National Doctors’ Day 2019

In 1841, 26-year-old Dr. Crawford Williamson Long inhaled nitrous oxide (yes, laughing gas) at a party and noticed something funny. Dr. Long noticed that even if you tripped and fell – instead of screaming in pain, you’d keep on laughing.

On March 30, 1842, Dr. Long applied this concept to surgery. His patient, James Venable, under the influence of ether, didn’t feel a thing when the cyst on his neck was removed successfully.

That’s how we got anesthesia. That’s how we changed the world of healthcare forever. That’s how we got National Doctors’ Day!

In 1933, Eudora Brown Almond wanted to choose a day where she and people from all over the world could make doctors, like her husband, feel healthful. She chose March 30 in honor of Dr. Long’s contribution to medicine.

On March 30, 1933, a flower was placed on Dr. Long’s grave along with other honored physicians throughout Georgia. Cards thanking doctors for their service to society were sent out, and toasts were offered at dinners. These traditions have stuck ever since.

On October 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed Public Law 101-473 making National Doctors’ Day an official holiday. 

Physicians strive to keep us healthy through their dedication, attention to detail, and hard work. National Doctors’ Day is a day to recognize and thank physicians for the work they do to make people feel better all over the world.

We at eClinicalWorks have dedicated our professional careers to improving healthcare. We are on a mission to make a change in healthcare by providing technology and services reducing costs, reducing errors, and improving the quality of care. Thank you from everyone at eClinicalWorks, and happy National Doctor’s Day!