Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-17
HOSPITAL UNABLE
TO MEET DEMANDS
Thomas B. Sweeney Reports
Phenomenal Growth of
ChiIdTen'S Institution.


shown a phenomenal increase, and the
institution is faced with the problem OF
early provision of additional buildings
or of being unable to meet growing de-
mancls for service, Thomas B. Sweeney,
on behalf of the board of directors, de-
clares in a report to the corporate
members of the institution, made public
today.
Hospital OvercrOwded.
With work increasing by leaps and
bounds and with every department run
ming to full capacity almost continu-
ouSly. the greatest problem confronting
the institution is the question of keep
ing up with demands, Mr.. Sweeney
reports. Our present space already Is
overcrowded. and we must either pro-
vide new buildings or cease to grow,
he adds. THE board of directors is
conscious of this condition, but as yet
has taken no definite steps pending the
Forthcoming hospital survey of all hos
pltals of the District, which will be
made under the auspices of the Amer
lean Public Health Association
The survey is to be made at the re-
Quest of the Washington Community
Chest. DR.. A. c. Bachmeyer. widely
known conSultant, has been engaged
TO analyze and determine the needs of
each hospital in the District and 70
suggest. incidentally. standardized
methods for all to follow.
$4,000 Children Treated.
Last year $4,000 children were treat
ed by departments OF ChlldrenS Hos
pital and for 1929 the number will
have increased to more than $4,000. Mr..
Sweeney reports. OF this total, 479G
we're treated in the hospital proper, 23.-
800 were treated in the diSpenSary;
GIGS social service visits were made,
l2.345 we're treated in child welfare
clinics and 1870 we're handled in nu-
triton clinics.
Mr.. Sweeney in his report attributes
to the administrative work of the super
intendent, Miss Matte M. Gibson, the
phenomenal growth of the institution.
In 1871. the year after the hospital was
established, records show that "a pa
tients were treated in the building and
224 visited the diSpenSary. From that
time forward the numbers fiuctuated
until 1919, the year before Miss Gibson
became superintendent, when a total
of more than 5000 were treated in the
hospital, as compared with $4,000 for
the past year.
Mr.. Sweeney also voices praise for the
service of the medical staff, headed
by Dr. Franch Leech.
Children's Hospital is charitable in
stitution, maintained by the income
from it's still inadequate" endowment
plus an amount paid by the District
which covers about half of the sum nee
essary to provide for charity patients
sent to the hospital by the District
Board OF Public Welfare, plus gifts from
friends to cover special equipment and
other expenditures. The annual deficit
of about $500 is made up of funds re-
ceived from the Community Chest.
A total of 1927 INDECENT children
we're cared for during the past year and
/ 1863 patients paid something for their
service. Patients discharged as cured
numbered 1850 and 3,440 were found
sufficiently improved to justify their re-
moval from the hospital and only 65
we're not improved.
Cites Hospital Work.
Mr. Sweeney declares that surely, no
institution of this kind in the city of
is doing better work or de-
serves greater consideration than this
hospital which stands ready at all hours
the year to receive children
of every race, creed or color, not only
for the purpose of helping them back
to health, but for turning into assets
that other wise might be liabilities to
the community"
Gifts, each amounting to 500, were
received for special purposes during the
year from the following: Mrs. A. B.
Houghton, Mrs. Price Whitaker, Mrs. j.
M. PiStell Mrs. Anna M. Holbrook, Mrs.
Annie C. Glover, Mrs. Stilson HutchinS,
Mrs. Herbert Slocum, c. F. jenkins, B.
F, Saul, Charles Woodruff, Myer Cohen,
j. J. Fagin and $500 from the Elks
Lodge of Washington.
In addition, the following requests,
gifts and memorials have been giveE:
Gift of Mrs. Martha Given, $4,000;
estate of Miss Addie Saunders, $4,000:
Estate of Mary Gill; $7.748; Mrs. Hattie
M Strong $4,000; Mrs. Davidge. as
to her father, John w. Weeks.
So 900; estate of Wilson Barnum. 81 900:
Mrs. Dorothy Primm Memorial Fund.
81 500; estate of Mary Brown, $l,l84;
estate of Charles B. Bailey, $500.
List Of Special Gifts.
The following special gifts are re-
ported:
Mr.. C. F. Jenkins, eight electric fans,
costing about 500; DIR. Lucille Dooley
hydro-therapy tub, costing SITS; Rotary
Club, an electro-cardiograph, costing
So 500; Mount Vernon Alumni Asso-
two path slabs. costing over $500; DR..
Reginald Walker, a morgue table, cost
ing $50; DR.. James A. Lyon, examina-
ton table and instruments, costing
500; Frank Edmonds, completely
equipped an eye clinic last year, and
has created a $200-per-year fund for
glasses for those unable to pay; Mrs.
John c. Simpson. training school ad-
vertiSement, costing $l20; Mrs. Corby.
equipment for the X-ray room, costing
S700, and through the activities of the
Thrift Shop the hospital has received
four electric refrigeratOrS and an cleo
trio dishwaSher.
"Ths hospital has been fortunate in
the amount of volunteer service it has
received. The following persons are de-
serving OF special recognition: Mrs
F. B. Eaton has given two years OF
faithful service in the record depart
ment: the work OF Miss Dorothy Bierer
in the child welfare and diSpenSary
clinics; Miss Laura Towne has given six
years of work in the dispenSary; Mrs.
Alexander Wolf for two years has done
faithful work in the orthopaedic clinics.
besides donating the use of her auto
mobile for transporting children: Miss
Winifred West, Mrs. John b. Waller
Miss Phyllis Hight, Mrs. Reeve Hoover
Mrs. Hays, Miss Dorothy Snyder, Miss
Leslie Cameron and other members of
the Junior League are doing excellent
work for the hospital" the report adds.
In addition to treating sick children,
the hospital trains nurses, consisting
of SO students, in the Childrens Hos
pital School of Nursing and from IL
other AFFILIATED schools, and also pro-
vides classroom accommodations and
teaching material for over 800 medical
students of Georgetown and George
Washington University Medical Schools
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