The Human Element of Health Care

As the Affordable Care Act comes back into focus over the next few months, it’s worth remembering that the real nitty gritty of health care takes place in doctors’ offices and hospitals, among real people with real needs. Health care is an experience as well as a policy and a law.
Dr. Eric Manheimer was the medical director at New York’s famous Bellevue Hospital from 1997-2012. He is a clinical professor at NYU’s School of Medicine and author of an amazing book about what a community and what humanity looks like in the corridors of a major urban hospital. His book is called “Twelve Patients,” and it chronicles the health care experiences of various patients, from a Vietnam war vet to a child in foster care.