By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

TWO surgeons have left the Commonwealth Health Center and the Department of Public Health has to hire replacements this summer, according to Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez.
The two surgeons who retired after working atCHC for almost 10 years are Dr. Ben Sawyer and Dr. Robert George.
Villagomez said CHC still has two general surgeons — Dr. John Yarofalir and Dr. Murray McIntyre.
He said, however, the hospital typically has at least three surgeons on board.
“We will be having two more joining us on ‘locum tenens’ status from the American College of Surgeons by this summer,” he said.
Locum tenens, Latin for “holding the place,” are short-term hires to fill vacancies while the applications of new full-time surgeons are being processed, Villagomez said.
He said they hire locum surgeons for two reasons: to replace full-time surgeons who need to be away for a period of time, and to cover hard-to-fill positions for a one-year term of service.
By the end of this fiscal year, Sept. 30, Villagomez said CHC will have a complete roster of full-time surgeons.