The board of trustees at Chicago’s Loretto Hospital has unanimously accepted the resignation of COO/CFO Dr. Anosh Ahmed, one of the central figures in an ongoing controversy over the hospital purportedly giving well-connected people early access to the coronavirus vaccine.
The board announced the decision on Wednesday evening.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank Dr. Ahmed for his contributions to the Loretto Hospital community and we wish him the best in his future endeavors,” said Edward M. Hogan, Chairman of the Loretto Hospital Board of Trustees.
According to the board, investigations will continue into “any and all deviations from the rules and regulations guiding” the hospital’s vaccination policy.
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The hospital has been under intense scrutiny for several weeks, as reports from multiple news outlets have linked hospital officials with special coronavirus vaccination events held at the businesses of high-profile individuals connected to the hospital’s board.
Those controversies led the city of Chicago to withhold new first doses of the vaccine from the hospital pending the outcome of an investigation, with Mayor Lori Lightfoot announcing that the Chicago Department of Public Health will be working to ensure that the hospital is adhering to all city guidance before allowing the vaccination program to resume.
“I fear that we’re going to hear more stories, which is why we pushed pause,” Lightfoot said Monday. “I’ve been in contact with the CEO and members of the board, and they’ve got work to do to rebuild trust in their own community.”
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Earlier this month, hospital officials confirmed that a vaccination event had been held for employees of Chicago’s Trump Tower.
Block Club Chicago and WBEZ have also reported on numerous allegations of impropriety, including Cook County judges and their spouses being given access to the vaccine, individuals at a high-end jewelry store receiving doses, and on Wednesday, the publication reported that management at a steakhouse had also received doses.
According to the publication, Ahmed was a high-spending customer at the jewelry store. He also owns a condo at Trump Tower, according to the publication, and is a frequent customer at Maple & Ash, the Gold Coast steakhouse at the center of the latest controversy Wednesday.
Initially, the hospital board had voted to reprimand Ahmed and hospital CEO George Miller, but had allowed both to keep their jobs.
