The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-02
STAFF URGES new
CITY HOSPITAL
Connection of Present Institution
With Almshouse Not
Satisfactory.

l )
afternoon went on record as opposing
the policy OF continually requesting the
city council to appropriate sums of
! money ior rehabilitatiug the City Hos
| pitaL now located in II wing Of the
| Sity Almshousc, ana favorinE u move
| by which the Council would appro-
pirate the sum OF 100000. or as much
| thcrcot as may be Accessory 10 secure
Il site and build thereon IL city hos
pl'ai,' which will not only be Il credit
10 the city, but Will meet this demands
OF growing city.
II came ABOUT through recommended
lions presented by the visiting staff,
winch were approved by tho commit
zee. asking that provisions be made 10
properly caro- for iEfectious and conta-
Slous diseases at the City Home Hos
pltai: IL was pointed out by Dr. Chus.
Il. Robins. who presented the report
OF the staff, that there is not sufficient
accommodation for such cases At the
| nunlcIDal hospital Cases OF diphthe-
ria. scarlet fever, typhoid fever, not
10 mention tuberculosis. arc multiply
ING at 4 Surprising rate he said. and,
while everything possible Is done TO
take care OF the cases as they appear.
There Is no possible way to seGregate
the suspects and those already clearly
uenned as suffering from these dis
cases.
Accommodations Inadequate.
No reflection upon the officers at the
nome was intended They are doing
the best they can But. according to
Pr; Robins. 1t Is physical nnpossi-
! bility to provide properly for these
cases because of Inadequate accommo-
aations: He suggested that tubercu-
lar patients be removed to Pine Camp
the room occupied by these patients
TO others. IL suitable arrangemcnts
can be made with the tuberculosis
camp society, the white patients will
be sent tc that resort while the col
orcd patients will still be provided for
at the City Home.
adequate facilities at the home for
taking care OF the nurses. The visit
ing stan recommended to the commit
tee that Il building be constructed for
proper school of training could be es-
tablished. AZ present the nurses are
crampcd and are limited in their work
because of incomplete facilities. Many
improvements were recommended in
the hospital department., including a
new steriiizer and more room for trent
ing cases requiring surgical opera
tons.
DR.. Clifton NJ. Miller. of the com
mittce, pointed out that It was largely
because OF the fact that Richmond WAS
behind other cities in the matter OF
having Il properly equipped city hos
pital ,irat large industrial plants have
No criticism OF tho work now done
is intended The surprise is that so
much work 10 really done under the
present handicap" said DR.. Miller
Really a marvellous amount of work
is done and Is done effectively. But
Richmond is growing and we need bet
ter facilities.
Resent Connection with Almshousc.
You can't get away from the fast
that our hospital is now part OF the
City Home. Many patients needing the
ingInen and women who would come
with large Industrial plants. will not
| that they consider 1t stamp of paul
pcrsm. These things must be taken
into consideration by the new enter
prises whose first object Is TO take
city hospital, and we need II quickly"
Every member OF the committee pres
was decided that while the members
approved an appropriate. n for rcliev-
Ing present conditions, realizing That
the needs are urgent, the members also
! establishing In central location Il
! city hospital.
In view of the fact that 4 would
could he ACCOMPLISHED, 1t was deter
| mined to ask the Finance Committee
| for an appropriation sufficient TO make
| the improvements embodied I'm the Wis
ttng STATS report, with the exception
| OF that portion relating TO building n
! home for the nurses. This vii! be in
| corporatcd In the new hospital scheme.
! 4 subcommittee. already appointed.
| will take up ali of these questions at
| a conference with like body from
| IL
| shortly to be held. DR.. Robins. speak
| ing for himself alone. was not in favor
OF acquiring the Memorial Hosntal.
Such a proposition has been before
"The Memorial Hospital" said Or.
Robins lis so constructed that to make
would have to be remodclled to so
great an extent that you would never
! recognize 1t. What We need is plenty
Of gronnd SO that the he new .rS city hos
| gency. and could take care OF such
| infectious and contagious diseases as
are frequently encountered In separate
| This appeared TO be the opinion OF
the committee. Present needs will be
hrst attended TO. and in the meanwhile
| ing conditions and asked to remedy
them by building n hospital such rs
the present size and future prospective
osition of building an additional story
| TO the present building will be later
| considered. as will that for proper
Need for More Internes.
Another provision OF the report sub
! mitted by the visiting stan was that
I the number OF intcrnes be increased
from four to SIX two internes to do no
| ambulance service. This was requested
] because OF the fact that the internes,
leave the hospital without any physi-
| clan being on hand The increase was
recommended by the committee.
The visiting staff also desires to
name an associate staff. and an ordi-
nance giving the committee the right
to confer on the visiting staff tho
power to appoint an associate stan will
he framed and presented to the Coun-
ell.
! 1t was decided further to recommend
TO tho Council the arnointmcnt OF two
| employees at the Home. one night and
enc day. TO receive all telephone calls.
and to determine 10 nearly as posi-
| bic which of Tire ambulance calls was
| most important. SO that time could be
| saved and the ambulance attend the