Evening star., 1939-02-17
Ga||inger Truce
LastAugust
Revealed
RuhIund, Universities
Agreed to Control
By Visiting Stoff

SOilllONelSy ONei VIC SoiiCAoA Va
major departments at Gallinger
Municipal Hospital apparently turns
on the question of whether formal
"truce" entered into last August be-
tween Health Officer George c.
Rutland and Georgetown and
George Washington Universities had
been violated, according to disclo-
sures today in the District Building.
This agreement" adopted at a
special meeting of the Board o.
Commissioners last August II, pro-
vided for continuation of control of
the departments by physicians from
the medical schools of the universe
ties, despite the appointment of five
full-time "chief resident physicians"
last July.
At the same time, questions were
raised as to whether it was the in
tent of Congress to have the five
new resident physicians serve as
"heads of departments" and thereby
take control away from the volun-
iSSl NioAuili6 pay o4SAaAAo AAcAAA eAAS
staffs of the medical schools.
The Formal agreement came to
light as DR.. Rutland went into
private conference with DR.. Cloyd
Heck Marvin. of George Washing
ton University and Very Rev. Arthur
OLeary, S. j., of Georgetown Uni
versity, at the latter's Office.
Aftor t1,o tho f1oroo
issued joint statement saying only:
progress was made toward working
out a solution of the Gallinger Hos
pital problem They refused to
give details.
Ratification Reserved.
DR.. Rutland made stipulation In
the August agreement, which he
called truce that his department
would reserve official ratification
until the corporation counsel had
rendered a formal opinion as to
whether it was legal for visiting
physicians to serve as heads of de-
partments. ElWood H. Seal, corpo-
ration counsel, said today his Office
had not yet been asked for an
opinion.
The issue arose first. it was re-
vealed today, when the provision
was written into the Appropriation
Act for this year by the House for
the employment of not to exceed
six full time "heads of departments"
who would be paid at the rate of
$500 year.
Spokesmen for the universities
protested this would likely remove
their staff physicians from control
at Gallinger, and. subsequently, the
language was changed in the Senate
bill to provide for not to exceed six
full time "chief resident physicians"
instead of department heads, and
the bill was passed in this form.
The question then was carried to
the Commissioners and last August
II special meeting was held by
George E. Allen and Col. Dan I.
Sultan, then District Commissioners
They had meeting with them Dr.
Rutland, Assistant Health Officer
Daniel L. Seckinger, Budget Officer
Daniel j. Donovan, DR.. Marvin and
DR.. Edmund Walsh. representing
Georgetown University.
Minutes Made Public.
The minutes of that meeting, made
public by the Commissioners today,
were as follows:
"At 2:30 pm. the Commissioners
called a special meeting to give con-
sideration to the medical services at
Gallinger Municipal Hospital, par
ticularly with respect to the rela-
tionship between the hospital and
the medical schools of Georgetown
University and George Washington
University.
After considerable discussion, it
was agreed that the present ar
rangement with respect to the ad-
mlnlstration of the medical services
at the hospital Gncluding the con-
tinuance of the present committees
and PERSONNEL is to stand as it is,
with the following provisos:
Il. That the professional activ-
tiles and the right to make clinical
research of the full time medical
men at Gallinger Hospital will not
in anyway be circumscribed.
20. That the Health Department,
subject to the approval of the Com
missioners, will have the right to
add to the visiting staff of the hos
pital if such additions appear to be
necessary.
"3. That the Health Department
reserves official ratificati until it
has an opinion from the legal de-
partment reversing an informal
opinion of Mr.. (William H. Wahly
of that department, stated by DR..
Rutland to be to the effect that
the practice in the past of having
these voluntary medical workers
serve as heads of departments at
Gallinger Hospital was illegal.
To Continue for Year.
a. That the present arrangement
with the provisos listed above con-
tinue in effect for a trial period
of one year"
There was no explanation made
today as to why the opinion of the
corporation counsel had not been
sought on the point raised by DR..
Ruhland.
DR.. Ruhland's only comment on
the truce" was that he had made
stipulations which had not yet been
Endorsed by the university heads.