Happy May Day! This European festival celebrates the beginning of Spring. Our May Day gift to you is our May Update. Keep reading to learn more about research at Allina Health, read about the impact and accuracy of the new medical drama “The Pitt”, and get to know NatMed Pro.
Research at Allina Health
1 minute read time
Did you know within the latest year Allina Health clinicians and staff have published almost 400 peer-reviewed articles in biomedical science?
The number of publications from Allina Health authors grows year after year and this figure would likely be in the thousands if we included all known paper/poster abstracts, conference reports, book chapters, white papers, and research beyond scope of the biomedical sciences.
Impact and accuracy of HBO’s new medical drama, “The Pitt"
4 minute read time
The new medical drama series on HBO Max “The Pitt” has been widely praised for its portrayal of the challenges of working in a modern-day emergency department.
The Pitt is set in the fictional Pittsburg Trauma Medical Hospital, starring a world-weary senior attending ED physician Dr. Michael Rabinovich (“ER” alum Noah Wyle). Each episode covers one hour of a relentless 15-hour shift with a team of residents, nurses, and medical students. Each episode shows them facing heavy emotional exhaustion and confronting real-life issues, such as: ED overcrowding, complicated patients, workforce shortages, race and gender inequities, and grim or grisly patient encounters.
Clinician reactions (Doctor Mike; Stevejoe; Simms 2025), critics (Holmes 2025), and researchers (Shaw 2025) have overwhelmingly praised the authenticity and depth of The Pitt as perhaps the most realistic medical drama on modern television. Cases featured in the show have been referred to as “classic ED cases” physicians and nurses learned about.
For instance, full-time emergency physician Alex Slog, MD in Oregon spoke highly of the show. “As far as the medicine goes, this is probably the most accurate I’ve seen of any medical drama. Most of the time, if I’m watching a show set in a hospital, I can’t really focus on the story because I’m yelling about all the things they’re doing wrong that would kill the patient” (Shaw 2025).
Dr. Michael Gotlieb of Rush University in Chicago said, “Not only is the show more realistic in its portrayal of emergency medicine in general, but also with how it shows our broader medical environment today—post-COVID times, ED boarding, contract management groups. All of these external factors that make it a unique situation. If you want to help your friends and family better understand what makes our work so challenging, physically and emotionally, I think this show does a relatively good job of that” (Shaw 2025).
The Pitt is not without inaccuracies and sensationalistic storytelling. Dr. Kayla Simms from Ottawa’s Queensway Carleton Hospital described the depiction of a schizophrenic patient who is labeled as the “The Kraken” – not as a patient in distress, but as a monster lying in wait where his suffering becomes a spectacle. Instead of swift interventions, the ER team appears indifferent, lingering outside his room and debating restraint methods (Simms 2025).
Other widely reported inaccuracies, much to the chagrin of clinicians, included poorly executed CPR, unprofessional interactions with interns, ignoring charting and documentation process, and multiple instances where life-saving care is delayed for heightening the suspense (Doctor Mike; Stevejoe; Simms 2025).
Medical dramas often influence public beliefs. The Pitt is no exception as the show has the potential to reshape the portrayal of US healthcare showing the strain and stress of all the components for ED patients on clinicians.
Get to know NatMedPro
1 minute read time
Looking for information on supplements or integrative therapies? We have a resource for that. Check out NatMed Pro.
NatMed Pro (formerly called Natural Medicines) provides high quality, evidence-based information on dietary supplements (including herbs, vitamins, and minerals), functional foods, diets, complementary practices (modalities), exercises, and medical conditions. NatMed Pro also offers interaction checker (including pregnancy and lactation interactions), nutrient depletion tools and free CME.
As supplements and integrative therapies become more common place, Natmed Pro is the place to start. Check out NatMed Pro.
That is all for our May update! To learn about how Allina Health Library Services can make your work easier, visit our Library Services webpage or email us at Library@allina.com.
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Happy May Day! This European festival celebrates the beginning of Spring. Our May Day gift to you is our May Update. Keep reading to learn more about research at Allina Health, read about the impact and accuracy of the new medical drama “The Pitt”, and get to know NatMed Pro.
Research at Allina Health
1 minute read time
Did you know within the latest year Allina Health clinicians and staff have published almost 400 peer-reviewed articles in biomedical science?
The number of publications from Allina Health authors grows year after year and this figure would likely be in the thousands if we included all known paper/poster abstracts, conference reports, book chapters, white papers, and research beyond scope of the biomedical sciences.
Are you working on a research project? Library Services can help you. We are your access point for journals, publications, and research. Check out our resources and databases or request a literature search from one of our expert librarians.
Impact and accuracy of HBO’s new medical drama, “The Pitt"
4 minute read time
The new medical drama series on HBO Max “The Pitt” has been widely praised for its portrayal of the challenges of working in a modern-day emergency department.
The Pitt is set in the fictional Pittsburg Trauma Medical Hospital, starring a world-weary senior attending ED physician Dr. Michael Rabinovich
(“ER” alum Noah Wyle). Each episode covers one hour of a relentless 15-hour shift with a team of residents, nurses, and medical students. Each episode shows them facing heavy emotional exhaustion and confronting real-life issues, such as: ED overcrowding, complicated patients, workforce shortages, race and gender inequities, and grim or grisly patient encounters.
Clinician reactions (Doctor Mike; Stevejoe; Simms 2025), critics (Holmes 2025), and researchers (Shaw 2025) have overwhelmingly praised the authenticity and depth of The Pitt as perhaps the most realistic medical drama on modern television. Cases featured in the show have been referred to as “classic ED cases” physicians and nurses learned about.
For instance, full-time emergency physician Alex Slog, MD in Oregon spoke highly of the show. “As far as the medicine goes, this is probably the most accurate I’ve seen of any medical drama. Most of the time, if I’m watching a show set in a hospital, I can’t really focus on the story because I’m yelling about all the things they’re doing wrong that would kill the patient” (Shaw 2025).
Dr. Michael Gotlieb of Rush University in Chicago said, “Not only is the show more realistic in its portrayal of emergency medicine in general, but also with how it shows our broader medical environment today—post-COVID times, ED boarding, contract management groups. All of these external factors that make it a unique situation. If you want to help your friends and family better understand what makes our work so challenging, physically and emotionally, I think this show does a relatively good job of that” (Shaw 2025).
The Pitt is not without inaccuracies and sensationalistic storytelling. Dr. Kayla Simms from Ottawa’s Queensway Carleton Hospital described the depiction of a schizophrenic patient who is labeled as the “The Kraken” – not as a patient in distress, but as a monster lying in wait where his suffering becomes a spectacle. Instead of swift interventions, the ER team appears indifferent, lingering outside his room and debating restraint methods (Simms 2025).
Other widely reported inaccuracies, much to the chagrin of clinicians, included poorly executed CPR, unprofessional interactions with interns, ignoring charting and documentation process, and multiple instances where life-saving care is delayed for heightening the suspense (Doctor Mike; Stevejoe; Simms 2025).
Medical dramas often influence public beliefs. The Pitt is no exception as the show has the potential to reshape the portrayal of US healthcare showing the strain and stress of all the components for ED patients on clinicians.
Get to know NatMedPro
1 minute read time
Looking for information on supplements or integrative therapies? We have a resource for that.
Check out NatMed Pro.
NatMed Pro (formerly called Natural Medicines) provides high quality, evidence-based information on dietary supplements (including herbs, vitamins, and minerals), functional foods, diets, complementary practices (modalities), exercises, and medical conditions. NatMed Pro also offers interaction checker (including pregnancy and lactation interactions), nutrient depletion tools and free CME.
As supplements and integrative therapies become more common place, Natmed Pro is the place to start. Check out NatMed Pro.
That is all for our May update! To learn about how Allina Health Library Services can make your work easier, visit our Library Services webpage or email us at Library@allina.com.
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