ALBANY - The Cuomo administration is taking a shot at Mount Sinai Hospital for allowing New Yorkers to sign up for coronavirus vaccinations before ensuring adequate supplies.
Former top Cuomo secretary Larry Schwartz, who's leading the state's immunization program, slammed the Manhattan hospital system in a Thursday letter that came on the heels of reports that it was forced to turn away thousands in line for COVID-19 shots earlier this month.
"These reports and allegations made by Mt. Sinai staff are de facto evidence that Mt. Sinai has failed to adhere to the terms of the vaccine program and this failure has jeopardized public health," Schwartz wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily News.
Last month, The News reported that Mount Sinai canceled all vaccination appointments over a four-day stretch because of supply shortages. Adding to that, Gothamist reported last week that the hospital again had to cancel thousands more appointments for the same reason.
© Luiz C. RibeiroHospital patients are seen being moved between wings at the Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital in Upper Manhattan.
Hospital patients are seen being moved between wings at the Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital in Upper Manhattan. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/)
Schwartz said the state has made clear to Mount Sinai and other health care providers that they should not open up appointments until they get confirmation for how many doses they can expect each week. The state makes the allotment data available every Tuesday, and Schwartz said that's meant as a backstop against cancellations.
"Pre-booking appointments in advance of an allocation is reckless due to the fluctuating supply from the federal government," Schwartz wrote in the missive, which was addressed to Mount Sinai President and CEO Kenneth Davis. "Mt. Sinai's disregard, whether intentional or unintentional, of the state's guidance, after being repeatedly informed of the scheduling policy, is a disservice to its patients and to the state's vaccine program."
A spokeswoman for Davis did not immediately return a request for comment.
Eileen Robbins, a 74-year-old Upper West Side resident, was among the Mount Sinai patients who had her vaccination appointment canceled this month.
After being ineligible for weeks, Robbins said she was relieved when she finally got an appointment for Feb. 15.
However, when she came to Mount Sinai for her shot, Robbins said staff informed her they were only administering second doses because of supplies falling short.
"I got very upset. It was horrible," Robbins said.
She said she has since been able to sign up for the vaccine through another provider, but voiced frustration with the state and Mount Sinai for pointing fingers at each other.
"At least make sure that they have enough to honor the appointments on the books because I basically had to do this twice now," she said.
As of Thursday afternoon, roughly 1.6 million vaccine doses - encompassing both first and second shots - had been administered in New York City, according to Department of Health data.
The Mount Sinai dilemma comes as President Biden is seeking to make good on his promise for the U.S. to administer at least 100 million COVID-19 shots in his first 100 days in office.
Biden, whose administration is responsible for delivering doses to the states, has taken executive action to ramp up vaccine production and said at an event on Feb. 11 that the government is on its way to outperform his 100 million benchmark.
"That's just the floor," Biden said.