State investigating Floyd Medical Center for vaccinating employee family members

FLOYD COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Health is now investigating the Floyd Medical Center for vaccinating employee family members outside of the state’s eligibility groups.

The state has also seized the remaining ‘dose one’ supply from the Medical Center of Elberton, which is under a six-month state suspension of new supply for their decision to vaccinate a small number of county school system employees, including teachers. They’re now awaiting results of a second appeal.

Soon after the Elbert County story aired, Channel 2 viewers started bringing our attention to social media posts from family members of Floyd Medical Center employees.

In a Jan. 18 Instagram post, one woman thanked the center for opening up vaccinations to family members as she received her first dose. Her family declined to talk about the process but confirmed several members in different households were able to take advantage of the program through their daughter’s employment.

Channel 2 confirmed several family members inoculated did not fall within state eligibility guidelines, something a hospital spokesperson described as a requirement in the Rome News-Tribune last month.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Dunwoody day care owner charged with murder in death of 4-month-old
• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene slams vote to strip her from committees
• Carroll County substitute teacher charged with 20 counts of child molestation after incident

The hospital declined to comment on the program, pointing Channel 2 to reported comments from the CEO, Kurt Stuenkel. He confirmed the hospital estimates inoculating 766 non-employees who did not fall under state guidelines, saying the hospital had extra doses. The hospital has received the largest supply of the county’s allocation of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

It upset one Polk County woman, who says her grandparents remain on the waiting list for the vaccine.

“It just kind of upsets me because it’s like their lives don’t matter because they’re 90,” she said, asking not to be identified, as she’d spotted posts from the medical center employees.

“To me, this is worst than Elbert County because at least they were giving it to someone that was in the next tier, the next phase 1B or whatever the teachers,” she continued. “But they (Floyd Medical Center) don’t even know who the people are that they gave these vaccines to.”

Stuenkel, who reasoned protecting households would protect staff levels, also said he was initially under the impression that family member inoculations were allowed because the hospital had been designated as a closed point of distribution—or POD—site.

A draft rollout plan from the state outlines a closed POD site as one that can only serve its staff, members of the staff’s immediate household and admitted patients.

But Channel 2 also confirmed family members in different households received vaccinations.

The medical center declined to detail what led to the revelation that they were operating against state guidelines two weeks ago. That’s when they stopped performing new family member vaccinations. The center is now sharing vaccines with the public and health departments.

A spokeswoman for DPH would only confirm the probe. Channel 2 requested an interview with health officials but was told they were not available Thursday and Friday.

It’s unclear how long the probe could last or whether the center will face similar sanctions tied to the Elbert County investigation.

Lawmakers' reaction to Elbert County vaccination suspension

Cox Media Group