A Spirit of Charity

Most Americans view 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.