IN THIS WEEK'S EXPLOSIVE FINALE OF "NY MED," A TOP LUNG SURGEON STRUGGLES TO KEEP A FAMILY IN TACT AND PRESERVE A FATHER'S LIFE IN THE FACE OF A BRUTAL DIAGNOSIS

Plus: ER nurse Katie Duke treats a young woman whose Crossfit workout was so extreme that it nearly destroyed her kidneys

And: At University Hospital in Newark, Chief of Trauma David Livingston tries to repair the throwing arm of a college pitcher who is injured during a drinking spree with his buddies

After nearly two years of production, "NY MED" is back. This fast-paced, eight-part series mostly toggles between the orderly operating rooms of Manhattan's New York-Presbyterian Hospital -- the primary venue for the series -- where renowned surgeons perform feats of medical brilliance and the sometimes hectic trauma wards of Newark's University Hospital where skilled doctors gallantly struggle to treat a flood of gunshot, stabbing and life-threatening trauma cases. The surgeons of "NY MED" never forget that there are limits to what medical science can do and that sometimes their best efforts come up short. In the season finale, "Episode 208," which airs THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET); viewers will encounter the following patients, doctors and nurses:

Robert Campagna is a vibrant architect, husband and father. But he is finding himself out of breath lately so he gets an appointment with a top lung surgeon, Nasser Altorki of New York Presbyterian. Campagna fears the worst because both his brothers died from lung cancer. What ensues is a family love story and a portrait of a marriage and the bonds that emerge in times of stress. And this case forcefully proves the old adage "always go to the best" as Dr. Altorki makes the right decision every time and delivers an ending that is as thrilling as it is unexpected.

Removing a ring that is stuck on a patient's finger shouldn't be major surgery. But at Mount Sinai's Roosevelt Hospital, ER resident Amy Caggiula is worried that her power drill could slip leaving the young woman in worse shape than she came in.

Meanwhile, Raisa Durrani, a first year surgical resident at New York Presbyterian, lands in hot water with an attending physician who is angry that their patient was given juice to drink although he was supposed to be on a diet of no food or liquids.

As the chief trauma surgeon at Newark's University Hospital, David Livingston is a commanding presence who often mixes encouragement with sarcasm in the service of educating his staffers. But underneath his rough exterior, nobody is prouder of his unit, his city and the mission of delivering urgent care to those who need it most. When a young baseball player comes in with a serious injury to his arm following a drunken brawl, Livingston knows that his patient will be on the bench a lot longer than he realizes.

Terence Wrong is the executive producer of "NY MED." Erica Baumgart is the supervising producer and Monica DelaRosa is the senior series producer. Andy Genovese and Aysu Grodowski are series producers.