NATCHEZ &8212; A full table of physicians and other health-care workers enjoyed a gourmet lunch compliments of Natchez Community Hospital Thursday.

Behind the buffet table, Valley Executive Chef Christian Amelot of kept the food coming, combining special orders of vegetables, seafood, ham and sausage with pasta and savory sauces such as marinara and homemade Alfredo.

A festive mood in the private dining room was evidence of a successful event, as Tim Trottier, Natchez Community CEO, showed the gifts of Washington state wine and stainless steel wine bottle openers set at each plate.

&8220;It&8217;s our way of saying thank you to the doctors,&8221; Trottier said. &8220;We&8217;re preparing for about 70 people.&8221;

Thursday was the official National Doctors Day, a day set aside to honor physicians.

Some historians give credit to Eudora Brown Almond, the wife of a physician in Georgia, for conceiving the idea in 1933. From her idea, a resolution in 1958 in the U.S. House of Representatives also confirmed the idea.

Finally, in 1990, U.S. Rep. Mike Parker, D-Mississippi, U.S. Rep. G.V. &8220;Sonny&8221; Montgomery, D-Mississippi and Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Mississippi, entered legislation to formalize the day.

George Bush signed the National Doctors Day legislation on Oct. 30, 1990.