Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-19
GRADY HOSPITAL
FIRE TRAP, SAYS
DR.. E[KIN
Committee Talking for $4,000
Institution Hears Old One
CIassed as Menace

\ committee appointed by Bishop
q. X. Nelson to further investigate
tine necessity for new municipal
hospital I'm Atlanta 30 cost about
$3.50 900 and TO replace the old Grady
Hospital. attacked as q FIRE trap
nd q disgrace" actively took up the
work assigned to 1t Thursday and
VIII report to Bishop Nelson ~ a
meeting to be called later.
At the conference held WEDNESDAY
afternoon in the directors room OF
the Lowry National Bank, and at
W1ich were present committees from
Council. the Atlanta Medical College,
chamber Of Commerce and the board
Of trustees Of Grady Hospital, IT was
unanimously decided that there Is
dire need of . new medical Institution
and resolutions were passed request
ing that committees decide upon
plans Of procedure for placing the
question OF a bond issue to cover cost
Of the hospital before the people at
he fall election and also to decide
upon the size of the institution de-
sired
Working Committee Named.
Bishop Nelson who was RESPONSE
he for the meeting and who acted as
chairman. appointed committee
consisting Of Dr. w, 5. Elkin, dean
II the Atlanta Medical College; A. r.
ColCord, CITY Councilman, Mayor
Woodward. Dr. T.. G. Jones. of the
Atlanta Medical College, and r, L.
Foreman Of the Chamber of Com
merce. to look into the question of
the Importance OF such hospital. di-
rect publicity, secure exact estimates
Of the cost of an adequate institu-
lion prepare for the submission OF
the matter to the Council and to
make definite recommendation at
the next meeting.
Another committee was appointed
TO act in conjunction with the COM
mittee already appointed by the city
council to confer with Fulton County
officials with reference to making it a
Joint city and countv institution. on
This committee are Charles S. North
en-. Dr. Floyd w. McRae and Or.
Eharles T. Murphy.
Plans for modern hospital sutil
Ciently large for the needs Of At
lanta were presented by DR.. William
x, Summerall superintendent Of the
Grady Hospital His estimate is
$750,000.
Details Of Plan.
II calls for an outdoor clinic build
ing with complete laboratories for
research work, laboratory for the city
bacterlologist and chemist, "a division
for clinics for both whites and blacks,
emergency operating room and Of
fees for the County Coroner, which
WOULD cost 5000 600: a nurses dormi-
tory. to cost $4,000; contagious
disease hospital costing 10000; two
buildings fui the, ordinary charity
work one for white persons and the
other for colored, to cost $250,000:
childrens wards, $4,000, boiler
room. laundry rooms, kitchen and
order1y's quarters $4,000, a private
pay hospital. Sl60O00; extra land and
Enclosure, $4,000
4 hospital built upon that plan, Dr,
Summerail said, would he adequate
for all purposes and n credit TO the
city instead Of the disgrace which
the Grady Hospital is now The pri-
waite pay hospital. he said. would
more than pay for the maintenance
of the entire hospital and would in
80 years p5y off the interest and
sinking fund on the bond issue.
Grady Called "Fire Trap"
The recently added private hospital
has given great returns in the short
time it has been in operation, said
Or. Summerall which leads him to
believe the larger institution would
net still larger profits Al the pres
ent time they are unable to care for
more than one case IN ten at the Pay
hospital
Dean w. S. Elldn. Of the Atlanta
Medical College, outlined the imme-
diate necessity Of a new hospital
The Grady Hospital Is inadequate,
a fire trap, unsanitary and a men
ace to all patients and the general
public" he said "They cant attend
10 even a small part Of the cases.
There are about twenty ambulance
calls every day and with the present
facilities IL is impossible TO answer
only two or three Of such hurry up
calls. At present there is no ma
ternity hospital in Atlanta for colored
women. Ii is "a deplorable fact Yet
negro women have been picked up on
the street in serious condition, be
cause OF their inability to get medi-
cal attention anywhere in the city"
Mayor Promises Help.
A modern hospital would be one
of the biggest assets of the city and
would do much 10 advertise Atlanta.
other cities not much larger are now
erecting hospitals costing as high as
six million dollars Why can not At
lanta spend at least a million dollars
10 hold her own? A munich
pal hospital would benefit all and the
taxpayers should be willing to stand
the small additional expense"
Mayor Woodward promised his aid