1969 —It Was a Very Good Year
ntcKcom
d>ukc univcusity mc6icM ccntaR
VOLUME 17, NUMBER 2
FEBRUARY, 1970
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
THIS IS THE SOUTH?—Medical Center employes fought their way through
the snow to work several days last month. Rumor has it that a few Medical Center
employes even built a snowman in front of the Main Entrance Building] (photo by
Dave Hooks)
New Benefits, Employe’s Council,
P.E.P. Mark Duke Personnel Year
1969 was a year of change for Duke
Medical Center employes—a year of pro
gress.
New and better benefits in the areas
of minimum wages, vacation, holidays,
overtime, hospitalization insurance and
many others went into effect for the
Medical Center's nearly 4,000 nonaca
demic employes during the year.
The Employes' Council got underway
in early 1969 to provide each employe
for the first time with a voice in making
the policies that affect him at Duke.
And, near the end of the year, the
Medical Center announced plans for the
establishment of the Paths for Employe
Progress Program to enable employes who
want to move up the job ladder to obtain
a better education.
New Policies and Benefits
Included in the package of personnel
policy changes adopted last year was a
more clearly defined statement of Duke's
attitude of nondiscrimination toward em
ployes and job applicants. Since the
policy went into effect, hundreds of
meetings between University supervisors
and the personnel department have em
phasized Duke's determination to elimi-i
nate any discrimination because of race,
color, sex, religion, or national origin.
In July, Duke raised the minimum
wage to $1.80 per hour for employes
who have worked at the University for
at least a year. New permanent employes
begin at a minimum of $1.66 per hour,
receiving periodic pay increases until
they reach the $1.80 rate within a year.
(continued on page five)
Med Center
Grows; ’69
Services Up
Growth was the keyword for Duke
University Medical Center during 1969—
growth in care to patients, education,
research, and service to the Durham
community.
The year saw the opening of Duke's
innovative Rehabilitation Center, the ac
quisition of Sealevel Hospital, and the
construction of several other new build
ings.
The University for the first time esta
blished a vice-presidency for the Medical
Center.
The unit system began a new era of
decentralization in hospital administra
tion.
These are just a few of the major
events which kept Duke in the forefront
of progress in American medicine.
Pickens Rehabilitation Center
The Marshall I. Pickens Rehabilitation
Center, dedicated December 14 to honor
the vice-chairman of the Duke Endow
ment trustees, was planned to treat,
re-educate, and rehabilitate severely ill,
injured, and disabled patients.
The $1.1 million structure, located
across Erwin Road from the Graduate
Center, will provide comprehensive pro
grams for patients with stroke, muscular
dystrophy, paraplegia, amputations, cere
bral palsy, multiple sclerosis, emphysema,
cardiac disease, burns, arthritis, cystic
fibrosis, neurogenic bladder disease, and
other problems.
In addition to outpatient services, the
rehab staff will conduct research projects
and educational programs concerned with
rehabilitation.
(continued on page six)