3 Censured for Hiring Navy Doctor Accused of 4 Deaths

Navy Secretary John Lehman censured three officers responsible for hiring a surgeon who has been charged with manslaughter in the death of four patients at Bethesda Naval Hospital, a Navy spokesman said today.

Letters of censure were issued Aug. 12 to Commodore James Quinn, Capt. Leon Georges and retired Capt. John Fletcher, the spokesman said.

Quinn was the hospital’s commanding officer in 1983, Georges headed its credentials committee that year and Fletcher was the director of surgical services.

A letter of censure is regarded as a severe reprimand but does not require a reduction in retirement pay or other punitive measures.

The three officers had been recommended for sanctions for their role in hiring and appointing Cmdr. Donal Billig as chief thoracic surgeon at the hospital.

Billig, who suffers from a severe loss of sight in his right eye, faces a general court-martial on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of four open-heart surgery patients at Bethesda and 24 counts of dereliction of duty. He is accused of operating without proper supervision while serving as chief thoracic surgeon at the hospital from June, 1983, until his surgery privileges were suspended last fall.

Billig was recommended for a court-martial after a formal board of investigation was called in April and has been assigned administrative duties at the Navy Medical Command in Washington.

Four other officers who were not identified have received non-punitive letters for dereliction of duty in the case and two others charged with making false statements and contributing to the deaths of four patients are still under investigation, the spokesman said.

Quinn and Georges are set to retire soon.