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This past week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo expressed frustration that some hospitals had been slow to begin administering the vaccine to healthcare workers, employees, and residents in nursing homes.
In the first three weeks the vaccine was made available, New York hospitals used less than half of their allotment of initial doses, with 10,809 vaccines being administered daily.
However, after calling out some hospitals earlier this week, Cuomo said that on Monday, Jan. 4 and Tuesday, Jan. 5, hospitals have dramatically improved their performances, with an average of 31,157 administered over those two days.
“Vaccinating hospital staff is vital. They are on the front lines, and everyone talks about nurses and doctors, and we’ve celebrated those nurses and doctors, and they certainly deserve that celebration,” Cuomo said. “We know what they’ve been doing and they deserve more than a celebration, they deserve a vaccination.
“That’s why they deserve to go first, because they’re the frontline workers, and selfishly, if our hospital staff gets sick, it’s going to reduce our hospital capacity.”
According to Cuomo, the state has been surveying healthcare workers and other essential employees, with more than 85 percent expressing a desire to receive the vaccination and no hesitation or reluctance in the dosages.
Cuomo said that if a staff member doesn’t want to take the vaccine, they don’t have to, but once a hospital hits its “refusal rate” then they will reallocate the doses to other hospitals or nursing homes that still haven’t fully vaccinated staffs.
“We want to give it to every healthcare professional who wants to take the vaccine and has the ability to take it,” he added. “We need an acceptance rate between 70 percent and 90 percent society-wide to get to herd immunity.
“We have to listen to the experts and Dr. Fauci because there’s a lot of cynicism and skepticism, but the hospital members, they’re informed, and we’re seeing that they are willing to take it.”
According to the state Department of Health, the hospitals performing the best in allocating COVID-19 vaccinations:
- NYU Langone Medical Center: 100 percent;
- Oswego Hospital: 100 percent;
- Richmond University Medical Center: 100 percent;
- St. Barnabus Hospital: 100 percent;
- SUNY Downstate: 100 percent;
- New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System: 99 percent;
- Kaleida Health - Buffalo: 98 percent;
- SUNY Upstate: 94 percent;
- Adirondack Medical Center: 87 percent;
- Lenox Hill: 87 percent.
The worst performing hospitals in New York, according to the Department of Health:
- Montefiore Mount Vernon: 11 percent;
- Montefiore New Rochelle: 23 percent;
- Brookdale Hospital Medical Center: 24 percent;
- Wyoming County Hospital: 26 percent;
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens: 29 percent;
- Catholic Health - St. Joseph’s Hospital: 29 percent;
- Catholic Health - St. Charles Hospital: 33 percent;
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island: 34 percent;
- Vassar Brothers: 37 percent;
- Carthage Hospital: 39 percent.
“You can see the variance, so while the performance has increased, we want it to stay increased more,” Cuomo said. “So congratulations to those who are doing well. And for those of you not doing well, pick up the performance, or let’s get another hospital in there to help you get it done quickly.”
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