Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-13
Hospital Council
Excludes Public
And Agencies
Recommendations in
Survey Put Aside
In Forming Group
By Harold B. ROGERS

The new Hospital Council of the
National Capital Area has COM
pleted its principal organization, but
laid down a policy to exclude, for
the present at least, representatives
from the public and agencies other
than hospitals.
While the council was stimulated
into formation by the Metropolitan
Health and Hospital Survey, it eau
tiously declined to expand into the
full f1edged organization recon-
mended by the survey to help i'm
prove the sorely criticized hospital
situation in the whole area.
Officers and Executive Committee
members were confined to hos
pital presidents, administrators and
trustees.
Action was taken at meeting
late yesterday of representatives
from most of the Is hospitals in the
Metropolitan area at Emergency
Hospital.
LIdiSOu flanne0.
Il do feel that we want to 20 very
slowly" William R. Castle, president
OF the Hospital Council, told the
group. 1T is hospital council
first. Let's see how it works as a
hospital council"
Referring to the rejection of pro-
posed amendments which would
have admitted representatives OF
the Metropolitan Health Council
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, District Health
Department as such, Health Security
Administration and other agencies,
Mr.. Castle said:
I'VE are going to try our level
best to play ball with all these Or
CARNATIONS, He said committees
would be appointed to maintain
liaison with such outside groups.
Mr.. Castle announced he planned
to leave Washington last night for
Boston to investigate the hospital
council there.
The hospital survey made by DR..
Claude w. Munger of New York
City recommended a hospital coun-
Gil here OF much broader concept
than the one set up yesterday.
Strongly Recommended.
Our strongest ton, -
DR.. Munger declared, lis the estab-
lishment of a strong and active hos
pital council of the Metropolitan
Area made up of hospital admins
traitors, trustees, physicians, health
leaders and leaders of the general
community"
There should be representatives
OF informed public opinion from out
standing lay persons" said the sur
vey. Public officials in the health
field and certain number of the
members of the medical profession
who are capable of broad concept
of the medical and social implica-
lions OF the hospital should be in
Guided. 1t is important that save
for public officials, the councils
members should be selected solely
for their potential usefulness to
hospitals, and not as representatives
of special groups or interest. Such
an organization should have we'll
qualified, full-time executive, with
broad knowledge of the fields of
hospitals and health. His salary
should be thought of in five figures. .
Most hospital councils in other
cities, it was learned, have member
ships of some such broad scope.
Restricting its officers, previously
elected, and its 12-member Executive
Committee to representatives from
the hospitals themselves, the council
rejected proposals to admit 10
members at large" and to require
that one of the three representatives
from each hospital be a "practicing
physician" or a member of the
attending medical staff"
DR.. Ramsey's Move Fails.
DR.. Herbert P. Ramsey of Garfield
Hospital, chairman of the Metro
politan Health Council, which in
stigated the health and hospital
survey, failed in his attempt to
amend the hospital council bylaws
to admit the IL members at large
and to require each hospital to name
one doctor representative.
Unsuccessful attempts to expand
the membership of the hospital
council left it as it was in the orig
inal bylaws, tentatively adopted at
a meeting May %, also at Emergency
Hospital. Only members are hos
pitfalls and each one has three repre-
sentatives on the council-its ad-
ministrative head and two others
designated by it's governing board
The hospitals must be approved by
the American College of Surgeons.
Executive Committee.
An Executive Committee of IL was
elected on motion of the Nominating
Committee headed by Arthur G
Lsrnbert of Suburban Hospital
They were:
For three-year term: ]. G. Capos-
sela, superintendent of Emergency
Hospital; Leo Smelzer, superintend-
1rnt, George Washington University
Hospital; Arthur G. Scion, admins
traitor, Suburban Hospital, and Carl
York, superintendent, Arlington Hos
pital.
For two years: Charles Bradley
trustee, Columbia Hospital; DR.. j. H
Hall, superintendent, Freedmen's
Hospital; Henry P. Blair, vice presi-
dent, Episcopal Hospital; Charles D
Drayton, president, Children's Hos
pital.
For one year these hospital ad-
ministrators or superintendents: DR.
Alvin r. Sweeney, Gallinger Mu-
nicipal Hospital; DR.. Edgar A. b.
cock, Doctors Hospital; DR.. John
M. Orem, Sibley Hospital, and DR.
Francis j. Eiseman, Garfield Hos
pital.
Other Committees.
The Finance Committee, George
A. Garrett, Emergency Hospital
president; Arthur G.. Lambert, trus-
tee, Suburban Hospital; Col. N. L
McDiarmid, superintendent, Colum-
bia Hospital.
Program Committee, Mr.. Smelzer
Paul B. Cromelin, Sibley Hospital
DR.. Henry L. Darner, Emergency
Hospital; Sister James Joseph