Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-04
COMPLAINTS BY PATIENTS
Alleged That Competent Medical At
tention Is Not Always Given.
PART PAYMENT" METHODS
Clearing House for Emergency
Cases Suggested-Proposed Use
Of Workhouse Buildings.

work in the District of CO.
lumbia as very unsatisfactory, viewed
from the standpoint of the medical profess
sion. the patients or the public at large.
The statement is made in the annual re-
port Of the board to the Commissioners,
presented today.
There are eighteen dispensaries in
Washington. the majority of them being
connected with hospitals. The service is
unsatisfactory to the doctors, accord
ing to the report, because the patients,
as a rule, have only vague ideas as to
carrying out the directions Of the physi-
clans. Under present arrangements the
physicians have no adequate method of
following the cases in the homes.
''The result is that many patients suffer
from their own carelessness and the medi-
cal men lose interest in the clinics
The charge is made that the patients
say the dispehsary service is unsatisfac-
tory because they do not always receive
attention from competent medical men.
The report takes It for granted that medi-
cal men do not attend their clinics as
regularly as their position would demand,
and that frequently the work of clinics
is left to youths and subordinates.
that when they return to the dispensary
at an appointed time they do not find the
same physician who saw them on a for
mer visit. This Of course discourages the
patient and tends to lessen his confidence
in the efficiency OF the service. Careless
ness on the part Of the physician begets
carelessness on the part of the patients
Payment for Services.
In the third contention that the dis
pensary service is at q low stage of ef
flciency the matter of fees is brought up.
The report holds that little or no atten-
ton is given to the question OF whether
or not persons presenting themselves for
treatment can pay anything or not, land
consequently physicians are deprived of
fees to which they are justly entitled,
patients are pauperized and the COM
munity is demoralzed."
A change in the part payment meth
DDS at hospitals Is urged by the board.
It is suggested that private charity hos
pitals should look after patients who can
pay something. but not the entire amount
of hospital charges. The balance would
be made up from the charity fund of the
hospital
The government now stands for the part
which the part-pay patient fails to pay.
At Freedmen'S Hospital no payment is
taken from any one. This is according
to law. and frequently causes embarrass-
ment, because many person wants to go
there who is able to make payment. 1t
is the only hospital in the city with a
staff Of colored nurses and doctors. The
board recommends that inasmuch as there
are free patients there now who can and
would pay if they were permitted.
charge should be made, SO as to allow
the institution to receive money for serv-
ices from those who have 1t. 1t is said
in the report that other cities follow the
practice Of allowing public hospitals to
accept pay from people who offer 1t.
municipal emergency service is urged.
The board believes that now Is the time
to start one. as the block on which the
Emergency Hospital stands has been con-
demned for government purposes.
Proposed Clearing House.
Also, the board suggests a clearing
house for all sorts of charity and emer-
gency cases. 1t asks that the request Of
last year be considered again, namely.
that in the center of the city there should
be a building or group Of buildings for the
temporary lodging Of drunks, sick people,
lost children, homeless men and women
and persons picked up on the street not
charged with a crime and who cannot
Immediately be sent home. 1t is not the
idea that the clearing house should af-
ford a permanent lodging place for any
one The various cases would be inves-
tigated as quickly as possible and dis
tributed according to their needs.
The suggestion is made that as the
plans of the prison commission involve
the vacation Of the workhouse building
sooner or later. some of these buildings
be used for an inebriate asylum and for
accommodations for persons suffering
from "vice diseases
The recommendation is also made that
there should be better facilities for the
care of persons of good moral character
who are suffering from chronic diseases
and need permanent care. The only
provision at present is the Washington
Asylum. Although the service is re-
ported as satisfactory. the respectable
poor are brought into close contact with
sick prisoners and Objectionable persons.
many of whom are suffering from vile
and repulsive diseases. The board wants
a hospital erected for persons suffering
from acute nervous diseases. general
chronic d!eases. and for INDECENT con
valescents. Such a hospital could be
erected at GeorgI avenue and 14th
street, and the board wants $500. 200 to
work with, one-third of which should be
available in the next fiscal year.