A Surgeon's Heart: The Conflict, is the compelling story of well respected heart surgeon, Jack Roberts. As a staunch advocate for the independent practice of medicine, he is outspoken about what he perceives as the damaging impact of a rapidly rising tide of erosive influences on his profession. He is particularly concerned over the way his colleagues are being drawn into financial entanglements that threaten their ability to provide the care their patients need. David Roberts, Jack's adopted son, is an idealist, who is driven by his singular goal of becoming a pediatric heart surgeon, despite the potential government takeover of medicine. Like his father, he is compelled to follow his heart, which is filled with excitement for the future. Jack enters into his own private crusade, not only to retain his independence but to protect the profession for his son. His dogged efforts are met with stubborn resistance from those who seek total control of medicine, with surprising results. The Conflict is a fictitious account of the struggles that occur everyday in the practice of medicine. The situations and characters are representative of common circumstances in the modern health care arena and the men and women who have dedicated their lives to providing professional care with courage and compassion.
About the Author: Robert Walter Sewell was born on November 20, 1950, in Independence, Missouri, and moved to Texas with his parents at the age of twelve. He has lived in Texas since, attending Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur and Lamar University in Beaumont, where he received a bachelor's degree in biology. He went on to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, where he achieved his medical degree in 1974. He was accepted into the general surgery residency program at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and completed his surgical training in 1979. After finishing his residency, Dr. Sewell immediately began his surgical practice in the Mid-Cities of North Texas, then moved his practice to its current location in Southlake, Texas, in 2003. He remains an active surgeon today, with an emphasis on minimally invasive general surgery at the Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southlake. As a recognized specialist in the field of laparoscopic surgery, Dr. Sewell has lectured on various minimally invasive procedures throughout the United States and around the world. He is a member of the American Society of General Surgeons (ASGS) and was elected president of that organization in February 2008. He is also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and has served as a governor since 2013. Dr. Sewell maintains memberships in the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, the Texas Medical Association, the Tarrant County Medical Society, as well as the prestigious Texas Surgical Society. Along with his wife, Donna, Dr. Sewell resides in Colleyville, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, where he enjoys golf, photography, computer graphics, video production, gardening and, of course, writing.