Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-19 09:54:21
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Eric Manheimer
- ISBN：1455503878
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Summary
The inspiration for the NBC drama New Amsterdam and in the spirit of Oliver Sacks， this intensely involving memoir from a former medical director of a major NYC hospital looks poignantly at patients' lives and reveals the author's own battle with cancer。
Dr。 Manheimer describes the plights of twelve very different patients--from dignitaries at the nearby UN， to supermax prisoners at Riker's Island， to illegal immigrants， and Wall Street tycoons。
Manheimer was not only the medical director of the country's oldest public hospital for over 13 years， but he was also a patient。 As the book unfolds， the narrator is diagnosed with cancer， and he is forced to wrestle with the end of his own life even as he struggles to save the lives of others。
Dr。 Manheimer describes the plights of twelve very different patients--from dignitaries at the nearby UN， to supermax prisoners at Riker's Island， to illegal immigrants， and Wall Street tycoons。
Manheimer was not only the medical director of the country's oldest public hospital for over 13 years， but he was also a patient。 As the book unfolds， the narrator is diagnosed with cancer， and he is forced to wrestle with the end of his own life even as he struggles to save the lives of others。
Reviews
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，
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Allyson
，
The stories of each of the patients were really interesting， however， the writing style made it really difficult for me to enjoy。 The author had a lot of unnecessary descriptions of certain things。 Apart from the writing， I can say that I picked up on a new vocabulary especially on medical terminology。
Karley
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Hope this becomes a lengthy series of grand novels。
Maria Rubin
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Although this book was well written， a story about people who are sick and dying is hard to read。 Not only is the fact that they’re sick or injured sad， but the circumstances surrounding them and why they end up at Bellevue is hard to take。 Our society and health care system are broken， and no amount of medicine is going to fix it。
Denis Viau
，
I did not like it， almost from the beginning。 The flow of the stories was difficult and did not quite understand where it was all going。 Too much background and historical information on the characters。 You end up losing the purpose of the stories。
Dani
，
I knew a few chapters in I wouldn’t love this book and it was hard to finish。 The patient stories were interesting but included far too much unnecessary detail and background information。 It likely would have been a better read if it had been half the length it currently is。 Also， there doesn’t seem to be much thought in regards to time continuation… from one paragraph to the next we are in entirely different times and then back without much transition。 This made it sometimes hard to follow， and I knew a few chapters in I wouldn’t love this book and it was hard to finish。 The patient stories were interesting but included far too much unnecessary detail and background information。 It likely would have been a better read if it had been half the length it currently is。 Also， there doesn’t seem to be much thought in regards to time continuation… from one paragraph to the next we are in entirely different times and then back without much transition。 This made it sometimes hard to follow， and felt more like a ramble than a thought out story。Next to nothing in common with the show New Amsterdam， if that’s what’s brought you to it。 。。。more
Julie
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I'm exhausted reading about his job as medical director of Bellevue; it's impressive to learn about how he manages to deal with such stressful & complicated days。 Then， just to add to the intensity of his life， he gets throat cancer but keeps on keepin' on！ How he kept his job while undergoing chemo was amazing。 Manheimer is a classic type A workaholic。 Luckily he channels all that energy and focus onto something worthwhile， medicine。The book is not a traditional memoir focusing on one person。 I I'm exhausted reading about his job as medical director of Bellevue; it's impressive to learn about how he manages to deal with such stressful & complicated days。 Then， just to add to the intensity of his life， he gets throat cancer but keeps on keepin' on！ How he kept his job while undergoing chemo was amazing。 Manheimer is a classic type A workaholic。 Luckily he channels all that energy and focus onto something worthwhile， medicine。The book is not a traditional memoir focusing on one person。 Instead， Manheimer divides his book into 12 chapters， focusing on one particular patient as a way to discuss and reveal various medical issues Bellevue Hospital contends with on a daily basis。 There are chapters on homeless psychiatric care， on the prisoner care the hospital gives to Riker's Island patients， on uninsured immigrants， on maternity care， on children's psychiatric issues， etc。 It's not a light read， for sure。Reading books like this hit home for me how life can change in an instant。 When we are healthy， it's easy to avoid thinking about serious topics like death and illness。 But no one is immune from illness and death - it happens to us all。 I am so thankful for medical professionals who deal with such matters on a daily basis。 I know now that if I am hit by a car crossing the street， I want to be taken to Bellevue's amazing Trauma 1 Hospital。 Bellevue is where hurt cops request to be sent。 It has a reputation as being a 'loony bin' but it is an incredible world class hospital。 。。。more
Jennifer Bowers
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This is the book on which the series New Amsterdam is based。 There are some similarities to the show in the first couple chapters but not for most of them （I have only seen 2 seasons， so maybe they draw from the rest of the book in later episodes）。 The TV show is much more character driven。 They have created a lot of interesting doctors and you learn about their back stories and their lives， more so than about the patients。 The book is focused much more on the lives of the patients。I enjoy readi This is the book on which the series New Amsterdam is based。 There are some similarities to the show in the first couple chapters but not for most of them （I have only seen 2 seasons， so maybe they draw from the rest of the book in later episodes）。 The TV show is much more character driven。 They have created a lot of interesting doctors and you learn about their back stories and their lives， more so than about the patients。 The book is focused much more on the lives of the patients。I enjoy reading medical reality books， so I enjoyed this。 。。。more
Ilona
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Not what I expectedHaving been drawn to the book by the New Amsterdam series I had certain expectations。 Expectations that weren't fully met。 I was hoping for a book revolving around the twelve patients mentioned in the title， not the author。 It was an interesting enough read in the beginning， but halfway through the constant focus on the author and not the patients started to grate on me and I found myself skipping whole paragraphs just to get to the content I thought I was getting。 Overall， I Not what I expectedHaving been drawn to the book by the New Amsterdam series I had certain expectations。 Expectations that weren't fully met。 I was hoping for a book revolving around the twelve patients mentioned in the title， not the author。 It was an interesting enough read in the beginning， but halfway through the constant focus on the author and not the patients started to grate on me and I found myself skipping whole paragraphs just to get to the content I thought I was getting。 Overall， I was bored。Putting that aside: the book is well written and if you're interested in reading about a doctor and his thoughts and personal philosophy， this is probably a good read。 。。。more
Tammy Comeau Nadeau
，
I was expecting a bit more from this book。 The last chapter was my favorite。 I wish at rest of them were more like it。
Leanne
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If you like womderful writing， there's some clever use to advance the plot。 If you like womderful writing， there's some clever use to advance the plot。 。。。more
Becka Bowen
，
This book is a stinker。 It would probably be more captivating as a tv series or movie rather then a book。 There’s no timeline and the doctor/author can’t pick a lane for where you actually are in the story。 The truth of the matter is is that it’s not a story。 It’s a laundry list read non sequentially with zero emotion and a hell of a lot of compass positioning。 Who cares what direction the windows face my man， if it’s not important to the story quit describing it for four pages。 I couldn’t bring This book is a stinker。 It would probably be more captivating as a tv series or movie rather then a book。 There’s no timeline and the doctor/author can’t pick a lane for where you actually are in the story。 The truth of the matter is is that it’s not a story。 It’s a laundry list read non sequentially with zero emotion and a hell of a lot of compass positioning。 Who cares what direction the windows face my man， if it’s not important to the story quit describing it for four pages。 I couldn’t bring myself to recommend it to anybody。 。。。more
Reviews by Ruthanne
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Lots of action and intrigue - loved the characters！
Leah
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I enjoyed the book; except for chapter 12。 I understand why the author thought it important and relevant but I was there for the personal stories。
Kathy Kouchi
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CompellingKept me intrigued as the cases expanded and the patients became as real as family members of my very own
Jamee Zielke
，
There’s some interesting stories here， but I didn’t like how the book is structured。 The author jumps back and forth with the story telling from “now” to ten years ago abruptly。 I had many times I had to flip back to clarify what he was talking about。 I also didn’t like the structure of every story being in the form of him having deep philosophical conversations with everyone he talked to。 Did not feel genuine at all。 The book DOES， however， say a lot about the shambles of the healthcare system There’s some interesting stories here， but I didn’t like how the book is structured。 The author jumps back and forth with the story telling from “now” to ten years ago abruptly。 I had many times I had to flip back to clarify what he was talking about。 I also didn’t like the structure of every story being in the form of him having deep philosophical conversations with everyone he talked to。 Did not feel genuine at all。 The book DOES， however， say a lot about the shambles of the healthcare system and societal problems that America is just plain failing at addressing。 Food for thought for sure。 But the book was a slog for at least the last fourth， so 3 stars。 。。。more
Adrian Gooch
，
It。。 was interesting。 Not earth shattering but okay。
Stacy Blomquist
，
After watching the first season of New Amsterdam， I decided to give the book that the series is based on a try。 Each patient is discussed in an individual chapter with a focus on both the individual and the far-reaching implications of that patient's situation （political， financial， spiritual， etc）。 Manheimer examines both poor and rich patients， as well as incarcerated patients from Rikers Island。 Occasionally， the conversations with patients that he narrates come across as contrive。 Instead of After watching the first season of New Amsterdam， I decided to give the book that the series is based on a try。 Each patient is discussed in an individual chapter with a focus on both the individual and the far-reaching implications of that patient's situation （political， financial， spiritual， etc）。 Manheimer examines both poor and rich patients， as well as incarcerated patients from Rikers Island。 Occasionally， the conversations with patients that he narrates come across as contrive。 Instead of sounding authentic， the conversations are clearly intended to make a point about insurance companies or immigration laws。 。。。more
Denise
，
This book gives insight to the Drs。 that perform works at a Large Public Hospital。 They perform their job with skill， expertise and compassion。 How hard it must be to still have compassion after all they have seen。 I come away with new respect for people who lives are difficult and still get up every morning with a positive attitude towards the world。
Laurène
，
3，5
Gail Klein
，
Through his stories， I developed a great sense of respect and admiration of Dr。 Manheimer。 His attention to detail is obvious with his patients， their families， the staff at Bellevue Hospital and in his writing of this book。 I wish that many medical providers and patients would read this book to understand the medical profession from the different perspectives。My only reason for not giving it a “5” was that there were a great many medical and cultural terms that sent me to the dictionary too man Through his stories， I developed a great sense of respect and admiration of Dr。 Manheimer。 His attention to detail is obvious with his patients， their families， the staff at Bellevue Hospital and in his writing of this book。 I wish that many medical providers and patients would read this book to understand the medical profession from the different perspectives。My only reason for not giving it a “5” was that there were a great many medical and cultural terms that sent me to the dictionary too many times。 。。。more
Margo
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This book is the inspiration for the tv drama New Amsterdam。
Mary Beth
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The book was more interesting than others gave it credit。 I found the patients real and each case gave insight to our medical practices。 Dr Manheimer was compassionate and caring not only to the patient but the family。
Rebecca Schembri
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Not the book I thought it would be but I still enjoyed it
Javier Campos
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Aburrido y repetitivo al final pero eso pasa cuando un médico lee de otros médicos
Jessica Matalon
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Even though the stories were interesting， the writing can be hard to follow
Tricia Abreu
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so so so slow。 i was interested because it was the inspo for new Amsterdam， however， it was not what i was expecting at all。 it was just so boring
Diana Lourenço
，
Reading this book while a world pandemic is going on was not smooth at all。 Reality punch page after page。 It gave me though a sense of priority， of reality and of pure heroism of all the medical （and non-medical） staff that goes every day to the front line to save lives。 If I had any doubt by now。。。As intense as it gets， it gets a bit too repetitive and too long。 Nonetheless it’s an interesting read just not as delightful as I prefer。
Savita Ramsumair
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A goid bookA good book that helps you understand what patients go through。 However， I prefer the Tv Show New Amsterdam which is based on this book。
Craig Washburn
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