Evening journal., 1920-01-22
HOSPITAL WOULD
AVOID Debt
per Diem" System on Pub
lie Patients Recommended &.
by Delaware'S President
REPORT HEAVY
DEMANDS LAST YEAR


ton deeply into debt. is recommended
by President Thomas f. Bayard. OF the
Board Of Directors Of Delaware Hos
pital, in his annual report. The an
nual meeting Of the board was held
yesterday afternoon at the hospital.
Directors whose terms expired this
year We're reelected with two excep-
tions. The dircctorsh'ps left vacant by
The expiration OF the terms OF Louis
Topkis and John J. Raskob Will be
filled at a later date.
: Delaware Hospital has recorded an
increase Of 1910 dispenssry visits in
1919 over the visits in 1918, and an
/ increase OF 40 In The number Of per
sons admitted to the hospital, over the
previous year While financial ina
billty curtailed the number OF free pa
tlents, the total number Of sick and in
lured patients treated IN 1919 was
greater than in 1918.
/ The yearly report Of President Bay
ard, OF the Board Of Directors, is as
follows:
TO the Members OF the Corporation OF
the Delaware Hospital:
From The point OF view OF rendering
assistance to the sick and wounded
/ Of our community. the record for the
/ year 1919 Is an eminently satisfactory
one as shown by the reports OF the sew
eral officers which are placed before you
Today. As foreshadowed In my reports
s for the last two preceding years. the
necessity Of the hospital reducing its
/ free service is reflected in the report
! OF the chief resident physician, and
from this report. / call your attention
/ TO certain details. While the total days
service Of both free and pay has been
reduced by iJ7 days. and the free days
service has been reduced by 232 days.
| the pay service hss Increased 3.76j
days This last item Is perhaps best ex-
| planned by stating our financial inabil-
/ ity to afford greater number Of free
/ days service and the increase Of the
service rendered In our maternity de-
! partment, which at all times during the
past year has been crowded with pa
tients ard their little ones Il Is inter-
esting 20 note that the number Of per-
sons admitted TO the hospital during
the past year increased by ii0; so that
while we were compelled to curtail our
care Of free patents, the total mum.
Der OF sick and injured persons was
greater thsn that OF the preceding year
"The cost OF operation Is stlll a most
serious one, and the situation Is being
met by the trustees with a great deal OF
anxiety and care with the hope In the
coming year we may be able 70 do
two things: First, to administer the
hospital within our income: and sec
ond, 10 paw of as much as we can OF
the debt which was incurred during the
year 1919. The treasurer report, which
Is now before you, shows a loss In
operation OF S25 iiiO3 Tor the year
1919 This from a patient examination
Of the method Of administration, the
Board OF Trustees feel that during the
coming year many expenses, which
were necessary during the past year.
need not again be incurred; so that II
we are able by retrenchment, TO come
out ahead during 1920. it is hoped we
will find means TO pay of the Indebted
ness which was incurred. Already dur
ing the last few months Of 1919. we
have so shaped the affairs Of the insti-
tuition that the income and outgo are
nearly equal In this connection, it |
mirht be well TO state 10 you that many
OF the supplies, which were purchased
during the past year. when we had
every reason TO believe the immediate
use OF the same, will be TO our adv1n-
tage during the coming year. because
they will save us the amount new
purchase would cost and probably at
an increased rate.
THE report OF Or Sands, the chief
resident physician, which is before you,
shows, i'm detail, an increase Of up
wards OF 300 operations, so that It is
apparent that the amount Of work
done by the hospital so far as this
phase Of its work is concerned, has
been on the increase.
"The report Of the x-ray department
shows that 1876 examinations were
made and 2002 plates were used, an
increase Of CAS- exposures, and besides
this 100 exposures for dental purposes. /
The orthopedic, pedlatric and ven
eral dispensaries, which were opened
during 1918, and have been kept open
during the past year, are doing better
and more work than ever. Il is inter
esting 10 note that the number Of dis
puensary visits shows an increase OF
1910 over the year 1918.
Conferences are now being arranged
for. looking towards arrangements with
both the City Council and the Levy
Court. whereby a pay as you 80" sys-
TEN may be introduced; so that when
a person unable 10 pay is admitted
from the county. the Levy Court will
nav per diem, per person, and likewise. /
the City Council will pay per diem
for the persons admitted from the city
who are unable TO pay. At present. the
CITY Council contracts with the hos
rttal for services in an amount not to
exceed $4,000, but at the present cost OF
operation. the same is used up in a few +
months. with the result that the hos
nilal. in according aid and assistance 20 T
the sufferers. has done so at flnan- I
cial loss. II, as above suggested, agree I
ment can be made with the city and
county authorities 10 pay 4 stipulated
per diem. the hospital will be enabled
to take care Of more people and come 4
out even financially. We are. also.
stipuating with the several industrial
plants in The city and county that we
will not accept at the hands Of the ON
clals Of these plants. the persons in
iured ihereat. unless the plant manage
ment agrees 10 pay a per diem during
the term Of the hospital treatment for
these patients. The Delaware Work
mans Compensation Act only provides
for a payment covering a period Of two
weeks, and very frequently, the patient
is IN the hospital in excess Of this
period Inasmuch as The law provides Z
that the employer shall only be respon-
sib,e for two weeks medical service.