The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-07-13
FEES CHARGED ARE TOO Low
Trustees Already See Necessity of Ke-
nosha County Asking More for Care
of Patients Sent from Other Coun-
ties May Blaze Trail for Others.

The first financial report Of Willow
brook sanatorium has been fled with
the State Board of Control and this
shows that the net cost to Kenosha
county for the maintenance Of the In
stitution will be pretty close to FIVE
hundred dollars month. 1t is i'm
probable that this cost can be main
tanned if the institution has its full
complement of twenty-four patients,
but the report for the first four
months shows that the net cost to
the county was $1977.3 a.
During the four months the sana-
forum has had total Of thirty
patients and the care Of them totaled
two hundred fifty weeks and three
days. The expenditures of the sana-
forum for this time, including the
amount paid for Ford automobile to
be used at the institution, was $3,463. 40
or per capita cost per patient Of
1888. Without considering the pur-
chase price of the automobile the per
capita cost per patient for the four
months was $11.43 per week. The
county has due from the state at the
rate of five dollars a week for each
patient from Kenosha county cared for
$995.00 and in addition it has charges
of 1927 against Price county and
$12.86 against Dane county. This max
ing total due from the state treas
urer and other counties of $9S7.13.
The financial statement compares
very favorable with those of other in
situations in the state, Notwithstanding
the fact that the Kenosha sanatorium
was just starting out and it was neces-
sary to purchase many things which will
not be necessary in other months. The
County Board appropriated $4,000 for
the maintenance of the sanatorium DUR
ing the first year and it is certain that
this will be ample to meet all demands.
The first financial report shows, as
reports Of all other institutions in the
state have shown, that the contribution
to charity in the case of managing SAN
atoria must be considerable. It is i'm
possible to maintain the sanatoria I'M
der the present high costs of living at
fees Of ten dollars month for each
patient. Of course the large majority
of the patients at Willowbrook have
been committed to the sanatorium from
Kenosha county as county patients.
Patients have been received from
other counties and other states at the
uniform rate of ten dollars a week.
This is the fee that is charged by the
other like institutions in the state. but
the trustees he Kenosha county in
stitution may olaze the trail by in
creasing the amount to be paid by
patients from other cities and states.
During the last few weeks the popu-
lation of the sanatorium has been pref
ty close to its capacity and it is pretty
certain that all the beds in the insti-
tuition are going to be demanded for the
care of Kenosha county patients. Had
the trustees of the sanatorium gone out
after patients it is certain that the
institution would have been filled al
most from its opening. It has been
the policy of the sanatorium manage
ment to hold beds for Kenosha county
patients in order that all home patients
might be cared for before patients were
accepted from other cities.