The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-09-10
1t Is for the Year Ending Aug
ust /, 1907, and is the First
That Has Been Made to the
Municipal Body.
MANY CHARITY CASES
HAVE BEEN CARED FOR.
Others Who Have Been Treat
ed Under Promise to Pay
Have Wholly Failed to Meet
Their ObIigation---Finances

At council meeting Monday evening
the trustees of the Reid Memorial
Hospital presented their first annual
report of the condition of the hospital
for the year ending August j, 1907
This report was made to the council
on account of the fact that the hospital
is now semi-municipal institution,
the city having contributed $4,000 for
the support of the hospital for the
year ending the first of last month.
In the report it is shown that the
past year a large number of charity
patients have been cared for and that
there were a large number of people
who were cared for on promises to
pay who have wilfully neglected meet
ing their obligations to the hospital.
1t is also stated that plans have been
formulated for the erection of build
ing on the hospital grounds here the
ordinary contagious diseases, with the
exception of small pox, can be treat
ed After the reading of this report
and the accompanying treasurer's re-
port council voted to accept the re-
port and to have copies of 1T printed
for general distribution. The report
reads as follows:
To the Common Council Of the City of
Richmond:
Conference.-The board of trustees nf
Reid Memorial hospital beg leave to
submit to your honorable body, a re-
,ho ha Drlx <1f fha al
for the year ending August 1st, 1907.
We beg to submit some general obser
vations explanatory of the figures con-
tanned in the accompanying report,
with especial reference to the charity
cases we have cared for. We have de-
MED none who could be received in the
hospital. To be more specific we have
denied none except those of chronic
cases which did not apply for treat
ment in the hospital, but to be cared
for to relieve friends, or others having
the care of them. and which were not
hospital cases. All our ward patients
who have paid. as will be observed
from the report. have received more in
value and actual cost to the hospital,
than we have received. We charge
one dollar per day or seven dollars per
week for patients in the wards, where
as the average cost per patient has
been 2.4S per day. The cost we hope
to reduce with larger number of pa
tients. We have also quite a large
number of patients who come to the
hospital. who do not come to us as
CHARITY patients. but who promise and
n and whn dn no
thing. These are people we would take
as charity patients if they would apply
as such. but as they are not financially
responsible, and we get nothing it
should be credited as part of our actual
charity work. We have several hun
dred dollars of bills of this nature ac-
cumulated. without any neglect on our
part but owing to our policy to make
the institution the largest possible ben
eft to the community
Necessarily Expensive.
Hospitals are necessarily expensive !
IN maintenance, but we beg to assure |
council that we have brought to bear |
our best business ability to keep the ex-
penditures down to the minimum, hav-
ing in view the efficiency of the insti- |
tuition.
We yet have under consideration the |
or arranging for depart
ment for the treatment and care of the |
ordinary contagious diseases. other |
than small pox. We hope to have our
plans matured and work begun if not /
for this addition or rather
new department. before winter Your
city health officer is cooperating with /
us In this work, and we hope to be able
to report to your honorable body defi-
mite plans which will have the sane
ton of your health department. and TO
be under such guarantees to the city
from our board of trustees. as will be
entirely satisfactory to you. and to our
citizens.
We beg to assure your honorable
body, that we hold ourselves ready at
all times to give you any information
may desire as to the hospital
IN any way.
Always grateful for your confidence.