The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-19
MISS CUMMINGS N
REPLY TO CRITICISMS
Answers In Detail various Objections
Urged To Conduct Of virginia Hos
pitnl In Recent Months.
is PROUD OF CHANGES MADE
Declares They Have Been Put In
Force I'm Interest of Efficiency.
Discipline md Economy Of Manage
ment

y few days ago The Nirginlan pub
l!shed a story in which was recounted
! with considerable detail the changes
made in recent weeks at the Virginia
Hospital and some events which seem
4 ed To require explanation.
/ On Friday afternoon Miss /. f.
! Cummings. uperintendeut OF the hos-
| pital, gave out a statement replying
to criticisms. and, in justice To NJ ss
Cummings, her statement is repro
duced verbatim:
The report that there has been sew
eral changes at the city hospital, as
published in one or two newspa pers.
IT'S quite correct. broadly speaking.
OF course I'm the details there are
NUMEROUS errors. but In the main |
am glad To say. there have been
changes at the city hospital and /
am somewhat proud of the fact
AS superintendent. IL has been my
duty to make changes. ! have en-
deavored to increase the efficiency of
the hospital, improve. the care Of the
patients and ra,ss the standard of
nursing. / am glad my efforts have
been appreciated. even IL the appre-
citation is shown In "a spirit of criti-
cism
Personally. ! do not care TO dis
cuss the affairs of the hospital IN the
new SiftPtiSs 1 am EtSpVflAiple 10 the
Administrative Board. and the board
/ mas upheld the perintendent In all
matters pertaining 10 the managemen t
Of the hospital However. / think
| can say without fear OF cuntradic-
tion that we have as we'll managed
hospital as there IS in the city /
! have heard DIR. Henson and others
ompiment The manner in which our
{ operating room is conducted and /
am af the opinion that If any mem
Der Of the staff. including DR.. Nelson.
the chairman. Ia asked he will agree
that as far Ms the administration of
the hospital is concerned everything
Is done that can be done for the care
of patients.
We have now from 100 to 1870 cases
day The hospital has heen in ex-
istence only eighteen months but in
! that time the Improvement has been
married.
| For Good Service
AS far as the changes are CON
jcerned they we're all for the good OF
! the service. Sometimes it was a mat
ter Of economy Places have been
consolidated Sometimes it was a
matter of efficiency and sometimes II
was A. matter of discipline.
There are fewer changes among
I the maids and orderlies in this hos
pital than in any other. think with
{ the possible exception Of st. Lukes
/ They are colored help, and we now
have about as an efficient a force az
! think can be obtained, OF course
We may have to make changes once in
while. but we will not do so more
than Is necessary to maintain dis
cipltne and see that the patients are
properly cared for. 1t wii not d.
10 pass over the neglect of patient
on the part OF maid or on orderly
In regard to other matters all thai
has been printed In criticism of the
changes in the hospital Is much ado
about nothing. II is no easy task Il
take a new hospital and organize ge
staff Of nurses. look after their feed
ing and care and other details of hos,
pital work without making changes
1T naturally follows that changes
!. will be made and positions that seen
necessary at first can be consolidated
or abolished. | have never taken
step without referring the matter Il
the Administrative Board. and tbs
board has seen fit to endorse al hay.
4 done.
Easy to Criticize.
OF course, 1t IS perfectly easy TO
persons not familiar with the work Il
criticize. and at times / have beer
provoked over statements that hav,
been printed In the newspapers. Wha
makes these statements particularly
annoying at times is the fact that the,
are untrue.
II have not the time to take tn,
matter up in detail, but | will If tn,
Administrative Board sees fit to -orde
1t. But | can say that 1t IL untru,
that Dr.. Goodwin, an inferno. resigned
He never even reported to this hos
! pital for duty
1T is not true that the position o
Miss Ashton was abolished or tina
Miss MCGEE resigned These are onl,
some of the matters. And as for tn
case of Mr. Tanner. that is altogethe
too absurd
The night before a holiday I am
In here and found. instead Of Mir
Tanner, the regular telephone opera
tor. Miss Raglaac. answering calls
Now, there are usually lot OF call
on the eve of holiday. and it sur
prised me that Mr. Tanner had takeI
that occasion Of all others to absen
himself. He had not even consulted
me about it--iust went off witnou
saving a word. OF course, I called
him back TO duty and he said tina
as he had been able to get Miss Rag
| ldftt W NOlk LOT nun ne tnONkHt liia
! vas tsii that was necessary
THAT is the sort of discipline tina
| obtained before ] put "A stop to II.
! have never refused leave to ans ont
wien II could be granted but Dc
think that as superintendent ! shoulf
be at least consulted when an employ,
tries to take day or a night ofY.
Given Months Notice.
Nobody has ever been discharged
! from this hospital with@9; a month.
! notice. and nobody has been dis
| missed or their places abolished with.
/ out the Administrative Board being
/ informed in advance and endorsins
! the action Of the superintendent
1T was on June | that the board
/ was notified that the services of Miss
Mary Niece would Sc no longer re-
! CURED. and il was on .iune thai
| the board in letter approved the
action of the III perintendent. She eft
/ July <
/ The position Of Miss Ashton was
1 not abolished, hut "a change Was made
she vas appointed to the position ~
night nurse to answer telephone calls
until pupil nurse could be appointed
to he place Miss Ashton was not rs
familiar with Richmond as Miss Err
lynde Smith VIII WAS given her ulaea