Evening star., 1924-01-11
S5()D,0)O REQUIRED
|. FOR D. c. HOSPITAL
Appeal to Be Made for Funds
for Emergency, Now Run
ming Casualty Also.

Washington will be asked TO con-
tribute half a million dollars to clear
Emergency Hospital from debt, fur
nish additional accommodations and
provide for ever-increasing demands
upon the institution. it was an
nounced officially today by Woodbury.
Blair, president of Emergency and
Casualty hospitals The appeal, 1t Is
planned, will be made on or about
March /.
A new nurses home is one Of the
tuition, Mr.. Blair's statement points
out, and two of the buildings now
temporarily occupied by the nurses
are in such condition that they should
be vacated and razed to the ground.
The statement also explains the mo-
tives actuating the board of directors
at Emergency Hospital in taking over
Casualty Hospital when it was faced
with bankruptcy
Mrs. Mays Resigns.
Mrs. Margaret A. Mays, superin-
tendent of Casualty Hospital, has ten
dered her resignation to the board of
directors. which meets this afternoon,
it was learned today, declaring that
much is needed to place the institu-
tion in first-class shape. She said
that she had expected that some at
tention would be given this problem,
but that upon learning yesterday
there were no plans on foot for the
reconditioning of the institution, de-
cided to turn in her resignation, ef-
fective today.
"The board of directors of the
Emergency Hospital" reads the
Blair statement, appreciating the
broad field of usefulness covered by
Casualty Hospital and the extensive
service 1t renders to our citizens, par
ticularly those in the northeast sec
ton, concluded that 1t would be a civil
calamity should the casualty be closed.
1T was therefore, with sense
of the great responsibility that the
directors of Emergency Hospital. de-
pending upon the public TO sustain
their action, offered on behalf of the
Emergency to become responsible for
the payment by the Casualty Hos
pital of it's Indebtedness, amounting
to $4,000, and thus secure the con-
tinuation of its services to the pub
lie; and it is hoped that under
partial reorganization and with the
cooperation of the citizens of Cap
city, the Casualty Hospital will be
able to continue its operation.
"The Emergency Hospital on or
about March ! will make direct ap-
peal to the public for the sum of
$500. 600 to clear itself of debt, furnish
digent and other patients and pro-
vide to meet the ever-increasing de-
mands on the hospital which. in part,
is owing to the increased population
of the city, the number of strangers
who visit the city and automobile and
traffic accidents.
Charge No Fees In Charity Cases
"The maintenance and operation Of
the Casualty Hospital will also be an
increased liability, as no public hos
pital without rich endowments can be
self supporting.
when an emergency or dispensary
patient can afford to make a small
contribution to the hospital it is ac-
cepted. but no fee or contribution is
ever demanded, and no patient has
even been refused admission and
treatment on account of inability to
pay for such service. The fees al
lowed by the board of charities en-
tail loss to the hospital of S1.70 per
day for each patient credited to the
District of Columbia, but even the
small compensation allowed for char
ity patients is preferable to no re-
Enumeration and is gratefully re-
ceived. 1t should be understood that
a comparatively large number of the
gency Hospital are not eligible un-
der the rules OF the board of chari-
ties to be charged to the District and
are therefore treated without COM
pensaion.
II have gone into these details to
explain that with the most careful
management the actual maintenance
of the hospital entails a loss of not
less than 100000 per annum, which
does not include replacement. extern
sion of service, and improved
efficiency; but when the extent of the
services rendered to the community,
which included 6.516 emergency pa
tients out of total of 1925
patients treated at the hospital dur
ing the past year. the deficit is not
but proves the i'm
portance of maintaining the hospital.
THE Emergency and Casualty Hos
pitfalls are institutions in which every
citizen has a direct personal interest,
and when citizens have contributed
generously and unselfishly for orhcr
causes they can we'll
AFFORD to give to the institution to
which they or the members of their
family are liable, at any hour of the
day or night, to appeal"