Atlanta Daily World

Training Program For Negro Medics Explained By Spalding

By GEORGE M. COLEMAN

The launching of a teaching program for Negro doctors has been stymied on the verge of success, and awaits final agreement between Emory University School of Medicine and a Negro physician who has been contracted to head the program, the Fulton-Dekalb Hospital Authority's top man said Tuesday.

Hughes Spalding, Chairman of the authority, said the opening of the teaching program is held up at present over lack of agreement on actual implementation of the program.

The program was planned for Hughes Spalding Pavilion, an arm of the Grady Medical Center, as a starting point for offering training to young Negro resident physicians, who are not taught under Grady's teaching program handled by Emory.

PLANS EXPLAINED

Plans for the proposed teaching program were explained by Mr. Spalding Tuesday in answer to questions concerning the probable success or failure of the venture. Frank Wilson, Secretary-Treasurer of the authority and Administrator of Grady Hospital, was present during the interview.

Spalding said that the program has been his dream for at least 10 years. Actual attempts to get it started have been made during the past five years, he said.

He deplored the situation the Negro physician finds himself in, and pointed out the Atlanta Negro doctor has little opportunity to keep pace with modern techniques, and medicines without aid of programs and meetings which they have no part in at present.

FIRST FOR NEGRO

The teaching program was designed to be the beginning of this for the Negro doctor.

Dr. Asa G. Yancey, Chief of Surgery at Veterans' Administration Hospital in Tuskegee, Ala. had been sought to head up this first effort.

Spalding said Dr. Yancey signed a contract on May 15 of this year to begin the teaching program with a curriculum in surgery. The program was to be expanded later to include medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics. Spalding disclosed.

A hitch developed when Dr. Yancey made two reservations for starting the program. They were that the program be accredited and the school have financial support.

TEACHING GRANT

Spalding said the hospital authority has met all requirements of Dr. Yancey that they have power to grant. He said a two-year grant totaling $78,000 was made available, and we have that money now."

One year and four months, however, have slipped by without its being placed in use, he added.

The program will be accredited, it was revealed, because Spalding hospital, as part of the medical center which is accredited, will have to meet the same standards and share accreditation.

The program seemed to have clear sailing from this point, Spalding said, until school officials began working out details for implementing the teaching program. Conflict developed then between Dr. Yancey and school officials over details and expectations, it was understood.

THE CONFLICT

Spalding said the authority was not familiar with details of the Conflict, but added it probably had to do with classroom, ward and other procedures as well as administrative.

It would have been the first time the all-white university had Negro pupils in a sense. Resident physicians have their M. D. degrees when they begin resident training, but under the complex setup Emory would have jurisdiction over them as well as residents who have been trained at the university.

Spalding said the hospital authority has a contract with Emory under which the authority furnishes buildings, finance, supplies and general hospital administration.

Emory furnishes the teaching program.

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Training Program
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gram and medical supervision. In return Emory is granted the contract for teaching and research.

Emory medical students spend their last two years at Grady, it was revealed.

Spalding said the agreement was begun because Emory was considered the "top medical authority" when the medical center was established.

He said that if Atlanta was to become the medical center they desired Negro doctors must be an active part of it. However, Wilson revealed the new Grady building is under jurisdiction of the former contract existing between the authority and Emory.

This apparently means Negro personnel will consist of registered nurses, student nurses, practical nurses, nurses aides, maids and orderlies. Spalding hospital will continue as a county unit for paying patients until some program is completed to give the prospective Negro doctor a place to practice in his final years of study.