Five days at memorial is sheri finks elaborately researched chronicle of life, death, and the choices in between at a new orleans hospital immediately following hurricane katrina. The second was first published in print under the title. Five days at memorial, winner of the national book critics circle award, penjohn kenneth galbraith award, ridenhour book prize, j. Five days at memorial by sheri fink teachers guide. Finks new work has already won the national book critics circle award and the ridenhour book prize, but, perhaps most importantly, it will forever serve as a record of. Wilson literary science writing award five days at memorial. While it shines a light on our government and corporate failures, it also highlights the resiliency of the human spirit and will to survive. Anna pou was on duty at memorial medical center when hurricane katrina struck new orleans, louisiana on august 29, 2005. Charles parish hospital in luling, louisiana, some 20 miles west of new orleans, made a different decision. Monday, october 5 at the new orleans museum of art. Hurricane katrina and the deadly choices at memorial medical center. For five long days during and after hurricane katrina struck new orleans in 2005, patients and medical workers were trapped in a nightmarish scenario in the citys memorial hospital. Life and death in a stormravaged hospital crown, 20 about choices made in the aftermath of.
Sep 04, 20 eight years ago, hurricane katrina hit new orleans. Sheri fink, a physician turned journalist, has obviously done lots of research. New york public librarys helen bernstein book award for excellence in journalism pene. Jan 27, 2017 although a reader might think that this situation was a complete anomaly born out of the unique events that occurred at one crazy hospital, dr. Memorial medical center was situated on one of the low points in the bowl that is new orleans, three miles southwest of the citys french. When the new charity hospital was constructed in 1937, earth from the digging for foundations was transported to the hospital cemetery, allowing the level of the land to be raised several feet. Charity hospital was a public hospital in new orleans. Pulitzer prize winner sheri finks landmark investigation of patient deaths at a new orleans hospital ravaged by hurricane katrinaand her suspenseful portrayal of the quest for. The second is much drier and deals with the legal fallout from the disaster, particularly the accusation that some staff at memorial deliberately killed their sickest patients.
Its a harrowing tale of colossal failures within memorial and also outside as the federal, state and local governments. Pulitzer prize winner sheri fink details the hospitals struggles for survival in her new book, five days at memorial. Tulane university hospital and clinic new orleans one of the oldest hospitals in new orleans, tulane university hospital and clinic traces its roots to 1834, when seven physicians banded together to form the medical college of louisiana. Mary mercer, the medical director of the san francisco base hospital, adds that the expectant death category of triage was being used in many parts of new orleans. Select a specialty below to see hospital physicians by specialty. The book chronicles the aftermath of hurricane katrina, when. The seventh floor at memorial was leased to lifecare hospitals of new orleans. At charity hospital, a new orleans public institution where rescue took an additional day, with many more patients than memorial, flexible thinking helped ensure only a handful died. Sheri finks account of events at a new orleans hospital postkatrina asks vital questions about the american healthcare system, writes peter. New orleans hospitals new orleans health centers new orleans medical centers.
Hurricane katrina blew in to new orleans and the city is still recovering, and so this book. Life and death in a stormravaged hospital crown, 20 about choices made in the aftermath of hurricane katrina. James comeaux, slidell memorial hospital ricky james, tulane medical center the 2020 health care heroes will be honored at a cocktail reception 5 p. Pulitzer prize winner sheri fink details the hospitals struggles for survival in her new book, five. Memorial medical center and hurricane katrina wikipedia. Feb 07, 2014 at charity hospital, a new orleans public institution where rescue took an additional day, with many more patients than memorial, flexible thinking helped ensure only a handful died. That hospitals patients were evacuated on sunday afternoon in advance of the storm. The first section deals with what happened at memorial hospital in new orleans in the days after hurricane katrina.
He considered the more than 2,000 people in the hospital below 244. Richardson memorial hospital, new orleans contributor names detroit publishing co. Aug 10, 2017 in five days at memorial, fink, a physician as well as a writer, takes an unflinching look at the decisions doctors made at memorial medical center, a hospital in new orleans that was overwhelmed. Alphabetical listings 31 avala hospital imaging center mandeville rated one of the top 10 surgery centers in the us. Five days at memorial is pulitzer prize winner sheri finks magisterial account of the harrowing poststorm triage efforts at memorial medical center in uptown new orleans. Richardson memorial hospital, new orleans library of. What happened inside new orleans memorial hospital. Life and death in a stormravaged hospital by sheri fink what we have here is masterly reporting and the glow of fine writing. He considered the more than 2,000 people in the hospital below. The book details the aftermath of hurricane katrina at memorial medical center in new orleans in august 2005, and is an expansion of a pulitzer prizewinning article written by fink and published in the new york times magazine in 2009. Catherine memorial hospital provides an inter disciplinary approach to meeting the needs of our patients. Floodwaters rose in the uptown streets surrounding memorial medical center, where hundreds of people slowly realized that they were. In 1924, mercy hospital opened and was staffed by the sisters for the next 70 years. Sheri fink is the author of the new york times bestselling book, five days at memorial.
From that helipad over memorial medical center, the doctor looked out over new orleans, now flooding after hurricane katrina. Whats important, it slowly emerges, is that despite finks painstaking recreation based on five hundred interviews and mountains of documentswe werent there. Although a reader might think that this situation was a complete anomaly born out of the unique events that occurred at one crazy hospital, dr. Floodwaters rose in the uptown streets surrounding memorial medical center, where hundreds of people slowly realized that they were stranded. Why is new orleans charity hospital still abandoned 12 years. Mar 10, 2020 james comeaux, slidell memorial hospital ricky james, tulane medical center the 2020 health care heroes will be honored at a cocktail reception 5 p. During katrina, memorial doctors chose who lived, who died. Why wasnt the hospital evacuated before katrina hit new orleans. The story of hurricane katrina and memorial hospital. The louisiana state university system owns the building, and their headquarters have indicated that they. Michaels photo series documents his nearly 100 visits inside the hospital during the past decade and shows neverseenbefore views from inside the abandoned hospital. Five days at memorial is a powerful, balanced and clearly written if slightly dry account of the lives lost or irrevocably altered in a new orleans hospital after hurricane katrina hit.
What happened at memorial hospital in new orleans after hurricane katrina struck and paralyzed the city. In five days at memorial, fink, a physician as well as a writer, takes an unflinching look at the decisions doctors made at memorial medical center, a hospital in new orleans that was. A true story of surgery and survival won the 2010 pulitzer prize for investigative reporting for her work on the harrowing events at new orleanss memorial hospital during and after hurricane katrina, reporting that became the basis for this book. The first part describes the events and experiences of the approximately 600 staff and more than 200 patients who, along with their loved.
Why is new orleans charity hospital still abandoned 12. Many of lifecares patients at memorial were especially affected by the loss of electric power. They still stand, despite having laid empty for years, yet another historic. Ten years after hurricane katrina flooded the city, new orleans has a new hospital built to withstand pretty much anything mother nature can throw at it including 2x4s. The book is based on her pulitizer prize winning 2009 article published at and in the new york times magazine. The katrina memorial was built on the site of this hospital in 2007. Five days at memorial, by sheri fink sheri finks five days at memorial, describes the horrific conditions at a new orleans hospital shortly after hurricane katrina. We are uniquely suited to giving our patients the time and attention they need to get strong and well before going home or moving on to another level of care. Interview with sheri fink, author of five days at memorial. Life and death in a stormravaged hospital is a work of nonfiction by american journalist sheri fink. Sheri finks five days at memorial, describes the horrific conditions at a new orleans hospital shortly after hurricane katrina. Five days at memorial is an important and difficult read. Eight years ago, hurricane katrina hit new orleans.
Aug 28, 2015 ten years after hurricane katrina flooded the city, new orleans has a new hospital built to withstand pretty much anything mother nature can throw at it including 2x4s. Five days at memorial is social reporting of the first rank. Hospital physicians 300 practicing physicians across 35 specialties are affiliated with this hospital. After katrina, new hospital is built to survive the worst. Finks new work has already won the national book critics circle award and the ridenhour book. Three weeks after the devastating hurricane katrina in 2005, the city authorities said that charity hospital would not reopen again. Life and death in a stormravaged hospital is a 20 nonfiction book by the american journalist sheri fink. Best new orleans books meet your next favorite book. In one, between extremities, i was named a louisiana author of note, by an irene singletary of morgana press in new orleans. Pulitzer prize winner sheri finks landmark investigation of patient deaths at a new orleans hospital ravaged by hurricane katrinaand her suspenseful portrayal of the quest for truth and justice.
In 1994, it merged with southern baptist hospital and was acquired by tenet healthcare corporation. Life and death in a stormravaged hospital is a nonfiction book written by journalist dr. Hurricane katrina blew in to new orleans and the city is still recovering, and so this book is an important part our american history. Located behind fencing on private property in perrysburg, new york, are the remains of the j.
The first part describes the events and experiences of the approximately 600 staff and more than 200 patients who, along with their loved ones, were stranded at memorial hospital in new orleans, louisiana during and immediately after hurricane katrina in 2005. Jason berry, new york times five days at memorial is sheri finks elaborately researched chronicle of life, death, and the choices in between at a new orleans hospital immediately following hurricane katrina. Catherine memorial hospital is a longterm acute care hospital ltach. Best new orleans books goodreads meet your next favorite book. The book details the aftermath of hurricane katrina at memorial medical center in new orleans in august 2005, and is an. Pulitzer prize winner sheri finks investigation of patient deaths at a new orleans memorial hospital during hurricane katrina and her suspenseful portrayal of the quest for truth and justice. This book is a devastating account of what happened at a hospital in new orleans after hurricane katrina hit in 2005. Finks book explores what went wrong after hurricane katrina, and asks us to consider. Richardson memorial hospital, new orleans library of congress. Jun 11, 2014 five days at memorial is pulitzer prize winner sheri finks magisterial account of the harrowing poststorm triage efforts at memorial medical center in uptown new orleans. Apr 24, 2017 the project is a documentary photo series that explores the mechanism of change within new orleans charity hospital. The book chronicles the aftermath of hurricane katrina, when thousands of people were trapped, without power, inside memorial medical center in new orleans in august 2005. Five days at memorial, by sheri fink the new york times.
She is a correspondent at the new york times, where her and her colleagues stories on the west africa ebola crisis were recognized with the 2015 pulitzer prize for international reporting, the. Life and death in a stormravaged hospital, published in 20, is an account of patient deaths at a new orleans hospital ravaged by hurricane katrina. Tulane university hospital provides individualized, quality ambulatory and inpatient health care. In the aftermath of the storm, after the levees failed and despite rising water and no electricity, she and other doctors and nurses attempted to continue caring for patients. The book consists of nine chapters and is divided into two parts. Anne cameron kock montgomery was born in new orleans on february 12, 1927 and died after a brief illness at west jefferson hospital in new orleans on february 27, 2020. Lifecare provides longterm acute care for severely ill patients, aiming to improve their health to the point that they no longer need hospital care. Sep 10, 20 for five long days during and after hurricane katrina struck new orleans in 2005, patients and medical workers were trapped in a nightmarish scenario in the citys memorial hospital. Five days at memorial is pulitzer prize winner sheri finks landmark investigation of patient deaths at a new orleans hospital ravaged by hurricane katrina and her suspenseful portrayal of the quest for. Charity hospital and the nearby university hospital were both teaching hospitals.
1155 1290 782 14 1048 1367 695 762 661 741 978 60 741 446 1430 731 759 753 99 928 1545 577 1306 706 1340 1228 1003 790 302 1050 756 1198 78 1447