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by not doing so, especially if we go bankrupt."
    "I don't want to hear that word," Angela said, having already been through that demeaning experience.
    "It's clear why they are not admitting," Stewart said. "They are terrified of their patients getting a postoperative infection despite all the infection-control strategies. With reimbursement solely based on DRGs, or diagnostically related groups, patients getting a postoperative infection directly cuts down on their productivity, and it is productivity that determines their income. Besides, there's the malpractice worry. Several of our plastic surgeons and even two of our ophthalmologists are being sued over these recent staph infections. So it's pretty simple. Despite being equity owners, it makes economic sense for them to go back to University or the Manhattan General, at least in the short run."
    "But all hospitals are having trouble with staph," Carl said, "particularly methicillin-resistant staph. And that includes both the University and the General."
    "Yeah, but not over the last three months, nor at the rate we have been seeing it," Herman said. "And despite all these efforts that Dr. Sarpoulus has been spearheading, the problem has not run its course, given that we at Angels Orthopedic had another case late today. It's a patient by the name of David Jeffries."
    "Oh, no!" Angela lamented. "I hadn't heard. I'm crushed. We'd been spared for more than a week."
    "Like all the previous cases, we're trying to keep it quiet," Herman said. "As I said, it unfolded late this afternoon." For a few moments, silence reigned.
    All eyes switched to Cynthia. The expressions ranged from anger to dismay to inquisitiveness: How could this happen after all that Cynthia had just told them was being done, with considerable funds that they did not have?
    "It hasn't been confirmed it was methicillin-resistant staph," Cynthia snapped defensively. She'd been called by the hospital's infection-control committee chair and briefed on the case just prior to coming to the current meeting.
    "If you mean it hasn't been cultured, you're right," Herman said. "But it was positive by our VITEK system, and my lab supervisor says she's never had a false positive: false negatives yes, but not false positives."
    "Good Lord," Angela said, trying to keep her composure. "Was the patient operated on today?"
    "This morning," Herman said. "Anterior cruciate ligament repair."
    "How is he doing, or shouldn't I ask?"
    "He died while being transferred to the University Hospital. For obvious reasons, once it was clear he had septic shock, he would have been far better treated over there."
    "Good Lord," Angela repeated. She was devastated. "I hope you realize that was a bad decision. Sending two patients in as many days to a regular, full-service hospital raises the risk the media might get ahold of the story. I can just see the headlines: Specialty Hospital Outsources Critical Patient. That would be a PR nightmare for us and do what we are trying desperately to avoid: negatively affect the IPO."
    Herman shrugged. "It wasn't my decision. It was a medical decision. It was out of my hands."
    "How has the Jeffries family taken it?" Angela asked.
    "About the way you would expect," Herman responded.
    "Have you spoken with them personally?"
    "I have."
    "What is your sense; are they going to sue?" Angela asked. At this point, damage control had to be a priority.
    "It's too early to tell, but I did what I was supposed to do. I took responsibility on behalf of the hospital, apologized profusely, and told all the things we have been doing and will do to avoid a similar tragedy."
    "Okay, that's all you can do," Angela said, more to reassure herself than Herman. She made a quick note. "I'll inform our general counsel. The sooner they get on it, the better."
    Bob spoke up: "If there had to be another postoperative infection, as tragic for everyone as it is, it's best the patient passed quickly. The cost to us is considerably less,