The San Francisco call., 1908-10-07
WOULD SAVE CITY
COST OF HOSPITAL
President Wheeler Proposes
Plan to Let University Care
for Poor Patients
Municipality Will Care for Con-
tagiOuS and Incurable
Diseases

A plan which may save the city half
the cost of the proposed 100000 city
and county hospital, as well as an in
terest charge Of $4,000 annually, was
outlined yesterday to the supervisors
by President Benjamin Ide Wheeler of
the University Of California. Wheeler's
scheme is that the city should. as pro-
posed. build and equip hospital for
the contagious and infectious cases and
for the incurable, chronic patients only,
leaving the care of the acute, surgical
and durable chronic cases to be un-
dertaken by the university hospital
the cost of board. etc, only for the
patients to be borne by the city.
Supervisor Payot, the chairman of
the boards hospital and health COM
mfttee. and who was largely respon-
sible in having the s2,O0O,0O0 hospital
project put before and approved by the
people, was enthusiastic in indorsing
the plan proposed by President Wheel
er. He agreed with the latter that the
pstients under such an arrangement
would be guaranteed the best of med
ical and surgical care and that the
management under the university au-
thorities. the city merely boarding"
its patients at cost, would be salts
factory.
REGENTS FAVOR SCHEME
Dr. Wheeler noted that the city and
the university would necessarily have
10 enter into a permanent arrangement
20 Warrant the latter in making the
necessary expenditures in providing
ward space. etc. and the city in turn
ing over the care of part of its un-
fortunates He pointed out that prob
ably 81 900 900 would be saved in hos
pital construction by avoiding unneces-
sary duplication and suggested that the
scheme would be all the better If Stan
ford university agreed TO cooperate
through its medical branch, Cooper and
the Lane hospital
The regents of the university, while
they have taken no official action in
regard to the matter. have considered
the proposition with the president, and
DR.. Wheeler stated they We're heartily
in favor Of the idea The scheme will
be considered by the hospital commit
tee Friday.
Supervisors Rixford, McLeran and
Bancroft considered the letter infor
rnallv at the session of the building
committee and did not share Payots
optimistic view Of the proposition. They
held the city should provide exclusively
for its own and erect a hospital large
enough to care for all classes of pa
tents.
President wheeler's letter outlining
the proposal follows:
Srs ] beg to present for your consideration
q plan whereby the city and county of san
Francisco may make use Of the hospital OF the
University of California part Of the existing
seem 10 be an unnecessary and expensive dupil-
cation. / have noted that the city is consid-
ering the plan Of building a new city and county
hospital and that the plan requires the city 70
incur bonded Indebtedness Of 81, 600, 600. This
means that the city must pay for rent about
$4,000 year in interest charges alone, NOT 70
speak of repairs and depreciation This is
merely for rent Of hospital buildings; main
tenance comes afterward
SUGGEST LONG CONTRACT
The plan l have to present suggests that
the city provide a hospital only for contagious
and infectious diseases, and incursble and
chronic cases. and should then leave the care Of
cases 10 the university hospital, OF, better STILL
II stanford agrees, to the university hospital in
conjunction with the Lane hospital. Such q
plan necessitaIes permanent agreement. mas
much as the university. the universities, can
not be expected 10 undertake equipment and
provision OF space necessary TO fulfill this obli-
cation without having permanent contract with
the city The cost of caring for the cases
could probably be made as low as by the city's
maintenance Of its own hospital and the best
medical aid would be guaranteed. inasmuch as
the hospital would be under the direct over
sight Of the best men in the medical profession.
The control Of the university hospital is vested
entirely in the board Of regents, which insures
votes itself TO the highest scientific and hu-
.nanitsrlan purposes. under the guidance Of
the highest ideals of work and duty IL is
nonsecterlan, ana We trust may be always
free from the intervention of politics And
II is well known that municipal hospitals
IN the past have suffered not 8 little from the
intrusion Of political considerations where they
10 not belong. The plan would. furthermore.
serve In the most direct way the purposes of edu-
cation by assembling into the hospital the ma
terisl for instruction and the purposes Of science
by providing material and opportunity for re-
search II viii. furthermore. save the city an
expenditure Of Sl,0o0.000 and annual in-
terest charge Of $4,000. I have not been au-
thorized by the regents TO make any definite
final proposal to the city. but / have their con
sent and approval in suggesting the possibility
Of this plan ] believe there would be no diff
Guilty in making agreement in case you should
feel the plan desirable.
Believe 20 be. with very high respect,
sincerely yours,
BENJAMIN T. WHEELER.
Berkeley Oct l. 1905.