Evening star., 1951-11-27
Georgetown u.
FacingCutback
In Surgery
Mass designations
Of Anesthetists May
CurtuiI Services


However. it was learned a grour
OF Washington anesthesia special.
lists may propose stop-gap meas.
ures to offset vacancies creatcc
by the designations of the service
chief and nine young doctors ir
resident training.
The chief, DR.. Edward B. Iuohy
nationally known authority in the
field, resigned last week after
heading the service for more than
four years. The nine residents, al
studying the speciality under DR.
Tuohy, have submitted resigna-
tlons to become effective after
Friday, they said.
Assistant Remains.
The designations would leave
only DR.. Theodore Guther, DR.
Tuchy's former assistant, who has
been named acting chief, on the
hospitals Salaried anestheSia staff
DR. Gunther told reporter he
could make no comment on his
future status.
Doctors questioned about the
Georgetown situation, meanwhile,
said it represents a significant de-
velopment in Nationwide issues
revolving around the practice of
anesthesiology in hospitals.
The designations, the threat of
a surgery cutback and the move of
private anestheSiologists were dis
cussed last night at an open meet
Ing of the anesthesiology section
of the District Medical Society
The groups discussion subject,
announced long in advance. con-
cerned the Importance of training
programs in anestheSia.
Severa! of the GEORGETOWN resi-
dents, as we'll as DR.. Gunther, at
tended the session. DR.. Tuohy has
been in California since last week
Says Proposals Rejected.
Explaining the background o1
the designations. one resident, who
asked that his name not be used
said DR. Tuohy left because hos.
pital authorities would not agree
to proposals he had submitted
about the conduct of the anes-
thesla service.
Among them, he said, was a
demand that a considerable per-
centage" of the money patients
pay for anesthesia be turned back
for further development of the
anesthesia service. Included, he
said, would be money for more
trained men, research projects
and increased pay for workers in
the service.
DR.. Tuohy. the resident said,
also had waged a fight to replace
Georgetown's system of salaried
staff of trained anesthetists with
a private fee" system.
This fight, doctors told a re-
porter. is being carried on ma
tionaly by anesthesiologists, who
argue that they should have the
right to enter hospitals as private
doctors, serve private patients and
bill them, much as surgeons do.
They contend also that this as
sures patients that aneSthesia is
administered by trained special
lists.
Big Profits Cited.
This system is followed in many
hospitals. the doctors said. But
they charged that other hos
pitals-plagued by defcits-insist
on salaried services from which
they realize big profits. The same
battle. these doctors said, is be.
ing waged around the issue O.
whether hospitals should operat,
laboratories and X-ray depart.
ments with salaried doctors.
Several doctors, however, tolc
a reporter they understood tha
medical leaders felt universit,
hospitals. because of their larg'
teaching programs, should bt
exempt from the proposal to bal
salaried doctors.
The Georgetown resident tolc
the session last night that Dr.
Tuohy had offered to "compro
mise" on some of the proposals
but that he was not willing t.
meet those put forth by hospita
officials.
He stressed that DR.. Tuohy dit
not ask for a pay increase TO-
himself, but did propose NOR,
money for DR.. Gunther and thu
residents. Part of the proposal
he said, was that the residents
who are paid between S25 and ST!
a month, be given 5000.
Staff Held Inadequate.
The resident said his group fel
that DR.. Tuohy's departure lef
an inadequate staff to supervis,
their training.
Beyond that, he added, "Dr
Tuohy has inculcated in us prin
cipleS for which we are thankful.
The Georgetown residents pres
ent. however, expressed concerr
about leaving the anesthesia serv
ice uncovered - especially fol
emergency cases. Unless there i
some guarantee that coverage will
be provided. one of them said
1--WE will stay and do it ourselves.
The resident added that thu
hospital had not scheduled cleo
tive mon emergency surger,
cases beyond Friday.
Asked to comment, DR.. Gunthe
told the group it was hoped tina
private anesthesiologists woult
come into the hospital on "fe,
basis" to handle cases other thai
those for house" (indigent) pa
tients. He did not indicat
whether this might be viewed a
a temporary or a permanent solu
ton to the problem.
AS the meeting ended, DR.. Johl
j. Mattare, chairman of the sec
ton, appointed a special commit
tee to confer with Georgetown
officials on a possible program
Tho committee was eXpected f.