that's a twist I hadn't even thought of," Jack admitted.
"Well, you boys enjoy yourselves," Laurie said, as she headed toward the exit. She felt no pleasure at having guessed the right answer to Jack's quiz. She would have been much happier if he were not in such a distractingly playful mood, whether real or feigned. It amazed and irritated her that he didn't see or was purposely ignoring the corollary between her case and his proposed surgery.
Instead of leaving Jeffries's specimens for the staff to bring up to the appropriate labs, as was the normal routine, Laurie took them herself. She wanted to talk to both the head of microbiology, Agnes Finn, and the head of histology, Maureen O'Connor, to try to move things along. But first she stopped on the first floor and went into the PA's office. Knowing they were often out in the field, Laurie was pleased to find Cheryl Myers still at her desk.
"Can I help you with something else?" Cheryl questioned. She was a striking African-American woman who wore her hair in tight, bead-encrusted cornrows. She was part of the old school at the OCME. In fact, she'd been working there long enough to put her two boys through college.
"I hope so," Laurie said. "Earlier, I was speaking with Dr. Besserman about some infection cases at three hospitals run by a company called Angels Healthcare. He said he asked you to look into it. Do you recall?"
"Are you talking about the MRSA pulmonary cases?"
"Those are the ones! Did you make a site visit?"
"No! What he asked me specifically was to obtain hospital records, so I merely called and spoke to the medical records department in each hospital. It was easy to get the charts, because Angels hospitals have their medical records computerized. The material was e-mailed over. I didn't need to make a visit."
"Were the hospitals cooperative?"
"Very cooperative. I even got an unsolicited call back from a very helpful woman by the name of Loraine Newman."
"Who is she?"
"She is the chairperson of the orthopedic hospital's infection-control committee."
"Dr. Besserman mentioned her," Laurie said. "He commented on how genial she was as well. Why did she call back?"
"Just to leave her name and direct-dial number in case I needed anything else. She said she was very concerned about the problem. She told me that prior to the MRSA outbreak, they'd had no nosocomial problems to speak of. She said the situation was keeping her awake at night. To tell you the truth, she sounded a little desperate."
"Did she mention a Cynthia Sarpoulus?"
"Not that I can recall. Who is she?"
"I've just posted another case of MRSA that came in from Angels Orthopedic Hospital," Laurie said, ignoring Cheryl's question. "I'd like Loraine Newman's phone number."
"Not a problem," Cheryl said. With a few clicks of her computer mouse, she had it on her screen.
"I need some other numbers," Laurie said. "The CDC in Atlanta has an MRSA program as part of its National Healthcare Safety Network. I'd like you to get me a name and phone number of one of its epidemiologists. I'd also like you to call the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and get me a name and number for someone in surveillance of mandated hospital infectious-control programs."
"I'll do my best," Cheryl said.
"The name of my case is David Jeffries," Laurie continued. "I'd like his hospital record."
"That will be easy," Cheryl said. "But I'm not sure I understand who it is you want to talk to at the joint commission. Could you give me a better idea?"
"The joint commission requires hospitals to have infection-control committees for accreditation. What I want to find out is whether there is any policing of these committees and whether any reporting of outbreaks is required between formal inspections. I know this is a bit unusual," Laurie said, "but I'm pressed for time."
"I'm happy to help," Cheryl said good-naturedly.
Laurie left the forensic investigator's office and went to the stairs,
"Well, you boys enjoy yourselves," Laurie said, as she headed toward the exit. She felt no pleasure at having guessed the right answer to Jack's quiz. She would have been much happier if he were not in such a distractingly playful mood, whether real or feigned. It amazed and irritated her that he didn't see or was purposely ignoring the corollary between her case and his proposed surgery.
Instead of leaving Jeffries's specimens for the staff to bring up to the appropriate labs, as was the normal routine, Laurie took them herself. She wanted to talk to both the head of microbiology, Agnes Finn, and the head of histology, Maureen O'Connor, to try to move things along. But first she stopped on the first floor and went into the PA's office. Knowing they were often out in the field, Laurie was pleased to find Cheryl Myers still at her desk.
"Can I help you with something else?" Cheryl questioned. She was a striking African-American woman who wore her hair in tight, bead-encrusted cornrows. She was part of the old school at the OCME. In fact, she'd been working there long enough to put her two boys through college.
"I hope so," Laurie said. "Earlier, I was speaking with Dr. Besserman about some infection cases at three hospitals run by a company called Angels Healthcare. He said he asked you to look into it. Do you recall?"
"Are you talking about the MRSA pulmonary cases?"
"Those are the ones! Did you make a site visit?"
"No! What he asked me specifically was to obtain hospital records, so I merely called and spoke to the medical records department in each hospital. It was easy to get the charts, because Angels hospitals have their medical records computerized. The material was e-mailed over. I didn't need to make a visit."
"Were the hospitals cooperative?"
"Very cooperative. I even got an unsolicited call back from a very helpful woman by the name of Loraine Newman."
"Who is she?"
"She is the chairperson of the orthopedic hospital's infection-control committee."
"Dr. Besserman mentioned her," Laurie said. "He commented on how genial she was as well. Why did she call back?"
"Just to leave her name and direct-dial number in case I needed anything else. She said she was very concerned about the problem. She told me that prior to the MRSA outbreak, they'd had no nosocomial problems to speak of. She said the situation was keeping her awake at night. To tell you the truth, she sounded a little desperate."
"Did she mention a Cynthia Sarpoulus?"
"Not that I can recall. Who is she?"
"I've just posted another case of MRSA that came in from Angels Orthopedic Hospital," Laurie said, ignoring Cheryl's question. "I'd like Loraine Newman's phone number."
"Not a problem," Cheryl said. With a few clicks of her computer mouse, she had it on her screen.
"I need some other numbers," Laurie said. "The CDC in Atlanta has an MRSA program as part of its National Healthcare Safety Network. I'd like you to get me a name and phone number of one of its epidemiologists. I'd also like you to call the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and get me a name and number for someone in surveillance of mandated hospital infectious-control programs."
"I'll do my best," Cheryl said.
"The name of my case is David Jeffries," Laurie continued. "I'd like his hospital record."
"That will be easy," Cheryl said. "But I'm not sure I understand who it is you want to talk to at the joint commission. Could you give me a better idea?"
"The joint commission requires hospitals to have infection-control committees for accreditation. What I want to find out is whether there is any policing of these committees and whether any reporting of outbreaks is required between formal inspections. I know this is a bit unusual," Laurie said, "but I'm pressed for time."
"I'm happy to help," Cheryl said good-naturedly.
Laurie left the forensic investigator's office and went to the stairs,
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