The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-10-31
FROM
HOSPITAL BOARD
ERRONEOUS IMPRESSION WITH
REFERENCE TO ADMISSIONS
is CORRECTED.

Words of Encouragement and Not
Barbs of Criticism Would Be Ap.
prpeciated.
There seems to be mistaken i'm
preston abroad that The Kings
Daughters Hospital has refused and
is refusing admission to charity
patients.
In not single instance has pa
tient been refused admittance, whom
the attending physician recommend
ed to be admitted. Where patients
have been able to only pay part
of the fee, they have been taken, and
the hospital bore the other part.
The actual cost of every patient
is close to $500 per day. and in
many cases it runs far in excess; for
instance, one patient was paying at
the rate of $500 pc rweek, and one
nurse, who had to be secured on this
patients especial account, was $21.00
per week, and this in addition to all
the other attention that came with
hospital care. Another case, part
charity patient was paying $500 per.
week, she developed tetanus (lock-
jaw, and special nurse had to be
had for her, at $500 per day.
Out of 70 cases treated 81 have been
part or wholly charity, and the man.
agement has borne the keep unaided
except for about fifty kind friends
who contribute $1.OO per month to-
wards the maintenance.
There have only been six deaths in
the hospital. Three of these were
very old people; one dying from the
effects of a fall, and the other two
from operations of very serious ma
ture OF the other three, one died Of
lock-jaw, the effects OF gun wound,
one from heart trouble, in its last
stages when brought into the hospi
tai, and the other patients case was
hopeless when admitted. 1t would
thus seem that the ministrations
had been wonderfully blessed
There has also been criticism as to
the running expense of the hospital
T any one at all acquainted with
the cost of medicine supplies and the
care of the sick, the fact is an I'M
questioned one, that the actual cost
is high, for only what is good can be
used Economy can be better apracti-
eed every where than il the sick
room; if medicine. is needed, it must
certain kind of nourishment is
ordered, it must be secured. If a.
patient on the operating table re-
quiers the most costly of restoratives
to save his life, they must be admin
istered without stint.
No hospital can be run with any
hope of success, unless it is prepared
to meet all kinds of emergenc es.
Even though we may have only fouI
patients to-day, we may have Gig
tomorrow, and must be prepared to,
take, care of them.
Each patient is given every care
and attention that is necessary. but
unless they are paying for a special
nurse, they cannot have the entire
attention of one nurse. You will find
this true in all hospitals, be they
large or small.
We have gone East to get Super
simply because the best
trained workers are to be had there,
and from no lack of appreciation Of
our Southern women.
We are striving to give you the
best in the nursing profession. The
present superintendent of the hospi-
tai was trained at one of the best
hospitals in the United States, and
has nursed under the most eminent
among them the Mayo
brothers, who stand at the head OF
the profession. The nurses are gradu
ates of infirmaries and hospitals
that rank among the first in our mid
dleNand southern states We are p + |
ting scientific devices in the hosrita
as fast as it is possible with our
means.
Hospitals, like all things else I'M
der human guidance, make mistakes:
but out of the mistakes of to-day we
build the rounds that help to mount
the ladder of better tomorrow.
The first year in the lives of all,
be it living being or corporation,
an organization, is the hardest. We
fall many times ere we learn to walk,
SO we beg of you to look upon us
kindly, we need your cooperation.
Pardon our shortcomings, help us to
o L. 49, 1T