A squabble over the method of appointing resident doctors to the Charity hospital staff erupted at a meeting Tuesday night of the institution's board of administrators.
The hospital's executive committee—made up of heads of various departments—appeared to complain about action of the board's medical committee in refusing to affirm appointment of certain young doctors whom members of the executive committee had recommended.
They refused to accept the list of appointees to the residential physician staff as approved by the medical committee of the board and contended that members of the committee had rejected certain names without ample cause.
Dr. W. J. Rein, chairman of the board's committee, said it had "followed policy as we understood it" and called a meeting between the medical committee and a committee representing the complaining doctors in the hospital's board room at 9:30 a. m. Wednesday to "try to work the thing out."The board's policy is to give a native Louisianian preference over an out-of-town candidate and to consider a man's service record, as well as his general ability. The motion specifies that before the medical committee makes its approvals in the future it must; meet with the executive committee to iron out difficulties before the final list is made up.
Requirement Criticized
Dr. J. D. Rives, head of the LSU department of surgery, took issue with the requirement that Louisianians be given preference over other candidates. "Many of our best doctors in this city today were not born in this state," he said, "and there are many brilliant young physicians we would do well to attract here."
Many would-be interns at Charity from other states are driven away because they realize they do not stand an equal chance for appointment as do those who were born in Louisiana, he said. He warned that it will eventually affect the hospital's standards.
He emphasized the care the department heads take in making recommendations for appointment and declared that "it appears to us a similar careful screening has not been made by the medical committee."
