The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-05-02
OWOSSO TO HAVE fine HOSPITAL.
Permanent Committees Appointed =
Site Selected and Funds Partly
Pledged.


so Improvement association at the
noon luncheon Tuesday, the committee
having charge of the Owosso hospital
project was discharged after accept
ance of the report and permanent
committee was named. The discharg-
ed committee consisted of C. p. Bent
ley, C. E. Rigley Jr., Fred Woodland,
Fred Welch, j. E. Ellis, d. M. Chris
tian, J. C. Mullaney, j. F. Fields, w.
F. Gallagher and j. H. Robbins
After thorough investigation the
committee emphatically recommended
further steps to take care of need
that is vital to the city's welfare. 1t
found there are between $4,000 and
&C, 900 people in what might be called
the Owosso hospital zone, and that
even if hospital of so to 60 bed ca
pacity were built here, there would
be but one hospital bed to every 1000
population.
Another reason advanced for a hos
pital is that We cannot expect to retain
in Owosso our best doctors unless
hospital facilities are provided, for
physicians are. loath to work where
they are handicapped by lack of such
facilities.
Concerning location the committee
says it considered various available
locations, including the Ward proper
| ty on East Oliver Street offered by
Mr.. Ward as a gift, the second ward
school woods, use of which would en-
tail purchase of three lots on Hick-
ory street for frontage, and the Beck
with property at King street and the
Shiawassee river. The latter property
is recommended by. the committee in
it's report. 1t includes ten acres with
frontage on King street and magni-
ficent outlook over the river. So well
thought was the property that the
committee secured 60-day option on
it. The price is $1,700.
| The committee recommends hos
pital of not less than 80 or 60 beds,
and that it be built so that units can
be added later as required. 1t should
be fireproof and modern the report
adds.
Cost of building and operation the
committee finds, is largely dependent
on conditions and circumstances, for
instance, the number of beds in pro-
portion to the hospital to be devoted
to war service, and the proportion Civ
en- over to private or semi-private
room accommodations. Then there
are important fields for broader hos
pital service, such as out-patient OF
visiting nurse work, dispensary (emer-
gency and accident service, ambulance
service, etc.
A nurses home is an important es-
sential of hospital plant. 1t is rec
commended that the nurses home be
freproof and complete yet inexpensive
In the home, the committee things, il
would be advisable to plan for quar-.
ters for nurses training class.
"We believe and recommend" says
the report, "that it will be necessary
to spend approximately $150,OO0 tc
secure a suitable so or 60 bed hos.
pital. This would include cost OF
property, of the main hospital build.
ing, of all equipment for the same
and modest nurses home equipped
1t would cost nearly $225,000 to in
clude all the ultramodern conveniences
and items of equipment and service
In conclusion the committee urges
that immediate action be taken, Gas
we are well into the spring of the
year and it would seem advisable that
the hospital be well under way and the
necessary outside work completed as
far as possible during the coming
summer months"
The report of the committee was
accepted and the association expressed
the appreciation of the good work
thus far accomplished.
"The Memorial Hospital" is to be
the name of the new hospital to be
erected in Owosso. This was decided
at the meeting of the permanent com
mittee, held Wednesday. 1t is believ.
ed the significance of the name will
appeal to all, and dedicated as it will
be to the cause of suffering humanity
The hospital will be a visible expires.
sion of the desire of the people to re.
lieve, as best they can, the sick and
distressed, and solve so far as possible
the health problems affecting the in.
habitants of the county and zone in
which it is located.
1t will doubtless be the desire OF
many persons who have had sons anC
brothers in the service during the re.
cent war, or parents whose memory is
revered, to make contributions to "The
Memorial Hospital" as being the most
satisfactory way in which fitting tri-
butte to their memody may be made
The plan is under consideration tc
permit, later, the placing of memorial
tablets in the main corridors of the
hospital.
The committee will proceed at once
with the incorporation of the hospital
the permanent committee signing the
papers as trustees. The trustees in.
vite suggestions from citizens gener.
ally on any phase of the project, and
all such plans will have careful consid-