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Brigid Bergin: It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. I'm Brigid Bergin, filling in for Brian today. Now a call-in for healthcare workers who have watched the HBO Max show The Pitt. What is this series meant to you? Is it realistic? 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692. We're talking healthcare workers of any kind, especially those of you who have worked in hospitals or ERs. Doctors, nurses, social workers, EMTs, administrators. Call or text now if you've watched The Pitt. The number is 212-433-9692.

On Sunday, the drama about emergency room healthcare workers won several major Emmys, including Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, and the big one, Outstanding Drama Series. Listeners, those of you who work in the healthcare profession, we invite you to call in now and share how you see the series. The number is 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692. You can also text at that number.

The series takes place one year after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It tries to explain how medical professionals are dealing with the fallout, whether it's flashbacks from the experience of working during the pandemic to the staffing shortages, and all the pressure that puts on healthcare professionals. For those of you in the profession, how accurately do you think it does it? How accurately does The Pitt depict post-COVID healthcare? You can call 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692. You can also text at that number.

Noah Wyle, who won an Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama, joined All Of It with Alison Stewart back in February of this year. Here's what he had to say about the reaction from viewers in the medical profession.

Noah Wyle: They felt that we were depicting something that their loved ones could watch and have a sense of understanding about what they do and aren't ever able to articulate. We're showing what they can't say. I'm hearing a lot of people say-- my kids were like, "That's not what you do." I said, "Yes, that is what I do." "There aren't that many people waiting." "Oh, yes, there are more sometimes." "You don't really stick tubes in." "Yes, I did that twice today."

Alison Stewart: Wow.

Noah Wyle: It's, I think, overdue.

Brigid Bergin: Listeners, whether you or your loved ones work in healthcare, did The Pitt allow for deeper conversations? Did it help you talk to your loved ones about what you, as a healthcare worker, experience every day or vice versa? Did you realize something about your family or a friend in healthcare that you didn't know before watching the show? 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692. You can also text at that number.

The series deals with administrative pressure that medical professionals face, understaffing in many cases, and even violence against healthcare workers. The Pitt also deals with a lot of contemporary issues for patients. Without giving too much away, no spoilers, one family has to decide whether to honor the do-not-resuscitate order of their loved one who is passing away. Another patient is not trusted when they say their symptoms are from sickle cell anemia.

Maybe you, as a patient, have seen yourself in this series. Has it helped you understand the choices medical teams have to make on your behalf? Has it been comforting to see a spotlight shine on something you or a loved one went through? We can take some of your calls on that, too. The number, 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692. You can also text at that number. We're going to take your calls right after this.

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Brigid Bergin: It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. I'm Brigid Bergin, filling in for Brian today. We're talking about the medical drama The Pitt, which cleaned up at the Emmys this past weekend, and what it means to people who work in healthcare. Let's start with Linda in Bradley Beach, New Jersey. Linda, you're on WNYC.

Linda: Hi, how are you? Thank you for having me.

Brigid Bergin: Thank you. Go ahead.

Linda: I worked in the ER in a North Jersey hospital. First, I have to say it's never staffed correctly. You never have enough staff, and you never know what's coming through the doors. I have to say, I worked the night shift. Some nights were so bad, all I could do was sit in my car and cry before I went home to my family. You had things that happened that were in that show in a different way. I have to tell you, the staff does a lot of weird things to staff because they have to release the tension and the stress.

For instance, we used to hide grape leaves in people's mailboxes just so it would smell up their mail, and it would be passed on to another, passed on to another person. We had-

Brigid Bergin: Ugh.

Linda: -multiple patients come-- I know it was gross. You know what? We all got a laugh out of it because the next person that found it was bent out of shape, and we all laughed because it was funny. It really was funny. It was not malicious. It was just done for fun.

Brigid Bergin: Linda, I'm going to bring in a couple more callers, and I want to thank you for that story. Let's try Mendel in West Hartford, Connecticut. I'm going to ask our callers, try to keep your story tight so we can get as many people in as possible. Go ahead, Mendel.

Mendel: Hey, Brigid. Longtime listener, first time on the air with you.

Brigid Bergin: Great to have you.

Mendel: I never worked in an ER. I learned Wilderness First Responder, and I have helped a lot of people from dying in remote areas because of that. I also taught human anatomy at a school in the South Bronx called KIPP NYC College Prep. I thought this show was-- I reluctantly watched it, and then I fell in love with it because it was so visceral and accurate, and I thought it was on point.

Brigid Bergin: Mendel, thank you for that so much. Theo in Brooklyn. Theo, you, you got about 30 seconds. What did The Pitt mean to you?

Theo: I think it was super accurate in terms of how it deals with going from supercritical patients to non-critical patients and the back and forth that you have a lot in healthcare, especially pre-hospital healthcare, which they did highlight a little bit in The Pitt, giving some love to the paramedics. It's that back and forth of not knowing what you're going to get, if it's going to be high intensity, then going straight to low intensity, and then having to have the bandwidth to support all of that.

Brigid Bergin: Theo, you bring that perspective as an EMT yourself, right?

Theo: Yes, from South Brooklyn.

Brigid Bergin: That's great. Theo, thank you so much for your call. We appreciate it. Let's go to Caroline in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Caroline, about 30 seconds.

Caroline: Hi. What I thought the show depicted really well is how the team works together compared to other many medical dramas. Often, the doctor or the surgeon is the one that's depicted doing everything, but on The Pitt, they work together. The nurse has a lot of responsibility. The ER techs do a lot. They work together as a team, and they rely on each other and they trust each other. I thought the show did that very well. I'm a nurse who's worked in the subacute facility, Boston Health Care for the Homeless, which is an awesome organization.

Brigid Bergin: Caroline, thank you so much. Thank you for the work you do and for your call. We appreciate it. I'll read a quick text. "I'm a physician working at a public hospital in the Bronx. I found the relationships between nurses and providers working in the hospital depicted in a very realistic manner. Noah Wyle represents a role model for an ER doctor."

Thank you all for your perspectives on The Pitt and for your stories about the work you do. We appreciate you. We're going to leave it there for today. Stay tuned for All Of It coming up just after this.

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