Evening star., 1944-05-20
Decision on Virginia
Sanaforium 10 Await
Another Meeting
Officiols Indicute
Support; $4,000
Plan Submitted


Plan Submitted
Although nearby Virginia official.
last night indicated they favored
construction Of a proposed tubercu-
losis sanatorium to serve Arlington
and Fairfax Counties and Alexan.
dria, no definite action was taken
pending another meeting in the
near future.
Those attending last nights meet
ing in the Arlington Health Center
included representatives of the Ar
lington and Fairfax County Boards
Of Supervisors and the Alexandra
City Council, as well as health off,
GERS of the three areas.
Joseph H. Saunders. jr., Alexandria
architect, presented recommends
tions and drawings of a proposed
unit. The recommendations drawn
up after consultation with medical
and public health authorities, said
the building should be centrally To-
Gated in the area to be served;
should have ready access to trans
portation and utilities and should be
isolated from noise, smoke and un-
desirable surroundings.
In addition, an area of not less
than 10 to Is acres should be pro-
vided to permit ne-sixth of an acre
per patient. The site should have
an approach from the north, a slope,
exposure and view to the south,
wind break on the north, with the
surrounding grounds level or gently
rolling and partly wooded.
Iaitial Cost, $4,000.
The plans show a two-story and
basement building to house a nu-
cleus of so beds with provisions for
expansion to 100 beds. The esti-
mated construction cost of the So
bed unit is $176,0 900, or $685. bed,
with the expansion reducing the cost
per bed to $2,350, making total
cost for 10o-bed sanatorium
ez35 900.
DR.. Charles P. Cake, president Of
the Arlington tuberculosis Associa-
tion, and chairman Of the joint
committee, presided, and explained
that the associations were simply
making suggestions and looked to
the local governments for a final
decision.
He suggested that the cost of con-
struction and maintenance be ap-
portioned among the three localities
on per capita basis, and suggested
that the institution be governed by
q lay board composed of outstanding
citizens from each participating
group. in addition to joint medical
board.
DR.. Cake suggested $3.50 per day
per patient as a possible mainte-
nance cost, with $500 per bed as the
cost Of equipment Taking into con-
sideration the fact that some
patients are expected to pay, the
approximate annual maintenance
costs were estimated as $4,000 for
Arlington and 5000 each for Fair
fax and Alexandria.
Deaths are "LegaIized Murder"
Stressing the need for such an in
stitution, DR.. w. A. Brown, Alexan-
dria health ofiicer, stated that
Northern Virginia areas are not
meeting their responsibilities with
regard to the care of tubercular
patients, and are committing legal
lied murder each time there is
death from the disease because of
lack Of disqualification.
Using figures for the fiscal year
ending July, 1943, DR.. Browne point
ed out that there were $50 cases in
the area, 129 suspected cases, 1855
contacts, and 46 deaths. According
TO national figures, each death from
tuberculosis can be expected to
bring 10 new cases. DR.. Browne said
He stressed the fact that little State
aid can be expected, particularly in
the case Of advanced cases, since
the State now has an average of less
than one hospital bed per annual
death, including those in sanatoria
municipality maintained, while the
recommended average is three.
A report from James Bauserman,
Fairfax County school supervisor,
who with DR.. Cake and Robert
Whitton, Alexandra Hospital ad-
sninistrator, has spent several
months viewing possible sites, was
given. Several locations were con-
sidered possible, but no definite
recommendations were made.
The fact that the project has been
Under consideration for over two
years. and that its need is agreed on,
led the tuberculosis association Of
ficials to express the wish that the
governing bodies decision on pro-
viding the funds be reached soon.