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• The curious timing of the complaint. Mr. Walls, who Mr. Ferri says
was dissatisfied with his wages, let 9 months pass before notify-
ing the surgery center of his accusations. Another 8 months
passed before Mr. Walls's lawyer notified the center that he was
filing a lawsuit. Mr. Walls quit his job at the surgery center that
very day, says Delaware Surgery Center Director Jennifer
Anderson, RN, BSN, CASC.
• The pink underwear. Mr. Ferri says Mr. Walls admitted in his dep-
osition that the pink underwear (oversized briefs, not panties,
points out Mr. Ferri) were his, a gag gift that he kept in his locker
at the surgery center. "He's the one who brought the panties to
the center," says Mr. Ferri. "He said he had worn them around the
center beforehand. He was a prankster."
• The good review. Perhaps strangest of all is that, a few days after
the colon-oscopy, Mr. Walls reported all high ratings of the care that
he received and had no recommendations for change, says Thomas
P. Barnett, MD, FACS, president of the Delaware Surgery Center
since it opened in 2002. After he came forward with the accusation,
Mr. Walls "failed to cooperate in an investigation our facility con-
ducted in an effort to determine whether his allegations were
true," says Dr. Barnett. Ms. Anderson says that Mr. Walls repeatedly
declined her request for him to make a written formal complaint.
Mr. Walls may have dropped his case, but he's caused consider-
able damage to the Delaware Surgery Center. How do you restore
your good name and reclaim your reputation for providing excel-
lent, compassionate care? Those pink panty stories will live a long
life on the Internet. Mr. Walls's lawyer, Gary Nitsche, didn't return
several voicemails we left for him seeking comment. But Ms.
Anderson thinks she might have found the proper perspective.
"Anything that goes into a newspaper that's something negative
