New-York tribune., 1918-06-04
Needs Of Civilian
Hospitals Urged at
Conference Here
Should Not Be Neglected
for Army, American
Association Decides
Federal Aid Sought
Adequate Supply of Physi-
clans, Students and Nurses
Recommended
Federal Aid Sought

mat civilian needs shall not be
,.sleeted for the demands of the army
..ss the decision reached at the all
d,v conference on hospital problems
r.sulting from the war, which was
ssd under the auspices OF the war
,.,vice committee of the American
uosuital Association yesterday at the
ssw York Academy of Medicine.
Resolutions to this effect were
..sse0. one calling Tor programme
der the direction of Federal health
.s-inistrator or other suitable Fed
.~l authority, for maintaining an
,deouate supply of medical students
nd of properly trained physicians and
,srses during the war. The resolution
.so provided for an extension of the
.yisting facilities for training by the
royernment If such an extension should
X deemed necessary, and that surveys
N medical and nursing fields which
lave already been undertaken by gov
frnmental and private agencies should
h extended, coordinated and com
yleted
The resolution further stated that q
programme should be prepared and
tsrried out. in cooperation with the
military authorities. for the most ef-
fsctive disposition of students of medi-
cine who are Of draft age, and for the
notification OF their training to meet
war requirements.
The other resolution stated that, as
the maintenance of the civilian hospi-
tails oi the country in a state of eff
cency is I necessity, the attention of
the American Red Cross be directed to
the shortage of paid workers and the
inability OF the hospitals to secure
labor in the face of present competi-
ton.
Among plans discussed, and which
will be put into action soon, were those
dealing with the vocational education
Of the thousands of crippled soldiers
who will soon be returning from
France, and of enlisting the aid of the
civilian hospitals to care for these
soldiers.
Professor James P. Munroe. of the
Federal Board for Vocational Educa-
ton. stated that the board is arrang-
ing for some method which will re-
place the crippled soldier without up
setting the industrial machine and
without exploiting the soldier.
Colonel Hornsby said in behalf of
Surgeon General Gorgas that the
civilian hospitals will be called upon
to take care Of the men who are
wounded too seriously 10 return to
military service.
Plans were discussed for filling the
medical schools with students. and on
the other hand to bar slackers who
would seek that profession only as a
means Of avoiding the draft. August
S. Downing, Assistant Commissioner
OF Education of the State of New
York, cited instances in which civil
and electrical engineers had applied
Tor admission to medical courses in or
DER to escape service in the army.
other suggestions to be acted upon
were: The State Department of
Health should be notified of discharges
from the army on account of disease,
so that the spread of disease may be
prevented schools for vocational
education Of the crippled soldiers shall
De established in the occupational
centres instead of at army posts; to
offset the shortage of trained nurses
Ior civilian use, wealthy patients shall
be limited to three or four hours pro-
fessional attention a day. when their
physical condition so permits.
Among the representatives at the
conference were DR.. S. s. Goldwater,
chairman. and members of the War
Service Committee; Dr. Joseph How
land Boston War &rvice Committee;
Dr. Renwick R. Ross, Buffalo War
service Committee; Asa Bacon. Chicago
War Service Committee; DR.. Ralph
B. Seem, Baltimore War Service Com
mlttee; Bird S. Coler, Mayors Com
mttee or Hospital and Medical Facil-
ltles: DR.. Thomas Howell, president
hospital conference of the City of New
YORK; Miss S. Lillian Clayton, presi-
cent League Of Nursing Education,
rn!adelphla General Hospital, and Dr..
- j. Hatfield, National Association for
me Study and Prevention of Tuber-
culoss.