Duke University Medical Center, InterCom
Page 3
Supt
Cotne'i
by (’liarles II. Prenzel
The Trivate Diagnostic Clinics of
Duke University ^Medical (Center were
started as an interesting: experiment
in providinf^ a means by which the
clinical faculty of the Medical School
could effectively serve the private
patients of the hospital and clinics
and at the same time produce income
so as to relieve Duke University of
some of the high costs of medical edu
cation.
The experiment has been a huge
success. The PDC’s have been a big
factor in attracting to Duke outstand
ing clinicians in all specialties. The
skills of these excellent physicians
have brought to Duke ever increasing
numbers of private patients and have
permitted not only the salary support
of the clinical faculty but also a large
investment in the growth and de
velopment of the Medical Center.
The Clinics have grown in size and
in organization and now offer the
highest quality medical care through
this group practice arrangement.
Consultations are naturally and
normally available both for private
and staff patients. Our patients are
obviously the benefactors.
The PDC’s are an integral part of
the Medical Center, not only iu tlie
fact that they are physically a part
aiul that their staffs ])erform teaching
and research functions, biit also in
every aspect of their operations.
The personnel policies, purchasing
practices, and operating iiolicies of
the PDC’s conform with those of the
remainder of the Medical ( enter.
They perform functions for the hos
pital and in turn have functions i>er-
formed for them by the hospital.
I'his is truly the outstanding success
of the PD(' experiment. Most pa
tients do not recognize divisions of
our Medical (Vnter. They pass from
one area to the other with the feeling
that they are receiving unsegmented.
total Medical Center type health serv
ices. This is one of the major factors
in the success and growth of the Duke
Univei’sity Medical Center. We
should not take this close coordina
tion for granted but must continue
to work hard on solving our internal
problems and maintaining this image
to our public.
Our thanks to Mrs. Glenn Negley
for a very productive tenure as Presi
dent of the Hospital Auxiliary and
our congratulations and promis(> of
support to Mrs. Richard Leach, who
took over this important office last
mouth.
(PDC continued from page 2)
]\Iedical Sciences Building,
development f\ind
In addition to such major commit
ments in building, Pl)(' funds supply
approximately one-fifth of the oper
ating budget of the Medical School.
A study of cost of operation of all of
the Medical Center, excluding the
hospital, in fiscal 1961-62, showed
that PD(' funds covered 19.5 per cent
and Univei’sity funds 10.8 per cent.
The remainder came from outside
sources.
In 1957 the University liealtli
Plan was activated. This medical
care plan covers all members of the
University family. Cost of the plan
is shared by the iiidividual and the
University. PDC makes its contri
bution to tlie Ihiiversity community
by j)roviding the care at a below-
average figure.
Poi- the community at large—
North Carolina and beyond—excel
lent diagnostic and consultation serv
ice, ])ossible only in a large medical
center, is available to the practicing
physician aiul his patient.
As the denmnd for medical care
grows and the PDC ])atient load in
creases, physical changes must occur.
The expansion of space i)lanned for
the immediate future will utilize the
court to the right of Medical PDC.
l>ids are now being let and construc
tion should be comj^leted in four
Dorothy Tate Named
Director of Dietetics
Miss Dorothy Ellen Tate, formerly
assistant director of dietetics at Duke
University Medical Center, siu'cecds
the late i\Iiss Esther Katlilf as direc
tor of the department.
A native of State College, Pennsyl
vania, Miss Tate earned her B.S. and
M.S. degrees in institutional adminis
tration at Pennsylvania State Uni
versity and served a dietetic intern
ship at the Medical College of Vir
ginia iu Richmond. She also served
as therapeutic dietitian and instruc
tor at the Medical College of Virginia.
Prior to coming to Duke in August,
1962, she had served for 10 years as
research dietitian and head thera
peutic dietitian at North Carolina
Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill.
IVliss Tate also holds tlie position of
assistant professor of dietetics on tlu*
Duke Medical Center faculty.
She is the immediate past i)rosident
of the N. C. Dietetic Association.
months. The Medical Division wi'l
gain more space for administrative
offices and bookkeeping; the Surgical
Division will have 11 new examining
rooms. It is no longer possible, how
ever, to provide adequate clinical
facilities within tlie present (’lini-
Building. With the completion in
(Continued on page 4)