The Children’s Hospital: Healing America with Pediatric Love (Oxford University Press, forthcoming) is the story of the development and culture of pediatric hospitals in the United States. It is also the story of industrialization, urbanization, immigration, education, medical science and the radical notion that people are fundamentally good, every life is worth living, and health is a basic human right.
Based on observations inside a children’s hospital and interviews with hospital staff, children, and their parents, The Children’s Hospital weaves together the personal stories of doctors and patients with history, science, and healthcare policy. Children’s hospitals have become more than sites of medical intervention — they are the nesting ground of our collective humanity, the cultural touchstones of our communities, and sacred spaces for healing sick children.