The Wilmington morning star., 1947-01-30
Rankin Tells ChiefAims
OfHospitalA Club Meet

Calling the modern hospital the
Doctors work shop, j. w. Rankin,
Superintendent of James Walker
hospital, addressing the
Kiwanis club yesterday, empha-
sized that the most important
person therein is the patient.
mo doctor, no officer and no
employe should occupy anything
like the importance that should
attach to the patient" he said
and added: There r three es-
sential factors in adequate medi-
cal care, none of which can be
separated if the welfare OF the
patient is the first consideration.
The first, he explained IS the
doctor = the trained physician or
surgeon. The second is the nurse,
and the third that group OF high
ly specialized technicians who aid
in the diagnosis and treatment as
directed by the doctor. with the
advancement of medical science,
It was only logical that these three
should be brought togeth-
err under one roof"
The speaker continued: THE
modern hospital is not only a
complex business but it is a COM
pick combination of businesses
and one of the more complex OF
social organizations in which
more than a score Of highly spe-
cialized, semi : specialized and
non-specialized functions are per
formed under II common opera
ton and with one common object.
As a business, the James Walker
Memorial hospital in Wilmington
is the third largest employer in
the county. 1t employs direct ap-
proximately 300 persons. In addl-
ton it affords a living to some
so doctors and some 80 special du-
ty nurses, the majority of whom
earn their livelihood in the insti-
The average day at the
hospital shows that in addition to
the 800 regular employees and
the 100 to 125 doctors and nurs-
es practicing at least part time at
the institution, plus $50 patients
per day and 500 visitors, a total
of $50 10 1000 people each day
come directly in contact with the
all important question of ade-
quate medical care for all of the
people all of the time. Therefore,
as a business, the institution l rep
is big business. 1t is the
hotel in Wilmington, the
restaurant and has more
pass through its doors each
day than possibly any other bust
in the community except
those engaged in transportation.
This business is further compli-
Gated by the fact that the guests
are i'll. The mental attitude of the
guest and that of his visitors is
not the same as if the guest
were not sick"
Answering his own question,
Where does the hospital dollar
go?" Mr.. Rankin reeled off fig
that had his hearers heads
whirling. In 1915, he explained,
1T took $685., 481 to carry On the
operation of the James Walker
hospital, in addition to another
5000, 600 spent for improvement
Ct the property and addition of
equipment. For this money 9,763
different individuals received a.
$50 days of hospital care. In addi-
ton, some 10, 900 visits were made
to the o~ut-patient department. 81
300 laboratory examinations were
made and some 5000 people had
approximately 1900 X r a y
examinations and treatments. In
same year 1853 major sur-
gical operations and 1855 minor
operations we're performed, the
hospital used $106, 435 worth of
food and paid salaries amounting
to $2278, 608. 1t operated a laun-
dry consisting of eighteen per-
sons at a cost of $14, 473. The fuel
bill to operate three 200 horse
power boilers amounted to $40, 600,