Evening star., 1944-11-25
Bars
ID. {. Doctors
Lacking License
BorderIine Permit
No Longer Valid
In Nearby Sections
By HAROLD b. ROGERS.

IAA XjAoAAAAA4SAo 44e%o 6SAAAAS0 SAAS
practice of medicine by District
in nearby Maryland
unless they obtain a full Stats
license. Heretofore they have
been permitted to practice with
'borderline certificates. The
State license costs $50, while the
"borderline certificate" costs
only 81.
The action, taken by the board
in Baltimore, October 81, has been
protested both by the
District Medical Society and by DR..
George C. Ruhland, District health
officer, who is secretary-treasureY
of the District Commission on
Licensure.
Regular License Not Involved.
The controversy does not involve
the regular license to practice medi-
cine which is issued both by Mary
land and the District,
1t is understood, however. that
many District doctors would be pre-
vented from continuing their prac-
tice in both Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties in Maryland under
the ban, unless they took out a COM
plete license to practice.
DR.. Rutland has asked the Board
of Medical Examiners to clarity their
order. He had not received an an
swer up to noon today.
Fee No Objection.
1t is not the cost to which the
medical profession in Washington
and the health officer are protest.
ing. They are objecting to the
move by the Maryland board be.
cause of the high pressure on doc
tors during the wartime emergency.
The issue arose last December in
connection with doctors on the at
tending staff of the Suburban Hos
pital at Bethesda.
Negotiations on the issue con-
tinued over many months. They
finally resulted in the order by the
Maryland board October 81 when
the Maryland examiners took two
definite steps.
As explained in a letter to DR..
Rutland by DR.. John T. OMara,
secretary of the Maryland board, "It
was ordered that all borderline GER
tificates be discontinued for the time
being"
Fee Returned.
In the second placf, DR.. OMara
returned to DR.. Rutland the 81 fee
which had been sent on behalf OF .
certain doctor in the District who
had applied for a borderline certifi.
cate to see patients in Maryland.
Dr. Rutland, in a letter dated
November Is, acknowledged receipt
of the 81 check and said among other
things:
The ultimate relationship OF
practice in either jurisdiction un-
doubtedly will be most satisfactorily
and conclusively settled by proper
licensure. 1t is my belief that the
wartime manpower shortage makes
the decision to summary cut OF
such practice at the present time
undesirable.
Public to Suffer.
1T will be the people of Maryland
that particularly will be placed at
disadvantage because ct this de-
cision as applicable now.
"I would like to have csariication
of your statement regarding the
discontinuance of all borderline GER
tificates. Do you mean that the
certificates already issued are now
imperative and of no legal efficacy,
or simply that your board is not
going to issue any more for the
time being?"
1t was this question which had
not been answered by today. Speak
ing for the medical society, Theo-
dore Wiprud, secretary, said today
that the society protested the pro-
posed ban on "borderline certifi-
Gates" principally because of the
pressure on physicians at the pres
ent time.
Sees Probable Solution.
The society was on record, hs aid,
in letter to the District Commission
on Licensure, explaining that such
ban would not only be great
disadvantage to the physicians
themselves but to their patients in
nearby Maryland.
DR.. Rutland takes the position
that eventually the question can be
solved if physicians, in their re-
spective Jurisdictions, would qualify
by obtaining licenses in their re-
spective areas.
mo doubt this would be the best
solution" he told DR.. OMara in q
previous letter, while the negotia-
tions were under way. 'Unfortu-
nately, the present wartime, with q
distressing shortage of available
practitioners, is likely to defeat such
a plan.
Question for Public.
II feel that I should point out
what is possibly already known to
your board, that the population in
Montgomery and Prince Georges
counties would be heavily penalized
by such an arbitrary insistence. at
! this time He was referring to Q
ban on "borderline certificates"
In Montgomery County, the ratio
of available physicians to the popu-
lation." explained DR.. Ruhland. lis
approximately one physician to 5000
and in Prince Georges County, ap-
proximately l to 1000. A recent
survey reveals there are II doctors
| In private practice In this area Of
which 70 are general practitioners.
It follows that the population In
these districts must depend upon
the specialists located in Washing
ton for medical service falling
within the specialties.
| The local profession is much
overworked and, feel, would be
very much disposed to let public
opinion express itself on the matter
Of necessity"
~ R1,o,c ,,o