PBS has aired a documentary about an Emergency Department in East Oakland, CA. You can visit the website for the film and your can also view it online.
It's a very spartan documentary… sometimes dull and routine, sometimes compelling. You see and hear the doctors, nurses, and patients without the intrusion of a narrator or heavy handed voiceover. You see the waiting, the anxiety, the frustration, and the absurdity of a system where a patient will wait seven hours in the waiting room just to get a Tylenol – “I told him to go to Walgreens,” said the nurse.
Also, check out the filmmaker's website or read reviews of the film.
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Mark Graban
Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker who has worked in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. His most recent book is the anthology Practicing Lean that benefits the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation, where Mark is a board member. Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the technology company KaiNexus. His latest book has been released as an "in-progress" book, titled Measures of Success.