10 Times The Pitt Tackled Serious Issues

#10: Eating Disorders

When a woman enters the ER with a bad cough, she ends up leaving with a diagnosis for bulimia, and a hope for a better future. “The Pitt” understands that eating disorders can be invisible both physically and mentally. In fact, if it weren’t for Mel picking up on the subtle cues, this woman may never have confronted her issues. By initially presenting this case as an ordinary cough, “The Pitt” smartly acknowledged that this kind of thing is rarely obvious at first glance. It takes someone with a good heart, like Mel, to put the pieces together.

#9: The Deaf Experience

Across the second season, Harlowe spends at least a whopping eight hours in the emergency room. And what was her issue? Headaches and nausea from a tight neck muscle, that’s all. Despite it being a relatively tame case, we have to see Harlowe jump through hoop after hoop just to be seen and understood. Since ALS translators are in short supply, and technology is far from flawless, it takes Harlowe over half the season just to communicate with a doctor at all! It underscores the fact that, for individuals with different needs, the medical space still has a long way to go.

#8: Caretaker Fatigue

“The Pitt” makes it very clear that caring for others is a tough gig, emotionally, mentally, and physically. But, that’s doubly true for at-home caretakers. Take Mel’s case in season one, where a woman named Rita is clearly struggling being her mother’s primary caregiver. She’s so tired, she actually ends up passing out in her car, leading Mel to think she may have abandoned her mom. While that’s thankfully not the case, the very fact it was a possibility highlights the intense pressure of being a caregiver, especially for family. As “The Pitt” shows, though, there’s always support if you look for it.

#7: The Effects of Prison Care

Injuries from a prison fight aren’t Gus’ only issues when he arrives at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. As Dr. Al-Hashimi soon learns, the inmate isn’t receiving nearly enough fruits or vegetables to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Despite the assurances of the prison’s healthcare team, she insists he stay at the hospital for proper treatment. However, she gets pushback from Robbie, who makes a good point that they simply don’t have the resources to spare on recovering patients. But, as Al-Hashimi succinctly puts it; *insert SB, “Just because you know the system’s broken doesn’t mean you quit trying to fix it.”*

#6: ICE Deportations

In a storyline that feels ripped from the headlines, Santos and Robbie’s fear of parental neglect ends up being much worse. This kid’s parents aren’t around because they were deported. As a result, his college-aged sister is the only one to look out for him, and it’s clearly too much. “The Pitt” colors this issue through Robbie and Santos’ differing perspectives. Robbie thinks they’d be better off going back to their parents, while Santos believes they should stay since America is where they grew up. It’s a complicated situation, but that’s to be expected when you treat the whole, and not just the part.

#5: Substance Abuse Disorder

Much like eating disorders, those who have unhealthy boundaries with illegal substances don’t always show it on the outside. Take Frank Langdon. For the better part of season one, he’s the golden-boy resident who, despite a few snafus with Santos, seems like an incredibly competent physician. That’s why it hurts so much when we learn he’s skimming his patient’s prescriptions to self-treat his substance abuse disorder. Not only is it a gross betrayal of patient trust, but it’s from a character who, for all intents and purposes, seemed pretty normal. The message is loud and clear: if Langdon is capable of doing this, who else might be suffering in silence?

#4: Violence Against Healthcare Workers

It’s a sad reality that, when tensions run high, even those trying to help end up in the crossfire. People like Dana Evans. PTMC’s no-nonsense charge nurse was only guilty of defending her staff from a verbal tirade, and she ended up with a black eye for it. It’s a truly jaw-dropping cliffhanger. But, as “The Pitt” eloquently explains, violence against healthcare workers is an all-too common issue, particularly when staffing is short and lines are long. And yet, even with a shiner, Dana bucks up and returns to work, proving exactly why healthcare workers deserve everything.

#3: Human Trafficking

McKay strikes us as the kind of person who’s seen just about everything. So, when she pulls Dana aside and wonders if her patient is being trafficked, you best believe we all sat up and listened. The storyline plays out like a thriller film, with Dana and McKay desperately trying to convince the innocent Piper of the danger she’s in. To us, the fact that she moved to a new city where she knows no one besides her controlling boss is evidence enough. But, in a sad yet realistic turn of events, Piper doesn’t agree. She checks out like normal, leaving McKay and Dana with nothing but a hope they were wrong.

#2: The Crippling Cost of Healthcare

While completely necessary, ER visits aren’t without their own drawbacks. As one of Dr. Mohan’s patients points out, just staying there for an afternoon will create crippling debt to him and his family. Keep in mind, this is after the hospital gave him a 40% discount, too. Dr. Mohan is understandably adamant that the man stay for treatment, but when she isn’t looking, he takes off, anyway. To him, being healthy isn’t worth the crushing economic burden. Even though it sounds absolutely insane, it’s a choice many Americans have to make every single day. “The Pitt” knows that, for some, health isn’t a right. It’s a luxury.

#1: Sexual Violence

In what might be the most raw plotline in “The Pitt” so far, Dana and new nurse Emma are tasked with collecting samples from a recent survivor of sexual violence. From the moment we meet Ilana, it’s clear “The Pitt” is handling this story with care. We get scene after scene of Dana retrieving invasive evidence until, eventually, Ilana needs a break, and questions whether she wants to report at all. Seeing each step in such detail, as well as its effect on Ilana, underscores how traumatic the act of coming forward really is. To say nothing of the impact on Dana and Emma.

If you know anyone in the healthcare industry, what do they think of “The Pitt?” Is it as realistic as it seems? Let us know in the comments below.