The Emergency

More about the book

Thomas Fisher grew up on the South Side of Chicago, acutely aware of the vulnerability of Black bodies in his community. Coming from a family of pioneering doctors committed to serving their neighborhood, he pursued public health at Dartmouth and Harvard before returning to the University of Chicago Medical School. Upon graduation, he began working in the local ER, even as his career led him to the White House, contributing to the Affordable Care Act and developing HMOs for underserved populations. Fisher maintained his ER rotations, believing that understanding healthcare disparities required staying close to the community. The emergency room often serves as the first resort for South Side residents facing urgent health issues. While he addresses patients' immediate needs, Fisher aims to engage them in conversations about the socioeconomic factors affecting their health, the historical distrust of the medical profession among Black individuals, and the impact of food deserts and educational gaps. This book chronicles a pivotal year in the Chicago ER, marked by a pandemic and a surge in homicides, blending personal narrative with a critical examination of healthcare as a social justice issue. It offers readers a compelling perspective on the intersection of health and equity.