New-York tribune., 1911-09-21
HOSPITALS ARE ATTACKED
Hebberd Says City Is Behind
in Ambulance Facilities.
ENTIRE SYSTEM ARRAIGNED
Former Commissioner of Chari-
ties Addresses Meeting of
American Association.

New York's hospital system was the OBJ
ject Yesterday Of one Of the severest ar
raignmonts recently made OF a city depart
nient in an address delivered by Robert w.
Hebbcrd formerly Commissioner Of Chari-
ties. Oh Hospital Facilities of New YORK"
at the afternoon session OF the conference
Of the American Hospital Association at
tho Murray Hill Hotel
Mr.. Hebberd's speech, which was scath-
irg in its denuuciatlon Of nearly every
feature Of the department, came at the
climax Of the afternoon session. The
morning conference, which was attended By
about five hundred persons was taken up
mainly with discussions Of methods OK
handling contagious diseases, anesthcsia
and the part which serums Of various kinds
have assumed in the medical world and
closed Immediately before the noon recess
with resume of the mornings work by
Or W. O Mann, Of the Homeopathic Hos
pital Of Boston.
A discussion Of the central bureau sys-
tom of purchasing supplies, such as is in
operation under the Bureau Of Standards
and Supplies, took up good part Of the
afternoon, but served chiefly TO scquaint
out-of-town physicians with the situation
ig New York and introduce Mr.. Hebberd,
Who IS secretary Of the state Board OF
Charities
Mr.. Hebberd declared that FOR many
years the hospital facilities II New York
had been inadequate Referring 10 the
commission appointed by Mayor Mcclellan
TO study hospital administration In the city,
ne said that the single department plan
then advocated had never been adopted
mainly for the reason that not one Of the
departments concerned, namely Charities,
Health. Bellevue and Allied Hospitals
has seemed 10 he willing, even I'm the in
terests Of The common good, to give UP
single institution to a central board lie
continued as follows.
The plans of the Charities Department
now are TO- have BlackwelIs Island "a
great hospital park, mainly for adult pa
tents. and We want 70 use RandaN ISL
and FOR hospital park for sick children
We are engaged also on a plan for the
maintenance ~ the relatively abe-boA Aed
poor ar tho Staten Island Farm Colony.
The poorly paid hospital helper system
has heen the cause OF much ineficiencv
and complaint Nearly a thousand of these
helpers receive less than 80 cents day
and their maintenance over 5000 changes
ln 10 have been made In single year be
cause of general ineficienCy COmmis-
sioners and social workers have urged this
reform for years.
II IS but fow wears ago-and I'm the
interim conditions have improved very lit
HC-that a Commissioner of Health pub
lisIv admitted 10 a reporter that there were
as many as six patients in one bed I'm the
chiidrcu's department OF a certain hos
pital
Now. the city contracts with some six
ty-fre or more private hospitals for the
care of emergency patients az a per cap
tia rate fixed by the state bUt the State
Board or Charities inspection shows that
nearly All these institutions have been
Overcrowded at times In fact, so many
instances OF insufficient air space for pa
tents have been discovered that the board
had 10 establish air space requirements.
Large private hospitals do a vast amount
Of work for the poor, and arc. IN fact, the
only relief we have from a situation Of long
continued public Indifference and neglect
that would otherwise become a public scan
dal
The city ambulance service has for years
New York there is not a single public re-
lief station, and the district Is compelled
70 rely upon the crude and inadequate
facilities provided by the Volunteers Of
America. II Is a shameful state Of affairs
New York CITY IS about a generation be-
hind tho age in its public hospital and am
hulance facilities.
The association received an invitation
yesterday afternoon from Commissioner
Michael l. Drummond to visit the city hos
pitals under the Charities Department.