Health Worker Files Whistleblower Lawsuit After Firing

In 2021, Deborah Conrad, a physician assistant from Rochester, New York, was let go from her position at the United Memorial Medical Center as part of the Rochester Regional Health Corps.

What led to her dismissal?

Simply doing her job.

After observing adverse effects following a patient’s Covid-19 vaccination, Deborah reported the incident through VAERS, which is the vaccine’s adverse event reporting system. Under federal requirements, healthcare providers must report specific adverse events related to Covid-19 vaccines, such as those produced by Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna.

Yet, when Deborah acted on her legal responsibilities, she faced termination.

Now, she is deeply involved in a significant false claims lawsuit against her former employer, pushing against institutional barriers to reporting. Thankfully, her case has moved into the discovery phase, where evidence is collected to uncover potential violations and pursue justice for her retaliatory termination.

On a recent episode of “Back to the People,” Nicole Shanahan interviewed Deborah to discuss the situation that has captured national attention.

When the first Covid-19 vaccines were released in December 2020, they were reserved primarily for high-risk groups, including older adults. Deborah quickly noticed that several of her elderly patients suffered severe falls shortly after getting vaccinated. “They faint and fall, sustaining head injuries, experiencing brain bleeding, strokes, and heart issues,” she recounted to Nicole. “These concerning symptoms often arose just minutes after vaccination.”

Deborah pointed out that neither she nor her colleagues at the United Memorial Medical Center had received adequate training regarding potential side effects, despite it being a legal requirement. “We were only trained to memorize childhood vaccine schedules, and that was heavily emphasized during our training,” she explained.

Feeling the weight of these visible issues, Deborah sought answers. “I went online, learned about the adverse event reporting system, and volunteered to educate others about it,” she said.

Initially, her commitment was acknowledged, and she was appointed to a board by the New York State Physicians Association to oversee professional misconduct. However, things took a turn.

Though Deborah continued submitting VAERS reports—nearly 300—her findings yielded no compensations for affected patients. As time passed, her superiors began to push back. They accused her of being anti-vaccine, questioning how she could attribute these incidents to the Covid vaccine. “VAERS requires us to report any serious side effects linked to vaccination, regardless of our opinions,” she stated.

Despite her explanations and insistence on patient safety, Deborah faced ongoing gaslighting from her supervisors, who labeled her as ‘anti-vax’ and insisted she stick to the company narrative.

Yet, she persisted. Without institutional support, she continued to inform both patients and fellow staff members about what she had seen while trying to push for an appropriate reporting system.

Eventually, one of her supervisors expressed worries about a notable increase in health issues within the Rochester area. “That’s when the pushback really intensified,” Deborah recalled. Her VAERS reports were scrutinized, and she faced allegations of “overreporting,” despite adhering to VAERS guidelines.

As a consequence, she found that her supervisor restricted the number of reports she could submit. Other staff members were allowed to report incidents, but Deborah was told, “That’s not your business.”

Determined to stand her ground, Deborah communicated with the CDC, FDA, the New York Department of Health, and state accreditation bodies. She managed to secure legal representation while publicly sharing her concerns.

Instead of finding support, Deborah’s actions led to further repercussions. After being labeled as a threat for spreading vaccine misinformation and facing a petition for her license removal, she was escorted from the hospital by personnel on October 6, 2021.

“I wasn’t even allowed to gather my belongings,” she said. “My health insurance was canceled, and I couldn’t file for unemployment benefits.”

Currently, Rochester Area Health asserts that Deborah was dismissed for not complying with the vaccine mandate. However, she claims she was in the process of obtaining a valid religious exemption when she was fired.

Fortunately, her case is now in the discovery phase, with strong evidence supporting her claim that her termination was retaliation for her whistleblowing regarding patient safety.

For more in-depth details and stories from Deborah’s experience, be sure to check out the full interview.