into the trenches with her uncle were not topics covered during her undergraduate study at the University of Florida or in paralegal school.
The local library looked dated, like something out of the 1960s or 1970s. There weren’t any computers in sight. Behind the circulation desk were small wooden file drawers, which housed the Dewey Decimal index cards.
The library reading room was set up with plastic chairs in neat rows, and it was almost filled to capacity. More than eighty people attended the meeting. Sammie took a seat and tried to blend in, which was easier said than done for her. Every male there was staring at the beautiful, well-built stranger.
The attendees began to grow restless as the clock chimed seven o’clock. Sammie looked around the room; there were a few people her age, but most of them were over forty. Overall, the group had a beaten-down look.
Bradley Littleton was seated next to her uncle on a small platform by the podium. Littleton acknowledged her with a wink, which made her skin crawl.
Davis had explained to her that because of Littleton’s connection to Patel and several other persons he met in the community, there was no choice but to keep Littleton involved in the malpractice cases. Littleton represented Dr. Patel, she was the advising expert for about two months, and she knew most of the people in the room and could help secure them as clients.
Littleton had filed an answer to the hospital’s complaint, a counterclaim for breach of contract, and claims of libel, slander, and discrimination against the hospital, Dr. Herman, and Dr. English in the Circuit Court of Plains County. Dr. Patel was his client, and she had access to and could obtain the malpractice cases, whether Davis liked it or not.
Sammie noticed an Indian woman in the back row and suspected that she was Dr. Patel. She made a mental note to introduce herself to the doctor at the conclusion of the meeting.
Littleton moved to the microphone, took a deepbreath, and addressed the crowd. He seemed nervous as he introduced himself and Davis as lawyers from Nashville.
“Mr. Davis and I are here tonight to discuss a very serious problem in your community, which is directly affecting the lives of you and your loved ones.
“For the past two years, there have been two doctors practicing medicine without regard for the welfare of their patients. These incompetent doctors are motivated by greed rather than by the principles of their Hippocratic Oath. They are profiting from their misdiagnoses and unnecessary tests, procedures, and surgeries.
“How many of you have been treated by Dr. Lars Herman? Let me see a show of hands.”
Approximately two-thirds of the people raised their hands.
“How many of you have had surgery performed by Dr. Charles English?”
Almost all of Dr. Herman’s patients raised their hands.
“Approximately two years ago, Dr. Herman and Dr. English came to Plainview. The hospital never verified their credentials. They applied for privileges at the hospital and were given whatever privileges they requested. The hospital was desperate for new doctors, and it cut corners. I’m sure you all remember when your community hospital went bankrupt. Most of the doctors who once treated this community disappeared overnight. For decades, the hospital had been owned and run by the local doctors who genuinely cared about this community. Now a faceless corporate outsider owns it.”
Sammie was not familiar with the story of howPlainview Community Hospital went bankrupt, but she figured everybody else there knew how their community hospital went down the drain.
“When the hospital was sold, the new board cut the nursing staff in half. These discharged registered nurses were replaced with techs, most of whom did not have high school diplomas and were far less experienced. But they were cheap. With the less-qualified staff came less-qualified care. The board was concerned only with cutting costs in order to increase
The local library looked dated, like something out of the 1960s or 1970s. There weren’t any computers in sight. Behind the circulation desk were small wooden file drawers, which housed the Dewey Decimal index cards.
The library reading room was set up with plastic chairs in neat rows, and it was almost filled to capacity. More than eighty people attended the meeting. Sammie took a seat and tried to blend in, which was easier said than done for her. Every male there was staring at the beautiful, well-built stranger.
The attendees began to grow restless as the clock chimed seven o’clock. Sammie looked around the room; there were a few people her age, but most of them were over forty. Overall, the group had a beaten-down look.
Bradley Littleton was seated next to her uncle on a small platform by the podium. Littleton acknowledged her with a wink, which made her skin crawl.
Davis had explained to her that because of Littleton’s connection to Patel and several other persons he met in the community, there was no choice but to keep Littleton involved in the malpractice cases. Littleton represented Dr. Patel, she was the advising expert for about two months, and she knew most of the people in the room and could help secure them as clients.
Littleton had filed an answer to the hospital’s complaint, a counterclaim for breach of contract, and claims of libel, slander, and discrimination against the hospital, Dr. Herman, and Dr. English in the Circuit Court of Plains County. Dr. Patel was his client, and she had access to and could obtain the malpractice cases, whether Davis liked it or not.
Sammie noticed an Indian woman in the back row and suspected that she was Dr. Patel. She made a mental note to introduce herself to the doctor at the conclusion of the meeting.
Littleton moved to the microphone, took a deepbreath, and addressed the crowd. He seemed nervous as he introduced himself and Davis as lawyers from Nashville.
“Mr. Davis and I are here tonight to discuss a very serious problem in your community, which is directly affecting the lives of you and your loved ones.
“For the past two years, there have been two doctors practicing medicine without regard for the welfare of their patients. These incompetent doctors are motivated by greed rather than by the principles of their Hippocratic Oath. They are profiting from their misdiagnoses and unnecessary tests, procedures, and surgeries.
“How many of you have been treated by Dr. Lars Herman? Let me see a show of hands.”
Approximately two-thirds of the people raised their hands.
“How many of you have had surgery performed by Dr. Charles English?”
Almost all of Dr. Herman’s patients raised their hands.
“Approximately two years ago, Dr. Herman and Dr. English came to Plainview. The hospital never verified their credentials. They applied for privileges at the hospital and were given whatever privileges they requested. The hospital was desperate for new doctors, and it cut corners. I’m sure you all remember when your community hospital went bankrupt. Most of the doctors who once treated this community disappeared overnight. For decades, the hospital had been owned and run by the local doctors who genuinely cared about this community. Now a faceless corporate outsider owns it.”
Sammie was not familiar with the story of howPlainview Community Hospital went bankrupt, but she figured everybody else there knew how their community hospital went down the drain.
“When the hospital was sold, the new board cut the nursing staff in half. These discharged registered nurses were replaced with techs, most of whom did not have high school diplomas and were far less experienced. But they were cheap. With the less-qualified staff came less-qualified care. The board was concerned only with cutting costs in order to increase
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