New Britain herald., 1926-03-31
HOSPITAL IN NEED
 OF NEW EXPANSION
Additional Accommodations Re-
 Quired in Less Than Year
S12,00O CONTRACT AWARDED
Walls to Be Somd-Proofc In Cor riders and several Quartcrs-Situ- ation Reported Acute ill Respect to Quarters for Nurses.

So lupluIS IS llle 4NCN lplltdlll bcll- acral hospital growing that it is thought it will be necessary to build additional accommodation for med ical wards, children's departments and nurses apartments in less than d year. The surgical department has almost reached its capacity. A con- tract for $12,0O0 worth Of improve ments to the present structure was signed yesterday.
 Will Sound-Proof Walls.
 The provemcnts, which will be started immediately. consists in sound treating all the walls and ceilings of the corridors, serving Kitchens. nurses rooms, floor dispen- saries, kitchen and utility rooms. to avoid any unnecessary noises dis turbing the patients.
 Due to the tireproof construction of the building, noises in the corri- dors are magnified and the effect on patients who may desire to sleep sometimes is not satisfactory. The new process consists of padding the walls and ceilings with a fire and sound proof felt composition to a thickness of two inches, this com position being covered with a thick gauge which is painted 10 match the general color scheme.
 When this is finished, loud talking in railways by visitors the acciden- tai slamming of an elevator door, or the dropping of tray in a serving kitchen will not be heard in the pa tients' rooms or wards.
 According to Dr. T. Eben Reeks, superintendent, this work is being installed in all modern hospitals. The contract was awarded to the John Mansfield Co. for sl2, ,000
 The question of additional room Is a serious one even now. The hos pitnI, with a total capacity of 210 beds, has been averaging 175 all winter. The maternity department has been taxed to it's capacity, the medical department has been crowd cd and room even now Is at pre- mium in the children's wards. In the surgical wards the present accom- modations are thought to be ade- quate for two or three years at q maximum.
 More Room for Nurses Needed.
 In the nurses quarters the situa- tion is reported acute. The new nurses home was built for the old hospital, sufficient allowances hay ing been made for what at that time was expected to be a reasonable eX- pansion. The new hospital overtaXed the capacity Of the nurses home, an neXes were opened and other nurses were quartered there, and finally dormitories for department heads were opened in the old maternity quarters.
 Still more accommodations are needed. There is no available space for additional nurses. The natural increase in patients will bring with it the problem of more room for nurses. Additional prop erty in the vicinity of the hospital has been purchased recently, which will accommodate the next incom- ing class of student nurses only. The new annex will tide the situation over for possibly a year, after which an addition to the nurses home probably will be the solution.
 Because of the possibility of en- larging, improving or remodelling the old hospital building in the near future to relieve the congestion, plans for new ambulance entrance from Grand street have been drop ped. The present ambulance en- trance has been improved and has been found satisfactory.
 Additions to the equipment of the laboratory have been made during the winter, and large framed pho tograph of Dr. Henry T, Bray has been hung in the staff room,