New Amsterdam Based On A Real Hospital (And Max Has a Real-Life Counterpart, Too)
New Amsterdam has always stood out from other medical dramas because of the hardships faced and highlighted by the series that focuses on a severely understaffed and underfunded hospital.
For 5 Seasons, New Amsterdam fans have followed newly appointed Medical Director Dr. Max Goodwin as he tries to turn the struggling hospital around and save its reputation by putting patients before budgets.
Dr. Max and New Amsterdam Hospital may be fictional, but the story told by the series is inspired not only by a real hospital but by a real doctor too.
New Amsterdam is based on New York's oldest hospital, Bellevue, that began as a tiny infirmary in 1736, and the series was inspired by the book 'Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital,' which was written by the very real Dr. Eric Manheimer who worked at Bellevue for 15 years from 1997 as the chief medical officer.
Dr. Manheimer would walk around the hospital with his notebook, writing down everything he saw. He also took notes on political issues inside and outside the hospital. By the time he decided to write a book about his experience, he had over 150 notebooks, which he went through to choose 12 real patients to represent 12 themes involving social and political issues festering in the country.
New Amsterdam has gone above and beyond to provide a realistic feel to the hospital and the storyline, by filming some scenes at the Bellevue Hospital as well as having Dr. Manheimer involved behind the scenes in critical roles as a writer and producer, giving his options and thoughts on many medical cases which have contributed to the authenticity of the series.
Ryan Eggold, the actor who plays Dr. Max works closely with Dr. Manheimer to give the most true-to-character performances on screen. The pair discuss conflicts, ethical and moral dilemmas, and how Dr. Manheimer himself would react to various situations, which Eggold makes sure to consider in his performance.
The series is captivating and moving as it is, but knowing that it is so much more than a fictional drama series makes the story even more special, and gives fans all the more reason to be emotionally invested in New Amsterdam's journey and Dr. Max's work.