windsor together. WBEZ-FM (Chicago, IL) To listen, click here. Got a story tip? Loretto, a cash-strapped safety-net hospital, changed leadership in 2018, bringing on current President George Miller and installing Dr. Anosh Ahmed as chief financial officer and chief operating officer. Loretto Hospital CEO George Miller is out, following a tenure marked by turmoil over improper COVID-19 vaccinations given by the hospital. Loretto paid for those trips, including stays at a luxury hotel, Lightford said. The attorney generals office also can make a referral to the IRS if they believe a further audit is warranted. Provide targeted case management services to patients on psychiatric unit. On Wednesday, Dr. Anosh Ahmed, the hospitals COO and CFO, tendered his resignation, and the hospitals board unanimously accepted it. by giving all our patients the special attention they need. Guests Speakers: George N. Miller, Jr., President & CEO, The Loretto Hospital; Jose Sanchez, Topic: Community Health & COVID-19. I don't expect them to be coming back online anytime soon, but we're there to support them as they identify issues in their systems and controls, but it's unfortunate that has come to this.". "I fear that we're going to hear more stories, which is why we pushed pause on giving Loretto new first doses. Miller became the hospitals first Black president and CEO on Nov. 1, 2017. Meanwhile Monday, AFSCME Local 1216 the union representing nurses at Loretto took the city to task for cutting off vaccine doses. Block Club Chicagos coronavirus coverage is free for all readers. There should be an independent investigation to determine the specific uses of every dose theyve been allocated, Lightfoot said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Block Club Chicago first reported vaccination events that hospital officials organized at Trump Tower in downtown Chicago and at the hospital president's suburban church. Email Newsroom@BlockClubChi.org. Loretto Hospital has treated and employed generations of people in the Austin community. Vials of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are seen in deep freeze at Chicago's Loretto Hospital, Dec. 16, 2020. improperly vaccinated ineligible workers at Trump Tower downtown, administering the first COVID-19 vaccinations in Chicago, city temporarily stopped giving first doses, Loretto board decided not to renew Dr. Sonia Mehtas contract, Glencoe begins cost sharing program to combat lead pipes, Bill could open up pitches from different communities for a Lake County convention center, Photos: Chicago Cubs at spring training in Arizona, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. They now both own condos in Trump Tower and are in business together, with shared investments in Aljazara Halal Meat and a real estate company. Attorney Generals Office investigating the West Side hospital after Block Club Chicago and the Better Government Association disclosed insider contracts. Block Club Chicago and the Better Government Association. The hospital is also facing questions about the contracts awarded to Suhail. The treasurer's office oversees the city's $9 billion investment portfolio, and the treasurer records the city's finances and shares reports on them with City Council. / CBS Chicago. Loretto is a small safety net hospital on Chicago's West Side. George Millers departure comes a year after Block Club Chicago revealed the hospital vaccinated ineligible people with ties to administrators. Ultimately, Suhail withdrew the application to open the facility after the projects nephrologist pulled out, and the state boards staff found that there might not be a need for another dialysis center in the area. In a brief telephone interview at the time, Miller referred reporters to hospital representatives, who declined to comment. Once again, a West Side safety net hospital admitted to improperly distributing its supply of vaccines outside the city to those connected with hospital executives. Loretto Hospital is under investigation for "potential misuse of charitable assets." Unlike most Chicago-area hospitals, Loretto is independent, meaning its not owned by a larger hospital system or chain. The hospital boards members refused to say what punishments were given to Miller and Ahmed after the improper vaccination events. My experience was extraordinary and your staff are exquisite. The hospital also told Block Club an improper vaccination event at a Gold Coast jewelry store did not occur even though a source told Block Club they were vaccinated by Loretto staff during an event at the store. Published March 17, 2021 Updated on March 17, 2021 at 3:23 pm. Loretto had been operating on the edge financially even before the pandemic, as it tried to serve vulnerable residents of the Austin neighborhood and surrounding West Side communities. Loretto Hospital CEO Dr. George Miller speaks at a news conference in Gage Park in February 2021. not-for-profit, community-focused health care provider, we offer a unique, he resigned Tuesday, saying the board must be more transparent. The hospital has failed to be transparent since Block Club began reporting on the scandals. Suhail also attempted to contract with Loretto for a fifth business, with Ahmeds help. The SEIU says that it strongly objects to the citys decision to withhold first vaccine doses from the hospital, expressing concerns about front line staff at the hospital and about the safety of Austin residents. Apostle H. Daniel Wilson, a longtime pastor at Valley Kingdom Ministries International, could not be reached. Our leadership team, team members, and medical staff remain unwaveringly committed to providing the highest level of patient care and advocacy for the Austin community, the statement read. We have already put plans together for other providers to kind of take up the work that Loretto was doing," Lightfoot said. Loretto Hospital CEO and President George Miller has left the troubled West Side safety-net hospital that is being investigated by the FBI, sources confirmed. Loretto Hospital in Austin on Aug. 18. He has been in practice between 5-10 years. Through our partnerships with Ive been very upfront about the fact that Im deeply disappointed in the way Loretto not only, in my view, misappropriated vaccines that were intended to serve the West Side community, a low-income, Black community that Loretto Hospital has a mission to serve, Lightfoot said. But questions about the hospital have extended past its vaccines. Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Mellecheruvu resigned from the school in October 2020 for personal reasons, Mulkanoor said. Unfortunately, stories of my involvement of providing vaccines outside of the community became daily media and political fodder instead of focusing on the pandemic and expanding access to healthcare services in the Austin community and beyond. Loretto Hospital in Austin is under investigation by the Illinois attorney general for potential misuse of assets, Block Club and the BGA reported. Austin, Chicago Hospital | The Loretto Hospital If you are in need of charity care, please see our patient portal. They attended college together, were fraternity brothers and are even close enough that Miller attended Wilsons bachelor party, they say in the video. I can honestly say that the doctors here were excellent. At a Monday news conference, Mayor Lori Lightfoot again slammed Loretto officials for failing to own up to the multiple vaccine violations, as more have been discovered by Chicago news outlets nearly every day for two weeks. Click hereto support Block Clubwith a tax-deductible donation. Contact Information, Directions. The hospital announced Ahmeds resignation March 24, and said it would suspend Miller for two weeks without pay. Loretto has repeatedly assured Lightfoot its come clean only for yet another scandal to come out, the mayor said during a Thursday call with reporters. As I depart Loretto Hospital, I will look back at all of the accomplishments that were made during my tenure as COO. Its just frustrating that were not seeing the kind of movement that wed expect in light of the problems that have been drip, drip, dripping coming out of Loretto.. Block Club Chicago is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, nonpartisan and essential coverage of Chicagos diverse neighborhoods. There should be an independent investigation to determine the specific uses for every dose they have been allocated.. I am proud of the work we were able to accomplish during my tenure at the hospital and I hope, with my resignation, they will continue to move in the positive direction and remain an asset to the community. The Illinois Attorney General's Office is investigating Loretto Hospital after reports revealed millions of dollars in insider contracts. SKS Healthcare Management Group ran lab services at Loretto for almost half the cost of the hospitals prior contractor, she said. patient-centered healthcare delivery system that promotes general wellness As for these contracts, we know the hospital is receiving better pricing, better and increased patient services and, more importantly for a community hospital, deriving millions of dollars in new annual revenue from dramatically improved billing and collections, Carroll said. Embattled Loretto Hospital Executive Resigns After Vaccine Scandals, Another Group Favored By Loretto Hospital Exec Got Vaccinated Early: Gold Coast Steakhouse Higher-Ups, Sources Say, Rep. LaShawn Ford Resigns From Loretto Hospital Board, Says He Strongly Disagreed With Slap On The Wrist For Execs, Loretto Executives Keep Jobs After Vaccine Scandals Force Emergency Board Of Directors Meeting, Luxury Gold Coast Watch Shop That Got Improper Vaccinations Has Very Important Customer: A Loretto Hospital Executive, Loretto Hospital Execs Reprimanded For Going Rogue After Letting Well-Connected People Skip Vaccine Line, Loretto Hospital Vaccinated CEOs Suburban Church While West Siders Were Calling Daily For Shots, Vaccine Doses Not Being Sent To Loretto Until City Can Confirm Its Vaccinating, Reporting People Properly, City Wont Give Vaccines To Hospitals That Let People Cut In Line, Lightfoot Warns After Trump Tower Controversy, Cook County Judges, Spouses Were Given Chance To Be Vaccinated At Loretto Hospital, Report Says, Chicago Hospital Executive Bragged About Vaccinating Eric Trump On Day His Hospital Vaccinated Workers At Trump Tower, Improper Vaccinations At Trump Tower Disappointing, Mayor Says As She Vows City Will Dig Deeper To Verify West Side Hospitals Story, Trump Tower Workers Got Vaccines From West Side Hospital Whose COO Owns A Condo In Luxury Highrise, Trump Tower Vaccinated Staff At Luxury Hotel, Saying It Was Part Of Program Meant To Help Hard-Hit South And West Sides. Its not clear if Miller was ousted or he resigned. Apr 2015 - Present8 years. safe and comfortable environment for our patients and their families. Loretto spokeswoman Becky Carroll said in an email that all contracts are reviewed to ensure regulatory compliance. Suhail is not an owner of that company but is an executive. (Time). Suhail attorney Joseph Hylak-Reinholtz said Suhail has not been contacted by the attorney general or any government investigators about the contracts. Members got their second shots Feb. 27. Block Club then partnered with the Better Government Association to show Ahmeds friends won contracts worth $4 million from the nonprofit hospital while Loretto board members took hospital-funded Caribbean trips, among other benefits. During that treatment, he admitted to abusing cocaine, buprenorphine and alcohol and diverting drugs from hospitals in India and the United States, according to the Mississippi agreement. At the time, only frontline workers and people 65 and older were broadly eligible for the vaccines. Loretto sent a team to the church to administer 204 vaccinations of their members, who lived, worked or received their [health care] from those living in Chicago, Miller wrote in a newsletter to hospital staff that spring. All Rights Reserved. Posting id: 819917211. Loretto spokeswoman Bonni Pear declined Tuesday to. The Annual Oak Park River Forest Rotary Food Truck Rally will be held today at 3:30 p.m. in Keystone Park, featuring nine food trucks, a beer tent featuring local brews, and live music. Loretto's spokesperson said the hospital is no longer approving off-site visits and that the ill person who received the vaccine was eligible. CHICAGO A doctor with close ties to Loretto Hospital used shots from the West Side hospitals supply to vaccinate his family members in the suburbs in January. Email Newsroom@BlockClubChi.org. 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