The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1921-03-17
CLUB TAKES
NEW START
FOR HOSPITAL
Committee Named to Complete
Drive for Financing Com
munity Hospital
REPORT NEXT WEDNESDAY
DIR. Cole says Community Must Rec
ognize that this is Really
Community Enterprise

At the regular Wednesday luncheon
the Commercial club voted to get def
initely and actively behind the COM
munity hospital campaign. DIR. b. L.
Cole, S. j. Coull and A. w. Craigue,
were named as committee to either
work with the hospital association
committee or to take the initiative in
putting over the drive for funds.
This committee met yesterday
evening and outlined a plan Of cam
paign which will be reported to the
club at next Wednesdays luncheon
when it is hoped that the attendance
will be large.
In speaking of the committees plans
DR.. Cole said that all Of Kennewick's
physicians had been brought into per-
feet agreement on the proposition and
that with the community cooperative
there is no doubt but that the under
taking can be made success. "There
is no doubt but that what the COM
munity needs is hospital building"
said DR.. Cole. "There is no necessity
for large building but one that is
properly built and thoroughly
equipped. The question of building,
however, must be left to the future.
The task Immediately before us is the
leasing of the Bartlett home and
equipping it. This can be done at a
very moderate cost.
"The big item in equipping hospi-
tai, Of course, is the surgery. Our
committee has suggested that the sur
gical equipment be provided by the
physicians and I understand that they
are willing to do this. If this is done
the community's part of the program
will be made easy. Such furnishings
as are purchased now should be pur-
chased with a view of permanency.
The furnishings should be such as can
be used when the time comes to erect
a new building.
"The people should by this time be
convinced not only of the need Of a
hospital in the community but of the
futility Of attempting to rely upon
privately owned and operated hos
pitals. The community is not large
enough for private institutions. We
know that by experience. We have
had two hospitals with some Of the
physicians pracrcing at one, some at
the other. The result is that neither
has been properly equipped and neith-
er has been financial success. The
public and not the physicians have
been the losers by reason of this con-
dition. Every time it is necessary to
take patient from this community
to a city hospital, the patient and the
patients family are the ones who suf-
fer, not the physicians. The removal
Of a patient from the community
means additional expense and addi-
tional risk and the burden and the
risk is assumed by the community,
not by the medical profession. / am
mentioning this in an attempt to bring
home to the people that this is their
problem. In equipping and providing
for the management of community
hospital we are not merely conferring
favor upon the doctors but we are
taking very necessary step to protect
the lives and health Of our people. We
have tried the physicians hospital.
They haven't been successful nor will
they ever be successful until the COM
munity is many times its present size.
Certainly it is high time that the COM
munity recognize that the operation Of
a hospital in community this size is
the community's business"