The New York herald., 1921-12-02
CENTRAL HOSPITAL
BUREAU ADVOCATED
Better Distribution Of Patients
in Cooperative Effort Seen
in Proposal. :
MANY CHANGES URGED

A central hospital bureau, to arrange
a better distribution of patients in hos
pitals, unity hospital reporting. gather
hospital information and aid in cooper
ative buying was urged last night at
stated meeting Of the New York Acad-
emy of Medicine. in which the pro-
gramme was furnished by members OF
the public health committee OF the
Academy. The findings of the COM
mittee. which has conducted survey
of the hospitals of the greater city, were
made public in a paper presented py E'
IL. Lewinski-Corwin, executive secre-
taIy The survey, begun nearly a year
ago. is said to be one of the most COM
prehensive of it's kind ever attempted.
There are $4,000 hospital beds in the
city sufficient to meet present needs on
the basis of one bed available for every
fourth sick person. The average utin-
zation OF available bed capacity. Mr..
Corwin said, does not exceed 70 per
cent.
Chief among other recommendations
was one for more generous provision OF
inexpensive private and semi-private
beds for the use of persons in moderate
financial circumstances.
Of the hospital should be kept continu-
ously before the public" said Mr.. Cor
win, "a central hospital bureau should
be established which would act as an
exchange of experience and storehouse
of information.
"Such bureau would contribute tow
ard a better distribution of the patients
among the hospitals, would bring about
the unification of hospital reporting,
would be a repository for information on
| morbidity. would be an aid to the public
in forming an opinion as to the needs of
the institutions. IT also would supply
information to benefactors, trustees and
architects and would stimulate efficiency
Of hospital work and organization"
Additional uses which such central
body could provide were suggested by
DIR. w. Gilman Thompson in a discus
sion which followed the presentation
of the findings of the committee. The
| method of supporting such q central
bureau has not yet been determined but
the suggestion that aid might possibly be
received from foundation" prompted
Bird S. Coler, Commissioner Of Public
Welfare. to enter vigorous opposition.
Commissioner Coler participated in
formally in the discussion by invitation
of DR.. George David Stewart, president
of the academy.
Outstanding among the other recon-
mendations embodied in the survey were
cited the following needs:
An expansion of facilities for the care
Of convalescent and chronic disease
cases.
Ampler funds for maintenance pur-
poses and the employment of larger
nursing and other professional staffs.
In municipal hospitals it was noted that
nursing care is particularly made
quate."
Reorganization OF training schools to
attract a larger number of pupils.
Greater utilization for medical re-
search and teaching.
Change Of policy where necessary to
admit larger number 0 physicians
20 the opportunities of hospital practice.
The committee reported that at the pres
ent time only slightly more than 40
per cent. Of the physicians in tine city
are associated with hospitals. The per-
centage OF surgeons is higher.
More uniform method of statistical
and financial accounting. The hospitals
OF the city expend annually for mainten-