“We’re spending this hour discussing the book “5 Days at Memorial” with its author Sheri Fink. Here’s a passage,” says host Barbara Lewis.
Fink: “As the outlines of this medical tragedy sharpened, there was an urgent need to understand its causes, before the next catastrophe occurred in New Orleans or elsewhere in the country. Were deaths at hospitals and nursing homes regrettable results of an act of nature, a chaotic government response and poorly constructed flood protection overlaid on a degraded environment? Or had lax oversight allowed individual or corporate greed to play a role? Did some hospital and nursing home leaders decide not to evacuate before the storm primarily to avoid the substantial costs for emptying and closing health facilities? Were emergency plans not followed? Important pre-storm investments not made? And health workers not properly prepared?”
This show originally aired on Dec. 1, 2013.