Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-09-30
EXPENSES
EXCEED ITS REVENUES
Woman's Auxiliary Hopes During
Week OF October 49, to Help
Out in Deficiency and to Sc.
cure Funds For Special Pro.
jects

lington in the year 1878, a hospital OF d
peas FOR the maintenance Of which she
later provided the sum of about ss5oooo.
The purpose Of this hospital was to
serve the people of the State of Vermont
and especially to furnish care to the un-
fortunate sick who were unable to nav
LOT medical attendance. The resources
which Miss Fletcher provided for its
maintenance were, during its early DAVIS.
ample to provide for all who made appl-
cation for charitable services In fact.
up to 1909 the fund was still sufficient TO
meet the demands, although various adj
ditions had been made from time to time
until the hospital had capacity of about
60 beds.
In the year 1900, the directors. feeling
the pressure of an increased demand for
hospital service throughout the State. de-
voted considerable portion of the money
ie1t ny Miss Fletcher to the erection Of
a modern surgical building and private
pavilion. increasing the capacity of tho
hospital to 100 beds. It was believed that
the money thus invested would bring re-
turns which would still enable the hos
pital to continue its charitable seryices
to the people of the State. The increased
revenue received from private patients,
combined with substantial gifts received
from time to time, did enable the hospitsI
to meet the demand for charitable work
with only small yearly deficits up to
1915.
At the beginning Of the war with the
tremendous advance In the cost of all
1000 products, household and surgical
supplies and medicines, which Increase
amounted to from 80 to 300 per cent. the
cost of the care of patients increased I'd
n nf Ithn to-
The Mary Fletcher hospital has about
q per cent. of the total hospital capacity
of the State of Vermont not including
hospitals for the insane and treats about
q per cent. Of all the hospital patients.
Since the hospital was founded, over AZ.
UU patients have been treated and of this
number over 3,437 have been admitted
since 1909. that is, since the new addition
was built. OF the people treated in tina
last II years more than one-fifth havd
received treatment absolutely free and
nearly one-half have received complete
or partial charity This does OF include
large number of out-patlents who have
also been treated free. These people havI
come from 300 of the 246 towns of tho
tate of Vermont.
II is interesting to note that the mum.
Der of total charity patients treated ID
in 1919, and the number will be even less
for 1920. The total number Of days OF
free treatment in 1911 was 1o,oo6 and in
1919 It was reduced to 2,49s; but, in spite
of this reduction, increasing deficit has
been mounting up until last year It was
some over s25 900.
Although the number Of charity patients
has been greatly reduced It has not been
possible to sufficiently increase the rates
to offset the tremendous increase in cost
of maintenance, for the cost Of mains
teance has increased more than 100 per
cent. but the increase of rates to private
patients averages about so per cent. while
the increase in ward rates has been only
about per cent. This small percentage
Of increase in ward rates was designed to
effect those who formerly would have
come in as charity or partial charity
patients 1t was believed by the directors
that by thus keeping the ward rates low
1t would be possible for those who have
been in the habit of asking for charity to
meet their bills at this time when wages
have been largely increased, but that II
proportionate increase in rates were
made, that is, II the rates were increased
50 TO 100 per cent, they would still be on
the same basis as In former times and
would be unable to meet their obliga-
tons
Whereas a private hospital can be run
so as to make money, a charitable or
semi-cha ritable hospital Is not intended
to be proft-maklng institution and
never should be run to make money; its
sole purpose is to maintain its property,
to render to the public the best possible
medical service and to pay its bills. This
service must be rendered alike TO those
who can pay an adequate charge and to
those who can pay only nominal charge.
or nothing at all. There will always he
people of the latter two classes. and
unless the hospital is able to meet
demands for this kind OF service. it Is
not fulfilling its proper function in the
community. In order to continue TO
serve the State as IL has so long done.
II now becomes necessary for the hos
pital to make popular appeal for funds
to continue It's charity work
The Mary Fletcher hospital is not alone
in finding it difficult in these times to
make both ends meet. Hospitals every
where of all sizes are having deficits and
finding 1t extremely difficult to secure
SUFFICIENT help to keep their institutions
In operation Some Of the hospitals Of
New York and Maine have found IL
necessary to close some Of their wards
and some hospitals in Vermont have cons
templated closing entirely.
The hospital has on its staff practically
all of the faculty of the University OF
Vermont college Of medicine. For this
reason the service which has been
rendered has been of this highest type
and consequently people have come from
all over the State in order to secure these
services The physicians and surgeons
have given thousands Of dollars of frea
service to the charity patients of the
hospital. and the directors have spared
no expense in their attempt to meet the
increasing demands of the medical pro-
fesson It is their desire TO continue
to serve the people of the State Just as
efficiently as they have been doing in
the past
The woman's Auxiliary to the Mary
Fletcher hospital which was organized
last FEBRUARY and now has a member
ship of more than 1900 is proving OF
great assistance in helping the hospital
10 meet its expenses and to keep up Its
high standard of service. 1t has spent
several hundred dollars in the purchase
of bed linen and new kitchen equipment.
Much enthusiasm has been aroused TOT
the hospital. and tho WAYS and meaM
committee expect to raise conslderacs
sums of money during Hospital Week.
October to 2. to be expended in helping
to meet the current expenses for ths
necessities. and for certain special pro-
jects. Some of the special projects are
new private ward elevator. vacuum
cleaning system. clothes shoots re-
frgerating system, etc
1t is hoped and believed that the public
will support the hospital by yearly con-
trbutions to meet the deficit which must
a