The Narrative Matters section of Health Affairs publishes personal essays (literary nonfiction) based on firsthand encounters that have a health policy aspect. These "policy narratives" take a story (or anecdote) and grow it beyond one person to include a big-picture view of the subject. The purpose of the Narrative Matters section is to put a human face on the health policy discussions in the other parts of Health Affairs.

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November 2001

	Tin-Cup Medicine Resourcefulness, patience, and a willingness to beg are key to practicing medicine on the "safety net." Fitzhugh Mullan, November 1, 2001 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

September 2001

	Hooked On Neonatology A pediatrician wonders about NICUs' hidden cost of success. John D. Lantos, September 1, 2001 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

July 2001

	Politics And The Public Hospital In Our Capital Delving into a city health care system in need of fixing. Paul Offner, July 1, 2001 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Making A Public Hospital Work The chief executive officer of Denver Health sees properly governed public hospitals as a winning proposition for entire communities, not just the poor. Patricia A. Gabow, July 1, 2001 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

May 2001

	La Promotora Linking disenfranchised residents along the border to the U.S. health care system. Darryl M. Williams, May 1, 2001 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

March 2001

	Medical Safety: From Stories To Policy Comments on three narratives about medical error. Randall R. Bovbjerg, March 1, 2001 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	No One Needs To Know A physician recalls taking part in his first cover-up. Neil S. Calman, March 1, 2001 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Casey’s Legacy Finding generosity when admitting to an error in judgment. W. Richard Boyte, March 1, 2001 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	A Question Of Quality A young doctor probes patient safety in a hospital in her state. H. Brass, March 1, 2001 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

January 2001

	Using And Misusing Anecdote In Policy Making A former state legislator explains the beauty and peril of allowing storytelling into the policy process. John E. McDonough, January 1, 2001 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Out Of The Closet And Into The Legislature: Breast Cancer Stories How narratives about one disease have shaped policy. Barbara F. Sharf, January 1, 2001 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]