As an executive producer and writer of the HBO Max series The Pitt, real-life emergency physician Dr. Joe Sachs is integral to the Emmy-winning hospital drama’s authentic portrayal of the gritty realities of emergency room care. Sachs earned a master’s in filmmaking while simultaneously studying at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, and previously advised for ER. Now, he’s changing audiences’ perception of issues prevalent in America’s health care system. A 2025 study from USC’s Norman Lear Center found that The Pitt’s depiction of working in an ER not only validated the lived experiences of medical professionals, but also, based on surveys, compared to nonviewers, people who watched the show had more positive attitudes toward organ donation and end of life planning, and had greater intentions to discuss care plans with loved ones. “It’s not our intention to train health care workers or educate the public,” he says. “But it happens because we’re holding a mirror up to what’s happening in the real world.”
