The essays collected in Silence Kills present a compelling, and often frightening, look at the lack of communication and understanding currently plaguing the American health care system.

These stories explore a wide and complicated range of experiences—a doctor is pressured into sending a patient home from the emergency room but later must face his decision when the patient suddenly dies; a physician deals with the doubt brought on by a malpractice lawsuit and must come to terms with the fact that even doctors are fallible and human; a woman fights for her mother’s mental health against a system eager to over-medicate the elderly; and more—but all share one thing: a frustration with a system that hinders communication and often leads to unnecessary suffering.

In this issue, we also introduce a new section in the journal, "Keeping It Real," with three new features: "Spotlight On...," "Ask an Editor," and "Notes on Craft." Silence Kills is also available as a hardcover book from SMU Press, with 2 additional essays, as well as in an unabridged MP3 CD format—please note that the book contains special essays not found in the journal issue.