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Eaton doctor tackles health care reform in book

doug page Dr. Jill Vosler, an Eaton physician, has written two novels – "Legal Larceny" and her latest, "Deadly Denial." Contributed photo

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By Shirley Belcher, Contributing Writer 3:11 PM Thursday, November 12, 2009

EATON — Her first novel, “Legal Larceny,” dealt with malpractice and medicine. Now Eaton physician and author Jill Vosler has entered the arena of universal health care with her second book, “Deadly Denial.”

“I think the most exciting thing about ‘Deadly Denial’ is that it is so timely,” Vosler said. “The book was started two years ago, and this topic wasn’t the one on everybody’s agenda. I feel I’ve discussed all sides of the issue thoroughly, hopefully in a format that makes the discussion interesting and intriguing.”

Vosler has practiced medicine in Eaton for nearly 20 years. Her father, Dr. John Vosler, and her three brothers also are physicians. Two brothers, Mark and Scott, are in practice with her.

Vosler and her husband, John, have been married for more than 17 years. They have two children, Joey and Jackie.

Vosler said her strong interest in politics and how it affects the practice of medicine is often what inspires her writing.

She said she enjoys politics, but not when it gets nasty.

“If the political environment would ever return to the days when it wasn’t quite so nasty, perhaps I would entertain the idea of getting more involved.”

“Legal Larceny,” released in January 2007, is about malpractice and how it has affected medicine. She said a physician friend was sued, and she watched as the process took a toll on him.

“It was astounding and sad,” she said. “So, with great passion, I began writing. It took me about 2½ years to finish the book, and another eight or nine months to get it published.”

Soon after that book was published, she began thinking about the next book, “Deadly Denial.”

“I knew I wanted to use the same characters, but this time I wanted to dissect the health insurance industry,” she said. “I didn’t have quite the underlying emotion which, I think, helped me to present all sides of this issue a bit better than I had done in the first book.”

In “Deadly Denial,” the characters are involved in the national debate concerning the financing of universal health coverage. The story is about the tragic loss of a young girl because of alleged negligence on the part of an insurance company.

Vosler said the timeliness of the story is a surprise to her.

“When I started the novel, the issue of health care reform had not even been on anyone’s mind, at least not nearly to the extent that it currently is being discussed,” she said. “I feel that by way of an interesting cast of characters, I have found a vehicle by which to discuss all sides of this health care debate in a way that is nonthreatening, non-partisan, and hopefully interesting and useful.

“I think the novel will promote thought and conversation about the topic, hopefully bringing us closer to a solution to the overwhelming challenges of health care financing,” Vosler said.

“I have managed to weave into this discussion a tragic story of anguish and revenge, as well as greediness and deceit, and I once again have my characters fight these evils, with a huge risk to their own personal safety,” she said.

Vosler said writing was not her first love, except in her younger days when she wrote music to express herself. She still plays her guitar to relax.

Another love is Scotland. Vosler has no Scottish ancestry, as far as she knows, but Scotland has always fascinated her. She has visited Scotland three times. She said she loves its history and beauty and would like to go back and write a novel that would take place in the late 1700s.

It is a woner she ever finds time to write with her growing medical practice and being involved with Eaton High School sports programs as team physician.

“That is very fulfilling,” she said. “I’m enjoying watching my kids develop their goals for the future, and I certainly hope to be at least a small part of their adventures as well.”

She said it helps to write about things you are passionate about.

“I think the passion shows through in one’s writing,” she said.