Good Samaritan Hospital leader disciplined in scandal

COO under fire for allowing Los Gatos teachers to receive coronavirus vaccines

A top executive at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose has been disciplined after the hospital came under fire for giving coveted coronavirus vaccines to Los Gatos teachers.

Hospital spokeswoman

Sarah Sherwood confirmed Jan. 26 that “disciplinary action has been taken” against Chief Operating Officer Gary Purushotham and a further review is underway. Attempts to reach Purushotham on Jan. 26 were not successful.

The potential shakeup in the top ranks comes after Santa Clara County reprimanded the hospital, saying it will not receive any more vaccine doses, beyond what it needs to complete the vaccination of people who have already received an initial dose, until it can show that it has a vaccine plan that follows state and county guidelines.

The issue arose last week when the superintendent of the Los Gatos Union School District notified staff they had an opportunity to get vaccinated at Good Samaritan, even as the county said hospitals should prioritize health care workers and the elderly. The hospital administered about 65 doses to district staff. The arrangement also raised concerns because teachers were told to sign up as health care workers despite being educators.

In a statement Jan. 26, Good Samaritan CEO Joe Deschryver said the hospital would submit a plan to the county by the end of the week “that includes stronger checks and balances.”

“While vaccine storage limitations and fluctuating availability have been a challenge, we want to reassure our community we have had only positive intentions throughout the vaccination process,” DeSchryver said. “We regret the mistake we made in our efforts to use all vaccines prior to expiration.”

The error has created frustration and resentment, much of which is being fueledonsocialmediaandin text chats. Even if teachers were allowed to get vaccinated, there has been no clear explanation for why the Los Gatos district was selected above others.

“It’s about process and adhering to process,” said Kindra Sullivan, a parent with children in the nearby Union School District, which has a school just blocks from the hospital. “We are all waiting our turn patiently, so when someone goes around this, it just creates anger. It’s not about who is more deserving.”

One teacher in the Los Gatos district who asked not to be identified said he was horrified upon reading the email inviting him to get vaccinated, telling his wife, “Oh my god, they’re asking me to perjure myself.”

“We were given explicit instructions to do that. That was really fishy and a lot of us felt aggrieved by that,”hesaid.