mill@Llillill
                                               *1


               Address by Dr. ',Tohn W,, Croninp Chief, Division of Hospital Fa@ ities,
                          U. S. Public Health Service, Washin.aton, D, C,
                    at Dedication of Citizens G,@neral Hospitalt November 61 1952

                   i@. l@icCabs, distinguished -uests and friends.  I brinr-- you first a greeting
            and conC.-atul-al..6ons '.-Om '@urgeon ":ene@ 3c,@@ee'Le of United States @b'L4-c

            Health Ser7ice.
                   Wetve been watching this project with considerable interest.  You  had  a
            little trouble and it's maybe the troubled one we watch tut, fortunately, it was
            resolved and resolved in the best interest not only in this  @i@             iity,
            but to the nation As a whole.  Now you may wonder how a hospital in Yew Kensington
            could be of benefit to the United States.  Wells these are troubled times we are
            living in* Welre all certain that everything will be finev but wetre not
            ostriches, and we donft stick our heads in the 'Sand and shiver.  We know that you
            are near one of the greatest industrial areas of this country    one of the areas
            which is very important to all the people of this nation; in fact,, very  impor-
            tant to all the people of the world - that is, a free world.
                   We know that one of the most important assets we have in this land is the
            worker who can stay on the job.  We should do everything we can to keep that
            worker working.  He =It work if he    cantt be helped when he is ill,  He  can't
            work if his f@     is sick. So it is upon the health resources  of  this  nation
            that a great deal depends* Now some health resources of the  nation  are  bricks
            and =rtar.  This building is brick and mortar.  It isn't worth much in terms of
            service if you discard the people who are working in it, if you discard the
            people :In the county who are working for it.. and if you discard yourse,.

            never thinking of it,
                   A hospital is a public service institution. As such,, you as  the  public
            set certain goals for your hospital.  The people working in your hospital
            and work and pray and try to achieve those goals. Those goals  are  entirely  as
            you want them to be.  If you want a hospital that is nothing more than a

              New Yuensington.. Pemsyvania.


                                                       2

             doctor's workshop ,Ou set the pace. You want a hospital, hol.-rever,  that  is  a  real
             health center of ?,our co@miuiity, a nlace irl@.ere health can be maintained, not  Just
             a               ou go 4-c --s' -del" en you are              s a place from  whicli
               .e.Lace jrere y        Q %,    -
             health education         and I would like to  asswe  you  that  all  health  begins
             with health education.'  These hospitals  that  @  boing  built  today  are  really
             representative of the  modern  medical  com=dity  which  is  health  maintenance  This
             is a fusion of curative medicine and preventive medicine.
                    17ow I Mentioned this great  industrial  area.  Your  geographical  location  is
             such that upon yo-Li may fall a very Creat  responsibility.  The  program  which  is
             my responsibility to head up - to be the  pediatrician  on,  because  on  the  platform
             here today is former Surgeon General Thomas Parran,, who  was  one  of  the  obstetri-
             cians -is the great I!ational Hospital  Survey  and  Construction  Program.  I  didn't
             think it up., It's =1 job as the pediatrician  to  raise  the  baby.  I  can  report
             to you that your hospital here is the 1,,009th Hi  .11-Burton project which  has  been
             completed in the last five years in this coLmtry.  @.hatts an awful lot,  We
             have c=ently  1,950  projects.  Eight  hundred  and  ten  are  under  construction.
             -Those projects are mostly general hospitals like yours.  Eighty percent of
             them. Youro'is a big hospital as  compared  to  most  of  those  projects*  Most  of
             the projects, the 80%, are in towns under    5)000 population  and are under 50
             beds in size. Your hospital here  is  much  biGaer  than  that  but)  nevertheless,
             you will serve the same purpose if this country ever does have a national
             catastrophe.  It was Providential - it was not planned - that many of these
             hospitals are being built around the larger towns.
                    These-hospitals on the periphery of  the  larger  industrial  areas,  on  the
             peripheral places like Pittsl=gh, New York-, Bostonp Philadelphia, Atlantap
             Cleveland, Detroit, Chica.-o@ and San Francisco  can  very  well  become  evacuation


                                                     3

            destinations if we get in trouble. It-@i not sayinF we wll. 1-io one I  ows.  I'm
                                                                                 cn

            sure -@hat ql'@ of -,is don@t      @-,o 'f@,nen, 7ju@@ we do Grant @.o '3e -,ore-,oarcd. -.@ow
            as far as your own-co     t7ls peace tire needs are concerned, as.1  said  before
            you have to set the goal. This hospital is a f@e  hospital.  You  had  a  splendid

            architect - youtve gotten excellent results.
                   I enjoyed going through this hospital for one main reason.  It is
            functionally 1,-,id out so that there is a conservation of people?s time and effort.
            People in hospitals work hard-and tire means a lot to them.  People who are
            patients appreciate that. Sometimes most of us who have never been  in  a  hospi-
            tal donft quite understand. However, it is very important  to  the  administration
            of your hospital, to the-Board of Trustees and to the people iiorking in it to
            try to get over to the co=mity to face the fact that you  have  a  hospital  that
            can@serve you and serie you well. But how it se--ves you is dependent  upon  you.
            There is a salesmanship job to a hospital, and I don't think people in the
            hospital business should ever feel that ttiey are above selling this hospital.
            Not to be disrespectful, but I think one of the bigGest sales organizations on
            the face of the world are those organizations that are selling the Lord.  We
            have to sell @vation.  A3.1 of us respond to a sale of salvation, and we should.
            It's the proper thing to do. So also, do ,re respond to the work of  a  hospital.
            The hospital is dedicated to one thing, and that is service to i@cind*  The
            doctors worl. and they work hard, the nurses woric, as do the dietician, the
            pharmacist, the stationary engineer, the roan who mows the lawn, and many  others;
            but theytre all doing it for a pr@      purpose. That is to enable you or  me  or
            our friends who are in that hospital bed to -et out of that bed, to get home
            and get to work so that the family can again be maintained on a level  of  equili-

            brftm we hope better than before.


                                                     4
                   A hospital is people.  It's not just briel, and mortar.  This hospital
             has the oD ortunity to be a fine institution.  it is well "aid out, 4ell designed
                     .P

             and is in a location ,ihere it can serve yoiio
                   Now when I knew last week that I was coming here., I was wondering just
             exact:Ly what I was going to say.  I found a letter from an old Commanding
             Officer.  He is now over eighty 7ears of age.  He was a very fine friend, a
             former associate) and I would like to read to you w@-at he said in that l@t'ter,
             because he had just learned, having been out of the Service) what 1. 4,j,,to-. du-.'i..i-igo
             So I will conclude my remarks with first wishing you the best of luck in -L. -0
             operation of the hos-r.@-.tal;'a ssuring you of the         of t'ne U. Sr P-,.,,blic
             Health Se7.-vice in any way we can to assist you; atni read   these three short
             paragraphs.  These were writ@tien by Assis';j,-unt Surgeon Gene--aii., retired, Frederick
             S-@uth, who had charge of the Di@-Lon of 'hospitals twe.-ity or tw3nty-five years

             ago@
                         IIA,hospital pays higher dividends in usefulness than any other
                    public building.  A department, @,-@au, agency or court., post office
                    or custom house is open only a third of each tdenty--Pours and is
                    closed fifty two Sundays and many holidays each year,  A hospital is
                    nev            Its lights are an eternal fire on the altar of
                       er closed.                                                  service*
                    Its door is never looked; its windows never darkened.
                        NWhen vacation Grass grows lush on silent school house grounds
                    the hospital knows no respite.  While the Cathedral drowses many
                    days each week over empty pews) the hospital vibrates throufh every
                    crowded moment with never-failing service to humanity.  T@-ough
                    long hot summer days and nights, as in winter storm and autumn blast,
                    the hospital carries on.  In public disaster, when other enterprise
                    is dazed and crippled, the hospital never fails.
                        *The best that is in men  and women is brought out in the crises
                    that try the soul.  In operating room and ward is forged, in the
                    fire of sacrifice and renunciation, the character that snobleso  Pious
                    resignation, courage and generosity are here daily witnessed.  To the
                    hospital come both saint and( sinner, the victim of wasting disease,,
                    of violence or of his own vicious habits.  Whether they march to the
                    drums of war or the pipes.of peace, the sick and. maimed seek refuee
                    where pain is eased and life held sacred and find there) true to ,
                    hospital traditions) not only scientific efficiency, but tolerance
                    kindness and understanding  @athy.1