Code Blues

A hospital is a special community: a world in itself. Hospitals have common bonds, and they also have very distinctive traits. Hospitals provide a plethora of stories. They are often humorous, sometimes tragic, or a mix of both. Hospitals truly are the embodiment of life and death. Larger hospitals often serve as a training ground for physicians, nurses, and other medical support staff. Smaller hospitals might offer the same, but they are also a special part of the community. Many times, small hospitals serve as a primary medical contact. It is an information provider, clinic, and shelter. Sadly, small hospitals are disappearing because of economics. It costs a lot of money to maintain hospitals with current equipment and appropriate staffing. When a hospital dies, it impacts all of the people who made it thrive, and all of the people who depend on its services. The stories in Code Blues are set in a fictional small hospital in New York City. It is about to be closed. Although each story can be read independently, the common thread is the impact of such closure on the community as a whole. Small hospitals are as important to the community as the neighborhood grocery store, and many of the workers living in the area are served by the hospital. Many of the stories are fictionalized anecdotes from training and working in hospitals. I have tried to offer a variety of glimpses into the complex relationships between various hospital personnel and also between staff and patients.