Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-12
100000 HOSPITAL
ADDITION FINISHED
New Building at Georgetown
u. Institution First Step
for Medical Center.

70 it's humble beginning 80 years ago
GEORGETOWN University Hospital nov
the largest privately conducted hospi-
tai In the District. is making prcpara-
TONS to observe the opening OF its nov
100000 addition. which marks the
:,calevcnnent of the first step in plans
90 tie university to erect an enlarged
rae6lcal center near its campus.
Tn,.nc are still connected with
,Ar~setown Hospital some who recall
Wien Sister NJ. Pauline and her two
rsS,s.arts. on August Is. 1898. waited
"A. vain. with sinking hearts. To re-
trlre their expected guests at the for
rla, opening of the little 24-bed build
u;c first erected.
t'uon them had fallen the arououS
IasS OF removing the debris left by
rnr workmen and Quitting and put
tlnz the building III conditions for its
future patients For weeks they had
te:lasi happily in the thought of Scrv-
Toe. paisulg only to sleep at night on
'.unHos.sea mattresses spread upon the
ARE floor.
nurscs Tait In Vain.
AT l:st the wnrk OF preparation was
eou,p,et@t. everything was III as per-
t,ct c)uCit.on as human hands could
FAKE l.. An announcement widely
published S ated that the new hes
=; a.. TIE fist To offer an emergency
arI 6l peis;,ry StNlce 20 the 10000
PI-alat-S, - Ciei rTetoWn, would be
opened al al appointed hour. Happy
il the completion OF this first step i'll
the establishment of a hospital in
West Washington. Sister Pauline and
her INC assistants, who comprised the
entire nursing staff, waited hopefully
IL the tidy reception hall TO welcome
taei: guests.
The hour came and passed. but i;
brought no visitors. The next hour
end still the next passed likewise. Soon
the shadows Of darkness settled upon
the three lonely women whose high
hopes had given way to Saddened dis
appointment. But the sacrifices of Sis
ter Pauline were not to be made in vain
for the next day. and the others that
followed, brought patients in increaS-
ing numbers until the little hospital
soon had outgrown its capacity.
The history of Georgetown Hospital
Is a story Of phenomenal growth. Could
these three silent sisters have looked
down the corridor of 80 years on that
oiSheartening opening night, their dis
appointment would have turned to
smazement at the present picture show
Ing the fruition OF their early labors.
Now Large Institution.
From the small building erected at
thc corner of Th.r1y-fifth and N streets
at cost of S37,500, the solid lines
Of the Georgetown Hospital build
tngs now encircle almost an entire
block. with a valuation of more than
s1.500.0o0. From "a beds the hospital
he's grown TO $50 beds, and Is second
IL capacity only TO the great Govern
nleut plant a: Walter Reed Hospital
Now more than 1900 patients receive
treatment yearly in the emergency de-
partment. which has done an important
part in saving human life, The hos
pitfalls dispensary service has expanded
until las; year it treated more than
1000 patients
With the opening OF the new build
ing providing additional accomoda-
tons for these valuabie departments
for safeguarding health. the hospital
Will be in a position TO extend this
service and add TO the number Of
CHARITY. patients xho form more than
oHe-tl1irn Of the entire cases handled
each year.
Rev. Charles w. Lyons, S. j., presi-
dent Of Georgetown University, dele
gated group Of experts TO make a
special study of the largest and most
modern hospitals in the country in
planning for the new unit. AS a result.
the completed buildings contain the
last word in hospital equipment and
sterilization methods.
Rooms Are Homelike.
The new fve-story central building
and four-Story wing completes 'front.'
age of 800 feet ON Thirty-fifth street
70 Prospect avenue. In one respect,
a. least, the furnishings differ from
the usual hospital equipment. All
onces and rooms are equipped with
metal furniture. mahogany colored, the
idea being 10 depart from the custom
arr hospital whiteness and give TO
the rooms homeiike appearance.
The entire basement Is devoted 10
the dispensary service and contains
among other facilities. 2s clinical ez-
animation rooms. accommodations for
prenatal and infant welfare work. cor
yection Of speech defects ard social
service department. Rooms are pro-
viced for the medical and surgical
epecialtics. such as Affections Of the
rye. car. nose and throat, diseases Of
children and mental and nervous
diseases. There Is special depart
H1ent also for dental examinations
The central building and wing con-
tain beds fof 1873 additional patients
These are separated into 70 wards FOR
% patients and ~ private rooms with
communicating baths
Offices for the administration de-
partEne1t .! the entire university are
on tie first foo: o! the central build
Ing, which also contains private roonnz
on the fourth and nth floors for the
~ Sisters .! 81. Francis who supervise
the institution. They nave a separate
kitchen. dining room and comfortable
recreation? hal equipped with a ado.
Sisters Have Chapel
-
a. beautiful Gothic chapel for The
Sisters. 50 feet by rs feet snd II feet