<Begin Segment 33>

DG: So you made house calls and had your practice open from 1957 to 1990.

BU: Yeah. I made just as many house calls in the beginning as when I ended because if you want to, you see, my advantage is I knew most of the Japanese, and I knew that they, they, one, they didn't have money. A lot of them didn't, old people, the Issei people didn't have money so I knew this so I made a lot of house calls and never charged them. Maybe that's why I got so damn many house calls. But you see, I knew that they couldn't afford it so, therefore, they... I saw, back in those days, all the president of the King County Medical Service Bureau or King County, King County Health Plan were people that I knew very well. In fact, Bruce Gilliland, on one of the board meeting said, they were saying, "Hey, don't pay him and then he'll quit making those house calls." Bruce said, "Don't be so stupid. It's saving you money. Every time he makes a house call, he's not going to the hospital or something else. It saves us money so quit (complaining) and pay him." [Laughs] This is why I got, roundabout way I got, I got that message that it was okay for me to make house calls for King County patient.

DG: Good for you.

BU: They didn't pay me that much, but at least I got paid for the ones I saw.

DG: So how many Japanese doctors were there in --

BU: There was Ruby Inouye and Paul Suzuki part of the time. The reason why I made a lot of house calls, too, was the fact that Ruby didn't make 'em.

DG: Well, it would be hard for her as a woman.

BU: Yeah, that's right, because she had three kids that's what the patients said. "She got kids and she can't, she can't leave the house so will you come to see me?" [Laughs]

<End Segment 33> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.