By Kat Procyk
Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, associate vice chair of diversity, equity and inclusion, Department of Pediatrics, and assistant professor of pediatrics and of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine, met with the writing staff from Max’s upcoming medical drama set in Pittsburgh, “The Pitt,” over a two-hour Zoom call in March 2024 to provide an accurate depiction of what it’s like to work as an emergency medicine doctor, referencing her experiences as the EMS medical director at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
She later learned her conversation with John Wells, the producer of “The Pitt” and former showrunner and executive producer of “ER,” and his team—as well as a set visit in Los Angeles, California—would inspire an upcoming storyline and word-for-word dialogue in the show, which is led by “ER” star Noah Wyle.
Owusu-Ansah also helped with general treatment practices that are common in the ER; however, she’s tight-lipped about her involvement because of potential spoilers.
“It was important for the writing staff to show what it really looks like to be a health care professional in this city,” Owusu-Ansah said. “They wanted it to be as real as possible—from patient scenarios to the sets.”
Owusu-Ansah never envisioned herself working in entertainment, but she realized many of her patients learned about health from media like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “ER.” For that reason, she knew there was a need for medical accuracy in Hollywood productions.
“There are people who may not regularly meet with their health care provider since they don’t see a need for it,” Owusu-Ansah explained. “Then they watch a show, see a symptom they’re experiencing, and learn about an outcome because of it. It helps them make the decision to visit their doctor.”
Owusu-Ansah started gaining national attention as one of the first health care workers in Pennsylvania to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and pitching a short film to festivals, “In Good Hands,” that’s based on her upcoming memoir.