Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-14
Health Survey
Calls on Area
Citizens 10 Act
Goals Indicated, Nov
Garry the Ball.
Says Closing Chapter
Nv HnroId Pooare
By Harold B. ROGERS

Says Closing Chapter
By Harold B. Rogers
The Metropolitan Health and Hos
pital Survey today placed squarely
before this community the problem
Of developing strategy to improve
criticized conditions throughout the
entire National Capital area.
The last chapter Of the survey,
number 19, made public today,
concluded by presenting mot a blue
print" for the future, but "chal-
lenge and an opportunity"
In the words of DR.. c. E. A.
Winslow of New Haven, Conn,
survey chairman, who delivered a
similar admonition to the group of
health and hospital leaders of the
community at preliminary meeting
of the new Metropolitan Health
Council April 80, the last chapter
declared:
I'VE have indicated the goals to
be attained. We have suggested GER
tain Of the plays which have proved
reliable ground-gainers in other
games. The ball is in your hands,"
Views Being Heard.
Responding to this, the Metro
politan Health Council, a division of
the Council of Social Agencies,
which sponsored the survey, is hold
ing closed hearings. All the in
dividuals and agencies dealt with in
the critical analysis of facilities here
are being given an opportunity to
express their own views on the prob
lens presented.
AS explained by DR.. Herbert P.
Ramsey, chairman of the Health
Council. careful consideration will
be given to all suggestions made at
the hearing and later reccmmenda-
tons Of the council itself will be
made.
The hearings are being conducted
by the councils Survey Committee,
of which Vice Admiral Ross T.
McIntire surgeon general of the
Navy, is chairman.
Meantime people and agencies in
volved are withholding comment on
the merits of the survey proposals.
The last chapter, of 81 pages, dealt
with the subject: General Review
of Facilities for the Care CT Illness"
1t reiterated in more condensed form
recommendations made by the
lengthy hospital survey report. dis
closed some time ago. Also there
was made public a so-called fore
word" of five pages. 1t was some
what similar in vein to the con-
Guiding remarks of DR.. Winslow be-
fore the opening session on the
survey.
Get Copies of Report.
The sharply critical comments of
the survey have stirred officials and
health leaders throughout the en-
tire Metropolitan Area. Most of
them now have complete copies of
the report. They are preparing their
cases to be presented to the Survey
Committee.
When the report has been care
fully edited, with some minor revi-
sions, 1t will be sent to the printer.
Copies OF the printed volume will
be available later, probably not until
some time in the summer, maybe fall,
according to best estimates. 1t will
be good-sized book.
Whether all the recommendation
will be supplemented remains to be
seen. Many careful studies of the
whole report now are being launched.
District Commissioner Guy Mason
and DR.. George C. Rutland, District
health officer, withheld comment
until later on proposals to improve
the Health Department and its
agencies. Already appropriation
estimates for Gallinger Municipal
Hospital have been increased by
Senate committee, to help improve
this institution during the next
fiscal year.
The Washington Board of Trade
Is making a study of the entire re-
port for its Public Health Committee.
Medical Society Plans Study.
Theodore Wiprud, secretary of the
medical society, said a careful
analysis will be made for the society
board. But it is likely, he added
that action cannot be taken by the
board until after. June 30, the final
date called for by a recent society
resolution for such an analysis.
Studies are known to be under
way by agencies and individuals
throughout the six political juris-
dictions involved in the survey.
They are: The District, Alexandria,
Va, and the contiguous Maryland
and Virginia counties; Montgomery,
Prince Georges, Fairfax and Airing
ton.
Among the outstanding recon-
mendations of the II listed in the
final chapter of the survey, aside
from the first one-votes for Wash
ington-were: A new hospital coun-
Gil, already established; better edu-
cation Of the whole community on
its hospital problems, a $35 1000, 900
hospital construction program, with
an estimated $20,0000O from the
Senate-passed Tydings bill, now
pending in the House District Com
mittee; more attention to "unmet
needs" of Negroes, including admis-
sion of colored doctors to Gallinger
Hospital new bureau of hospitals
in the Health Department; more
facilities for chronic and conval-
escent patients.
New Licensing Law Proposed.
Also new hospital licensing law
for the District, passage of the pend
ing Halliburton bill to aid in hospi-
tai construction in the Maryland
and Virginia area, more money for
Gallinger, transfer of the hospital
admission bureau work now ham
died by Health Security Administra-
ton to the hospitals themselves,
and reconstruction Of HSA itself,
into something entirely different; a
new public health council, and an
association of hospital administra-
tors for the area.
In its final appeal to the public
the report says:
The ultimate decision is yours
Take what appeals to you and dis
card the rest. What we do urge is