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| Detailed Book Review |
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| A Night in the Life |
| By Steven L. Orebaugh |
| ISBN: 978-1-929763-65-8
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| Price: $14.95 |
| Shipping: $4.00 |
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| Dr. Gary Phillips, an inveterate and increasingly disenchanted emergency physician, reports for a busy
night shift in the ER at a community hospital in Pittsburgh. On this frenetic evening, he attends many ill
patients, encountering in each of them some facet of the Southside neighborhood and its once-promising,
industrial past...or its current economic decline. Gritty, authentic, and hauntingly realistic, A Night
in the Life is based on the author’s own experiences in a small, urban emergency department.
A Night in the Life is also available as an e-book for Amazon Kindle. |
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| Book Review Details: |
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| Reviewed Appeared In: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
| Reviewed By: Janice Crompton |
Text Of Review: Mt. Lebanon doctor aims to give realistic portrayal of emergency medicine
An anesthesiologist and emergency room doctor from Mt. Lebanon has written a book to portray the realistic side of emergency medicine.
“I felt there was a lot of glamorous stuff out there about emergency medicine, but it’s not really realistic,” Steven L. Orebaugh said. “This is my attempt to make it a little more authentic and real.”
Dr. Orebaugh will sign copies of his new book, “A Night in the Life,” from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Half-Price Books at Village Square Mall in Bethel Park.
He wrote the fictional tale about a Friday night in the life of an emergency room doctor at the former Southside Hospital, now known as UPMC Mercy/Southside Ambulatory Center.
The book is based on his own experience working at the hospital for 14 years.
The tale focuses on a doctor named Gary Phillips — Dr. Orebaugh acknowledges the character is somewhat autobiographical — “an increasingly disenchanted emergency physician” who reports for a busy night shift at the community hospital.
With detailed descriptions of the city, its people and history, the book follows Dr. Phillips through a set of challenges, including insurance paperwork, exhausted staff and patients’ plights.
The cases include a hysterical woman with a cockroach stuck in her ear and the death of an elderly woman, despite the frantic work of the staff.
“The cases I describe are based on people I met during my time,” said Dr. Orebaugh, 55, who has written several nonfiction books and medical texts.
Dr. Orebaugh, like his protagonist, isn’t a local native.
Raised in an Air Force family, he lived throughout the country but grew up primarily near Carlisle, Cumberland County. He attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he is now a faculty member.
He served in the Navy for 20 years, in the active duty and reserves.
The book took Dr. Orebaugh about two years to write, and though it offers a glimpse into the sometimes humorous, chaotic and emotionally wrenching work done in emergency departments, it represents more than just a story to him.
“I think the doctors and nurses in emergency services have the tough jobs — they see everything,” he said. “This is my tribute to them.”
In addition to his appearance Saturday, Dr. Orebaugh will be available to sign copies of “A Night in the Life” at the annual Mt. Lebanon Public Library Local Authors Forum on Nov. 16.
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| Date Reviewed: 5 August 2016 |
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No Contact Information For This Author
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