Lunceford, Dr Tennie Mae 1998-05-19,22
Dr. Lunceford, Lubbock’s second female doctor, recounts her career as an allergist and pediatrician that began immediately after World War II. She recalls Lubbock medicine at this time.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Dr. Tennie Mae Lunceford
Additional Parties Recorded: None
Date: May 19 and 21, 1998
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Interviewer: Fred Allison
Length: 2 hours, 35 minutes
Abstract
Tape 1, Side 1: [Blank for first 25 minutes; Dr. Lunceford’s early life is given on Tape 3.],
Lunceford, Tennie Mae,
Chief of Staff, Methodist Hospital,
Board of Directors, Methodist Hospital,
Lubbock Memorial Hospital become Methodist,
Transition from pediatrics to allergy treatment,
Interest in allergies,
Allergists meeting.
Tape 1, Side 2: Lunceford (continued),
Interest in allergies (continued),
Testing for allergies,
Stuffed nose relieved,
Attaining specialization,
Growth in business,
Children to adults,
Independent minded,
Views on managed health care,
Medical journals focus,
Doctors’ loss of control,
Time limits on seeing patients,
Purchasing drugs,
Doctors becoming businessmen,
Nationalized health care,
Lubbock and managed care,
Lubbock medicine, ca. early 1950s,
Early doctors,
Dr. J. T. Hutchinson,
Dr. J. T. Krueger,
Lunceford break with Hutchinson, Krueger, Overton group (Memorial Hospital),
More money,
Took patients with service mentality,
Relations between hospitals,
Lubbock, Crosby, Garza County Medical,
Society meetings,
Animosity,
Competition,
Lunceford, Tennie Mae (again),
Break with Memorial Hospital (again),
Private practice,
Location,
Move to Detroit, Michigan,
Reasons,
Private practice,
Head of Southwest Allergy Forum,
Return to Lubbock , Texas,
Southwest Allergy Forum (again),
Role,
Meetings,
Education,
Men and women doctors’ relations,
Assistance,
Lubbock doctors,
Little discrimination,
Interest in allergy medicine (again),
Reasons,
Training,
New field of medicine,
First in Lubbock,
Lubbock medicine, ca. 1940s-1950s,
Impressive,
Comparison to Texarkana, Texas,
Up and coming,
Doctors first rate,
Drs. Hutchinson, Overton and Krueger: "brilliant",
Demanding,
Indigent care,
Lunceford’s experience,
Little concern for money,
Non-paying patients,
Lubbock hospitals’ policies,
Small town atmosphere,
Changes.
Tape 2, Side 1: Lubbock medicine (continued),
Indigent care (continued),
New doctors’ attitudes,
Less caring and respectful,
Lunceford’s experience,
Medicare/Medicaid,
Needed but with qualifications,
Limitations on doctors,
Golden Age of Medicine,
Early times better,
Managed health care,
Restrictions on research,
Lubbock’s regional medical center,
Influence of doctors,
Community relations,
Little concern for money,
Patient care,
Societal changes,
Cotton farmers,
Texas Tech Medical School,
Influence,
Involvement in community,
Disengaging,
Participation in LCGCMS,
Competition with hospitals,
Little opposition from town doctors,
Lubbock hospital competitiveness,
Methodist/St. Mary’s merger,
Methodist Hospital and finances,
CEO spending problems,
LCGCMS’s role in Lubbock medicine,
Hospital coordination,
"Ran" Lubbock medicine,
Doctor discipling,
Investigations and state referral,
Litigation in medicine,
Lunceford’s lawsuit,
Cause of medical lawsuits,
Lawyers,
Potential for monetary gain,
Trauma to doctors,
American Medical Association (AMA),
Relationship between local, state and national associations,
Government lobby,
Working on behalf of doctors,
Opposition to managed care,
Minorities’ medical care,
Lack of money to pay in past.
Tape 2, Side 2: Minorities’ medical care (continued),
Doctors did not discriminate,
Lack of money kept them from seeking care,
Dr. Harold Chatman,
Respected,
Member of LCGCMS,
Spokesman for black community,
Lunceford, Tennie Mae (again),
Treating migrant workers,
Young girl,
Views on abortion,
Attaining abortions before legalization,
El Paso, Texas,
Views on HIV/AIDS threat,
Serious,
Safe sex education,
Potential for cure,
Importance of research,
Threat posed by managed health care,
Lubbock tornado,
Viewing damage,
Nursing care,
Changes brought by cost-cutting,
Medical school,
Little sex based discrimination,
Retrospective on career,
HMOs and managed health care "scary",
Effect on patient care,
Rabies patient,
Prescribing drugs,
No restrictions earlier,
English and Canadian doctors in Lubbock to avoid nationalized care,
Personal views,
Foreign aid,
Sexual harassment overblown,
Money and publicity,
Changes over time,
Drs. Krueger, Overton, Hutchinson (again),
Interest in caring for patients,
Specialists benefited Lubbock medicine,
Served only certain hospitals,
Changes,
Memorial Hospital becomes Methodist Hospital (again),
Doctors pulling out of Memorial hurt it,
Lubbock’s growth,
Allergy treatment in Lubbock,
Asthma more common.
Tape 3, Side 1: Lunceford, Tennie Mae, background,
b. Lanett, Alabama,
Description of town,
Learned to read at age 5,
School experience,
Boredom,
Running away,
Graduated at age 16,
University of Alabama,
Decision to go to medical school,
Baptist youth group,
College work,
Parental influence,
Gender of little influence,
Father’s work,
Women cotton mill workers,
Women expected to be homemakers,
Feared telling parents she wanted to be a doctor,
Grandfather was a doctor,
Started medical school at 18,
Parental encouragement,
University of Alabama Medical School,
One of two women in class,
No sexual discrimination,
Washington University,
St. Louis Medical School,
Long hours,
World War II brought opportunities,
Five women in class of 150,
Pioneer women doctors,
Encouragement,
Not controversial,
World War II (again),
Women working,
Internship,
Difficulty in attaining,
Lutheran Deaconess,
Hospital, Chicago,
No discrimination,
First woman intern,
Special accommodations,
Duties and training,
Mental hospital,
Municipal contagious disease hospital,
Pediatric internship and residency,
Pediatrics only option for women doctors,
Need for specialization,
Bias against women doctors.
Tape 3, Side 2: Lunceford, Tennie Mae (continued),
Discrimination against women in getting internship,
Others’ surprise at her getting into medical school,
Equal treatment in medical school (again),
Women had to work harder,
Need to prove herself,
Staff doctor’s attack,
Move to Lubbock, Texas, 1949,
Memorial Hospital,
Description of Lubbock,
Diapers hung out to dry,
Accepted offer,
Sister married Dr. J. T. Hutchinson’s son,
Drs. Overton, Hutchinson and Krueger (again),
Impression of Lubbock,
First apartment,
Dr. Pauline Miller,
Characteristics,
Little contact with,
No fraternization allowed with other hospital staffs,
Lubbock doctors accepted her,
Socializing,
Business partnerships,
On staff at Reese Air Force,
Base hospital,
Consultations,
Met husband,
Relations with town doctors,
Memorial Hospital sell-out to Methodist Church (again),
Financial problems,
Doctors leaving Memorial Hospital,
Reasons,
Independence,
Control over practice,
Financial,
Doctors today changed,
Drs. Krueger, Overton, Hutchinson: "bosses",
Little interference in treating patients,
Lunceford, Tennie Mae (again),
Lack of business skills,
Personal views,
Managed health care (again),
Innovations,
Indigent care,
Made payment arrangements.
Range Dates: 1921-1998
Bulk Dates: 1940-1960
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