The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1939-06-23
LAY COMMITTEES
Of VISITING NURSES
NET At LINCOLN PARK

The lay committees IF the down riv-
er branch Of the Detroit Visiting Nurse
Association held their ninth annual
get together and tea al the Hoover
school in Lincoln Pa K last week, as
guests Of the LiRcOln Park committee.
In the absence Of Mrs. Roscoe Ball,
chairman of the Lincoln Park com
mittee, Mrs. Walter Gibson, program
chairman, presided
The guest speaker was DIR. Harry
!. Pearse IF Detroit, whose topic WAS
Community Health" Dr. Pearse dis
cuSsed the health anG social problems
confronting the large city at the pre-
sent time as compared with those of
the small community, and he placed
special emphasis on the Importance of
good health TO the community, and the
Ideals toward which the small com
munity may strive.
Mrs. ). Homer Ferguson, president
OF the Detroit Visiting Nurse ASSOcia-
ton board Of trustees. informally dis
cuSSed the ideals Of the Visiting Nurse
Association. picturing the early days
of visiting nursing III Detroit. the hopes
and aspirations IF Miss Alice Bowen,
who as young nurse graduate Of Har-
per hospital, so unstintingly gave of
her life some 40 years ago in an effort
10 provide nursing care on a part time
basis to those who otherwise have been
unable TO seizure adequate care, a ser
vice which the Henry Street nurses Of
New York had begun and proven so
valuable but few yeats before. Mrs.
flR.lf
people today do not understand that
this service may be secured by anyone
in need of skilled part time nursing
care. and may be paid for in part or
III full according 10 their financial
situation.
Highlights Of the years work by the
committees were presented by Mrs. Nell
MaoNeil, chairman Uf the WyandOtte
committee; Mrs. f.. .. Bemis Of the
EcOrSe committee, and Mrs. Albert
Flynn of the Licoln Park committee.
Mrs. Charlotte Gibson, supervisor
IF the down river branch. presented
the years report from the nursing
angle A recent national health survey
showed IL per cent of the population
to he i'll for one week or more i'll any
given year, ~ per cent receiving hos
pital care. and 73 per cent remaining
at home. The records of the down riv-
er branch Of the association Indicate
that u per cent Of the estimated ill
population remaining at home used the
services uf the visiting nurse during
1855. Graphs Of the fee classification
of the S,61i visits made by the down
liver nurses showed that l per cent
of the visits were fully paid for by the
patient; in 3 per cent of the visits,
part of the cost of the service was
paid; 43 per cent were free and paid
for by the community fund, a 53 per
cent through insurance and other con-
tracts OF the 1901 patients nursed i'll
1898, 80 per cent were reported 10 the
ton by the family of the pa
tient, 50 per cent by the insurance
agents, per cent by the patients ply
Sician, and 13 per cent by health and
social agencies.
Miss Emile Sargent, executive dir
ector Of the association, summed up
the reports pointing out gains made
and lauding the work accomplished
both by the nurses and the lay COM
mittees.
Mrs. William Holland, accompanied
by Mrs. e. A. Burns, delightfully."- en-
tertained the group with number OF
musical selections.
Fttling, Mrs. Albert Flynn, and Mrs.
J. Leblanc, with Mrs. James FOOte
and Mrs. Alfred PilOn, pouring.