The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1919-03-13
| .etters from the eople
Kennewick, Wash,
March 5, 1919.

Kennewick, Wash, :
March 5, 1919.
The Courier Reporter,
Two weeks ago one of our citizens
laid before us the question, "Does
/ Kennewick want a. hospital?" and so
far no public answer has appeared.
have been hospital patient three
times in my life, also have had several
years experience in the financial and
administrative side as member OF the
Board of Trustees, and two years as
President of the Methodist Deaconess
Hospital at Spokane. fully realize
the value of hospital to the commun-
| ity and want to answer eyes, by all
means if it can be started right, and
by enough people who are interested
and determined to see it through to
success"
The Spokane Deaconness is organ
| lied like most hospitals, on the train
ing school PLAN. that is to say appli-
.cants are received who serve three
years, giving their entire time to the
institution and if approved by the
staff, are graduated nurses. The hos
pital furnishes board and nurses home,
but is not obliged to pay the salaries
which trained and graduated nurses
command in their profession. Very
efficient service is rendered within the
hospital by having trained nurses in
charge of certain number of pupils to
direct them. This arrangement, how
ever, is not permissible under the laws
of the state unless the hospital has 30
equipped beds, with sufficient business
to justify this equipment.
! The kind and generous offer of DR..
Tullar and the willingness of the peo-
pie to contribute as they already have
done should not be overlooked. Other
surgeons and physicians will no doubt
give assistance in other departments,
and when once properly placed before
the people there is no question about
their loyalty in raising the necessary
funds. Kennewick and our contiguous
territory, however, would not yet sup
port training school hospital but
could begin by having two or more
trained nurses on duty during the day,
and one or more at night, according to
the demand, with the necessary house
keeping help.
The founders of such an Institution
should have tomorrow in view, for the
next five or ten years will show mark
ed Improvement, and much added pop
ulation in the valley and nothing less
should be considered at this time than
the purchase of enough ground for the
ultimate building of training school.
Plans could be prepared for a building
to be constructed in smaller units, or
for that matter, a temporary building
could be used for the time being. The
$500 should be swelled to $4,000 cash,
and pledges taken, to bring in that
much more each year for at least two
years. If such subscription were a
reality, it might be possible that land
could be secured by donation, and the
funds used in building.
Nevertheless after this has been ac-
complished, the operation Of the hos
pital is the real test, and there will be
days of difficulty ahead, there are
times when rooms are taxed to capaci-
ty, other times when calls are slack,
there is free work which can not be
turned away, and bills of the hospital
are often slow and hard to collect.
After much experience am convinced
that to succeed as it should, and keep
the nursing efficiency up to high
standard all the time, that hospital
should be mothered by the church.
There is need for a religious atmos-
phere for the sick, and in providing
this, also in taking care of the poor and
needy, the churchman feels that his
time and money are spent as his creed
has taught him they should be.
Right here we face the fact that
Kennewick, like most small towns, is
over-churched, or rather over-denomi-
nationalized, if there is such word,
and no individual church feels willing
to volunteer for the task. True, we
could include Richland, Finley and
Hover, also possibly Pasco and Pros
ser, but in most cases each denomina-
ton has its needs, and world mission
airy calls, that tax its present capacity.
/ am going into this subject thoroly
because it seems to me the time has
come for US to see the writing on the
wall, and to do in Kennewick what is
coming the world over, namely to get
down to brass tacks," to agree on es-
sentials, and eliminate unimportant
differences, or in other words as we