Evening star., 1942-10-26

dnGlyse the situation OF local
hospitals, no1U considered the
most critical in their history, and
outline possible solutions to their
problems.
BY PAT JONES.
At least three buildings in Wash
ington now are under consideration
by the Federal Works Agency as
possible dormitories for nurses of
local hospitals, Commissioner Guy
Mason revealed today.
He made the announcement at
the same time he repeated his
growing conviction that the city's
serious deficiency in housing is the
factor upon which may be laid a
major part of the blame for the
present shortage of nursing person.
mel.
Mr.. Mason said two of the three
buildings now under study as pos
sible dormitories had been sug-
gested to the FWA by him, while
the third had been of it's own selec-
ton. He refused to comment on
their location, explaining only that
they we're accessible and that
negotiations still were too incom-
plete to make a definite announce
ment.
In this connection, the Com
missioner also revealed that he had
addressed a letter to Price Adminis-
traitor Leon Henderson within the
| last few days asking that nurses be
considered defense workers and be
placed on the same basis with
doctors.
Hospital authorities generally
agree with Mr.. Mason in his con-
cern over the housing situation.
They have reached their own con-
victions in the matter after months
of experience in which efforts to
| supplement their nursing staff by
! bringing in trained workers from
outside the city were blocked by
failure of the newcomers to find
suitable housing after they arrived.
During August alone, reported one
! hospital, it lost Is nurses brought
in from outside, because they were
unable to find suitable living quar-
ters. Another hospital, having en-
ployed five nurses from out of the
city, lost all five within 10 days for
the same reason.
Personnel Main Issue.
The main issue in the hospital
situation in Washington is person
nel,' reported the Public Health
Committee of the Board of Trade
after careful survey, "and person.
mel is predicated on housing"
Committee members concluded at
the end of their study that a SUBJ
stantial number of nurses, both
from outside and from the inactive
list inside, could be brought into &C
tive duty If they were furnished
with decent housing facilities at
reasonable rates
Some one must be fearless
enough to take the bull by the horns
and give hospitals some considera-
ton in the housing problem" said
spokesman for the committee
Hospital workers are not even de-
clared defense workers"
Housing as an Inducement.
The value of suitable housing as
an inducement to increase the mum.
Der of nurses on active duty also is
realized by ]. G.. Capossela, superin.
tendent of Emergency Hospital Dis.
cussing plans to convert that in
stitution's present nurses quarters
into an obstetrical ward and to re-
place them with a temporary home
across F street from the hospital
he said:
Il feel there are enough nurses
outside the District who woulc
come in if what we call good hous-
ing facilities were available This
hospital has never had serious
trouble with its nursing supply, ant
I believe this is because we have
been little bit different from other
hospitals in that we have always
had good housing facilities"
Mr.. Capossela pointed out thai
"the problem after getting nurses i.
keeping them
They won't stay if you don't have
facilities for housing them," he
warned.
Nurses Leaving Daily.
A subcommittee named last sum-
mer by Commissioner Mason tt
study the situation in Washington
found Mr.. Capossela's advice to be
true. 1t discovered that the District
was losing nurses daily because o1
inadequate housing.
THE subcommittee on housing
and transportation facilities made
innumerable contacts with Govern
ment agencies" the committee sale
in its report, "but was unable tc
obtain definite commitment from
the housing authorities or the trans
portation division of the OPA that
housing or transportation facilities
could be provided or continued, as
nurses were not listed as defense
workers"
Taking up this defense worker
idea, Mr.. Mason wrote first ia
Charles P. Taft, assistant director
of Defense Health and Welfare Serv-
ices, explaining that such a classi-
fication for nurses would help solve
our housing problems and thus en-
able us to bring in outside nurses. "
Mr.. Taft passed the matter on to
Herbert Emmerich, commissioner Of