The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1929-08-02

LIE dUUFc OlllCeIo Will mdySi
j. B. Flora, Chairman c. A. Ownley
of the Board of County Commits
sioners; Hon. John H. Hall, Of the
firm of Ehringhaus g. Hall; DR.. S.
w. Gregory and w. C. Dawson con-
stitute the Board of Directors.
The hospital under community
management and supported in part
by The Duke Endowment, starts off
auspiciously with the pledge OF
every medical man in Elizabeth City
and PaSquotank County,-with but
one or two exceptions-to support
it and adhere to its bylaws and
regulations.
The medical men of the city ami
county expected to have completed
their organization of the hospital
staff last night and will also rec
ommend courtesy staff to be COM
posed of doctors from adjoining
counties who will be permitted to
practice in the hospital.
Miss Charlotte Gordon, srperin-
tendent of the Elizabeth City Hos
pital and her staff of nurses have
been retained and no immediate
changes in the nursing staff are
contemplated.
The physicians and surgeons of
the city in meeting Tuesday night
elected the following officers for
their hospital staff, having regard
to the seniority of the city'S prac-
titioners: Dr.. Isaiah Fearing, presl-
dent; DR.. G. B. Williams. vice presi- {
dent; DR.. VIM. A. Peters, secretary.
=. Drs. Mora s. Bulla, r. L. Kendr.c.-s
and w w Sawyer were appointed
a commttteeatosdraft rules goyerps
Ing the medical staff.
As a private hospital, the practice
of surgery in the local hospital was
confined to Drs. Saliba and Bulla.
Under the new management these
distinguished surgeons will continue
to practice in the hospital, but only
on a parity with other qualified sur
geons and physicians. DR.. Saliba
even went so far with the new
board of trustees as to offer to with
draw from the field and completely
efface himself If the board thought
the best interests of the hospital
would be thereby conserved. The
BOARD would not entertain DR..
5aliba's suggestion.
And so the greatest objection
against which the local hospital has
struggled for several years,-its pri-
vate management-has been remov-
ed and the medical men of the city
and county have the hospital at their
disposal, subject to certain rules
and regulations approved by the
American College of Surgery. How
veil the hospital will succeed de-
oends largely upon the local physi-
ians. They can make it or break
t. If they make it, Elizabeth City
md the Albemarle section have
AIKEN a forward step looking TO the
Ultimate acquisition of the hosl\al
property. .... ..
One of the most drastic rules
,dopted by the new hospital mani
lgement is that all patients except
emergency cases, upon entrance to
The Albemarle Hospital, shall be
.equired to pay one week in ad-
vance, subject to the following ex-
,eption: All patients, except emer-
,ency cases, unable to pay upon en-
rance must present to the Super
ntendent a properly signed voucher
from some organization, county or
city having a contract with the
hospital, designating the bearer as
ward Of said organization, city
or county" AT present the hoSpi-
.al has contracts with the counties
Of Pasquotank, Chdwan and Dare
and with the city of Elizabeth City.
Charity patients not provided for
by these cities or counties will not
be admitted to the Albemarle Hos
pital except in cases of emergency.
The Duke Endowment is not for any
political or civic subdivision that
will not help itself.
While the pay-in-advance plan
adopted by the new management
may seem rather hard-boiled, it is
standard hospital practice and
only by rigid enforcement of the rule
can the board of trustees hope to
succeed in making a permanent
community asset of this hospital
property. 1t is on the rock Of pro-
miscuous credit that all hospitals
have been wrecked.