By Linda Metz, Staff writer

lmetz@observer-reporter.com

Dr. Jerome Canady will be allowed to perform two more surgeries this week at Monongahela Valley Hospital.

After that, Canady has agreed to stop doing liver and pancreatic tumor resections on cancer patients until further notice.

The agreement was reached after 21/2 hours of closed-door negotiations between Canady's attorney, Kevin Harkins, and the hospital's legal counsel, Charles Keller and Doug Nolan, before Washington County Judge John DiSalle.

"We're taking it one step at a time. It's a process," said Keller. "He will have the opportunity to be heard."

Canady is set to meet with the hospital's peer review board Wednesday. The hospital still would not explain why the hospital revoked Canady's surgical privileges.

Canady appeared late Friday before DiSalle, informing him that he received notice late Nov. 8 that his surgery privileges at the hospital had been revoked. Canady told the judge that the hospital gave him no reason for the decision. He said he was scheduled to perform surgeries on 10 patients over the next 20 days.

"I'm their last stop," Canady said at that time.

DiSalle approved a special injunction that allowed Canady to continue to operate on patients until Wednesday's hearing. In the interim, Canady operated on five people.

Numerous patients and their families gathered for Wednesday's hearing. Canady, however, did not appear because he was performing surgery on a man from Spain.

Among those in attendance was Diana Mason of Oskaloosa, Iowa, who was slated to have her surgery Nov. 9. Her surgery, however, was postponed until today because of the legal battle.

Mason left the courthouse before the agreement announcement to rest and prepare for her surgery. Her father and stepmother, Tom and Linda Six, also of Oskaloosa, explained that Canady is their last hope.

According to Tom Six, his daughter, who suffers from lung and liver cancer, was being treated at the University of Iowa medical center. However, she was sent home "to die" and learned of Canady through friends living in the Mon Valley.

Mason met with Canady last week, and he agreed to perform the surgery.

"I've never seen a more caring doctor," said Linda Six.

Also at the hearing were Cindy and Neill Russell, formerly of Charleroi, who traveled from their home in Maryland to support Canady.

Canady operated on Cindy Russell last summer. She said she was living off 20 percent of her liver and was told by doctors at Johns Hopkins, UPMC and the Mayo Clinic that she had six months to live.

But the 53-year-old woman said that after two surgeries by Canady on June 5 and July 10, she is now cancer free.

"He's the only physician who gave me hope," she said.

Canady has been practicing medicine for 25 years and has been at Mon Valley Hospital for the past 19 months.

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