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Fred Rosner, MD
Queens Hospital Center Jamaica, NY

JAMA. 1985;253(2):199-200.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

During the recent strike of hospital workers in New York City, physicians, nurses, administrators, and volunteers maintained vital activities to allow the hospitals to remain in operation. At my institution, despite the seriousness of the situation, I chuckled to myself as I observed the various departmental heads perform the roles of admitting clerk and x-ray file clerk, perform food service tasks, and move stretchers in the operating room.

My assignment was to serve as a hospital messenger, and I frankly admit it was a humbling experience. As I reported for duty at 8 AM on a Sunday, I was assigned a beeper and several floors to service. I never imagined what the next few hours would bring. My beeper did not stop beeping: specimens for stat blood gas analysis, blood cultures, and body fluid samples for transport from the wards to the various laboratories; medication pickup for . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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