Vanderbilt Tullahoma Harton incoming medical director of anesthesiology has penned a book that certainly won’t put its readers to sleep as he has released a satirical novel as seen from behind the curtain of the hospital system.

“House of Perdition” follows the diary of a resident physician at Beacon View Medical Center, an obscure Harvard hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Beginning his residency at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. David Callan seeks a therapeutic outlet to process his emotional trauma as a trainee in a career field filled with constant exposure to suffering, inequity, and death, coupled with the incredible stress to perform and never fail.

The stories in House of Perdition are connected by themes relatable to anyone who has embarked on a career in healthcare. Whether a nursing student, future mid-level provider, or resident physician, all are bonded by the patient problems, the archaic educational hierarchy, and an expensive, inefficient healthcare system that fails both providers and patients. With David’s sharp wit and brutal honesty woven throughout the medical stories, you may find yourself reconsidering your own experiences with healthcare.

Matthew Russell, MD is a Harvard-trained, board-certified anesthesiologist based in Nashville, Tennessee. Matt graduated at the top of his class at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he majored in Pharmacology & Toxicology and Spanish. He fell in love with an early exposure to anesthesiology. Obtaining his medical doctorate with Alpha Omega Alpha honors from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2020, Matt attended a categorical anesthesiology program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. Besides advocating for a better healthcare system, Matt spends his time reading military history, woodworking, hiking with his growing family, and enjoying the outdoors.

He is the incoming medical director of anesthesiology at Vanderbilt Tullahoma Harton Hospital, and will be moving to Tullahoma in July.