Evening star., 1946-12-03
Mental Health
Clinic Planned
All Children 5
D. c. Junior League
To Support Service
At Hospital 5 Years

Hitherto tnpublicized plans to set
up clinic for mental health at
Children's Hospital to be supported
financially by the Junior League Of
Washington were announced late
yesterday at the annual meeting of
the hospital corporation.
Announcement that such a clinic
Is to be established came in the
annual report to the corporation
members by DR.. Joseph S. Wall,
chairman of the hospitals medical
staff.
ut is a source of qualification to
the medical staff that the Junior
League of Washington has assumed
the task OF supporting, for a period
of five years, clinic for mental
health, department which we have
sorely lacked in the past" DR.. Wall
told the members
In Line With Survey.
The Junior League already sup
ports the hospitals social service
department and has done so for 10
years.
DR.. Walls announcement is in line
with Washington Metropolitan
Health and Hospital Survey recon-
mendations made early this year.
The survey urged that mental clinic
services in the Metropolitan Area
be strengthened and additional
clinics established.
DR.. Wallis report cited a marked
increase" in the work of the hospital
in the past year and stressed the
growing need for disqualification of
children.
Charles D. Drayton, hospital pres
ident, expressed the hope that hos
pital center legislation for Wash
ington would be amended by the
next Congress to extend financial
aid to Washington hospitals which
are not going to be included in the
center project, Episcopal, Garfield
and Emergency Hospitals are to be
replaced by the center, and $35 ,000,-
600 has been authorized for its con-
struction.
Needs Much Help.
The hospital will need all the
help it can get, Mr.. Drayton said.
The buying power of the hospitals
new building fund, now $4,000
short of its $1,300,000 goal, he said,
is constantly being endangered by
rising building costs, he pointed out
Steps are being taken, Mr.. Dray-
ton said, to get larger payments
for patients from Group Hospitali-
Zation, Inc, the Community Chest
Federation and from the District
government.
Admiral c. Russell Train, who has
headed the new building drive, said
S250,000 had been added to the fund.
Mr.. Drayton also paid tribute to
Miss Matte M. Gibson, who will
retire as hospital superintendent
February Is. She will be succeeded
by DR.. Montgomery Blair, jr. Miss
Gibson will become superintendent |
emeritus.
In her 26th and final annual re-
port to the members, Miss Gibson |
said 8,309 patients were given 68,602
days care during the year and that
the daily average number of patients
was 1873. Visits made to the dis
pensary totaled 56,210 and to the
child welfare department, 8,073.
Other reports rendered were those
Of Mrs. w. Chaplin Huntington,
president of the Board of Lady Visi-
tors: Miss Ashley Taylor, director of
nursing; Mrs. Frederick H. Brooke,
president of the Child Welfare So
ciety, and Miss Elma Phillipson, di-
rector of social service.
Miss Taylor reported a continuing
shortage of nurses, cadets and
nurses aides. Most critical need, she
said after the meeting, is for eight
additional graduate nurses.
The meeting marked the 10th an
niversary of the hospitals incorpo-
ration under an act of Congress.