Duke settles infamous heart-lung transplant case

Duke University Health System, Durham, N.C., said it has reached a settlement with the family of Jesica Santillan, the 17-year-old girl who died after a heart-lung transplant because the transplanted organs did not share her blood type. Duke said both it and the Santillan family are barred from disclosing any settlement terms. Santillan's death in February 2003 triggered a round of federal and state inspections at Duke and a maelstrom of publicity. The system maintained its Medicare eligibility by correcting the problems cited by the CMS. -- by Vince Galloro