Episode 1 of Lenox Hill, Netflix’s new docuseries cataloguing experiences of physicians at a New York City hospital, begins with breathtaking video of the New York City skyline. This dreamy imagery is immediately followed by footage from an operating room where a patient is waking up from surgery. Focused on Lenox Hill Hospital physicians Dr. David Langer, Dr. John Boockvar, Dr. Amanda Little-Richardson and Dr. Mirtha Macri, the series Lenox Hill follows real people caring for real patients.
Lenox Hill Hospital was not always a top-tier facility for neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and emergency medicine. As Langer narrates, “Lenox Hill Hospital, historically, was a glorified community hospital.” The Yulari Films production covers the hospital’s reinvigoration alongside patient journeys and the personal lives of four Lenox Hill physicians.
Why Lenox Hill is Important to Public Understanding of Medicine
When I was younger, I watched House and Mystery Diagnosis thinking that patient diagnosis was the reality of medicine. These shows, while interesting to my younger self, do not truly reflect the reality I see today as a student in a collaborative teaching hospital.
Lenox Hill is more than a show about neurosurgery, obstetrics and emergency medicine. Lenox Hill shows aspiring physicians, researchers, nurses and hospital administrators that there is more to medicine than a diagnosis.
Lenox Hill is important to public understanding of medicine because it emphasizes teamwork and mentorship. Not only does Lenox Hill showcase collaborative comradery as an integral part of building a welcoming and successful patient-care environment, it also showcases physician-scientists developing new treatments for their patients. It even showcases that physicians are patients, parents and spouses, too. As we move forward through COVID-19, I hope to see more medical docuseries and documentaries give insights into the realities and complexities of patient care and the reality of life in medicine.
Meet Dr. David Langer and Dr. John Boockvar
The Lenox Hill Hospital has taken its mission to inspire one step further by creating a Lennox Hill Hospital BRAINterns summer program. Through this virtual program, students are encouraged to find their own niche in a collaborative hospital system. Participants are able to engage in a variety of webinars hosted by physicians, nurses, administrative staff and health care professionals.
The BRAINterns program runs from July 1–August 26. The program’s Facebook group currently has over 7,000 members. If you’re interested in viewing content from BRAINterns webinars, videos are available on the program’s YouTube channel.
You can find more information on Lenox Hill at yularifilms.com/lenoxhill.
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