A Spirit of Charity

'Any effort at health care reform must first understand the essential role of public hospitals, which is what makes A Spirit of Charity required reading for policy makers and health advocates alike.' - Otis Brawley, M.D., chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society; former director of the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta

Most Americans have historically viewed the nation's great public hospitals as refuges of last resort for poor and uninsured people. But these iconic institutions, some recently closed, some renamed, others rebuilt -- have also served as a safety valve for the nation's highly profitable medical industrial complex. They are a key to understanding the evolution of America's $3 trillion health care system, not just for the poor, but the affluent as well, argues veteran journalist Mike King. Through an examination of their unique history and an incisive analysis of policy successes and failures, A Spirit of Charity reveals the remarkable story of why public hospitals matter and why they should play a more prominent role in our public policy discussions.

For nearly four decades Mike King worked as a reporter, Washington correspondent, science and medicine editor, and opinion writer for the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Georgia. He and his wife live in Atlanta.