Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-09-07
SAVING TO THE COUNTY
Some Cold Facts and Figures Con
cerning the Proposed Hospital.
Things Many Have Not Stopped to
Consider, Which Prove Hospital
Will Actually Save Money
to County.

to County.
The question most often asked by
those who do not understand the
hospital project is, What good will
1t do us?" meaning what good fn-
ancially. 1t is an old adage, that
II you want to strike mans weak
spot, hit his pocketbook. The
adage is wrong. a mans strongest
spot is his pocketbook. II you don't
believe it, just try to get his money.
and before you accomplish the COM
mission. you will agree that we are
all from Missouri. Then, before we
have a hospital we must be shown,
that it is not only humane or
benevolent institution, but that 1t
must be a self-sustaining financial
proposition.
To throw some honest, intelligent
light upon this matter, twenty let
ters were written to doctors, all liv-
ing within this county, asking them
to answer the two following eues-
tions:
First, How many patients have
you had. who went away to some
hospital for operations or treat
ments in the past year?
Second, How many weeks have
you employed foreign nurse, viz,
a nurse who came from Dubuque,
Lacrosse, Prairie du Chen, Cresco
or elsewhere, and as soon as she
was through returned to her home
to spend her money?
Eighteen cards were returned,
two were negative. that is, the doc
tor had no record of his cases, and
was too conscientious to give an es-
innate. Sixteen of the cards re-
ported liz surgical cases (not in
cluding medical cases or poor sent
to Iowa City,. Also 100 weeks Of
nursing (not including home nurses
or those who live in this county,.
Now let us figure together. We
are what may be termed ordinary
taxpayers; then we are not in favor
of increasing expenses or taxes. but
we are heartily in favor of decreas-
ing them, and we trust this snort
article will have sufficient merit to
forcefully demonstrate that hos
pital will decrease them.
Let us take the 112 surgical
cases that went out of this county
in the past year. A reasonable
average of the expense of these
operations would be $4,000 each,
plus car fare and hospital fee. Let
US estimate the latter at $4,000,
many of the operations are far
above $4,000, also car fare and hos
pital fee will far exceed $4,000; for
one doctor reported Is cases of ap-
pendicitis alone, all of which went
to Cresco and Rochester. where the
surgical fee alone is from $4,000
to $4,000.
Let us be conservative in our es-
innate and put all at $4,000 each.
and We have surgical fee $4,000
plus car fare and hospital fee, 80
times 112 or $500. Take total
number of weeks nurses were en-
ployed, multiply it by $4,000 per
week and we have 169 times 20 or
$S.SS0.00. adding these together
and we have $12.340.00 which is
taken wholly and solely out of the
tax payers of this county every
year.
This is not all. We average
about IL insane patients every year
for Independence. 1t costs us
$4,000 for the commitment and de-
livery Of each case. and $1,000 per
month for maintenance while there.
We find over Is per cent of these
cases return to us in six months,
either cured or improved: thus we
have paid out for twelve cases
$1.S20.00. which was wholly unne-
cessary. for II we had q hospital,
the law provides we have a room
to retain nervous and insane cases.
So this money would be kept within
our county. Our unfortunate ones
would receive far better care and
treatment, and they would not be
subject to the disagreable odium of
being declared insane. and there is
no doubt that they would make a
more speedy recovery. Sum up all
these expenses. and we have $13,-
$4,000. q total loss to this county
every year. We believe we have put
the average cost to these patients
too low; that $26.0oo.o0 would be
. truer estimate, Should the mimi
mum q this expense 80 ON for ten