'Virtually No Vetting': Philadelphia Officials Respond To Scathing Report On City's Failed Partnership With Philly Fighting COVID
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia's top doctor is promising changes amid a scathing report detailing the city's controversial and failed partnership with Philly Fighting COVID. An investigation led by the inspector general revealed the city disregarded warning signs.
The 17-page report shows the Philadelphia Health Department ignored red flags about Philly Fighting COVID, specifically unprofessional behavior from its 22-year-old CEO, and complaints about the group. On top of that, the report shows the city never looked into it.
"There was virtually no vetting," Philadelphia Inspector General Alexander DeSantis said.
The Philadelphia inspector general released the report Monday, showing failures by the Philadelphia Health Department involving the now-disgraced vaccination group Philly Fighting COVID, including a lack of vetting.
"That is very problematic. And I believe that is primarily due to the fact that they proceeded without a contract," DeSantis said.
The report comes almost two months after the city cut ties with Philly Fighting COVID after the group had changed a policy that would have allowed it to sell patients' data.
Philly Fighting COVID had opened a mass vaccination site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in January before it was shutdown. At the time, CBS3's Matt Petrillo asked the 22-year-old CEO if he would change anything.
"No, I would change nothing," Andrei Doroshin said.
But after Monday's report, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney says the city is making changes.
"I fully accept the recommendations of the report: more extensive training for staff on contracting, particularly in emergencies, and improved transparency about vaccination progress for the public," Kenney said.
Meantime, Philadelphia's Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley also responded to the report from the inspector general.
"He did not identify any illegal or unethical actions by the staff of the Department of Philadelphia Public Health," Farley said.
Farley says the incident hurts the image of the department but he is working hard to regain that trust.
