----- Original Message -----
From: Woodfin, Amy C
To: 'histonet@pathology.swmed.edu'
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 5:03 AM
Subject: UW - Dr. Rodger Haggitt


Yesterday afternoon Dr. Rodger Haggitt, Director of Anatomical Pathology at
the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, was shot and killed
in his office in the Pathology Department by a resident, who then killed
himself.

Kim, Victor, and all the rest....our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Amy Woodfin
Pathology Supervisor
St. Joseph Hospital
Bellingham, WA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amy and Histonetters,

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  Some of you may recall, Dr. Haggit
was the "Charles Culling Lecture Series" speaker  at the NSH Convention last
year.  He was asked to speak by the NSH President, Sumiko Sumida, who has
worked with Dr. Haggitt and I for about 13 of the past 15 years here in
Seattle.

I had the great oppurtunity to work with him in Memphis and later moved to
Seattle to be his Administrator for the Department of which he was Director.
He was a very well known and published GI Pathologist, having lectured in
all parts of the world.  His wife, MaryJane is also a Pathologist.  This man
was a true giant in so many ways.  For the 20 years we worked together, he
allowed me to administrate so he could do Pathology,  but was always there
as a sounding board.  I will miss him very much.  My heart is with the
former staff of ours at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis,  the staff at
the University of Washington Medical Center, Kim Simmons, my replacement,
and his loving wife, MaryJane.

Rather than retype some or most of an e-mail I just sent to some former
staff of ours in Memphis, I will share it with you all.

Thank you Amy for allowing me to express my grief.

Don Hammer, Retired Guy

_____________________________________________________________________
Hi Lynda, Lynna and Judy,

I will send you the Service arrangements as soon as I know.  MaryJane and
Mary Bronner (staff Pathologist) are working out the details today.  Another
Pathologist is making trips to the airport to pick up relatives.  I spoke
with Shari Taylor (former Baptist Resident) who is on staff here.  She
indicated that Dr. Webber will travel for the service and she has also
spoken with Dr. Dean.

Went in to spend the day with  former Staff and Administrative colleagues
today.  I also attended a  support group session, a Departmental Meeting at
which Nelson Fausto, Chairman of Pathology,  provided all the details
leading up to this sorrowful event and held an open session afterwards.  Was
invited to join my peers in their Management Council meeting where the Chief
Operating Officer provided details and a Psychiatrist attempted to help that
management level cope, so they in turn could help their staff thru this.  I
must say the Hospital Administrative staff have left no stone unturned to
provide assistance to the some 2800 Employees, who inturn can help the
Patients with their concerns.  Even tho I am no longer a member of the
staff, I have been offered the opportunity of support from the Department of
Social Services.  It was a very emotionally draining day, altho the staff
and I needed to be together.  It was very good for all of us.  We were
(are), as you and the other Pathology Staff there at Baptist, a very close
team.

Overnight, Dr. Haggitt's office was cleaned by the Hospital and Pathology
Administrators, which must have been a very hard situation to handle.  The
office was repainted, new carpet laid and new furniture brought in before
morning.  Flowers brought by so many people and Departments cluster around
the locked door to the suite of Offices where Rodger's, the pathologist's
and my former office is.   It was a very touching display of sincere
sympathy and admiration.   Some of the arrangements began disappearing, so
many were brought into the Main Pathology Office to protect them from
strange people who must have no sense of anything decent.  The suite is
locked to keep reporters out as they have been  very unrespectful, to say
the least!  On a bit of a lighter note, a security guard came after being
called to disband reporters and photographers.  I forgot I was retired,
jumped right in and told him to stay in the area and patrol so the bouquets
would stay and the reporters could not.  *smile*  He probably wondered who
the hell this guy was, in t-shirt and shorts, giving out an order.  *Grin*

Dr. Fausto provided a Press Conference today.  I haven't seen it but perhaps
you and I will be able to see it on the evening news.

Judy, I wanted to return your call, but I think you still work the night
shift and not sure of a good time to reach you.  Let me know and I will.

*Super Big Huggs* to everyone.  Feel free to share this with anyone you have
e-mail address's for.

Thank you for your thoughts and support.  I'll see Y'all in September.

Don Hammer, Retired Guy
PS Has someone made contact with Dolores?

----- Original Message -----
From: Lynda Deisher <siblet@webtv.net>
To: <donh7@earthlink.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 3:06 PM
Subject: Bad News


> Don,  Please let me know as soon as you know about any funeral
> arrangements.  Several of the Pathologist would like to know and may
> send flowers.
>
> You're in my prayers
> Lynda
>
>