Evening star., 1944-06-22
Improved Care
In Hospitals
Hinges on Help
Visiting Committee
Coils Conditions
'DisgrocefuI'
By BAINRRIDGE CRIST.

III dll OlSCTlCG nOSplCdlS, par
ticularly at Gallinger and Glenn
Dale, the most urgent problem
is lack of personnel, and until
that problem is met there is
no hope of any considerable i'm
provement In the care of pa
tients in the public hospitals of
the District" the Hospital Visit
ing Committee declared today
in its first report to Commis-
sioner Guy Mason.
The pyschiatric ward at Gallinger
came in for special criticism. with
the committee declaring that condi-
tions at the ward "due to inadequacy
of personnel and facilities, are not
only disgraceful to the District of
Columbia but also positively dan
gerous to the staff, to the public and
to the patients themselves.
The committee, however, defended
DR.. Joseph L. Gilbert, head of the
pyschiatry ward, whose removal was
demanded last year by Senate
subcommittee which investigated
conditions at Gallinger,
Best Under Circumstances.
at is the impression of the COM
mittee that DR.. Gilbert and his staff
are doing the best that can be ex-
pected under present circumstances"
the report commented.
The Gallinger kitchen, another
20 0f hn iv,u ipn i'm
group, also drew criticism from the
committee, which cited floors Uttered
with vegetable skins and personal
apparel, and uncovered garbage
pals in the outer kitchen. The
committee recalled, however, that
plans were going forward for new
kitchen and laundry, also found to
be inadequate.
Much Of the criticism of the psy-
chiatric ward was along the lines
of the report of the committee of
three psychiatrists, headed by DR..
Winfred Overholser, superintendent
of St. Elizabeth's Hospital, who in
vestigated the ward this year. The
visiting committee stressed cracked
and leaking walls, insecure windows
and the inadequacy of personnel.
Staff Discouraged.
Newspaper notoriety has only
served to discourage the staff by
blaming them for conditions they
are powerless to remedy, and 1t
makes more difficult the acquisition
of new and competent personnel to
replace those who sever their con-
nections with the hospital" the COM
mittee contended.
Suggestions for Glenn Dale made
by the visiting committee include
provision of quarters for staff doc
tors and administrators, addition of
an executive assistant for institu-
tional management, an increase Of
the medical staff to allow for 10
ward doctors, increasing the grad
uate nursing staff to 100. establish
ing separate housekeeping depart
ment, adding two medical social
workers to the staff, constructing a
surgical ward on top of Unit A and
providing a building maintenance
fund.
Aside from recommendation for
the kitchen and laundry at CAL
linger, the committee called for a
poly clinic, a separate building for
children, adequate number of guards
for 24-hour duty at the psychiatric
ward, where the stair-wells should
be inclosed to provide safety for
patients.
General recommendation.
A general recommendation of the
committee for consideration of an
assistant executive at Gallinger for
institutional and personnel man.
agement already has been provided
for in the 1945 District appropria-
ton bill, which created such new
positions as deputy superintend-
ent, an administrative superintend-
ent and an administrative assistant.
In conclusion" the report said,
"the committee wishes to commend
the devotion of the superintendent
(Acting Supt. Daniel L. Seckinger)
and staff of this hospital, who,
severly limited in number, are work.
ing under great difficulties with in
adequate facilities. The restriction
of both personnel and facilities is
evidently due to inadequate funds
to meet the hospitals basic needs"
The committee praised the Up
shur Street Hospital "as good
example of what intelligent and ef-
ficient planning can do with an old
and unpromising building" 1t sug-
Igested an increase in personnel up
to 10 aides and five orGerlies.
The committee is composed of
Rudolph Berger, chairman; Mrs.
Stanley Reed. Mrs. Harold N.
Marsh. Mrs. Willis w. Jones, the
Rev. Edward G. Latch, Msgr. Law
renee A. Shehan, Rabbi Norman
Gerstenfeld and the Rev. E. l.. IIar-
rison.
Arlington Girls Plan