European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 4, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                May 1985 the stars and stripes Page 7 Navy surgeons qualifications questioned cardiac specialist haunt practice in 6 paper says Washington a a doctor who was named chief of heart surgery at Bethesda naval Hospital six months after joining the staff had not practice such sur Gery for six years before he was according to a published Benjamin hired by the Navy As a consultant to study Donal Billigs said Billig joined the Bethesda staff in january 1983 with the understanding that he would undergo retraining As a cardiac the Washington Post reported another Reginald recommended in May near the end of Billigs that the 54yearold surgeon not be allowed to perform heart surgery without the newspaper Peniston said his recommendation was not and the next month Billig was named head of the cardiac surgery he had not done cardiac surgery for six years before he went into the said chief of cardio Tho Racic surgery at George Washington University Hospital in and nobody asked him that bothersome the credentialing process didst even look into Aaron said he made his report to the Navy in a Navy Board of investigation has begun close door hearings into the circumstances surrounding Billigs recruitment and his appointment As chief of heart surgery at the Hospital in suburban in another report the Atlanta Constitution quoted unidentified physicians familiar with the Case As saying that revocation of Billigs appointment followed a four week period last fall in which the death rate of cardiac surgery patients exceeded 25 naval medical come spokeswoman Diane Lamacchia said last week that the cardio thoracic surgery unit As a whole had not suffered an abnormally High death rate during Billigs the units mortality rate while Billig was chief was consistent with the National average of Between 5 percent and 6 percent for such she Billigs Neal would not comment wednesday on any questions about who supervised much of Billigs work during retraining and has since retired from said his report of the surgeons work was with qualify my biggest criticism was his surgical techniques were not adequate to operate Peniston told the Billigs clinical privileges at the Hospital were suspended last november and his staff privileges were revoked March 18 following questions of his surgical compe the Navy has refused to discuss what specific event or events prompted revocation of Billigs and who holds the rank of is appealing the in june Billig surrendered his physicians License in new Jersey after he made an unsuccessful attempt in court to remain at the Monmouth medical Center in Long a doctors panel at according to court had ruled Billig could not operate unless he was and asked him to the Constitution reported that staff physicians at be Thesda had voiced concern Over Billigs surgical abilities throughout his 17month tenure As director of the cardiac the protest peaked in september and october when several of Billig s patients died in the Constitution other patients suffered needless complications and life threatening situations after heart valve replace ment and coronary artery bypass the Constitution quoted physicians As the physicians said that of about 20 patients in the heart unit in a four week period in september and octo five under Billigs care died on the operating More patients died after surgical they Milton Eisenhower Dies at 85 Baltimore a Milton i who served As president of three universities and adviser to several including his died thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospi he was Eisenhower had been in and out of the Hospital for several months with a variety of said Hospital spokeswoman sue the youngest of the seven Eisenhower Milton Eisenhower served his brother Dwight As a special ambassador to latin he also served in the administrations of Franklin Lyndon Johnson and John Kenne and advised other he was president of three Kansas Penn state and finally Johns where he retired As presi Dent emeritus in while attending Kansas state Eisenhower majored in and took two years away from school to earn tuition As City editor of the Abilene daily he graduated in 1924 and be came an assistant professor of in College president William Jardine was named Secretary of agriculture by president Calvin and Eisenhower went along As his during world War Roosevelt tapped Eisenhower to direct the relocation of japanese americans evacuated from the Pacific and was Roose belts agent straightening out refugee re Lief and relocation problems in North Africa in Eisenhower later called relocation of the japanese an inhuman when Kansas state College called Eisenhower to be its president in he was associate director of the office of War he moved to the presi Dency of Penn state in in he married Helen who died in they had two file photo Milton Eisenhower toddlers eat 89 Ltd in critical condition Center up two toddlers ate 89 Ltd pills left on a living room Coffee table and were hospitalized in critical and their Uncle was arrested thursday on assault three Earold Robert Walsh and his Little were conscious but suffering from hallucinations in univer sity hospitals paediatric unit in Stony Brook on Long Suffolk county police officer William Okula the children were in critical condition but their vital signs Are Okula their Emil who left the double barrel purple Ltd capsules on the Coffee was arrested on two charges of first degree wander is the brother of the childrens Mother and lives in the Walsh Okula said wander was charged with assault because he showed a depraved in difference to human this is Tanta mount to leaving a loaded gun on the Coffee it was believed the two children ate 89 of 100 pills wander purchased Okula six of the pills were found in wanders car and five others were accounted police believe Robert found the pills and gave some of them to his younger according to police were summoned to the House shortly after 9 thursday by the childrens who requested an Walsh noticed that Michael seemed she said the pupils of the boys eyes were and his Tongue was Okula when police arrived at the they found Michael in his crib with an empty believed to have contained some of the resting on the minutes Michael lapsed into Okula he said Robert showed no symptoms of the drug until after police but he appeared to go into a stupor and lost no budget no paper says Pentagon denies Story about Weinberger threats Washington up the Penta gon has strongly denied a report that de sense Secretary Caspar Weinberger threat ened senators with the closure of military bases in their states if they failed to support his he has not threatened anybody with the retired general Dies a retired Cyrus who led the first american troops to enter Paris during world War has he was he served three years in the european theater and won a Silver Star commanding the 102nd cavalry Essex closing of Pentagon spokesman Michael Burch said that not his style of dealing with he Doest use Stro Garm tactics like the Washington times said Weinberger threatened a number of Republican senators wednesday with the closing of bases in their states if they voted to freeze Mili tary spending next Senate majority Leader Robert r said Weinberger met with several re publican senators on Capitol Hill wednes Day but denied the Pentagon chief made any Weinberger and Dole met again Burch at the request of Barry chairman of the Senate armed services Weinberger earlier this year listed 22 bases that May be Candi dates for although Weinberger supports the idea of base Burch the Secretary is against such a move this year and next be cause there would be no immediate savings and it would Cost too much to savings from base closings do not become apparent for at least three years after the installations Are shut Down because of costs involved in cancelling terminating the employment of civilians and transferring Mili tary personnel and equipment to other Pentagon officials have Lawrence assistant defense Secretary for told a Senate armed services committee panel thursday that if proposed legislation to expedite base closings is the Pentagon will give Congress a list of pro posed base closures and a request for Money to close the bases when it files the fiscal year 1987 budget next Korb also suggested that fiscal year 1986 construction funds for projects at the listed bases be Parks service Boss named Washington a William Penn California Parks director when presi Dent Reagan was has been chosen to head the National Park is president of the California state Parks a private group he founded in and general manager of the East Bay zoological society in