Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-01-24
Nonresident
Republication
Costs Weighed
RuhIund Seeks to
Cut $50, 900 Annual
Burden On District

Finding that care OF patients
brought to District government
hospitals from other Jurisdictions,
mostly from Maryland and Virginia,
is costing this city nearly $4,000 a
year, Health Officer George c. Ruiz
land today was preparing to sponsor
a program to relieve the District of
at least some of the burden.
Following conference with a
score of Maryland, Virginia and Dis
trict health officials yesterday aft
ernoon at the District Building, DR..
Rutland said he would suggest a
cooperative program under which:
l. Contractural relations would be
worked out with authorities of the
counties of nearby Maryland and
Virginia.
2. The placement of nonresident
patients in private hospitals of the
District rather than in its municipal
hospitals would be encouraged
3, The building of health centers
or hospitals in the nearby counties
would be encouraged.
To Draft Program.
DR.. Rutland said he planned to
draft such suggested program and
submit it to the Commissioners. He
plans also to name committee to
consider future meetings of medical
authorities of the District, Maryland
and Virginia to consider mutual
problems.
DR.. Edgar E. Bocock, superintend-
emit of Gallinger Municipal Hospital,
reported that during the past calen-
dar year medical services valued at
$29 .552.68 were given to nonresident
patients at Gallinger and at the
Districts Tuberculosis Sanatoria at
Glenn Dale. Md.
DR.. Bocock said 464 non-residents
were given 7,704 days of hospitaliza-
ton at Gallinger, at a cost of $18,-
643.68.
OF this total, he said, 1872 patients
came from Maryland, who were given
STA days of care, at cost of
s9,06048, and 100 of the patients
from Virginia, who received 1,472
days of care, at cost to the District
OF $3,56224. Other patients in the
list were considered residents of
other Jurisdictions
Glenn Dale Figures.
The Glenn Dale Md institutions,
1t was reported, cared for IL nom
resident cases, who received 4,195
days of care last year, at cost to
the District of $1,000
DR.. R. G. Beachley, Arlington
County health officer, while suggest
ing that his jurisdiction would seek
to cooperate with the District,
voiced hope that eventually his
county would have hospital of it's
own. Funds now are being raised
for that purpose, he said.
Among health officials attending
the session were DR.. r. H. Riley,
Maryland State health officer; DR..
H. B. Franchere, Alexandria health
officer; Dr. v. L. Ellicott, Rockville
health officer; D. J. B. Portersield
Of the Richmond Health Depart
ment; Dr. r. NJ Chichester, Rich
mond health officer; DR.. Beachley,
DR.. j. M. Jackson, health officer of
Fairfax County, and DR.. G. R. Car
penter of the same office; DR.. Nor
bert Melnick, chief medical inspector
of the Arlington County Health Of
fee; DR.. Charles E. Gill, health Of
ficer of Prince Georges County. and
Dr. Charles L. Wood of the same
Office.
Sitting with DR.. Rutland were II
officials of the District health serv-
ices, including Assistant Health Of
f1cer Daniel L. Seckinger, DR.. James
G. Cumming, head of the Bureau of
Preventable Diseases; DR.. Daniel L.
Finucane. superintendent of the
Glenn Dale Sanatoria: DR.. A. Bark
lie Coulter, director of the tubercu-
losis service; DR.. Ella Oppenheimer,
head of the Bureau of Maternal and
Child Welfare: Dr. r. F. Tobin,
director of the Permit Bureau; ]. B.
Irvine, director of the Bureau of
Vital Statistics: Josephine Prescott
of the Bureau of Nursing, and Lucia
Murchison, head of the medical So
cial services.
DR.. Rutland explained that cases
Of obstetrics constitute con-
spicuous percentage of the nom
resident patients given care at the
municipal hospitals.