A Hospital's Sacrifice

It wasn't the kind of meeting the management looks forward to, but this time it was going to play out uniquely. "I want to run an idea by you that I think is important, and I'd like to get your reaction to it," Paul Levy, President of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center began. "I'd like to do what we can to protect the lower-wage earners - the transporters, the housekeepers, the food service people. A lot of these people work really hard, and I don't want to put an additional burden on them. "Now, if we protect these workers, it means the rest of us will have to make a bigger sacrifice," he continued. "It means that others will have to give up more of their salary or benefits." He had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Sherman Auditorium erupted in applause. Thunderous, heartfelt, sustained applause. The lump had barely left his throat when Paul Levy started getting e-mails.

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