When a viewer sent a message saying they sought help for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after watching an episode of “The Pitt,” Joe Sachs, MD, FACEP, knew he was accomplishing something far beyond entertainment. For Dr. Sachs—a practicing emergency physician and executive producer of the Max original series—the comment underscored what he’s been working toward for decades: using scripted television to tell deeply human stories that double as public health education.

Dr. Sachs’ initial goal was to find a more effective way to educate the public beyond public service announcements (PSAs) and flyers. With “The Pitt,” he is taking “public health education” to a new level and scale that he once thought impossible.

Audiences are responding. From first-year medical students to residents and attending physicians in emergency medicine, the show has sparked discussion, driven empathy, and even influenced real-time clinical decision-making. One clinician shared that she recognized a rare diagnosis described in a case presented in Episode 14. Another emergency physician said the show captured their experience during COVID-19 better than any documentary ever could.

This is more than entertainment. This is education with a heartbeat.

From Trauma Bays to TV Scripts: A Career Built on Dual Callings

Dr. Sachs

Long before Dr. Sachs was rewriting the rules of public health education for television, he was charting a path that bridged science and storytelling. While studying at Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Sachs also pursued a master’s degree in film-making—an unusual combination that turned out to be prescient. After completing a combined residency in emergency medicine and internal medicine at UCLA, he began a part-time emergency medicine practice at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, Los Angeles, where he has worked for more than 30 years.

Dr. Sachs’ foray into Hollywood started in 1994 when he joined NBC’s “ER” as a technical advisor. He stayed with the groundbreaking series for its entire 15-season run, ultimately becoming executive producer and penning 35 episodes. He later worked on “Mercy, Off the Map,” and “NCIS: Los Angeles “before helping launch “The Pitt” in 2023.

Despite a rigorous production schedule—nine 12-hour days for a single 45-minute episode—Dr. Sachs remains grounded in medicine. He continues to work in urgent-care settings to maintain his clinical edge and gather real-world inspiration.

“Emergency medicine isn’t a hobby for me,” Dr. Sachs said. “It’s a passion. It feeds the creative process and keeps our stories authentic.”