H. William Taeusch

H. William (“Bill”) Taeusch – (born 1941, Cleveland, OH) – prominent American neonatologist and author, Professor Emeritus at UC San Francisco. He now lives in Jerusalem and writes fiction, often drawing on his NICU experiences.  He is the author of The Neonatal ICU Series:

Baby Doe (2021): A novel exploring the ethical and legal complexities of treating a newborn with severe disabilities amidst 1980s “Baby Doe” laws.

DiBene’s Offer (2023): A thriller following Dr. Eli Kurz as he navigates medical research and a mysterious private lab in the Antilles. The mystery revolves around the lab and the ethical boundaries of applying experimental medical discoveries to infants.

Saving Julian (2024): The plot hinges on a corrupt social services department attempting to seize custody of a baby. The protagonist, Dr. Eli Kurz, becomes “complicit” in a desperate, high-stakes attempt to circumvent the system.

Sula’s Sacrifice (2026): [The story follows Dr. Eli Kurz, a neonatologist who is “encouraged” to take a sabbatical in Ethiopia following an incident of medical malfeasance back in Boston. Eli arrives in Ethiopia with the goal of running a clinical trial for a simple medical device designed to improve the survival rates of newborns delivered outside of hospitals. What Eli hopes will be a straightforward clinical mission quickly devolves into a dangerous ordeal involving theft, kidnapping, and ransom demands.

Settings and Influence: Taeusch’s move to Jerusalem and his studies at the Shaindy Rudoff Creative Writing Program at Bar Ilan University (Israel’s only English-language creative writing program) significantly influence his narrative voice and the cultural context of his writing.

Ethical Intersections: The books often explore the intersection of modern medicine and moral philosophy, themes that frequently resonate with Jewish ethical debates regarding the sanctity of life and the “right to die” (e.g., the Baby Doe laws).  [Google/AI]

Taeusch, William, [Neonatal ICU Series #1] (Baby Doe [pb, Wheatmark, 2021]) 978-1627878135

Taeusch, William, [Neonatal ICU Series #2] (DiBene’s Offer [pb, Wheatmark, 2023]) 979-8887471167

Taeusch, William, [Neonatal ICU Series #3] (Saving Julian [pb, Wheatmark, 2024]) 979-8887472010

Taeusch, William, [Neonatal ICU Series #4] (Sula’s Sacrifice [pb, Wheatmark, 2026]) 979-8887473291