Duke Hospital, InterCom
Page 3
tion. With Dr. William Anlyaii of
the Department of Surgery studies
have been made of blood flow in the
extremities. Also with Dr. Anlyau,
Dr. George Baylin is actively engaged
in study of the coronary arteries both
in animals and in carefully selected
human patients. The objective of
these studies is to find out whether
surgery can help the patient with
coronary artery disease. For more
than a year and a half, Dr. Baylin
has worked with Dr. Madison Spach
of the Pediatries Department on the
use of angiocardiography in children.
Since 1937 the Department of Ra
diology has sponsored a School of
X-ray Technology. Mr. John B. Ga
boon, Technical Director of the
School, joined the Department in
1938. Up to the present time the
School has offered a one-year course,
but beginning September 1, 1959, tlie
course will be of two years’ duration.
This change recognizes both the in
creased complexities of x-ray technol
ogy and a nationwide trend toward
a longer training period. Eighty-
five percent of the schools in the coun
try now offer a two-year course, and
by 1960 both The American College
of Radiology and the American Reg
istry of X-ray Technicians will re
quire two full years’ training for Reg
istered Technicians. Most students
enrolling in the Duke course have had
some college training, although the
minimum requirement, ap])roved by
the AMA, is a high school diploma.
At present the Duke school has 10
students. With the shift to tlie two-
year program, five will be retained
and five admitted. Tiiis will allow for
a total enrollment of 10 with five
graduates each year. The School of
X-ray Technology at Duke Medical
Center has two graduates who have
been national president of the Ameri
can Society of X-ray Technicians;
two graduates who have become Fel
lows of the American Society of X-
ray Technicians—a distinction to be
obtained only by scientific endeavor;
and the highest number of graduates
serving as chief technicians of any of
the 594 schools in the country.
In the field of technology one of
the greatest shortages in the country
today is in the area of isotope work.
The Isotope Laboratory at Duke of
fers graduate training to technicians
already trained in x-ray technologj- or
medical technology. These students
spend a minimum of three months in
the Isotope Laboratory. Duke Medi
cal Center is one of the few places in
the countrj' where this training is
available.
During Dr. Reeves’ years at Duke
three of his residents have been ap
pointed department chiefs in teach
ing institutions: Dr. Carl Youngstrom
at Kansas, Dr. Robert Pinek at Long
Island College Hospital in Brooklyn,
and Dr. J. S. Lehman at Ilannemaii
Aledical School in Philadelphia. The
anniial Reeves Lecture was established
in A])ril 1957 by former residents in
the department, and the first lecture
was delivered by Dr. Lehman. A
second lecture is planned for the
spring of 1959.
A busj' department siicli as Radi
ology could not function without a ca
pable technical and secretarial staff.
The Department of Radiology counts
among its assets several other staff
members with long terms of service.
Mrs. Sudie Whitfield who retired on
August 31, 1956, had served the de
partment as therapy technician for 24
years and 8 months. Mrs. Helen Til
lery, now chief therapy technician,
has been on the staff since 1942. Mrs.
Barbara Cannady, chief of the de
partment’s secretarial service, came
to the department in 1939.
iDspection Team
to Make Rounds
A Sub-committee of Service De
partment Heads, made uj) of Mr.
Swanson, Assistant Superintendent,
Mr. Bindewald, Personnel Director,
and the Directors of Nursing, Dietet
ics, and Housekeeping, was formed
last spring to discuss mutual i)roblems
and to coordinate activities. In re
sponse to adverse criticism of the
physical appearance of the Hospital
and Medical School, this Sub-commit-
tee suggested formation of an inspec
tion team to make rounds throughout
the Hospital and public areas of the
Medical School. Presented to the De
partment Heads Committee, the idea
was approved on a trial basis. Five
trial inspection tours were made, and
from the experience gained a second
recommendation was prepared for the
Department Heads Committee. This
was approved in March.
The function of this team is to make
routine inspections of all areas with
particular attention to sanitation and
cleaidiness, general appearance of the
building, maintenance of equipment,
and general conformance with hos
pital policies. It calls attention to
uiulesirable conditions that might be
overlooked due to familiarity or to
frustration from inability to get
things done. The team is designed to
hear about problems first hand and to
give advice on how they can be solved
through routine channels.
There is only one inspection team,
and it makes a two-hour tour once
each week during which it usually
covers one entire floor. On the aver
age it takes about five weeks to cover
the entire building, so each area is
visited about once a month. After
inspection a report is prepared and
sent to the Department Head con
cerned. He, in turn, passes it on to
I he person in direct charge.
The reception of the inspection
team has been good, and cooperation
has been excellent. The team is im
pressed with the improved appearance
of the building, and reports from
other sources confirm this feeling.
This imj)rovemcnt reflects the in
creased interest of the entire hospital
staff. The committee recognizes and
ai)])reciates the efforts of all hospital
employees in this direction. At the
same time, the committee realizes the
necessity for continued effort to reach
and maintain high standards.
It looks like the inspection team is
here to stay.