New-York tribune., 1920-11-08
Lack of Funds
Menaces Free
Hospital W ork
Fifty.seven Institutions in
City May Have to Cur
tail Their Service to the
Poor, Asserts Olyphant
Drive Begins Nov. Is
Pay by Patients Covers a
Little More Than Half
the Running Expenses

New York City is confronted by the
possibility Of dangerous curtailment
OF Tree hospital service. to the poor, in
the opinion of Robert Olyphant, presi-
dent of the United Hospital Fund, who
yesterday issued a statement outlining
the financial predicament of the fifty
seven allied hospitals in Great New
York.
THE hospital problem has ceased to
be one of charity" he said. at is a
matter of the utmost personal concern
to every one Those who know the
hospitals intimately are convinced that
brief study of pubic health condi-
tions on the part of the general pub
lie would soon result in the elimina-
ton of the problem. The disease men
ace should be approached as the city
tights fire, without regard for whose
house is burning or the ability of the
victim to pay the hremen.
Patients Pay Only Half
"New York's heart is and always will
be right 1t doubtless will respond to
the call of the helpless and the sick.
The latest financial statements Of the
ffty-seven institutions in the United
Hospital Fund show that the income
from patients is little more than half
Of the operating expenses.
For the rest the hospitals must
depend upon outside revenue. They
cannot be expected to pay their own
way when they are called upon to do
40 per cent of their work free of
charge. The situation is such that
unless material outside assistance is
obtained the free service to the indi-
gent afflicted must be seriously cur
tailed. The, first is community obli-
cation for the direct benefit of So
ciety. The alternative is menace
to public safety.
"lt is good business to see that the
hospitals do not want for funds. 1t
is humanitarian act of good citi-
of the United Hospital Fund during its
forty-hrst free VIII offering, which
will start November 49,"
The United Hospital Fund in
cludes in its membership institu-
tions equipped to care competently for
ailments of every nature.
These hospitals are St. Luke's,
Mount Sinai, New York, Presbyteri an,
Lincoln, Broad Street, Wyckoff
Heights, Memorial, Sloane, Isabella
Home, Brooklyn, Williamsburg. Post
Graduate, Lenox Hill, Roosevelt, Leb-
anon, Beth Israel, Lying-In, Woman's,
Heights, st. Johns, Flower, Hahne
Misericordia, Skin and Cancer, Babies
Park, Orthopaedic, St. Christopher's,
Methodist Episcopal, Ophthalmic, ST
Mary's Free, Jewish Maternity, Rup-
tured and Crippled, Nursery and
Child's, Hospital for Women, Manhat-
tan Eye, Ear and Throat. st. Andrew s
onvalescent. Herman Knapp Memorial
Manhattan Maternity, Home for Incur
ables, Deformity and Joint Diseases
House of Rest for Consumptives, Neu-
Ear Infirmary. House of the Holy
Comforter, Jewish, House of St. Giles
the Cripple, New York Infirmary and
Long Island College.
The officers of the United Hospital
Fund include Robert Olyphant, presi-
dent; George Blumenthal, vice prcsi-
dent; James McV. Breed, secretary;
Albert H. Wiggin, treasurer, and
Frederick D. Greene. general secretary
The corporate membership represents
net only the hospitals, but the con-
trlputlhg publlc.
The Finance Committee
The finance committee, (which is
charged with the responsibility for the
annual collection, includes Henry j
Fisher chairman; Allen Wardwell, vice
chairman; George Blumenthal, VIII
lam c. Breed. Guy Emerson, Ivy l.
Lee, Gates w. McGarrah, Edwin p
Maynard. j. Pierpont Morgan, Will
lam Fellowes Morgan, Robert Oily
phant, E. II. Outerbridge, James II
Post and James Speyer:
The list of sponsors includes Mrs
Charles B. Alexander, George Gordon
Battle, Herbert L. Bridgman, the
Rev. Right Charles Sumner Burch
Irving T Bush; Health Commits,
D. Cravath, Joseph P: Day, James
L: Gernon, Frank Gilmore, Ed.
win Gould, George deb. Greene, Edward
bert Hoover, Charles E. Hughes, Mrs
Darwin ?. Kingsley, Louis LANCER
Manning, Alfred E. Marling, Ogden L
Mills. William Fellowes Morgan
Dwight l.. Morrow, Acosta Nichols. Mrs
George B. Post. Harold 7. Pratt Her.
bert L. Pratt, John T. Pratt, Mrs Davit
McAlpin Pyle, Mrs. Theodore Douglas
Robinson, Governor Alfred E. Smith
James Sneyer. Martin Voee1. Eliot
Wadsworth, Lillian D. Wald and Will
lam G.. Wilcox.
Headquarters in Manhattan have
been opened at 150 Nassau Street
Brooklyn headoua tiers, under the di
rcction of F., P MAYNARD have beer