Evening star., 1939-01-09
Ground Is Broken
For S1,600,000
Doctors Hospital
Milestone in. District
Medical Annals Seen
By Dr.. White

Breaking ground for the new ST.
100000 Doctors Hospital, DR.. Charles
Stanley White, president of the
institution, today declared the oc-
casion marks milestone in the
medical annals of the District of
Columbia"
The ceremony took place on the
site between two medical buildings
already standing on street at the
corners of Eighteenth and Nine
teenth streets NV, in the presence
of an informal gathering.
Breaking ground first with
small hand shovel, DR.. White made
brief speech in which he empha-
sized the importance of the insti-
tuition and then went to the rear of
the site, where he pulled a trigger
on big power shovel. marking the
mechanical breaking of ground.
DR.. Oscar Hunter, secretary of
Doctors Hospital, Inc, presented DR.
White with the hand shovel, declar-
ing all legal and financial arrange
ments had been completed for the
beginning of construction. DR.. Hunter
also took from the first shovel full
OF earth. dug up from the site of
an old Friends meeting house, a
small bit of dirt which, in test tube
he preserved to be placed in the
hospitals corner stone The struc-
ture, OF 10 stories. to provide $50
beds. is to be completed in 10 or IL
months, and, DR.. White predicted,
probably would be taking care of
patients this time next year. 1t will
connect the two medical buildings,
known as the Washington and
Columbia Medical Buildings, on
either side, presenting a solid archi-
tectural front in the form of a med
lcal center from Eighteenth to
Nineteenth street Doctors Hospital.
Inc, recently opened on the oppo-
site side OF I street large four story
open-air parking center for auto
mobiles.
Fulfillment of Desire.
such an institution as we con-
template" declared DR.. White, is
not merely wish or a fantastic
dream, but rather a fulfillment of
a desire that had its inception about
Is years ago.
When the Washington Medical
Building was completed in 1925, it
became the hope of those interested
that another medical building would
follow and eventually the two would
be joined by hospital, thus es-
tabllshing a center for medical ac-
tivities. With the completion of this
hospital, the wish will became a
reality.
"A well-conducted hospital is an
asset in any community. To the
other hospitals in Washington al
ready in operation we state that
we propose to cooperate, not to
compete, in taking care of the sick.
Abundant experience in the past two
years proves beyond doubt that the
hospitals of this city have been
running at capacity, and at times
were unable to care for all who
have applied for admission. Pre-
payment disqualification plans have
PROBABLY been responsible for the
large number of persons seeking
hospital care, but we look for an
increase rather than a decrease in
such a demand. Do not forget that
our city is growing and will reach
a population of 100000 during the
lives of some of us standing here.
We believe that a hospital de-
voted solely to private patients can
be self-supporting. We heartily ap-
prove of medical charity, but do
not believe that charity patients
should be supported by the income
derived only from private patients.
The person who is unfortunate
enough to become i'll should not
be expected to contribute to the
support of the INDECENT. That is the
responsibility of the municipality
and not the duty of a small per-
centage of our citizens. Philan-
thropy is not outmoded; there will
be much charity under the roof of
this hospital, but it will be in the
nature of medical service. We ex-
pect to conduct the institution on
a sound business basis, even to pay-
ing all the taxes to which corpora
tions are heir
Not Closed Hospital.
Speaking as the head of the insti-
tuition which is owned by phy-
sicians, surgeons, dentists and al
lied professions only, DR.. White de-
clared that something should be
said about our professional policy.
This institution will become in no
sense a closed hospital" he said. 1T
shall be open to every physician
whose ethical, professional and
moral regulations meet the standard
we shall establish, and almost every
licensed physician should be able
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