Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-22
Lively Discussion at Hospital
Association Meeting.
FOR GREATER PUBLICITY
Writer Points Out Public Antipathy
to Hospitals.
NEEDS FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS
DR.. Brush of New York Talks on
the Patient Of Moderate
Means.

lively discussion developed at this
mornings meeting of the eleventh an
nual conference Of the American Hospital
Association, whose sessions are being held
at the New Willard Hotel. over a paper
written by Del T. Sutton OF Detroit. editor
of the International Hospital Record, on
THE Hospital and the Public"
Mr.. Sutton was not present, but his pa
per was read by DR.. George Bailey of
Copper Hospital. Camden. n. ].
One Of the strongest points brought out
by Mr.. Sutton was the necessity of gen.
eral campaign of publicity to remove
from the minds of large portion of the
public an antipathy toward hospitals.
In the discussion that followed general
support was given to Mr. Sutton's ideas,
it being pointed out that if outsiders
were made thoroughly familiar with the
working systems Of hospitals, what they
accomplish and how they accomplish it.
that sympathy and interest in hospital
work would develop rapidly.
Phases Of Work Overlooked.
One point brought out in the discussion
was the fact that as a rule, physicians,
in showing visitors over the hospitals
with which they are connected, are apt to
take them through the wards or center
their attention on the pathetic side, ne
glecting to acquaint the visitor with the
other phases of hospital work, such as
the preparation of food, the business
methods employed, etc.
The Hospital and the Patient of Mod
crate Means" was the subject of paper
nr foL I'll
tendent Of the New York Postgraduate
Medical School and Hospital of New York
city. In his paper DR.. Brush showed the
necessity of increasing in hospitals the
facilities for taking care of patients who
were able and anxious to pay moderate
sum for treatment, but who could not
stand the expense of the best private
rooms.
I'VE have ample provision for caring
for the poor In the free wards" said
wealthy. to whom price means nothing.
But the great middle class. the class
which represents 80 per cent Of the pop
ulation, the class whose quick restora-
ton to health is of the greatest impor-
lance. is not well taken care Of. AS a
rule, they are kept out Of the free wards,
and yet cannot afford the special care
that Is given patients in the best private
rooms
Check on Hospital Expenditures.
In a paper entitled "A Cost System for
Hospitals DR.. Thomas Howell, superin-
tendent of the New York Hospital Of
New York city. described the difficulties
of keeping proper check on hospital ex-
penditures.
Discussion was had on all these topics.
but no definite action with regard to any
of them was taken.
The morning session was brought to a
conclusion with the reading of paper on
THE Appropriation Of Public Money for
the Partial Support Of Voluntary Hos
pitfalls in the United States and Canada"
by DR.. s. 8. Goldwater Of Mount Sinai
Hospital. New York.
At last nights session several papers
were read and discussed. Lieut.. Col. Will
liam H. Arthur of the Army Medical
Corps spoke on the Difference in Ad-
ministration of Military and Civil Hos
pitals" The former, he said. have great
advantage, in that they are conducted
under a strict discipline impossible to
maintain in a civil institution and are for
tunate in being endowed by a paternal
government
Other speakers were Holmer Folks of
New York, who spoke on 1.-The Many
Sidedness of Hospital Work.; DR.. r. w.
Smith of Toronto, who spoke on "Munic-
ipal Hospitals; DR.. w. Gilman Thomp-
son. on 1.-The Hospital From the Patient
Viewpoint" and Miss Emma e. Anderson
of the Baptist Hospital of Boston. who
spoke on the "Open Wards Effect on the
Spirits Of Patients