Take time out to thank a doctor this Saturday - it’s National Doctor’s Day! Every March 30th America celebrates the nation’s physicians for their contributions to society and the work that they do. According to the U.S. Census Bureau website, the first Doctor’s Day observance was March 30, 1933 in Winder, Georgia. Eudora Brown Almond, wife of Dr. Charles B. Almond, decided to set aside a day to honor physicians. The first observance included the mailing of greeting cards and placing flowers on the graves of deceased doctors. To celebrate at Westside Terrace Healthcare, we will present our doctors with appreciation plaques to show our deep gratitude for their service to our residents.
March 30th is the anniversary date of the first time anesthesia was used during a surgery in America. In 1842, Georgia doctor Crawford Williamson Long used ether during a surgery to remove a tumor from the neck of his patient, James M. Venable. Before Dr. Williamson’s innovation, many surgeries were done without the benefit of effective anesthetics. It was often a painful and traumatic experience for patients. However, according to www.history.com, “Long did not publish the results of his experiments until 1848, and by that time Boston dentist William T.G. Morton had already gained fame with the first publicly demonstrated use of ether as an effective surgical anesthetic.”
On March 30, 1958, a Resolution Commemorating Doctors’ Day was adopted by the United States House of Representatives. In 1990, legislation was introduced in the House and Senate to establish a national Doctor’s Day. Following approval by the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, on October 30, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed S.J. RES. #366 (Public Law 101-473) designating March 30th as ‘National Doctor’s Day.
President George H.W. Bush’s Proclamation for Doctor’s Day 1991
“More than the application of science and technology, medicine is a special calling, and those who have chosen this vocation in order to serve their fellowman understand the tremendous responsibility it entails. Referring to the work of physicians, Dr. Elmer Hess, a former president of the American Medical Association, once wrote: ‘There is no greater reward in our profession than the knowledge that God has entrusted us with the physical care of His people. The Almighty has reserved for Himself the power to create life, but He has assigned to a few of us the responsibility of keeping in good repair the bodies in which this life is sustained.’ Accordingly, reverence for human life and individual dignity is both the hallmark of a good physician and the key to truly beneficial advances in medicine.”- Government Publishing Office
Thank you from Westside Terrace Healthcare
At Westside Terrace, we are extremely grateful for the hard work of our doctors. The day-to-day healing work by our physicians helps our residents live better and fuller lives. We are so appreciative of your care and dedication to your profession. Thank you for your contributions and for helping to make our community healthier!
