The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-12-02
per hour from the north at Sioux City
Woodbury. county, on the Itch.
THE MISSION OF THE HOSPITAL.

InSu q StOTl 10 StdilSu Uhae SoiiO oii'
is refused admission to the institution
or is held at the door at the peril o.
J his life until some good Samaritan
comes forward and agrees TO pay the
necessary expenses, IA
All such stories have easily been
proven false, but the rumors thus sci
in motion are often hard to stop, ant
much harm has been done by thought
,ess words of those who do not take the
trouble to investigate the merits OIL
the reports. No emergency case has
ever for an instant been refused admis
sion nor has there been any non-atten
ton on the part of those in charge.
While the hospital was built by pub
lie subscription, it is not a charitable
institution There is no possible
means of support except from the
room rent paid by the patients and
from donations that are made as a
free will offering by friends of the
hospital No tax or public revenue is
available for the care of patients, and
only in cases of restitution or dire
need can the city or county out of its
poor funds pay such expenses.
1t is necessary, therefore, for pa
tients. their relatives, friends, church
or lodge, to make provision for their
keep, the same as if they were TAX
en- TO a boarding house or hotel, or
were cared for by special nurse in
their own homes. This of course APP
plies to cases of sickness where an OPP
Grafton becomes necessary, or where
| the attention of those skilled in the
ART OF caring for the sick becomes de
sirable. In case of accident or sud
den sickness the patient is taken in
at the hospital and cared for and no
questions asked until the crisis is over.
| In other words, the hospital is a re.
treat for the sick and the injured, but
their care must he provided for in
some way. The hospital in itself has
no way, except as a business PROPOSE
ton by selling Its services. During
the first year of is existence patients
we're few, and the revenue was not SUI
ficient to pay running expenses. A
guarantee fund was asked Of the bust
ness people of Oskaloosa, and about
$1,000 was subscribed. 1t was neces-
sary for the board to call in all of this
to keep the institution from running i'll
debt The last of this money was paid
in last March, and since that tfme,with
she aid of voluntary subscriptions OF
few good friends, the hospital has
been almost self-supporting. And it
is hoped that the institution will be
able to feel its way along in the future
without running in debt, or without
calling upon the public for another
large guarantee fund.
a. If the Oskaloosa Hospital succeeds
in doing this, that is if it becomes any
where near self-supporting after the
first year, it will have done remarkably
we'll and will have established a rec
ord that so far as known was never
before made in Iowa. Many hospitals
are endowed by rich friends, or the
deficit is made up by some denomina-
lion. but so far the Oskaloosa institu-
ton has had to depend on it's own eff
forts. This is another good reason
why it should not be criticised with
out some good reason. And if there is
any reason for criticism, the board OF
directors who put in much time gra-
tuitously, and pay for many things
out of ,heir own pockets. would like
10 know about them, and would be
only to glad to correct them. But
kindly refrain from complaint and
criticism until the truth is known.
And. again, if by economy and good
management the hospital is enabled to
meet running expenses, nothing is left
Tor improvements and changes that
become desirable and requisite as the
institution grows and develops. 1t
is to provide for some of these i'm
proyements that the annual Tag Day
is held and other work done for extra
funds just this fall it became desir-
able, and in way necessary in the
saving Of fuel, to equip all the win
dows on the north and west sides of
Tie building with storm windows.
This item alone will cost about $500.
The electric elevator is badly. needed
in the handling of patients comfort
ably, and in sparingthe nurses VINO in
busy times and especially at night are
compelled to work on three floors, and
run up and down stairs every few min
Utes.
A bed at the hospital with board and
the constant care OF a nurse day and
night, costs only ten dollars per week.
Suppose there were no hospital and
the patient were taken to a hotel. as
has often been the case in years past.
The board and room alone would cost
him sl4 per week and the services of
professional nurse s25 per week
more. 1t will thus be seen that the
hospital furnishes for SO per week
what under other circumstances would
cost 500 per week.
All bills contracted for provisions
and supplies are audited and paid by
the board every month, and the insti-
tuition is run on the best business basis
that the fifteen people on the board
can devise. II is to meet these bills
promptly that close collection for SER