Most of the Lehigh Valley's at-risk population will be waiting months for a Covid-19 vaccine. But some of us are special. Or so they think. It should come as no surprise to any of us that Northampton County Council VP Lori Vargo Heffner has managed to jump to the front of the line and get her vaccine long before those of you who really are at high risk. She received her vaccine last week while corrections officers and Gracedale residents and staff wait in line. Easy peasy, she bragged on Facebook.
Though she's nothing close to a first responder, Vargo-Heffner is getting preferential treatment because she works for St. Luke's. The hospital has a rather loose interpretation of CDC guidelines regarding health care personnel.
What Vargo-Heffner fails to realize is that her public gloating is a slap across the face of many of the people who deserve vaccination more than she.
By the way, she only recently started working for St. Luke's. In late May, the hospital sought and received county approval to refinance bonds. This approval process came from both General Purpose Authority and County Council. Heffner just happens to sit on both boards. In July, she started at St. Luke's.
Easy peasy.
46 comments:
Bernie, as bad as you think this woman is, I think the Zirinski person is worse.
Well she is a walking health crisis, maybe they felt she was a very high risk due to her current state of physical fitness?
Lets not single her out. I'll bet every board member at St. Lukes got in line for their shot.
More troubling is reading of Retrumplicans in office, who never wore masks and downplayed the pandemic, making sure they didn't miss out on getting the vaccine.
I agree she's garbage, but I wouldn't impute much to the bond refi. Those are pretty standard administrative tasks by the gpa.
Sounds like the problem is with St Lukes.
If she had declined by saying she would wait until all others were vaccinated she would be attacked for grandstanding and fake martyrdom.
Keeping quiet about it makes her deceitful.
Any way it goes it is "easy -peasy" for her attackers
It is obvious that her morbid obesity was a factor in getting the vaccine early. That plus her lack of ethical behavior.
Is she not some kind of therapist who sees patients? The pandemic has exacerbated an already bad mental health crisis. Psychologists, psychologists, and therapists are seeing patients and can be exposed to covid. Mental health is important.
I would be more critical of congress members who jumped the line like Rubio and AOC.
St Luke’s provided the shots to employees and she received one.
Yet, you choose to continue to rant about your dislike for this fine woman who is a dedicated public official. Get a grip BO.
I know a physical therapist at St. Lukes, they have been working through this pandemic, they were told they were one of the last in line to get the vaccine (granted, they did say they should have it in the next week or two).
I am a diabetic with a heart condition, my primary care doctor told me a vaccine probably will not be available to me until June or July.
But as long as Vargo-Heffner is safe, I'm comforted.
This is why there is no trust in our public officials. Thanks for bringing this to light.
Someone has to get the vaccine why not her, shes special.
Plus, let's be real. They probably used 2 doses of vaccine due to the amount of body weight it has to protect. We should be double mad.
What's the difference between a member of Council taking a position with McClure and a Council person taking a position with one of if not the largest employer in the Lehigh Valley. A political ----- is simply a political-----no matter what the compromising position is they are taking. Same goes for County controllers, etc etc.
"Lets not single her out. I'll bet every board member at St. Lukes got in line for their shot."
There is little doubt in my mind that St. Luke's is playing games in the way it administers this vaccine. But there also is no doubt in my mind that Vargo-Heffner considers herself above others instead of realizing she should be serving them. If she felt that she had to take the vaccine to stay on good terms with her employer, she should have had the good sense to keep her mouth shut. Instead she plasters pictures on Facebook and brags.
Also, I'd really like to know why she suddenly is working at St. Luke's and whether it has anything to do with the fact that she is an elected official. I am disturbed they hire her a month or two after the GPA and Council approve a major bond.
She's a therapist? Hopefully not one for anorexics.
Three comments have been submitted that attack Vargo-Heffner bc of her weight. I published one bc it is arguably relevant. I rejected the other two. We all can see she is obese (as I was and could be again) but that does not qualify her to stand in line ahead of first responders.
" know a physical therapist at St. Lukes, they have been working through this pandemic, they were told they were one of the last in line to get the vaccine"
I would think a physical therapist should be in front of a social worker, who can maintain social distances or even conduct her sessions remotely.
I am not familiar with this person but after reading the article I will play devil's advocate on her behalf. She may be "bragging" about getting the shot to encourage others to not have fear of getting inoculated. Where as I would jump at the shot I do know people who have been offered who work in precarious situations who said they are refusing it for fear of their reaction. Hence, we have many high officials who are televising getting the shot, but I wouldn't say they were bragging.
Give her a break. At least she didn't get 750 bucks to get the shot.
I notice that the federal courts recently denied a temporary order restraining Gov. Wolf's closing of indoor commercial dining.
"An extraordinary public-health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic requires an extraordinary response." Yes, it does.
"It is a truly awful policy conundrum." Yes, it is.
It's so easy to snipe at our leaders rather than support them when they have to make hard choices.
In Allentown, first responders will get the vaccine first.
Then key personnel in each department who come in contact with the public daily.
Public Works staff as an example.
"elections have consequences" this is what happens when very few people pay attention to local elections, if you dislike what is happening make sure to get out and vote, and tell others to vote as well local officials have the most impact on the local area. I myself will not be voting for any current member of county council, how any them got elected in the first place is baffling, out with the old in with the new, lets hope the new is better.
She is a disgrace. She needs to be removed from office. The county needs upright citizens with morals and standards and to set an example for those who elected them to office. She has forfeited her seat as of today. Disgusting.
"I notice that the federal courts recently denied a temporary order restraining Gov. Wolf's closing of indoor commercial dining."
You notice wring. One federal judge has ruled that Wolf's restrictions are constitutional, and another has ruled they are not.
12:56 here. You are distorting my comment. I clearly refer to Judge Conner's ruling of Dec. 23, which is exactly as I describe it. If there is a second federal case on the issue of banning indoor dining, that's possible but it would be news to me. You got one, or will it be an apology?
I distort nothing. You say federal judges have upheld Wolf’s restrictions and that is false. Judges Stickman and Conner have reached different conclusions. Stickman’s opinion is several months old. His conclusions and findings of fact, based on an actual hearing, are sound. Conner took no evidence.
Incidentally you are off topic, so it is you who should apologize
The mask is appropriate, but where is her hard hat and steel tips?
Looks like the stage is an unfinished construction site, unpainted walls, open ceilings fireproofing exposed, amazing they got an Occupancy Permit to perform medical treatment of any kind it what appears to be a construction site.
Was The State Theater not available?
You Sir area bum!
You really hate the county council people. Your hate of them is only matched by your love of McClure. If you are lucky he will get a new republican Council. So who is your insider source?
I am critical of some council people as well as McClure when I think it is warranted. I am also complimentary when I think it is warranted. I needed no insider source to see her bragging on Facebook or to note her sudden hire at St Luke’s coinciding with council and gpa approval of a bond refinance.
Others are welcome to point out flaws in my criticism, which I have published.
Elected officials are fair game at any and all times. Vargo is not just a county resident therefore her comings and goings and actions are reportable incidents. She is a shameless publicity hound when it comes to herself as this is not the first time she has blown it. Tara Z. got more cred than her. Sick of her FB selfies and ignorance on display for all to see. You get what you deserve Lori.
Bernie, I think the practice she worked at was bought by St. Luke’s, so she didn’t actually change jobs. They have been buying many practices.
"I am critical of some council people as well as McClure when I think it is warranted."
Council; incompetents, idiots, fools!
McClure; too smart, too competent, too handsome.
I hear you Bernie. Someone mentioned Zirinski. Everyone that pays any attention knows that Zirinski is all about herself. Every time she opens her mouth it is to promote herself. She just gets elected and is running for a state house seat. She is a total phoney, as you have shown. The weird thing about Heffner is she appears to be really concerned but just does bonehead things. I have been told she is committed to local issues. She tells the Court people what kind of jobs they should have and then she tells the DA what he should do to fight crime. Seriously? She seems oblivious to what she does not know. Is someone prompting her to do these things or is she that dense or stubborn? She appears to trip over herself.
Why can't this all be done by mail? Epi-pen type vaccines can be mailed and proof of taking the shot can be mailed back. We can even institute pick up and drop off sites for shots and paperwork and it'll run as smoothly as the election.
I don't know Lori Vargo Heffner but body shaming and calling her "garbage" and disgraceful over this is ridiculous. If she works at St. Lukes it's their call not hers or ours. And they do it to protect their patients for which personally I am grateful. Making it public helps lessen the concern of some people. Linking it to the GPA and St Lukes bond is really a stretch. GPA is in the business of backing the bonds for area hospitals and colleges. AS long as the financials were in order there would be no reason to vote no. It's what they do - standard fare. If you want to angry over the vaccinations, get angry with those who called the virus a "hoax", refused to wear a mask and likely were mass spreaders and still there were there at the head of the line for the vaccine.
Helene, I engaged in no body shaming and have refused to publish several of those comments. I nevertheless believe her braggadocio was entirely inappropriate given that many county employees on the front lines have received nothing. The least she could have done is keep it quiet. I also find it highly odd that she is suddenly working for St Luke’s, right after the bond deal. I am told that her entire practice has been absorbed but she clearly still benefits. This is yet another tack in her political coffin. This is a council member who (1) has engaged in her own body shaming, referring to a council member she despises as “the thin one;” (2) voted to screw career service workers out of a small increase simply because they left a union; (3) argued against the court over the selection of someone to oversee caseworkers st juvenile, interfering with an independent branch of government; and (4) attempted to defund $50k of the DA’s proposed budget. She hates any and all criticism and has failed to learn from her mistakes.
You claim she voted to screw career service unions out of a raise. Is that true? I thought McClure recommended they not get a raise. Did council even vote on it? If so didn't it pass?
I think you are mistaken.
You sound like Ralph Kramden.
You are incorrect. McClure had no issue with the retroactive raise sought, but Vargo-Heffner did and voted No. after the meeting, she told a fellow council member that she resented giving probation officers a raise because they make more money than she. https://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/search?q=Career+service+retroactive
Wait, didn't county council pass this raise? What was the vole?
Read the link. The raise was passed 5-4, and she was a No.
I have raised my concerns with a current county council member and they agree she handled this whole thing poorly. They agree her actions were inappropriate and it looked bad despite her intentions. I certainly hope someone primaries her at some point but doubt county D party will allow it to happen. She needs to be removed from office as she is now accumulating errors in judgement and this is not a one off mistake but one among many unforgivable sins.
Hey anon 8:19, why don't you run bigshot? Tell that to the Adminntration insiders that feed O'Hare information.
Um, the information that forms the basis of this post comes from Vargo-Heffner herself. It is she who bragged about getting the vaccine and posted numerous photographs of herself doing so. It is she who appears to be oblivious to how insulting this is to the average corrections officer or Gracedale CNA. I am critical of Vargo-Heffner because of what she says and does, not what anyone tells me. In fact, I resent it very much when someone attempts to spin me, and am pretty good at detecting thee efforts. I also know that the overpaid and underworked staff in the county council office is working this blog with attacks aimed at McClure and myself along with defenses of Council members. They have made the mistake of saying things that only they could know. In other words, the Council Clerk's office has become political. When clerks get political, they do not last.
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