Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-09
CENSUS is TAKEN
IN HOSPITAL CHECK
1917 Patients Reported in
District Institutions by
EnumeratorS Feb. rs.

Hospital census day, on February 26
found S,o17 patients housed in hos
pitfalls, sanitariunns and convalescent
homes in the District of Columbia, &C
cording to the figures submitted by the
American Public Health Association
which is making a survey of the Dis
trict of Columbia for the Council OF
Social Agencies at the request of the
Community Chest
These figures, officials said, are fairly
average for this year. They included
the Washington Sanitarium and Hos
pital at Takoma Park and the District
Training School for the Feeble Minded.
Were these two excluded the hospital
census would have shown 8,490 pa
tients. Nor did the figures include 222
newborn infants.
In all the hospitals, sanitariums and
convaleScent homes, including the
washington Sanitarium and the Dis
trict Training School, there are 10,805
beds, the census figures disclosed. Oc-
cupancy for the whope group of insti-
tutions on census day was 87.9 per cent
More than half of all cases were men
tai and the percentage of occupancy
for that group was 95.8 per cent. The
percentage of occupancy for general
per cent of the beds in the voluntary,
proprietary and municipal hospitals
are for colored people, the figures show,
or 963 out Of 3,21S beds, but 353 per cent
of the patients were colored, or TIT out
Of a total of 2198 Voluntary hospitals
are those governed by a board and
not conducted for profit. Proprietary
hospitals are private hospitals, the
earnings of which go to the owner OF
lie
are municipality owned. Freedmen's
Hospital Is included in this group, al
though it is under the direction Of the
Department of the Interior and is sup
ported by the Government.
2o.6 Per Cent Nom Residents.
OF all the patients in the general
hospitals, 20.6 per cent were found to
be non-residents. In the same group
Of hospitals 500 were males, with 1903
females. Only 270, or 1913 per cent,
were children under Is years Of age.
This is exclusive of the 222 newborn
infants OF all patients in general hos
pitfalls, ATS per cent were married, Ala
per cent were single and IL per cent
were widows.
In general hospitals 44.4 per cent of
the patients were full pay, 10.6 per cent
were part-pay and IS per cent were
free cases. In the proprietary group all
patients but two part-pay were full pay.
In the voluntary group 66.1 per cent
were full pay, 15.9 per cent part pay
and 10 per cent free cases. In the
municipal group only 11.2 per cent were
full pay, SO per cent part pay and S5.5
per cent free patients. Hospitals for
mental cases are not included.
ID. C. Residents Pay Half Of Cost.
District residents, through taxation
and gifts, aided by whatever assistance
was given by the Federal Government,
were paying approximately the full cost
of SO per cent of the patients in hos
pitfalls on February 26. In general hos
pitfalls 245 per cent of the patients were
In private rooms, Sc per cent in semi
private rooms and $50 per cent In
wards OF the cases, 44.4 per cent were
surgical, 4o.7 per cent medical, 1876 per
cent obstetrical and 1.3 per cent pedi-
atric.
In the voluntary and municipal
groups of general hospitals the length
of stay of the patients was divided as
follows: 1872 per cent had been in the
hospital under one month, 1853 per cent
from one to three months, 80 per cent
from three to six months, 9 per cent
from six months to one year and IL
per cent from one to four years. This
did not include the tuberculosis hos
pitfalls because of the long stay Of many
patients In such institutions and also
excluded the proprietary hospitals.