June 19, 1985 VOL. XXIX. No. 23 E • "· The weekly newspaper. I serving the towns of.,... Bethlehem and New Scotland ----------------- PBA, town go public as negotiations falter By Tom McPheeters would be followed in the second "It's been a year now since the year of the contract. suspensions and we haven't said a A breakdown in contract word," Cox said. "All we want to negotiations between the Bethle­ "Money fell very quickly," said do is get this thing resolved and go hem Police Benevolent Associ­ the town's negotiator, Delmar back to Work." ation and the town board -and attorney Melvin Osterman. He apparent unhappiness with Police and Hendrick contend that the Last spring, the town sus­ Chief Paul Currie's new broom- negotiations "have been marked pended four officers for refusing · have prompted an angry and by the PBA's repudiation of most to follow orders in working unusual public exchange. of the agreements it made during overtime when appearing in town the falL" In addition, the PBA court. That followed a new In addition to a broad range of added a new element to the interpretation of language that contract items, PBA President negotiations earlier this year when had long been in the PBA 's John Cox has added a new it asked for a 20-year retirement contract, giving officers four element to the debate - concern benefit, they said . hours of overtime pay when they .that a manpower shortage were called in for. court duty, coupled with a tight policy on "That is not true," Cox said of whether or not they actually overtime is limiting the number of the retirement benefit issue. Since worked that time. road patrols. March, when he declared his intention to ask the state Public The suspensions are still under "It's going to come to the point Employment Relations Board appeal, but in November the PBA where someone gets hurt," Cox (PERB) for binding arbitration, won a PERB ruling upholding its said Monda)'. ''there have been no continuing interpretation of the current Only one conclusion emerged negotiations," Cox said. Indeed, contract and an order that the from interviews with the two sides one of the PBA 's major problems, officers be reimbursed. According Monday: money is not a major he said, is that Chief Currie has to Osterman and Cox, the town issue. As outlined by Supervisor instituted several departmental and the PBA had tentatively Robert Hendrick, and confirmed rule changes that the association agreed to a two-hour overtime by Cox, the town's current offer is thinks should be subject to. provision for the new con tract - a 4- percent raise effective Jan. I contract negotiation. When that a concession by the town that the Members of Slingerlands Cub Scout Pack 272 dedicate the American and a second 4 percent raise July happens, he said·, it throws off the PBA was right, but a "giveback" flag that was flown for them at the United States Capitol on Jan. 21, I, which works out to 6 percent for other elements of a proposed Inauguration Day. The scouts raised the flag at the Slingerlands the year. The same procedure settlement. (Turn to Page 3) park. Tom Howes 'Satisfied' Chodack A casualty of malpractice crisis bowing QUt at RCS By Caroline Terenzini The medical malpractice insurance "crisis" By Theresa Bobear_ means different things to different people, but· Milton Chodack, superin­ for Dr. David C. Recs it means an end to a­ tendent of the Ravena-Coeymans­ private practice that has spanned 28 years. At the Selkirk School District for 10 end of June, Dr. Rees, 58, will stop seeing years, has submitted his patients in the office attached to his home on resignation, effective June 30, Maywood Rd. in Elsmere. 1986. Seated at his desk, with photographs of his The administrator will continue family behind him, Dr. Rees, a general to serve through the end of the practitioner, spoke about his decision to call it 1985-86 school year, at which time quits. "I want my patients to know I'll miss he will be eligible for retirement in them," he said. New York State. His resignation But he won't miss the turmoil surrounding was accepted unanimously with medical malpractice insurance in New York regret by the R CS Board of State. "People don't seem to realize the Education at a special meeting last problem's been going on 10 years," Dr. Rees week. declared. A decade ago commercial insurers "We have measured results in withdrew from the medical malpractice field terms of • improvement of because they couldn't make a profit. So doctors instruction,., said Chodack in an formed their own insurance company, the Dr. David C. Rees interview Monday. "I've been here Milton Chodack Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Co., which a good number of years, and I'm provides malpractice coverage for the majority advances in technology, we've lost the personal satisfied with what has occurred." also served as administrative of doctors in New York State. As instances of touch-- the patient doesn't know the doctor, the Chodack was appointed intern in the Lockport City . litigation l)lultiplied, however, and the size of doctor doesn't know the patient. j superintendent of the RCS School School District and senior high awards grew, the doctors' insurance company, District in 1975, after serving as school principal for the Lake too, found it couldn't contain premiums. Hence, "You'd be surprised how much ofjmy time is assistant superintendent of Shore Central School District. He this April a retroactive 55 percent premium in­ spend explaining to a patient what 'a spe~ialist schools in Lockport. earned a doctoral degree in crease was imposed, and another 40 percent hike has done. The specialist has done a lot of good educational administration and is scheduled for July f. · but the patient doesn't see that --the doctor is After graduating from Hobart brusque, hurried. r College with bachelor's degrees in certification as a specialist in "It's not just a physicians' problem, or a economics and education, he . educational .administration from lawyers' problem or an insurance company's "Things are so impersonal the patient doesn't served as high school science the State University at Buffalo. problem," Dr. Rees said. "It's a problem of our hesitate to sue." teacher, science department head Chodack was awarded the society. And it's not just in medicine. It's an The rate increase is especially troubling to Dr. and summer recreation program Hobart and William Smith ongoing problem everywhere in society- we're Rees because, while his private practice is not a director for the Barker Central Colleges' Sesquicentennial Award a litigious society. I think we're going to reach high-risk practice and has been conducted on a part-time basis for 20 years, the insurance School District. for exemplifying the ideals of the point where we can't afford" malpractice or knowledge in the service of man. liability insurance. company requires him to pay a full-time rate. While earning a master's degree Hence, with the new premium increases, "either in biology from Syracuse ..l'.ve always been kids "DoCtors are at fault as much as lawyers, who (Turn to Page 2) University, he served as science oriented," said Chodack. "I will say the insurance companies are at fault. With coordinator and suPervisor for continue to be the ombuds.ri1an for -.. the Niagara-Orleans BOCES. He kids. That's why we're here." o Malpractice crisis casualty (From Page 1) practice when ··there were only that also had disrupted his years at you practice at a very fast pace or three other doctors in the Tri­ the academy forced Dr. Rees to you get out," he said. Village area~ all general practi­ reduce- his private practice. This tioners, and "our house calls cifcumst~nce and, later, the .For Dr. Rees, the decision was probably outnumberd our office breakup of his marriage caused - regretfully ~ to close the calls." him to become more introspect­ practice. He plans to continue the ive, Dr. Rees said. "And it made other half of his medical career, As a new GP, br. Rees soon me a better dm;tor," he added. however, as a physician with the discovered a need for training in State University at Albany Health "so-called psychomatic prob­ The long hours of patient listen­ Services. Since May I, when his lems," which led to study in areas ing, of thoughtful counseling, in <'o;cision was made, Dr. Rees and such as psycr'Omatic illnesses, his quiet office on Maywood Rd. his nurse, Patty Caporta, R.N., alcoholism and marital counsel­ are about to become a thing of the . have been contacting patients. He ing ...Those are things you get very past, however - a casualty of the has also checked with other local little training in medical school," times. doctors to ensure that they would he said, "yet those were the things !4ke on transfer patients. patients were bringing into my office." The additional training Ticketed for leaving For many patients, however, has had benefits not only for the switch will not be without its A Clarksville man was ticketed patients, but also for himself. "It's for leaving the scene of an difficulties. Some have been been very satisfying dealing with · accident Friday after the car he coming to 14 Maywood Rd. since the more difficult patients, like an Dr. Rees began his practice years was driving went off Rt. 443 just alcoholic or obese patient. Changes west of Clarksville, according to a ago! And, "'as a single practitioner, can take years.