Updated at 3:57 p.m.
A doctor employed by a former Vermont prison health care provider is suing the company for forging his signature on a policy document and firing him after he raised concerns about conditions inside Vermont’s prisons. There is.
Dr. George Zazzari served as Vitalcore’s chief medical officer of operations in Vermont in 2021, according to court records. In a lawsuit filed last month in U.S. District Court in Vermont, he alleges that Vitalcore “forged signatures” on more than 500 pages of policies and procedures it submitted to state authorities.
In 2020, Vermont began a three-year contract with VitalCore for prison health care. During this time, Vermont experienced a spate of prison deaths, which Vermont Department of Corrections officials attributed to the aging and increasingly ill population of the prison population.
David Mitchell’s death drew particular scrutiny because witnesses reported that he had repeatedly sought medical attention on the day of his death. A subsequent investigation by the Vermont Defense Command revealed that VitalCore staff did not appear to know how to perform CPR or other life-saving measures.
Vermont currently contracts with Wellpath, one of the nation’s largest prison health care providers. Corrections officials say there is often significant duplication of personnel among contractors.
Court records include Dr. Zazzari’s account of how, in August 2021, he uncovered a number of surprising facts about healthcare delivery in Vermont prisons.
The complaint says it is unclear whether people prescribed buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid use disorder, ever met with a licensed clinician. Ms. Zazzari also reported that she was concerned when she learned that VitalCore had only one psychiatric health care provider for the entire prison.
Zazzari alleges that the medical equipment was “in such disrepair that it was indicative of years of neglect” and that the nurses were performing tests for which they were not qualified.
Mr. Zazzari claimed that Vitalcore “failed to comply” with policies that forged his signature and provided a “substandard level of care.” He expressed concern that signing the policy could involve a “violation of the False Claims Act.”
Two days later, Zazzari was fired, according to the complaint.
Mr. Zazzari declined an interview request through the Washington, D.C.-based employment law group that represents him.
The lawsuit was originally filed in state court this summer and transferred to federal court last month.
A lawyer for Vitalcore did not respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for the Vermont Department of Corrections said the agency was not aware of the lawsuit’s allegations before it was filed.
In response to Mr. Zazzari’s claims, Vitalcore’s lawyers argued in court filings that the doctor’s claims about forging signatures on policy and procedure documents do not fall under Vermont’s False Claims Act. Vitalcore argued that the law only provides for “requests to the state for payment or recognition.”
As part of his lawsuit, Zazzari is seeking restitution and damages.
Alan Keys contributed reporting.
