Bryson City Seasons — Staph and Staff (Part 1)

The mandatory meeting was called by the hospital’s administrator, Earl Douthit. All hospital employees and physicians were to attend. Ray and Mitch hadn’t let on that they knew about the meeting—and when we asked them, they wouldn’t tell us its purpose. We only heard about the meeting at lunchtime the day of the meeting. Reva brought a note to us with the announcement.

“You know anything about this, Walt?” Rick asked, showing me the announcement.

“I don’t.”

“Do you think they’re going to take some action against us?” I shrugged my shoulders. I just didn’t know.

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We joined the crowd in the hospital cafeteria at 6:00 p.m. It was the only room in the hospital large enough to hold everyone. Rick and I sat near the back, next to Dr. Bacon. I could see the other doctors seated near the front of the room. There were also several members of the hospital board and of the local health department in the room. To my surprise, there was a reporter from the local paper—The Smoky Mountain Times.

“Rick, what’s a reporter doing here?”

“Beats me.”

Dr. Bacon bent toward me. “Walt,” he asked, “do you know what’s going on?”

I wasn’t sure if he was pulling my leg or trying to appear innocent. “You don’t know?” I asked. I’m sure I must have sounded incredulous. If the dean of the medical community didn’t know, then I was concerned. “Harold, I don’t have a clue. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it has something to do with those infected babies.”

At just that moment, Earl Douthit, the hospital administrator, entered the room with the chairman of the board of the hospital and a man I didn’t recognize. A hush blanketed the room as the three men sat in chairs arranged at the front of the room. They briefly whispered to each other, and then Earl stood.

“I appreciate you all coming on such a short notice. For hospital employees, be sure you indicate this time on your time card. You will be paid for this time.”

He cleared his throat and then continued. “You all may be aware that our newborn nursery has had a flurry of cases involving a very serious bacterial infection—a staphylococcal infection.”

Earl looked down at the stranger, who nodded, and then returned his attention to us.

“There have been allegations—both from sources internal and external to the hospital—that this infection has come from improper policy or procedure. There have been allegations that our facility is substandard in some sort of way. Unfortunately, even some hospitals in our region have made these regrettable comments to the state.”

A murmur crossed the room. Earl was quiet long enough to let it pass.

“There have also been allegations—mostly from local sources— that one or more of our physicians have not or do not practice according to the modern medical standards of care.”

I could feel the color burning my cheeks—and my blush must have been made worse by sensing that some who were sitting around us were turning to look at Rick and me.

“These allegations are serious, and because of them, and with the concurrence of the chairman of the board of trustees and the chairman of the medical staff, I asked the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to initiate an independent investigation of these matters and report to our board their findings and recommendations. Our board has heard their report and has called you here tonight so that you can hear the report and the actions we will be taking.”

Rick leaned over to me and whispered, “You think this is a public lynching?”

I was too bewildered to answer.