Doctors - A Trusted Profession About the same time that Madison residents were wrestling with start-up hospitals, doctors were solidifying their roles as respected professionals. At the turn of the 20th Century, doctors were pioneering professionals who performed everything from tooth extractions to appendectomies. Often, doctors performed procedures at a patient's house, using kitchen tables as operating tables. Doctors carried everything with them to perform simple procedures. But by the end of the 19th Century, technological advances were playing an important role in patient care. The first x-ray machine arrived in Wisconsin in 1895, contributing to the need for hospitals in which to house expensive equipment. One early Madison hospital was begun by two young surgeons, Drs. Gill and Boyd. Their goal was to erect and operate a modern facility equipped with the latest equipment, an operating room, and around-the-clock nurse staffing. Drs. Gill and Boyd wanted a place where rich and poor alike could enjoy the benefits of the best and latest medical treatment. Since medical credentials had not been refined at this point, the hospital was open to any physician who behaved "like a gentleman." While the Gill and Boyd Hospital was doomed to close due to lack of funding and arguments over who should fund it, it did provide valuable insights for its successors. In Madison, the Jackson family formed the Jackson Clinic in 1919. They did so at the urging of the Reverend F.E. Bauchop of the Methodist Church, who wanted the doctors to carry on the work of Methodist Hospital. Dr. Jackson was joined by his sons, Reginald Jr., James, Arnold and Sidney. A fifth son, Joseph, joined the clinic as business director in 1919. A trend emerged. Physicians had learned to work more successfully as a team in the Army Medical Corps during World War I, and many took this model into their private practices following the war. Doctors moved from working independently to affiliating with one hospital. The need for higher standards and rules became apparent. As technology advanced, doctors began to specialize, and the modern practice of referrals was started. 5/6/2004