The Region - News from Oct. 28, 1985

The Navy is investigating accusations that military doctors at Balboa Park Naval Hospital in San Diego improperly favored some civilian surgeons in deciding who got to perform lucrative heart operations. The existence of the investigation, by the Naval Investigative Service, was confirmed by Commodore James Sears, commander of the regional office of the Naval Medical Command, and Capt. Harold Koenig, commanding officer of the hospital. A civilian doctor familiar with the case said the investigators are trying to determine if Navy doctors accepted favors from civilian physicians who were chosen to supply medical care not available at Navy hospitals--such as some types of heart surgery--to hundreds of Navy personnel, dependents and retirees.