Our Hospital

By: Samuel Shem

Narrated by: Sean Runnette

Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

In this sequel to The House of God and Man's 4th Best Hospital, Dr. Roy Basch returns to his economically depressed hometown in upstate New York to help the struggling hospital battle the COVID-19 pandemic and the money-driven bureaucracy.

After the tragic climax of Man's 4th Best Hospital, four doctors have left practicing medicine. But with COVID-19 sweeping the country, they come together to help the small town of Columbia, New York. The doctors and nurses are buckling as they battle both a raging pandemic and the financial woes facing small hospitals everywhere. But no matter what's happening in the world, babies are born, people fall in love, and doctors will do anything to save their patients.

Our Hospital reveals the daily struggle of fighting a pandemic and its personal impact on healthcare workers young and old, who are terrified, exhausted...and determined, somehow, to prevail.

©2023 Samuel Shem (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“We've barely begun to assimilate the impacts of COVID-19 on our culture, economy, politics—but some of the most important lessons are for the practice of medicine. Who better than Samuel Shem to once again combine the very real and the very funny? This is a deeply uncynical book."—Bill McKibben, Third Act, bestselling author of The End of Nature

“Fifty years ago, Shem’s first novel—THE HOUSE OF GOD—became the iconic book to help humanize medical training. OUR HOSPITAL is the fourth in the series and equally riveting, roaring with laughter. It shows how nurses, doctors, and other health professionals—in the face of fierce challenges—can and must stay human.”—Dr. Leana Wen, emergency physician, CNN medical analyst, author of Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health

“As the characters struggle through COVID and strive to put "the human" back in health care, they also try to outsmart their corporate bosses and return 'Our Hospital' to the patients and staff. This novel expresses a wish for what health care could and should be: a service dedicated to patients, not profits."—Theresa Brown, RN, New York Times bestselling author of Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient.

Not his best

As an ED physician for 40+ years the story about the nightmare that is COVID is fairly accurate although superficial. My main issue is the implication that hospitals should be able to operate at a loss and keep their doors open to all and to not do so is evil. Working for a not-for-profit for many years I can guarantee this is a fantasy.

LOVED IT

Mr. Shem, thank you for writing this book. You convey a very important message in a very entertaining way. You're a genius.

Inspiring

Captures the true heartache of healthcare in covid and inspires us to move forward. Heal the wounds.

Hit home

As a nurse this had so many realities of the world we faced during COVID. I thought the house of God and MBH was a little better story wise, but some of that has to do with how close we all are to this pandemic. I’m sure 20 years from now I’ll find this book even better

Good but not as good as HOG or MBH prior works

Characters are always engaging and some very realistic like I’ve seen in my own professional life. However, it can get a little preachy at times. Nonetheless and overall entertaining listen. May be the end of the series but if you haven’t listened to or read house of God, or man’s best Hospital or his Mount Misery books, you should.

Political

There is a lot of politics in this book. If you are not on the same side as the author there are numerous digs about one’s beliefs. I was in the front lines during COVID and they tried to force me to get the shot. Because I wanted to wait and see the long term studies, I was forced out. Only one company let me work for them in the ICU where I was needed. I saw what happened and dealt with nurses and docs that treated people who didn’t get the shot like crud. This isn’t mentioned in the book at all. This book focuses only on what politics they believe and push only that. I miss the dismantling of the corporations that run hospitals like a business and take the human out of medicine. We all need a “Fats” in the hospital sticking up for us. But don’t always think everything is always one sided…there are many views to things if one is willing to listen.

Disappointing

Absolutely loved HOG.
This book lacks a compelling plot, coherence, and frequently delves into political partisan controversy.

If you’re looking to be lectured once again on the evils of MAGA, the importance of masking and social distancing, the glorification of Moderna and Pfizer, the overbearing burden of climate change crisis, and the necessity of protesting in the name of BLM, you’ll love it.

I was hoping for more of a focus on the crushing and overwhelming burnout from suffering on the front lines of inpatient Covid care. There’s a book there, but this wasn’t it.

Nowhere near as good as House of God

I am a physician and story was somewhat entertaining but nearly as much as House of God. Way too much political correctness and liberal bantering.