The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-02-14
1921 FREE PATIENTS;
COLLEGE O|SPEMSARY

DIR. Howard Urbach, superintend-
eft OF the free dispensary of the
Medical College of Virginia. operated
by the state. has issued his annual
report showing that i5.2ol patients
were treated at the dispensary dur
ing the year 1919, or 3eT7 more
than were cared for during 1918
Patients, unable to pay physicians
fees, canning from every part of the
state, including white and celered
men, women and children, are treated
at tho disnansary which now has a
staff of forty-aix physicians and sur
EeonSs- -sIaecia fiSts. in their var ious
lines This staff is assisted by the
students Of the Medical College as a
part of their training and clinical
work
Ana6difion 10 the. t52o1 patients
who visited the dispeusary during
1919. the department operated there
by tho United States public health
service for social diseases, cared for
1850 persons. making a total OF
2s.S7l who visited the dispensary
during this year This is the largest
attendance in the history of the dis
pensarr.
AT this dispensary is done much of
the free work for the coIored race in
Virginia. the figures showing that
two of every three patients treated
there are co.ored. An average of
fifty persons were treated each dispen-
sary day by the Medical College staff
DIR. Urbaeh's report shows. This is
an increase Of 10 per cent per day
over the attendance for 1918.
Besides one-fuli time nurse Miss
Florence Black. who is in charge of
the social service department.. the dis
rensary now has charge Of the social
service department., the dlspensary
now has three psrt-time nurses, Mrs.
e. d. 14inzee. Mrs. Rose V. organ and
Mrs Ruth Meek. In addition to these
nurses. DR.. W. T. Graham, who has
charge of erthepedie work for the
Stale, has assigned two OF his private
office nurses TO the clinic at the dis
pensary two days each week. Three
other nurses from the Instructive
Visiting Nurse association also attend
the dfsnensary twice each week to
care for the young cripples and in
valids and assist in other work.
With the opening of the colored
annex to Memorial hospital within
the next few weeks superintendent
announced that he will assign six
One Of the most interesting feat
ures of the report of the dispensary
is the amount expended in caring for
the thousands of patients who attend
ed the clinics. Although maxi
mum charge of ten cents is made to
patients. this rule having been in eff
f~et -sifsee~fast-~Sep September ret
cost 10 the dispensary for each pa
tent treated last year was $50 cents.
Total receipts at the dispensary, in
Guiding s77aa4 paid by the patients,
sTs1,5o paid by the city of Richmond
for medicine, and $50 by the state for
N-Ray plates. amounted to sI.59I.a4.
Disbursements were sS9s301. lcav-
ing balance OF s7.37lh7 which is
made up from the Medical College
treasury. n
Probably one OF the chief features
of the dispensary Is the social service
department under Miss Black II is
to this department that all new
cases are referred for investigations
as To home and financial conditions
The department workers visit the
bones of the patients, instruct them
in methods of caring for themselves,
help in improving the environment
OF the patients and carry con many
other phases of work
During last year. 732 patients were
referred TO the saefsfl service depart
ment as compared to 439 In 1918
There were 9a9 visits made compared
TO SIS in the previous year. In max
ing her report, Miss Black stated that
demands being made by outside agen-
cies continue to increase showing
wider community interest and 4
greater appreciation of the Medical
College dIspenSary is Il vafuaDl fac
tor in oOmnnunfty life.