Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-01-10
NEW FEATURES
IN HOSPITALS
BOON TO POOR
Old Ward Idea in Building
Now Regarded Relic of
Dark Ages.

NEW YORK ClTY-The hospital ward,
which, for centuries has been considered
wise and practical accommodation for
an antiquated institution. The new
Idea IS that every hospital patient
should be housed in a private room.
whether he can afford to pay for it
or not.
Doubtless 1t will be more than 4
few years before this pleasing prophecy
is entirely realized. but New York has
already struck the first blow for a ward
/ less hospital future in its new Fifth
Avenue Hospital.
This building, which is rising slowly
and magnificently between 105th and
106th streets on the avenue, opposite
Central Park, will bet Is hoped for
just a short time-the only hospital Of
its kind in the world 1t Will have no
ward, but private rooms. each with a
bathroom attached, are to be rented at
rates ranging from nothing up. The
patient without a cent to his name will
receive exactly the same treatment as
the one with a large bank balance.
This sliding scale of rates is designed
for the special benefit of the so-calIed
II iddle class, which suffers acutely under
the present hospital system. The ex-
tremely poor who DO not mind going
into a ward can get free treatment in
definitely at many hospitals. and the
wealthy can afford to pay for private
rooms, but the middle Class-that large
Portion Of the population which must
keep up appearances on small salaries
cannot take advantage of either. Its
pOcketbook will not permit it to have q
ftS ri 10 not
init it to enter a ward.
ITO provide this in between class of
people with comfortable, well-lighted
vell-aired private rooms at whatever
nominal fee they feel comfortably able
to pay, Is one Of the big aims Of the
new hospital" according to DIR Wiley
Egan Woodbury., who is to be its direc-
tor. mo other hospital in the world has
been founded with such an idea as this
behind it," he says.
RELIEF BROUGHT TO
MIDDLE CLASSES
Consider the clerical forces, the men
and women at desks, counters and
benches. Their salaries permit them to
live comfortable home lives, but many
Fave large families dependent upon them,
and have been able TO save but little
Serious Illness, especially If 1t is of long
duration, is an overwhelming calamity
to them. To swallow their pride and to
subject themselves to the humiliation and
discomfort of going into a general ward
or to bear the expense of obtaining the
sort Of hospital service that they really
should haye-either extremity would be
unfortunate"
This is illustrated by d case which
came to the reporters attention the
other dly-that of a young married cou-
pie who are in desperate circumstances
owing to An unforeseen misfortune. Both
husband and wife have worked bravely
and ambitiously ever since they were
married few years ago. The young
wife did clerical work and the Young
husband held position with future
attached to it in WAN street At first
they lived in cheap boarding houses in
order to save money. Gradually, how
ever, they acquired their own apart
ment; a judiclous amount Of real an
tque furniture, then a valiant little sec
ond-hand car and now they are expect
ing a baby.
The hard struggle of their early mar
led years seemed to be splendidly worth
while several weeks ago-when the Wall
street explosion occurred. The young
husband was standing too near the scene
Of the disaster, talking to a business ac-
quaintance and was horribly injured He
has been in a hospital ever since at the
expense Of $500 a week This has swept
the couples small hoard of savings away
and the wife Is now having to sell her
household effects to pay the bills.
"As for me, l can go into a ward"
she told a friend recently, "but the boy
must have the best treatment available
II he Is to get well. Even now we fear
that he VIII lose the use of his right leg"
Needless to say, private hospital
room, such as the Fifth Avenue Hospital
intends to provide, would be q tremen-