Evening star., 1947-09-22
Freedmen 'sRate
.ForCitytoBeCut
Below $17 Day
To Be WAI in Excess
Of$9.25 Paid for
Patients This Year
By Thomos 6. Buchonon

Conferences between District and
Federal officials on the rate the
city must pay for charity patients
sent to Freedmen's Hospital prob
ably will result In some downward
revision Of the original estimate
OF SIT day, it was learned today.
The Budget Bureau is expected
to announce the rates for the cur
rent fiscal year some time this week.
A Freedmen's Hospital spokesman
said the working agreement was
expected within tie next 48 hours"
Although the rate may not reach
the figure originally reported under
consideration, due to the protest of
District officials, 1t will be far in
excess Of the 1925 per diam which
the city paid for general hospital
patients last year.
Most of the extra cost, hospital
officials say, is caused by an increase
In nurses pay and a large increase
in the nursing staff.
Some reduction in the District
share is reported to have been made
by a more rigid Interpretation of
what teaching expenses are prop
erly chargable as normal hospital
operating expenditures, and the ex-
clusion of capital improvements.
The Freedmen's budget for 194s
is $2,192.000, more than $500, 900
higher than last year. Nurses at
the Federal Institution like those
at Gallinger Hospital, now receive a
professional civil service statue,
which gives them a sizeable salary
increase.
In addition, the new budget has
permitted the hospital to increase
its graduate nurse staff from 88 at
the end of the last fiscal year to a
present figure of $50, with 98 more
nursing positions authorized but as
yet untitled.
The hospital also has 103 hospital
attendants to assist the graduates,
an increase of almost so per cent.
The Districts share of this added
expense, plus the increased cost of
hospital supplies and other operat-
ing costs, Is determined by estimat-
ing the average cost per patient-day
for the coming year, and multiply
ing by the actual number of Dis
trict residents admitted as INDECENT
patients.
Congress has appropriated $40O, 900
to take care of the Districts pay
mert for Freedmen's patients this
year, but District officials say this
would be inadequate at the proposed
rate of SIT. They predict it would
be necessary either to shift many
colored charity cases to Gallinger
Hospital, already near, capacity, or
to ask for deficiency appropria-
ton.
1t is pointed. out, however, that
$9.25 did not represent the actual
operating cost at Freedmen's last
year. When actual expenses far ex-
ceeded estimates, the institution had
to ask for a $500 600 deficiency
appropriation. a-. ..s~es ~,
Adding the second appropriation,
hospital spokesmen say per diem
costs for patients last year amount
ed to $12. Thus, they contend, the
District received hospital service
for its charity patients at nearly So
a day below cost.
Although it only costs the District
SO a day to care for unsupported
patients at Gallinger Hospital,
Freedmen's officials point out, the
municipal institution is badly under
stated.
"Gallinger asked Congress this
year for proper nursing staff and
didn't get it," one official said. I'VE
asked for it and got it. That's the
difference"
With the added nursing staff, it
was indicated, from Is to 20 beds in
the Freedmen's tuberculosis annex,
formerly closed for lack of attend
ants, will be reopened. So will IS
obstetrical beds. Part of the hos
pital designed as pediatrics sec
ton, however, will remain closed for
the time being.