Leave No One Behind by Bill Carey, Tulane Hospital (2006, Book, Illustrated)

I was deeply moved by the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, although I lived far away and had no family there. The plight of an entire city, drowning and awaiting rescue that was slow to come, moved all of us I am sure. I have read multiple books and viewed DVDs on the disaster, and just recently purchased this one.

I found the situation at the hospital gripping, of course, and the writing style good at keeping me interested and involved. However, about halfway thru the book, I began to wonder at the writer's objectivity. It was such a positive view. Every administrator, every doctor and nurse, anyone involved with the corporation or hospital did all the right things. While outsiders from other hospitals or government agencies made multiple mistakes, the HCA and Tulane staff kept saving everyone, even saving people from the Superdome and other hospitals.

Finally at the end of the book the author mentions that he wrote the book at the request of the HCA corporation. I wish I had known this before purchasing the book, as I have little interest in reading about someone telling me what a good job they themselves did. I am more interested in reading about what really happened, although it seems to be difficult to find any Katrina book that is truly objective. Everyone who wrote on the subject seems to have an agenda, whether to blame FEMA, other government officials or agencies, racism, classism, or whatever.

I have complete respect for all of those who were involved in helping the patients, staff, and family members who were trapped in Tulane Hospital following Katrina. I just would have preferred to read an honest, unbiased account of how they prepared and responded, including mistakes, infighting, and lessons learned.