A Spirit of Charity: Restoring the Bond Between America and Its Public Hospitals Paperback – Import, 30 April 2017

Anyone who wants to truly understand how and why "we do medicine" the way we do in our country should read this book. I hear people complaining about those who "don't pay their own way", but the truth is, NO ONE wants to pay -- not insurance companies, not big pharma and not patients.... but of course, the cost remains. Many hospitals, however, continue to provide excellent service in spite of seemingly insurmountable economic challenges. Before you post your next comment about healthcare, I recommend you read this book. As for scared politicians, take heart! You, too, can be informed enough to actually make a difference!

Mike King's book focuses on the importance of America's public hospitals. He uses the stories of real people to outline all of the services Grady provides for the Atlanta community. Most of us don't think beyond trauma care. He makes a clearly written case that these hospitals provide a safety net in the rapidly evolving world of health insurance coverage and medical advances. Our public hospitals not only help the poorest citizens but also affect the quality of health care for all of us in Georgia.

Mike King hits a good balance of history and politics. It reads well. His knowledge of the recent decades of Grady’s and Georgia’s political past convey well and tell an accurate narrative of our healthcare safety net problem.

I was excited to read this book, as it covers the often ignored history of public hospitals. The author simply failed to do much research on the topic and delivers on a number of interesting, yet largely irrelevant historical anecdotes about the history of various public hospitals (he is focused on Grady).The book is at its most interesting when King looks at the future of public hospitals and wonders whether they will continue to be a part of our healthcare landscape. I think a book on this topic should be written.

If there were 10 stars, this book would get them! Mr. King as perfectly illustrated the purposeful role that public safety-net hospitals play in the USA. And it serves as a good reminder that the safety-net hospital is ever important in the future of healthcare. It is also a place where medical treatment is holistic with a human touch.