1956 | The Start of Specialties: Urology
When Pinehurst Surgical Clinic was first founded in 1946, the doctors generally worked in all specialties performing various procedures. They would do everything from splinting a broken leg, to delivering babies, and staffing the emergency department. In 1956, that changed with the arrival of Dr. Duwayne Gadd, who created the first department at PSC, the Urology Department.
While some records debate whether it was Dr. Charles Phillips or Dr. Gadd who arrived at the clinic first, Dr. Gadd is generally considered the third surgeon to begin working at PSC. It was, however, Dr. Phillips who actually recruited Dr. Gadd to come to Pinehurst. Dr. Gadd was a Michigan native, and graduated from the University of Michigan before joining the Navy.
After participating in the prestigious V12 program, Dr. Gadd applied to Geisinger for his internship. Unfortunately while working during his internship, the Korean War began. Luckily, a urologist had just left Japan, and Dr. Gadd soon found himself working in that role for 18 months. This kickstarted his interest and helped develop his talent in the field. All of that led him to the fateful day when Dr. Phillips invited him to join Pinehurst Surgical Clinic, and found the Urology Department.
Admittedly it was a bit of a selfish offer, as Dr. Phillips was quoted as saying he wanted to solely practice general surgery. He saw the opportunity to leave urology behind with the hiring of Dr. Gadd, and took it. The decision was a good one, and the clinic prospered within the walls of the hospital. “It was easy going, but with long hours. We had good staff, the hospital was small then, maybe 150 beds. It was quickly filling up and we often had beds in the hall,” he fondly recalled in Compassion and Excellence.
Dr. Gadd came to love the area, the practice, and the hospital. However, around the time the Urology Department was founded, the practice decided it was time to expand. “There was a lot of anticipation when we decided to build the new building. We had a lot of fun. The older members had been planning this for a while and mentioned it when I interviewed for the job,” Dr. Gadd said.
In fact, everyone felt pride in the new developments and Dr. Gadd was quoted as saying, “The clinic’s new home was a matter of some pride for the original doctors. It let people know we were on the move. As things progressed and we got all the specialists in, we had to refer less to Duke and Chapel Hill. They have always been cooperative with us, but we were proud to offer new services.”
The creation of this new official department was just what the doctor ordered. With this new official department created, and with their new building on Page Road opening its doors, these historic landmarks in Pinehurst Surgical Clinic’s history paved the way for more departments, and for the clinic to grow even further. In addition to these pivotal changes, more were soon to come. Stay tuned as we continue to highlight the tremendous history behind Pinehurst Surgical Clinic and its amazing doctors.