The Lupe stories are among the most gleefully retold. The moniker, never spoken within earshot of parents or other outsiders, has nothing to do with her patients' outcomes, which are as good as or better than any neonatologist's in the business. She earned the nickname because the staff feels worked to death whenever she's around. If she's monitoring the normal newborn nursery, more babies seem to need an NICU admission. If she's on nights, the babies seem to need resuscitation more often.
Outlying hospitals call for more transport teams.
The unit fills up like Los Angeles International Airport the day before Thanksgiving. One night, the unit got so crowded that a closet had to be converted to an extra patient care area. No one had to ask who was on call. Given her reputation, Lupe likes to proclaim herself the unit pessimist. This is an eternity for parents who just want their babies home, so some neonatologists bend over backward to avoid that delay unless there is strong evidence that a newborn is sick.