Working in Healthcare Hell

In an industry meant to heal, too many of us are bleeding out.

Physicians. Nurses. Executives. Support staff. Patients. Families. No one escapes the fallout of a healthcare system that's increasingly profit-driven, policy-drenched, and performance-metric-obsessed. The pressure is relentless. The paperwork is endless. The humanity? Often missing in action.

Working in Healthcare Hell is a brutally honest, sharply funny, and unflinchingly real account of what it's like to survive-and attempt to lead-in the American healthcare system. But this isn't another burnout memoir or dry policy white paper. It's a battle guide, field manual, and truth serum all wrapped into one.

Written by Dr. John R. Simmons DO MBA, a double board-certified physician in Radiology and Radiation Oncology with over 25 years of clinical and administrative experience, this book brings the reader deep into the labyrinth of healthcare dysfunction-and back out the other side. With co-contributions from Becky Simmons BSN MBA, a seasoned healthcare executive, nurse, and health plan innovator with her own 25-year track record, the Simmons duo blends grit, grace, and gallows humor to expose what really goes on behind the curtains of the clinics, hospitals, and health plans we all depend on.

Who This Book Is For:
Physicians and Nurses suffocating under EHRs, prior authorizations, and top-down management that ignores the realities of the front line.

Administrators and Executives caught in the crossfire between regulatory chaos, budget constraints, and a workforce on the brink.

Healthcare Students and New Grads who deserve a roadmap for what's coming-and how to hold onto their soul through it.

Patients and Families who wonder why their doctors seem so rushed, their bills so confusing, and their care so fragmented.

Consultants, Analysts, and Policymakers who want a clearer view of what real reform must address.

This is the book we wish someone had handed us when we were burning out, speaking up, or trying to change a system that rewards silence over solutions.


What Makes This Book Different:

Brutally Honest-but Never Hopeless
Yes, the stories are raw. But they're not cynical. The authors believe in the people working within the system-and offer ways to reclaim purpose without sugarcoating the barriers.

Real-World Lessons, Not Ivory Tower Theories
From the VA to rural hospitals to Medicaid health plans to Fortune 500 mergers, the authors have walked the walk. These aren't theoretical critiques-they're lived experiences and actionable insights.

Dual Perspective-Clinical and Operational
John writes from the perspective of a physician battling for patient care in the face of administrative dysfunction. Becky brings the health plan and executive lens-explaining why change is hard, even when the will is there. Together, they tell a fuller story of how the system fails-and how it could succeed.

Sharp, Smart, and Surprisingly Funny
Even hell has punchlines. With biting wit, memorable metaphors, and a refusal to take jargon seriously, the book keeps readers engaged, even when the subject matter is heavy.

Special Edition "Medical Politics": Uncensored and Raw. Featuring the Proverbs of Medicine No One Taught You in School..... But Should Have.