European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 1, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 1, 1966 the stars and stripes Page 5 j civilian Agency to review Dod hospitals by Chuck Vonch Washington Bureau Washington a civilian Agency will soon begin a review of the medical services provided by the defense depart ment s 168 military  awarded a 54.6 million contract thursday to the commission on professional and Hospital activities of Ann Arbor Mich. That Agency will study Al aspects of military medical care including Ina lint care emergency and surgical services and record keeping. The Agency s review will provide for the first time an objective rather than a anecdotal basis for measuring the Quality of care in the military medical system said or. William Mayer the defense department s top health official. I consider this an act of Faith in the finest medical system of any armed Force on Earth Mayer said. We Are saying tour Peers in the civilian sector. Come on in and take a look at our Quality of excellence and then Well Tell the world what you have found " the military medical system has Bee the subject of much recent debate. One frequent criticism is that the system suf fers from trying to fulfil a peacetime role while remaining ready to handle its vast different wartime Mission. Mayer has said in congressional testimony that in a major War . Combat medical forces would be Able to offer prompt adequate care to Only three out of 10 wounded Scricc members. But Mayer draws a distinction betwee the readiness posture of the military medi Cal system and the Quality of care. I am convinced that the Overall Quality t f care in military Medicine is equal to i not better than Overall care in the civilian sector despite a relatively Small number of highly visible tragic instances of medi Cal mischance Mayer said. Mayer said the external peer review will dramatically complement the Quality Assurance programs that have been established in the past two years. The contract Calls for a standardized process for All patient care reviews world wide rather than allowing individual con tractors in each Region to select specific problems for review. The first reviews Are expected to begin in March with the initial results for warded to Dod by april. Further reports will be made to Dod monthly according to a health affairs  is percent of the 1 million an Nual Dod Hospital admissions worldwide will be reviewed after patient discharge. The care Given will be compared to Crite Ria to be developed jointly by the commis Sion and Dod. Mayer said All medical charts reviewed by the commission will be screened against a standardized checklist of 18 indicators of potentially poor  checklist already is used by Mili tary Quality Assurance personnel Mayer said. He said the screening will Check the accuracy of the military s data. The program will use health care personnel who Are not doctors but have experience in reviewing medical records forthe preliminary screenings. Board certified physicians will study those cases that arc noted during those screenings As hav ing possible ii laity of car problems. Creation of this civilian military partnership is a giant step Forward to build credibility and Confidence in the Quality of military health care and to ensure our Quality of care is indeed the very Best possible Mayer said. He said the information gained during the reviews will help military hospitals identify possible Quality of care issues an eventually provide a basis for comparing military Medicine to other aspects of american Medicine. The contract will run for one year wit the possibility of renewal for a second year at $5 million and a third at $5.3 million. Expert says naval surgeon used bad judgment technique Washington a a private heart specialist testified on thursday that or. Donal Billig the former naval surgeon who faces military charges for operations he performed seemed guilty of bad judgment and technique in several of those operations. That doctor Harold c. Urschel or. Of Dallas also Testi fied As did an army surgeon that Billig failed in his responsibility to one patient who died after being removed from an operating room. The testimony came in the third week of a court martial in which Billig faces charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with five deaths during or after operations he performed or supervised. Billig also is charged with 24 counts of dereliction of duty in connection with operations before his surgical privileges at Bethesda naval Hospital were suspended in no vember 1984. The Navy commander had been chief of Cardie thoracic surgery there since june 1983. On thursday prosecutors questioned Urschel in detail about each of the five operations that led to the Man Slaughter cases. He did not witness the operations but has studied reports about them. At the end of each series of questions Urschel was asked if the care Billig had Given was what might be expected from a prudent heart surgeon. I would say no he said after the first two. After another in my opinion  then for the last two the answer is  commenting on one Case he said in my opinion the cause of death Here was related to judgment errors and technical  and he made similar comments about other cases in which Billig s patients died. Urschel and it. Col. Frederick c. Lough an army surgeon who had operated with Billig on cases other than those questioned in the trial took particular Issue wit Billig for leaving a  it who later died in the intensive care unit after an  is accused of culpable negligence in connection with that heart bypass surgery on retired air Force . John Kas jr., 67, in october 1984 an operation in which Billig was supervising a resident surgeon. After the surgery which the Navy says was mishandled Kas Chest could not be closed Over his swollen heart. Still he was taken out of the operating room and Billig left for nearly 90  s attorney Denver Graham said his client had t left the Hospital was available had he been called and infant returned to help try to save Kas before he died. But neither of the two doctors testifying for the prosecution said that made any difference. No i Don t agree that his responsibility is to depend on being called said Lough. If the patient is in trouble he needs to be by the  agreed. It s his responsibility to Check the patient not the people s responsibility to find him he said. I Don t think there s any excuse. With the patient in this kind of  Sailor conv fed of slaying Navy officer suspects to wed rep. Bobbi Fiedler r-calif., will marry her top tide who is accused along with her of violating � California Campaign Law. Fiedler 48, and Paul Clarke 39, were indicted last week on charges of offering to pay off the $100,000 Campaign debt of Kritil Senate candidate de Darls if be would agree to drop out of the race. Newport. . A a Navy Sailor was found guilty thursday of premeditated murder m the fatal Stab Bing of a lieutenant at sea a verdict that could result in the Navy s first use of the death penalty since 1849. An eight member military jury deliberated for almost four hours before finding Petty officer Mitchell Garraway or guilty in the june 16,1985, slaying of it. James sterner aboard the frigate Miller. In closing arguments thursday Navy prosecutor  Otoole said evidence shrieks out that Garra a planned the stabbing death and then tried to hide his plans. Garraway s perception of racism aboard ship. Garraway is Black. Sterner was White. Otoole bad no immediate comment on the verdict but told Navy judge John a. Studer he would present about three hours of testimony Friday showing there were aggravating circumstances to the crime that would Merit Garra Way s execution. Brooks said he would Call Garraway and several other witnesses to testify about mitigating circumstances that would make the death penalty unwarranted. The death penalty requires a unanimous vote of the eight members of the military jury. Garraway 21, pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murdering the slaying which took place off the Bermuda coast. But the Navy sought a conviction on a premeditated Mur Der charge which is punishable by a life sentence or death. Sands or time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Feb. I 1946 unarmed . Soldiers 129 office Sand men captured during the Battle of the bulge were executed in cold blood the Allied tribunal in Nuernber was told. The statement of a German Soldier who witnessed the killings said the americans were mowed downy machine gun fire. 30 years ago today. Feb. 1, 1956 Montgomery ala., has offered a re Ward for information leading to convictions in the bomb ing of the Home of the Rev. Martin Luther King who misleading a Boycott of City buses. A / i leaning of you 01 ii Ous estime inc. Plans of Lay Oft i of employees 20 years ago today. To a i i of 11 c in to new York a time inc. Will Lay off 136 Edito-#1sss# Fol wifi a drop in profit company officials mid thursday. Of time no Ilo yees. Along Effort must also involve reduce spokesman Michael Luftman said the company would Lay off 62 editorial employees and 74 business employees notifying those selected in the next few Days. Time inc. Also has Frozen All hiring he said. Time inc. Magazines with a combined circulation of 19million, include time sports illustrated discover life people Fortune and Money. The company lost week halted tests of a new Magazine picture week for editorial changes. Feb. 1, 1966 . Planes bombed North Vietnam for the first time since december. The raids ended a 37 Day pause during which the . Launched a worldwide peace offensive. 10 years ago today. Feb. 1, 1976 president Ford said the . And the soviet Union Are moving toward a new nuclear arms Limi tation agreement