Twelve Patients is a memoir and more written by the former (13) year medical director of Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital in NYC. This story was the inspiration for the new 2018, weekly medical series, New Amsterdam, which we've been watching and enjoying.

As Manheimer is put in charge with getting the medical team and hospital back on track, he a;p learns he has cancer and is forced to deal with his own illness. In addition to his story we read the stories of (12) different patients in medical crisis, Many of the stories involve individuals who never benefited from preventative health services before their situations reached too critical to cure levels. From prison inmates, illegal immigrants, the homeless and even a Wall Street executive, were just some of the stories Manheimer shares. Some of these stories end well, some do not, but, it was easy to be drawn into lives of these patients.

Overall, this was a decent read, even though I found the details about government regulations and drug companies a little dry and less interesting than the rest of the book. If you like non-fiction or stories of medical crises, try this one.

3.5/5 stars

http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2018/10/twelve-patients-life-and-death-at.html