DATE: Saturday, June 28, 1997               TAG: 9706280350

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MICHELLE MIZAL, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   63 lines

NAVAL HOSPITAL HONORS INTERNS, RESIDENTS PORTSMOUTH CENTER WON'T SEE CUTS TO ITS TRAINING PROGRAMS, SPEAKER PREDICTS.

Two months after the Navy reversed a plan to sharply reduce doctor-training programs at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, the hospital Friday honored 62 intern graduates and recognized more than 50 others for completing residencies.

The ceremony started with solemn introductions but quickly grew festive, with loud cheers and plenty of picture-taking of the graduates in their crisp, pressed white uniforms.

``I want you to rest assured that I've been watching graduates for a long time,'' said guest speaker Rear Adm. (Selectee) Bonnie B. Potter of the Navy Medical Corps. ``Since you have graduated from such a top-notch program you are better prepared for your new duties than you think you are.''

Potter, who was the command intern coordinator at Portsmouth 10 years ago, said that although she didn't know whether the hospital would face downsizing in the future, she was certain that training programs would survive.

Many graduates will continue on to residency, or aerospace or undersea medicine training. Others will serve on Fleet Marine Force or Navy operational units.

``My internship had a close-knit, hard-working group,'' said Lt. David Durkovich, who received the honor as this year's outstanding intern. ``There's a good sense of routine and level of respect carried across the board here.''

Durkovich, who plans to continue his training as an aerospace flight surgeon in Pensacola, Fla., said Portsmouth's program has a strong sense of shared commitment.

Last winter, Vice Adm. Harold M. Koenig, the Navy's surgeon general, proposed dropping seven of Portsmouth's 12 residency programs as part of a servicewide cut in graduate medical education.

In April, however, the proposal was put on hold after several military officials, as well as Hampton Roads members of Congress, raised concerns that the cuts would affect patient care at the hospital, which serves 425,000 active-duty military, their families and retirees.

``I'm happy that so far they haven't reduced the residency program,'' Lt. Keith J. Deitrick, an anesthesiology resident, said as he cuddled his daughter, Ryenne, who was born at the hospital nine weeks ago. ``I'm glad I get to stay.''

Deitrick will wrap up his residency in two months, then become a staff anesthesiologist.

It's resident physicians like Deitrick and graduates like Durkovich who make Navy officials glad the downsizing proposal was dropped.

``It's very important to have residency and internship training because it not only benefits the community, it benefits the Navy,'' said Capt. James Alexander, the hospital's medical director.

The community gets specialized care, he said, and physicians get cutting-edge training.

``Of course, we don't have a crystal ball, so there's no way to predict downsizing,'' Alexander said, ``but we certainly want to do what is needed to provide good health care to the community.'' ILLUSTRATION: MOTOYA NAKAMURA/The Virginian-Pilot

Rear Adms. Bonnie B. Potter, left, and William R. Rowley, third from

left, along with Cmdr. R.C. Bono, second from right, congratulate

the 1997 naval hospital graduates. Lt. Keith J. Deitrick, below,

with his daughter, Ryenne, celebrates the completion of his

anesthesiology residency.

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