Evening star., 1937-03-07
SPR|GG DECLARES
DOCTORS HOSPITAL.
IS DEFINITE NEED.
Medical Society President
Cites Speedy Growth of
Capital City.
DIFFICULT TO FIND
BEDS FOR PATIENTS
Private Accommodations and Own
Physicians Feature 81 100000
I Street Plan.

has always grown faster than its
disqualification" DR. William Mercer
Sprigg, president of the Medical So
ciety of the District of Columbia.
last night said he welcomed the new
proposed S1,000,000 Doctors Hospital
to be erected on I street, between
Eighteenth and Nineteenth, as filling
definite need"
Washington is underhospitalized,"
DR.. Sprigg said. i have seen the
city grow, and the hospitals grow,
and the city has always outgroWn the
hospitals The need for this new
institution is very great"
The city is deficient, especially in
beds for private cases." he explained
During recent weeks it has been
difficult at times to find beds for
patients who were definitely in need
Of disqualification"
In the new Doctors Hospital. he
explained. patients may have their
own physicians. private accommoda-
tions, and the added advantage of
having available for any emergency
a large number Of physicians in two
adjacent medical buildings.
Modern Laboratories.
In the two medical buildings at the
corners of Eighteenth and Nineteenth
streets, which are to be connected by
the hospital in the middle. Dr. Sprigg
explained, are already installed
modern laboratories presided over by
some of the best technicians. 1t will
not be necessary for the hospital to
go to the expense of erecting its own
X-ray and pathological laboratories
To have the hospital between these
two medical buildings, DR.. Sprigg said,
will be enormously convenient" for
the doctors, and satisfactory for
patients.
Dr.. Arthur c. Christie. former
president of the medical society, who
this year has international standing
as president of the Fifth international
ing X-ray experts from all over the
world to Chicago, in September, said
he considered the city definitely
''underhospitalized.
ANY little emergency, or even a
minor epidemic" he warned" would
find the city short of needed hospital
beds"
As a matter of practical expert
ence. he said it had been difficult
lately to find beds, except for emer-
gency cases.
Ross Garrett, director of the Gen.
tral Admitting Bureau for Hospitals,
agreed with DR.. Sprigg and DR..
Christie. There has been no real
hospital building here for a con-
siderable time, Garrett pointed out,
although the city has grown SUBJ
stantially. especially out into the So
called metropolitan area in nearby
Virginia and Maryland.
20 Hospitals in City.
There are now 20 hospitals in Wash
angton, Garrett explained, divided gen.
orally into three classes, private, Fed
eral and District of Columbia Doctors
Hospital will be the twenty-frst.
The private hospitals are: Chill
drens, Columbia, Garfield, George
town University, George washington
University, Providence. Emergency,
Episcopal, Homeopathic. Sibley and
Casualty.
The Federal hospitals are Walter
Reed, under supervision of the Army;
- Naval Hospital, Mount Alto, under
supervision OF the Veterans Admins
tration, and Freedmens, under direc-
tion of the Interior Department.
District of Columbia hospitals in
clude Gallinger, the Adult tuberculosis
Hospital at Fourteenth and Upshur
streets and the Childrens tuberculosis
Hospital at Glenn Dale, Md.
Plans for the new Doctors Hospital
are being pushed by officials of the
new organization, Doctors Hospital,
Inc. which has been incorporated in
the State of Virginia. The charter
was reported to have arrived yesterday
from Richmond for the half a million
dollar corporation.
Dr. Charles Stanley White, president
Of Doctors Hospital, Inc, is now in
Mexico on vacation Other officers of
the corporation are DR.. Edward L.
Morrison, vice president; DR.. Charles
w. Hyde, treasurer, and DR.. Oscar B
Hunter, secretary.
Both the Columbia Medical Build
Ing at the corner of Nineteenth street
and the Washington Medical Buildin,
at the corner of Eighteenth street
are virtually owned by physicians
Only a few 'laymen" hold stock. I
Is understood the hospital will b,
owned exclusively by the doctors, ant
will be operated and managed b,
them.
Underground Connections.
When the new hospital is erected
1t will be connected with the struc
lures on either side by underground
causeways; all three buildings will b
heated and air conditioned by tn,
same central plant, and there Is to b
Q central telephone exchange.
. Doctors Hospital, however, is to b.
made available largely, it is explained
for persons of moderate" circum
stances. A few private roms of tn
latest and most complete accommoda
tlons will be provided.
The way was cleared for furthe
progress on the hospital project whel
papers were signed late last weel
transferring the property in three par
GELS between the buildings to the Co
lumbia Holding Company, represent
ing Doctors, Inc. The three parcel
belonged to the Friends Meeting OF
I street, the Sidwell Friends School
and a parking lot belonging to heir
Of the late Thomas Sidwell. Th'
school and Meeting are given anothel
year to locate elsewhere.
It is understood the physicians pait
about 100000 for the land, plan t.
put about 100000 into a hospita
building and another 100000 intt
equipment, making 1t q million dollal
institution.