Chapter 32 - the numbers that did not match
The review began with statistics.
Claire had learned long ago that systems rarely confessed their failures willingly.
Numbers did.
The pavilion had received 8,214 high-risk maternal referrals during the previous year.
Most had arrived safely.
But 214 had experienced delays longer than the medical standard.
Claire highlighted the number.
"Why?"
Elaine studied the report.
"Some were insurance issues."
"How many?"
"Forty-three."
"Transportation?"
"Thirty-one."
"Hospital capacity?"
"One hundred and twelve."
Claire stared at the remaining cases.
"What about the other twenty-eight?"
Elaine didn't answer.
"That's what worries me."
They dug deeper.
The twenty-eight cases had one common factor.
Each woman had been transferred from a hospital belonging to the same regional healthcare network.
The network was enormous.
Thirty-six hospitals.
Four states.
Billions of dollars in annual revenue.
Claire's father looked over the report that evening.
"You want to investigate them?"
"Yes."
"Be careful."
Claire looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because this isn't one hospital."
She understood.
The fight she had faced before was against a handful of executives.
This was different.
This was an entire network.
"If I ignore it because it's difficult," Claire said, "then what was any of this for?"
Her father nodded.
"Then don't ignore it."
"But I need to be smarter this time."
He smiled.
"Now you're thinking like a leader."
Claire returned to her office.
She opened Elena's file.
Then she opened another.
Then another.
A pattern slowly emerged.
Women from lower-income communities were being transferred later than women from wealthier areas.
Not always.
Not obviously.
But enough to matter.
Claire closed her eyes.
Her greatest fear had never been that Ryan would hurt her again.
It was that something like what happened to her would keep happening to women who didn't have anyone powerful enough to fight back.
May you like
She whispered,
"Not again."
