Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-13
HOSPITAL week
TOPIC TAKEN AT
REG. ROTARY meet


DR.. Edward H. Risley spoke to the
Waterville Rotarians yesterday noon
at the weekly luncheon, discussing
the plan of the American College of
Surgeons to have the methods and
work in all hospitals, uniform. His
address was much enjoyed and as
this is National Hospital Week, the
talk was quite appropriate for the
time. Invitations were received
from the Legion Post and the Sons
of Veterans to participate in the
Fourth of July parade and n. H.
Barrows gave a good report of THE
program for Boys Work this sum-
mer. After the meeting large
, delegation visited the Sisters Hos
pital, where the club has a room of
their own furnished.
DR.. Risley spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Today is being observed through
out the whole country .as National
Hospital Day: day in which the
attention of the public is being call
ed to the Importance of the hos
pital to the community, the need of
| some form of Standardization for
| hospitals, and the need of more hos
pitfalls in the smaller communities.
| 1t is very fitting, therefore, that
the city of Waterville should be
presented today with splendid
modern hospital institution, COM
plcte in every respect according to
/ modern standards of hospital equip
ment, and the people Of Waterville
/ should be very grateful to the Sis
! tiers of Charity for the splendid gift
| that they have set down here for our
! use.
| 1t is important. on the other hand,
| for the public to know what things,
| beside a modernly equipped plant,
are necessary for the making of an
efficient working institution.
About II years ago the American
| College of Surgeons started a con-
, structive plan of work to improve
! the standard of surgical work in this
/ country. The principal objects of
/ this plan were, l. To elevate the
standard of surgical teaching in our
medical schools. >. To effect more
| frequent meeting of the surgeons f
! the United States and Canada for
the discussion of surgical problems.
| ). TO establish q standard of sur
! gical fitness for the benefit of the
splitting between medical men and
surgeons, and to improve hospital
| conditions in all parts of the coun-
try.
1t was found that the most effec-
tive way in which to accomplish this
program was to try to improve the
hospital or the workshop, in which
the surgeon did his work. To this
end the College of Surgeons estab-
lished what they called the Minimum
Standard for Hospitals. By this is
not meant set of hard and fast
rules but rather an efficient working
plan by which it is believed the hos
pital, the surgeons, and the commu-
nifty will get the best results.
The minimum standard for hos
pitfalls contains the following provi-
SionS:
1. The men working in any hos
pital which adopts the minimum
, standard shall form themselves into
a group or staff and shall hold meet
ings in the hospital once each
month in order to review and con-
suit about the cases that have re-
ceived treatment during the preced-
ing month. This review should pay
especial attention to the mistakes
III IlOolS, tHc pOOE ISSullS vi Op-
erations, infected wounds, failures
of operations to relieve the condi-
ton for Which the patient came to
the hospital, and unexplained or I'M
necessary deaths. In other words,
this monthly review of cases acts
as stimulus to every man to do
his level best, realizing that these
meetings are going to serve as a
check on inefficient work. By this
one means alone the standard of sur
gical work in a community is bound
in time to be greatly elevated.
:. The surgeon is required to
make out, and the hospital to keep
on permanent file, a complete rec
ord of every case that comes inside
its doors for treatment. This means
a careful history of the case, a COM
plete physical examination. with u
record of all the necessary labora-
tory tests that will help in making
n correct diagnosis or that will help
to safeguard the patient. These
records serve as q basis for the dis
cussion of cases at the monthly
meetings, as a further check on the
quality of work being done in the
hospital, and as q basis also for an
end-result system in which it is de-
sirable to know the condition of the
patient at any future date.
>. The establishment in the hos
pital of a completely equipped elm
ical laboratory where all the neces-
sary tests can be made by a trained
laboratory assistant.
4. The refusal of the use of the
hospital to those medical men and
surgeons who are known, or found,
to split fees or who are in other re-
spects INSCRIPTIONS or unethical in
their practice.
1t should be evident at once from.
this brief outline that the results or
treatment, in any hospital which
adopts the minimum standard,
should steadily improve as time
at once encourages more careful
work on the part of every one con-
nected with the institution. The
surgeon must be more keen in max
ing his diagnosis, more careful in
his operating, and in the care of his
patients. 1t encourages more fire.
Quent consultations, which are al
ways of benefit to the patient; and
it encourages greater alertness and
vigilance on the part of the nursing
staff. By this plan the whole stand
ard of medical work in a community
is raised.
The Sisters hospital in waterville
has adopted this minimum standard
plan: the public should understand
this. lie remains only for the med |
ical men of this community to give |
this plan their heartiest support and |
~ nro fiop IN m fbic institution.