'A Spirit Of Charity': Why Public Hospitals Matter

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Grady Memorial Hospital in Downtown Atlanta. / Google Images

Georgia's decision not to expand Medicaid has cost the state billions of dollars in federal funding and thousands of jobs, and may prompt several hospitals to shut down. It’s also forced large hospitals like Grady Memorial in Atlanta to absorb the costs of helping poor, uninsured and mentally ill patients.

Journalist Mike King traces the history of urban hospitals and how public policies have failed them in his book, "A Spirit of Charity: Restoring the Bond between America and Its Public Hospitals." King will be part of the Decatur Book Festival this weekend.

Author and veteran journalist Mike King talks about his book "A Spirit of Charity," and why public hospitals are needed more than ever.