Evening star., 1946-06-25
Expert May Aid
D. {. Hospitals
In Accounting
Boston ConsuItont
Experienced in
Uniform System
By HoroId B. Roaers

The Hospital Council of the Ma
tional Capital Area may be able to
borrow from Boston an expert con-
sultant on accounting to advise
hospitals of this area In setting up
q proposed uniform accounting sys-
tenn, recently recommended by the
Metropolitan Health and Hospital
Survey.
This was indicated by William r.
Castle, council president, in a formal
report presented yesterday to the
council executive committee. Copies
of his recommendations, which fol-
lowed recent visit to the Boston
Hospital Council, are being sent to
all members of the local council
Making a comprehensive report
to the committee on his conferences
with officials in Massachusetts,, Mr..
Castle strongly recommended the
uniform accounting system. He ex-
planned operation of the Boston
Hospital Council, its integration
with the Boston Community Coun-
Gil and support by the Boston Com
munity Fund.
Important Duty Of Council.
He quoted DR.. Nathanial w.
Faxon. administrator Of Massachu-
sets General Hospital and president
of the Boston council, as saying
uniform accounting was "the first
and one of the most important
duties of hospital council"
Mr.. Castle pointed to the last re-
port of the 11-year-old Boston
council as saying: 1--WE are just now
beginning to be In position to
know the amount of free work done,
what the total income of the hos
pital should be with the voluntary
deductions and involuntary deduc-
tions caused by uncollected bills,
what the costs Of departments are,
including all items, not just the di-
rect charges; what an operation, an
X-ray or a laboratory examination
costs, and the per diem cost for pri-
vate, semiprivate and ward pa
tients."
Referring to William F. Voboril,
the Boston hospital consulting ac-
counting, Mr.. Castle told the group:
TT might we'll be that we could
borrow Mr.. Voboril for few days
from his work in Boston. Both
there and in New York, he has had
wide experience. and his advice
would be invaluable"
Explains Delegate System.
Outlining the constituency and
operation of the Boston Hospital
Council, Mr.. Castle reported:
THE hospital council in Boston,
as here, is composed of delegates
from the member hospitals, three
from each. These consist in every
case of the administrator, repre-
sentative of the board and a repre-
sentative of the medical staff. I
said that our bylaws did not make
mandatory member of the medical
staff. and was told that this is bet
ter, because 1t is more flexible, than
the Boston method.
DR.. Faxon said 1t was obvious that
in many, perhaps most cases. the
hospital boards would appoint one
member of. the medical staff, but
that this should be done only in
the case Of men peculiarly fitted and
able to give the necessary time.
asked about possible voting men,
bers from the general public or out
side organization, but was reminded
that a hospital council should be a
hospital council, run by hospitals
for the benefit Of the public.
I'm Boston, however, they have
non voting representatives of the
medical and dental societies, and of
the nurses association, and also
four representatives may attend
meetings and are expected to at
tend when questions Of special in
terest to them are being discussed