Oakland’s Highland Hospital is the primary source of care for many uninsured people in the area. Local filmmaker Peter Nicks and his team decided to turn their lens on the hospital’s emergency room, where patients can wait up to 14 hours or more. He called the documentary “The Waiting Room,” a compilation of interviews with nurses, hospital administrators and patients ranging from a pregnant woman assaulted by her ex-boyfriend, to a man hobbling on his swollen foot. Nicks joins us to talk about his behind-the-scenes look at Highland Hospital and what health care is like for today’s uninsured.
The Waiting Room Theatrical Trailer from The Waiting Room on Vimeo.
How do you think America's health care policy impacts local hospitals and their patients? Share your own stories of waiting in the ER.
- More: A Day in ‘The Waiting Room’ (The California Report)
- More: About ‘The Waiting Room’ – at WhatRUWaitingFor.com
- More: Spending Time in the Waiting Room (Film Review on KQED Arts)