Regimental Medical Officer Charles McKerrow: saving lives on the Western Front

Regimental Medical Officer Charles McKerrow: saving lives on the Western Front.

Ayrshire general practitioner Charles McKerrow was appointed regimental medical officer (RMO) to the 10th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers in 1915. At this time, fundamental restructuring of the military medical service on the Western Front had two main effects: surgical capability was moved forward as close to the front as possible and specialist stretcher bearers were trained to apply emerg...

Thomas Crawford, regimental medical officer in the Crimea, 1855.

Thomas Crawford was an Ulsterman, born in the year 1824 at Dumbrain, Newbliss, Co. Monaghan. His family had their origins in Ayrshire and came from Scotland in 1698 after the main plantation of Ulster. Crawford studied medicine in Edinburgh and graduated there in 1845. On February 18th, 1848, he was appointed assistant surgeon in the 51st Regiment of Foot (Kings Own Light Infantry) and saw serv...

Electronic Medical Records: Saving Trees, Saving Lives

CONSIDER THIS IRONY OF MODERN LIFE: IN A MEDICAL CRISIS, EMERGENCY physicians would have an easier time accessing a patient’s bank account using his or her automatic teller machine card than they would finding critical medical history using his or her medical insurance card. Medical records, including crucial electrocardiograms, drug allergies, or medical conditions, are typically stored on pap...

John Bathurst Thomson MD 1813-1850. An insight into the times of a regimental medical officer.

Saving money, saving lives.

In 1996, Duke Children's Hospital was in serious trouble. Its $11 million annual operating loss had forced administrators to make cutbacks. As a result, some caregivers felt that the quality of care had deteriorated. Parents' complaints were on the rise. Frustrated staff members were quitting. In this article, Jon Meliones, DCH's chief medical director, candidly describes how his debt-ridden ho...