Evening star., 1938-03-29
DRAYTQN DEFENDS
= HOSPITAL RULES
Head of Board at Chi|dren's
Says Regulation Was Not
Aimed at G. H. A.
BACKGROUND

operator OF clinic at 1928 I street
NV. and furnishing medical care
to some 5000 Federal employees, Is
charged NTH corporate practice OF
medicine By District Medical So
ciety. Right betWeen tWo doen-
cies pas intensified Uhen med
icdl society ousted G. H. A.
physician and instructed society
members not to consult personally
NTH G. H. A. doctors.
Stoutly defending Children's Hos
pital in the Group Health Association
controversy, Charles D. Drayton, pres
ident Of the Board Of Trustees of the
hospital. today told Senator Capper,
Republican, of Kansas that the
spread of socialized medicine" should
not be allowed to disrupt and ulti-
mately make impossible the conduct
of the hospital as a charitable insti-
tuition"
Meantime, as plans went forward to
push congressional investigation INTO
the fight, legal maneuver today as
sured an early hearing on the G. H. A.
petition in District Court for 6eter-
mination Of the disputed legal status
Of G.. H. A. as now set up.
The Children's Hospital attack on
"socialized medicine came in letter
from Mr.. Drayton to Senator Capper
of the Senate District Committee. 1t
was the first reply from hospital
oil fho
hospitals of the city for report on
their bylaws and "other information" "
to determine whether they were meet
ing their public trust" Senator
Capper was plainly critical of the
District Medical Society and the at
titude of the hospitals in recent
statement explaining his request to
the hospitals.
Scott Renews Attack.
The Children's Hospital defense
came shortly after Representative
Scott. Democrat, Of California
launched his third attack in the House
yesterday, against not only the Medical
Society, but against hospitals, which
he did not name. Several instances
of the treatment of G. H. A. patients
In hospitals were cited by Mr. Scott in
sharp attack against organized medi-
cine, which he is inserting in the Con-
gressional Record. He introduced
yesterday his long-threatened resolu-
ton for probe of the situation by a
select committee.
Children's Hospital bars doctors Of
A 80 L.
tions, which are mot of recent adop-
ton and Of course not aimed at Group
Health Association" Mr.. Dayton told
the Senator
In taking the stand which we have
felt compelled to take" he explained,
I'VE are not unmindful of the appeal
made by the Group Health Associa-
ton to Government employees and 9TH
ers who desire to pay small member
ship fee each month to defray the
cost OF possible hospital and medical
care for themselves and their fam
lilies, but we do not feel that the spread
OF soclalized medicine can be per-
mitted to disrupt and ultimately make
impossible the conduct Of the hospital
as charitable institution with the
cooperation Of a medical staff COM
posed OF some of the leading doctors
of Washington.
Case Outside Scope.
Every day." he continued. I'VE deal
with cases which would not come
under any sort Of group health asso-
clatlon, and which must be cared for
as strictly charity cases. The Group
Health Association does not propose
to fill any such need. We do not
undertake to pass upon the question
which has been raised that the
monthly dues set for it's members
are inadequate to provide the neces-
sary funds for their own care, but
certainly there is no provision for
charity, and it is a serious question
whether the private hospitals of
Washington should be required to
abrogate rules of long standing which
encourage leading members of the
medical profession to contribute their
services freely and without stint to
needy children and others requiring
medical care and disqualification"
Childrens Hospital, Mr.. Drayton
explained, was incorporated in 1870
for the gratuitous medical and
surgical treatment of INDECENT chill
dren under the age of IL years, with
out distinction Of race, sex or creed"
The regulations of the hospital pro-
vide, he said, that no doctor may
be appointed to the medical staff or
given courtesy privileges to use the
hospital facilities unless he is
Icentiate Of the District Of Columbia
and also member Of the District Med
ical Society or ethical body in his
locality. This conforms to the gen.
eral requirements of the American
Medical Society,"" he continued, and
is deemed essential to the protection
OF the public and also for the protec-
ton, OF the hospital, which must as
sumo responsibility for those using its
facilities"
Rule Not Aimed at G. H. A.
The question of the right of doctors
employed exclusively by G. H. A. to
belong to or retain their membership
IN the Medical Society, he said, is, Of
course. one with which the board of
trustees of the hospital have nothing
directly to do"
However, the rule generally fol-
lowed here and elsewhere, which bars
the use Of hospital facilities to those
not members Of recognized ethical
body, is not Of recent adoption" he
said, "and was not aimed at G, H. A."
An insignificant proportion of the
hospitals revenues come from pay
patients" Mr.. Drayton said. Eighty
five per cent of the work done by the
hospital is charitable. I'VE depend
largely for our support upon endow-
ments and voluntary contributions
from the citizens of Washington. For
several years, he said, the Community
Chest has not paid in full for services
rendered to patients which it sends to
the hospital for treatment. Moreover.
he added "the Board of Public We'll
fare pays only $2.45 per day for pa
tients which it sends to us desnite the