The company operating more than 300 Covid-19 testing centers across the country is being investigated in several provinces and the state agency after drawing a number of consumer complaints ranging from late test results to concerns that no tests were being performed. .
The Illinois-based Center for Covid Control was established in Dec. 2020 by Aleya Siyaj, 29, his previous experience involving starting an ax-throwing lounge and donation shop, according to government business records and his LinkedIn page.
In recent weeks, the Oregon Department of Justice and the Illinois attorney general have opened a public investigation into the company. Massachusetts and Rhode Island have issued suspension and resignation letters to the company, and local regulators in Washington and California have closed a few of its sites to operate without a license.
The Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid audit also shut down many licensed sites operating in Massachusetts.
"We take seriously any allegations of fraud or misconduct on the COVID-19 test sites," said Drs. Lee Fleisher, medical officer and director of the Center for Clinical and Quality Standards at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
"CMS is investigating numerous complaints about multiple laboratories and testing facilities associated with this private company."
The Center for Covid Control announced Thursday that it has suspended operations for a week and plans to reopen on January 22.
In a statement posted on its website, the company said "due to our rapid growth and recent need for testing, we have note to meet all of our obligations." It said it would use the term "additional staff training in sample collection and management, re-focusing on customer service and communication processes, and ensuring compliance with regulatory guidelines."
The company noted that its test volume had recently increased tenfold, reached 80,000 tests a day, and that a key factor in “existing customer service challenges” was Omicron's rapid spread among its top 3,000 employees.
An internal invitation, first received by USA Today, also cited "further media scrutiny of the performance of our collection sites" this past week, which, together with consumer complaints, "caused various health departments and [Oregon. ] The Department of Justice is very interested in our company. ”
Responding to a request for comment from NBC News, the centre's spokesman, Russell Keene, said the company was "in the midst of bringing in new talent and a moral officer."
After an inspection of one of the company's sites in Oregon in September, Kelly Fisher contacted the state's attorney general, saying she was concerned about being "a victim of fraud" as the site "feels like a garbage can" and was not on the list. state page of Covid test resources.
He said they asked him to provide a photo of his driver's license and insurance information and he did not deliver the results as promised. The state attorney general received 10 similar complaints about the company this week alone.
"I was hoping that any organization that participated in the project would do so honestly," Fisher said in an interview with NBC News. "Since then, I have only been tested at my healthcare provider's office."
The Center for Covid Control is one of many testing companies that have been evaluated by local and state institutions.
With the demand for Covid-19 testing at unprecedented levels due to the wide range of Omicron variants, officials have warned of unlicensed and fraudulent test sites. Legislatures and attorneys general in several states - including California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas - have said they will investigate and present regulatory bills overseeing these activities.
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