New Britain herald., 1930-02-11
PROPOSE HOSPITAL
 BUILDING PROGRAM

(Contjnued From First Pagc)
 CT sll9l3.57 over that of a year ago.
 This increase i@ accounted for by inc increase in provisions. supplies. rCturnishings and payroll. The amount received from patients was $19t.S97.S6. But is stated. our operating expenses were s246,277.97. showing an operating deficit of S51,- ESQ.
 The average per capita cost Of maintaining patients was SASS per day, II cents less than last year.
 13 Per Cent Pay For Care
 There are few if any general hospitals whose income from patient fees meet the opei ating expense for only minority of patients. 1G per cent in our calo. pay the hospital he full cost of their care. Indeed were 1t not for gifts and endow- ments, hospitals could not remain open. Yet many patients are in clined to think that a part of what hey pay represents profit to the hospital. This probably arises from he failure 10 distinguish between the visible and invisible operating cost. The patient is cognizant of Inc nursing and general care he re- c"ivos but he does not sec the large .orce necessary to operate the laun- dry, kitchen. housekeeping. mo- rhanical and engineering depart monts, the clerical force. the skilled personnel required 10 run labora- tories, operating rooms, etc Nor docs he know of the frequent in- NlallnG and replacement of eXpcn- Nlvc apparatus. all of which have a bearing on the care and treatment of patients,
 Last year the cost to the hospital Tor care of patients who paid less than an average of $4.SS a day amounted to q little over S31,o00 and the cost for the care of those unable to pay anything was approx- lnately s19.000. These figures do not include lessos from unpaid ac- counts. This contribution by the hospital for the care of the sick would not be possible were it not for he generosity of friends who re- member the hospital by donations and gifts
 'Tho close Of the fiscal year 1926- 7""9 completes the S0th year of the hospitals existence. During these years the hospital has cared for 45.- @19 patients. The following table shows the average growth of the hospital in tvc-ycar periods. also the proportion O the population of tn" community using the hospital:
 D to tho fifth year the annual increase average 90. At the end of jtls period q new C2-bcd brick ad- dlt1on was opened but at the end of the tenth year the average remained the same as it was for the first five years. From the tenth to the IIJtccnth year the average yearly in crease Was only =, notwithstandinc Inc city had grown much larger, During the latter part Of the ijttecnth 10 the twentieth year period good deal was undertaken to de- N'lop the professional side Of the hospital. The result was the num- hor of admissions jumped from S79 in the fifteenth year to @.114 in the twentieth and the average annual increase for that period was 24S. This growth cannot be attributed to better accommodations, for there were none. It was without question duo 10 the hospital undertaking to provide physicians with suita blc equipment 10 aid them in their work From the twentieth to the twenty fifth year badly over-crowd- cd conditions made it out of the question 10 take the number of pa iients applying for admission, therefore the average yearly in crease for this period was only 6l. During the tWcnty-fifth year the present new pavilion was opened. It has now been in operation five years and the average increase has been 3S5 q year.
 While the more attractive and modern quarters may in some part account for the greater use of the present hospital, it was particularly due to the fact that the additional space made if possible to put in more scientific apparatus, more trained personnel. that the physi- clans might have, in New Britain. inc advantage Of additional diag- nostlc aids, which of course rebounds to inc interest O. the patient.
 Hospital Often Crowded
 when the new pavilion was erected it was generally felt that the hospital needs of the city had been met for many wars to come. But now. only five years later we have reached the point when frequently all +hc beds in one or more depart montS arc occupied. While in an other department several beds may h" empty, the proper care of differ cnt diseases requires that the pa 1icnts be segregated. for it is un- wise and often unsafe to place cases Of pneumonia, bronchitis and simi- lar infections in with surgical or obStetrical patients. and Vice-versa, because of the potential danger of cross infection.
 ''As q matter of fact only about 75 per cent of the total number Of beds in any general hospital are available for use at the same time. and we frequently approach the 75 per cent capacity for days at q time. -Ns it is, our medical department is almost continually ovcrcrowded and the need for further expansion there is keenly felt.
 "Thc lack of room in our labora- tories. surgical building and admin