FAILURE OF THE MEDICAL STAFF TO FULFILL CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP62-01094R000500030005-6
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
6
Document Creation Date: 
November 17, 2016
Document Release Date: 
July 19, 2000
Sequence Number: 
5
Case Number: 
Content Type: 
MF
File: 
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PDF icon CIA-RDP62-01094R000500030005-6.pdf239.46 KB
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err - Approved FQ ease 2000/09/06 : PCB; V 194R000500030005-6 MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Medical Staff THROUGH : Deputy Director (Support) SUBJECT : Failure of the Medical Staff to Fulfill Certain Responsibilities 1. A number of individual grievance cases have arisen because of poor personnel administration in operating components coupled with failure of the Medical Staff to fulfill certain responsibilities. These cases 25X1 A9ai-nclude: 2. Because of these cases, it has been necessary to examine the position of the Chief, Medical Staff on the release of medical information. The Medical Staff has pleaddhe doctor/patient relationship as the reason for not releasing individual medical files or detailed medical diagnosis outside of the Medical Staff. The Inspector General's survey stated that it was "beyond the scope of this report to evaluate the reasons underlying the professional ethics of the Chief, Medical Staff in refusing to release medical information per se.." and recommended that his position "be approved, with the provision that he release to competent authority (Deputy Directors or higher) sufficient information in the form of sanitized summaries, either written or oral, to support administrative or executive action by the Agency without undue embarrassment or repercussion." 3. It must be recognized that the Medical Staff is not a group of private practitioners who are retained or paid by their patients. The Medical Staff works for the Agency. It exists for the purpose of providing support for the operating components. The responsibility of-the Medical Staff is first to the Agency and only secondarily to the individual employee. On 6 September 1955 the General Counsel concluded that: Approved For Release 20 ?:-;CIA-RDP62-01094R000500030005-6 Approved For Release 2000/09/06 : CIA-RDP62-94R000500030005-6 FOIAb5 4. Supervisors need and are entitled to comprehensive expert opinion on all aspects of the mental and physical health of their subordinates which bearW on proper supervision and utilization of the employee. At the same time, employees have a right to expect that their superiors are aware of medical factors which may affect their performance. The required medical opinion should cover particularly the possible temporary effects of the illness or treatment on an employee's attitude and capabilities Q.nd the medical program for the recovery of the patient. If this information is provided to supervisors there should be no need for the operating offices to complain to the Inspector General that they are unable to obtain satisfactory answers to their medical questions. 5. It is recommended that where the attitude or capabilities of an employee may be temporarily affected by his illness, convalescence or treatment the Medical Staff should discuss the case in sufficient detail with the employee's supervisor to permit the latter to take inrlaccount the limitations and requirements of the medical factors in supervising his employee. This discussion should take place even though the employee may be under the jurisdic- tion of a Public Health Service hospital as an out-patient or under the care of a private physician. Approved For Release 2000/09/06 CIA-RDP62-01094R000500030005-6 Approved For Release 2000/OfW: CIA-RDPq294R000500030005-6 6. In some instancesA the Medical Staff has failed to follow4 p the progress of employee-patients on limited duty status and also has failed to follow4up the action taken by operating components in response to the findings of the Medical Staff. 7. It is recommended that the Medical Staff conduct sufficiently frequent discussions with both employee-patients and their supervisors to determine the patients' progress and whether or not medical recommendations are being acted upon by the operating component. 8. It has been observed that some professional members of the Medical Staff have exhibited an immature, impersonal and bureaucratic attitude toward employee-patients. In these instancesy these members are serving merely as technicians and not as doctors in the real sense of the term as first expressed by Hippocrates when he wrote "some patients, though conscious that their condition is perilous, recover their health simply through their contentment with the goodness of their physician." The application of this principle through common-sense-psychology will solve many administrative-medico problems before they require a professional psychiatrist or reach the Inspector General. 9. It is recommended that the Medical Staff demonstrate sympathetic understanding and interest in employee-patients and indicate a willingness to assist in their speedy and complete recovery through close and continuing liaison with the employee's supervisor and the private physician or Public Health Service facility actually treating the patient. Approved For Release 2000/09/06 CIA-RDP62-01094R000500030005-6 Approved Approved F 9klMff 2000/09/06`: CIA 2-01094R 0100 (SENDER WILL CIRGw,.slTION TOP AND BOTTOM) CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY OFFICIAL ROUTING SLIP TO INIT LS DATE 2 ~- Nsj' 3 4 S 2 5 X 1 A FROM - . . INITIALS DATE X 2 3 APPROVAL II INFORMATION 0 SIGNATURE 0 ACTION DIRECT REPLY 0 RETURN (I COMMENT 0 PREPARATION OF REPLY 0 DISPATCH 0 CONCURRENCE 0 RECOMMENDATION 0 FILE , f >~4iaC ' t/C1LtL~+d tt& CQ,Sa-i- Remark$: ttr cZ^msd 6y rc-z- Ct~,.Z ,~~'zj,~. 4,-3" cP &- ,'tAt LG~-~-2 G ~r f fr FORM i NOV 030-4 Previous editions may be used. U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 16-68548-2 000 000 -6 -6 Approved T 4f`'ReI 1 62 4R00050003000 cr ?ZC~ cl-c c ct,P CIO 74 C'4-a ?a - p -6 Approved For Release 2000/09/06 : CIA-RDP62-01094R0005000300OP-6 Approv 25X1A Approv UNCL S TIED / nATz d For e e, F /~ 06 A p?,?,p Q94f v90 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY OFFICIAL ROUTING SLIP TO INITIALS DATE I J~ie J~r13~JeaT ~ienw. 2 /L- - 3 4 5 FROM INITIALS DATE 1 M 2 3 F APPROVAL II INFORMATION I SIGNATURE ACTION I DIRECT REPLY I RETURN 0 COMMENT I PREPARATION OF REPLY [I DISPATCH CONCURRENCE IJ RECOMMENDATION FILE Remarks: .L wecc1 ~'fl 40 .L/33 ' t oW ; t t cF . leas fxffiowwW@ 8 IA-RD 62-( X50 e 2 i 0 FORM N0. ~[~ J Pr us ditioc m ;o a9 h9 useE t D T , 1 NOV 53 J?74;e U. 8? X06 ICE as 03000 ommo, -6 -6