The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-26
MATTERS ON Which
PHYSICIANS AND
COMMISSIONERS T.
FAIL TO AGREE

The Evening Telegram does not
pretend to pass judgment on the I'M
fortunate differences that have arisen
between the City Commissioners and
the physicians of Lakeland, but the
people are puzzled to understand why,
with splendid new hospital just
completed there are no physicians to
conduct it, and it therefore stands as
useless as a ship without a crew.
The point at issue seems to be
whether the Medical STAFF or the City
Commissioners shall have control of
the medical management. of the hos
pital. The physicians do not want
to assume the financial management;
but they do desire free control of
the patients in the Hospital. of the
superintendent. of the superintendent
of nurses. of the nurses themselves,
the internes, and of the help en-
ployed at the hospital. This free
Icontrol" means authority for the Sc
lection or dismissal of the Superin-
tendent, the internes, help, and nurses
in the Hospital, including powers of
dismissal and disciplining of the
nurses.
The matter of salaries to be paid
the superintendent. internes. help and
nurses was in the hands of the hos
pital trustees.
The foregoing outlines the original
plan of organization, and the doctors
ask that this plan be carried out, and
that they be given full control of the
medical management of the Hospital.
AS stated, they do not desire to have
anything to do with the financial
management.
On the other, hand, the position of
the City Commissioners may best be
presented by quoting the salient por-
tions of an Ordinance passed by them
on July 14th. This action abolishes
the Board of Hospital Trustees, and
takes all authority out of the hands
of the Medical Staff or the physicians
of the city, and places all the details
of its workings under the direct sup
ervision of the City Commissioners.
The physicians claim that they can
not operate the Hospital under these
conditions; that continuously they
would be hampered with triffiing OBJ
stacles which it would require
meeting Of the City Commissioners to
remove; that unless the nurses and
hep were under their control 1t would
bae impossible for them to carry on
|any medical or surgical work effici-
emily or successfully; and that they
could not maintain necessary discip-
line among the nurses and those at
tending the training school under the
arrangement insisted upon by the
Commissioners. 6
In brief, the physicians think they
Should be entrusted with authority to-
supervise the internal workings of the
Hospital, In SO far as 1t affects their
Professional work; and the Commits
sioners take the position that they
should control all the workings of the
Iinstitution, including the medical man.
agement. The matter has produced a
deadlock, and there seems no salts
factory solution in sight,
The Telegram does not undertake
to say who is at fault but the fact
remains that an unfortunate situa-
ton has been created.
The portions of the Ordinance
passed by the Commissioners, and OBJ
jected to by the physicians, follows:
The said Commission shall
have full supervision and control over
the said Morrell Memorial Hospital
and the nurses training school con-
nected Herewith.
Sec. 2. The Superintendent of the
Hospital and of the Nurses Training
school shall be selected by the City
Commission of the City of Lakeland,
and shall work under direct control
OF the said City Commission, and no
nurse, student nurse or employee
shall be allowed to engage in work
or training in said hospital or said
training school without the approval
Of the City Commission, provided
however that patients who desire to
hire private nurses may hire such
nurses without the previous approval
q Az CsiA.r Con, mi rinr, hut the city