WASHINGTON D.C., December 4, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The cost of health care has risen steadily over the decades. Today, only about 30 percent of the American population can afford modern health care. Even with a high price tag, the performance and competency of doctors can sometimes vary. Ryan Collins lets readers peek inside a modern hospital to look at the state of medicine in his new novel, Schackled Doctor: A Novel (now available through 1stBooks).
Set in a large university hospital in Dallas, Schackled Doctor describes two weeks in the life of Dr. Sean O'Connell, the new chief resident in cardiac surgery. At 32, Sean is a handsome, gifted and dedicated physician. Collins places the reader next to Sean as he goes through his daily routines, revealing the technical world of modern medicine. Sean soon realizes that not all doctors share the same level of skill at their jobs, and large egos abound. When Dr. Black, an older, established private clinic physician, causes the death of Jim Bennett, Nobel laureate and head of the university department of physics, Sean is enraged. He is split between his own dedication and another doctors' incompetence.
Collins weaves a story with social impact wrapped in a thrilling tale. Sean isn't the only doctor who feels disgruntled with the state of hospital affairs. Dr. Lyons, the father of cardiac transplantation and the chief of the department of cardiac surgery, becomes Sean's mentor. Dr. Ashton, head of general surgery, puts the practice of medicine in historical perspective while, Sean's best friend, Easy Ed, helps out with his Southern personality, piercing intelligence and technical wizardry. The radiant Suzanne becomes the love of Sean's life, while a seductive operating room nurse entangles Sean in a torrid and ultimately lethal, affair.
Schackled Doctor is a gripping story of conspiracy, ego and murder involving one of many Americans' greatest concerns: the state of modern medicine.
Collins is a doctor who has trained at a variety of top universities and cardiac surgery programs. His career consists of a large private practice in cardiac surgery and an appointment to the clinical faculty of a prestigious medical school. Although he has published an extensive amount of medical articles, Schackled Doctor is his first novel.
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