Evening star., 1932-02-21
SENATOR COPELAND
IN LETTER URGES
HOSPITAL REFORM.
Emergency Must Have More
Beds or Divert Serious Cases
He Declares.
MERE AID STATION
AS IT IS, HE THINKS
Death of Newspaper Man, Which
Caused Inquiry, Recalled
Without Blame.

A reform is needed in the hospital
ization Of emergency cases here, Sem
ator Copeland, Democrat, of New York
said yesterday in letter to George S.
Wilson, director of public welfare.
Senator Copeland's communication
was the outgrowth of the Senate Dis
trict Subcommittee hearing conducted
last week into the handling at Emer-
geney Hospital of the case of Joseph
Sisk, Baltimore newspaper man, who
was injured in an automobile crash
and died at Gallinger Hospital after
his removal from Emergency Hospital
where, it was said, facilities were lack
ing
Emphasizing his view that the probe
which he conducted had cast no ref1ec-
ton on the treatment received by the
patient, Senator Copeland, himself a
physician. said:
Out of the hearing, however, has
grown conviction in my mind, sug-
gestion which 1 offered at the close of
the hearing, that our ambulance and
emergency treatment system is imper-
perfect. One of two things must be
done in my opinion. The Emergency
Hospital must equip itself with suffi-
cient beds to care for the immediate
needs of all patients brought in as
emergency cases, or, second, directions
must be given to the police and the
ambulance surgeons to deliver every
person likely to be bed patient
directly to the Gallinger Hospital.
Mere First aid Station.
''As see it, the system in vogue at
present makes the Emergency Hospital
merely flrSt-aid station, temporary
stop on the way to Gallinger. The
Emergency Hospital has not the beds,
the X-ray facilities. and the general
equipment necessary to handle an
emergency ambulance service. This is
no reflection upon the hospital, be-
cause it doubtless lacks funds or space
to give a satisfactory service to
emergency patients. This does not re-
fleet in the slightest upon the profess
Sional equipment or the general serv-
ice given there, which personally l re-
gard as excellent
Depressing to say that the particular
poin. he was raising had no bearing
on the SiSk case, Senator Copeland
said that he could understand why
Emergency Hospital would be reluctant
to handle patients who were unhurt-
only drunk or noiSy-but he added that
regardless of how uncomfortable it is
to house such patients that must be
done or else orders should be given to
the police and ambulance surgeons to
take those patients Immediately to Gal
linger"
Il am wondering" DR.. Copeland con-
tinued why it would not be well for
us to make an immediate study of the
hospitals Of the District, to find out
how much overlapping of effort there
Is, how much waste in overhead and
what consultations or affiliations might
be effected to make the emergency
service of the city more satisfactory.
Possible Emergency Plan.
Il am only using this as an example,
but is not possible that the Columbia
Hospital might be affiliated with Gal
linger and utilized in some way for
emergency work? There would be
found space for maternity cases in Gal
linger or Emergency, while the run of
emergency work could be done at Co.
lumbia. Both Emergency and Cclum-
bla could be used for pay or part pay
patients and thus lessen the financial
burdens Of both institutions
Please do not take too seriously this
particular suggestion. l am only using
1t as an example of what might pos
sibly be done. 1 am not familiar enough
with the details regarding the hospitals
OF the city to speak with the slightest
degree of authority. I am convinced,
however, that there must be an imme-
diate readjustment of our ambulance
and first aid treatment if we are to
serve humanely and scientifically the
needs of the city"
The New York Senator asked that
Mr.. Wilson arrange to cofer with him
on this matter when possible. and per-
haps, bring together the heads of the
local hospitals to discuss it.