Wattsville

Who should determine the course of health care, patients and physicians or committees of administrators? Wattsville, a Novel by Juneus Kendall, M.D. tells the story of medical care in a small community whose dedicated doctor loses control of his practice when the coal mine operators agree to fund a health-care system controlled by the union administration. This novel portrays the personal stories of the village inhabitants, the hardships of their lives, the peculiar culture prevalent in the Appalachians of their time and the effect of imposed changes. Freedom is not the same to all people but is important to most and its loss is felt in many ways. Dr. Kendall, who has been a physician for over fifty years, has seen increasing third party intrusion in the medical process along with ever increasing signs that this is a mistake. The narrative is interesting, compelling and at the same time a warning of what can happen when people risk their freedom for a promise of security.