The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-08-30
An Open Letter
To the Stockholders of the New
Madison HOSPITAL:

| Ladies and Gentlemen IL feel that
the time has come for me to make q
statement in regard to your proposed
institution, its rules and regulations
and my attitude toward them. About
the middle of July received the fol-
lowing letter:
Dear Doctor We, the under
signed promoters of the Madison
Hospital, desiring to make this instr
tuition of the greatest benefit to all
the people of this and surrounding
counties, extend to you an invitation
to become member of the staff of
this hospital under the following
terms:
list. That you at all times con-
form TO the rules and regulations of
this hospital.
End. That you take minimum
of $4,000 worth of capital stock with
out guaranteed dividend, but which
will participate in any dividend earn
ed by the hospital over and above
the amount necessary to pay the 6 %
guaranteed on the investment of
stockholders other than staff physi-
clans.
'3rd. This stock shall be taken
on or before September 1, 1919, and
shall be paid for at the time of sub
scription in cash or negotiable paper
"Fraternally yours,
(Signed) "R. S. Westaby.
I'D. S. Baughman."
This, on its face, looked fairly good
and was quite satisfactory. How
ever, il is now known that similar
letters were sent to part of the doc
tors of Lake county, while to others
no such invitation was extended. At
least they did not receive such a let
ter. | ask you now, was this slight
to several of the doctors of Lake
county put upon them at your sug-
gestion, or did the promoters do Ii
of their own accord, and without con-
sulting you? And further, do you
think 1T will tend to make your insti-
tuition success to have the promot-
ers secretly flout or ignore several
of the doctors of Lake county? 1t is
up to you. 1t is your money that is
making the institution.
Another question: Did you author
ize the promoters of the new hospital
to issue an ultimatum to the doctors
of Lake county to either get in by
the first of September or stay out,
and do you wish that a new man
starting in practice in Lake county
shall be obliged to pay $4,000 before
he can treat case either surgically
or medically in your hospital? If the
present promoters of the hospital had
been obliged to do this they might
not have started yet.
Now, then, as to the rules and reg
ulations, which are nine (9) in num-
ber. Rule nine is as follows:
No member of the staff shall en-
ploy as consultant, assistant, nurse or
otherwise any person in the diagno-
sis, management or treatment of any
of his patients in the hospital with
| out the knowledge and consent OF
the managers of the hospital in each
and every case.
Was this rule formulated at your
request? If not. how do you like it?
Just imagine the position this puts
the staff members in They would be
unable TO employ a nurse without
the consent of the management and
their associates, unable to call q
physician in council without first
| getting the O. X. of the management
and their associates, unable to have
an assistant without permission from
the management CDR. Westaby) and
their associates. The working out of
this rule makes it necessary for every
nurse, staff member or any one else
who would have anything to do with
the hospital to kowtow to the man
agement and their associates first,
| last and all the time.
| There are eight other rules, each
bearing its own particular sting. In
! fact, to me the rules of the hospital
form gigantic wood-pile in which
numberless ethicpians are but scant-
lily concealed. feel this opinion is
held by half or more than half of the
physicians of Lake county. Is this
what you stockholders desire? II so,
have no complaint to make, but as
an American citizen decline to sub
nit to an autocracy of this sort !
would not by word or thought do any
thing to hinder the erection of your
proposed magnificent hospital. But
as it is an institution of public i'm
portance. feel that 1t ought to be
run for the good of the public rather
than in the interests of one man and
his associates.
(Signed) Harold f.. Kellogg, MD.