Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-10-31

Most hospitals lack the mana
gerial apparatus" and the har-
monious relationship between the
institution and the medical profess
sion needed to solve serious prob
lens facing them in the opinion of
Lawrence Drake, hospital analyst, of
Washington.
These views on voluntary hospitals
which pay no taxes and aren t
operated for profit, appeared last
night in the latest issue of Medical
Annals" official publication of the
District Medical Society.
An editorial appearing elsewhere
in the monthly journal made several
specific suggestions for better CO.
operation between the voluntary
hospitals and private practitioners
They included better liaison between
board and stats, more young doctors
on the boards, and q stronger hos
pital administration.
The problem of deficits facing
most voluntary hospitals in WASH
ington was given a going over in at
least three places in the Annals
although Mr.. Drake did not spe-
officially name hospitals here.
Approach Sharply Critical.
Mr.. brakes approach to the prob
lem was sharply critical. 1t was an
outgrowth of his studies Of hospitals
here and IN several other cities. He
Is author of articles on surgery, and
is now public relations adviser to
the American Society of Anesthesio-
logists.
The hospital" he charged, "has
not as yet developed the corporate
brain center any enterprise OF its
size and completely must have If it
Is to exist on terms other than as a
mere uncertain pawn of circum-
stances. And that is the heart of
the hospital problem"
The author hastened to add he
was not so much critical of hospital
superintendent as of the system
Of management.
THE shortcoming we are con-
cerned WITH" he declared, lis not
with the hospital superintendent.
1t is in the concept of the hospital
and of hospital administration, on
the basis of which the governing
boards are trying to run our volun-
tary hospitals"
Hits "Individualistic" Practices.
Can we bridge the gap between
the governing board and the super
intendent with the necessary execu-
tive apparatus?" he asked.
Can we arouse sufficient interest
among all concerned to give the
hospital the executive leadership
its survival clearly demands?"
Mr.. Drake charged lack of har-
mony between physicians and sur
geons on the one hand and the
hospital administration on the
other.
THE individualistic practices and
attitudes (of the practitioners as
well as the attitudes of members
of the medical profession outside
the hospital are seriously hinder
ing the hospital from making those
adjustments its survival demands"
he declared.
I'VE have beautiful example OF
an economic interest, for lack of a
clarified attitude, destroying the
conditions necessary for its own
survival"
For lack of leadership, Mr.. Drake
asserted "the hospital is made the
tool, in too many cases, in the par
tisan and purely selfish clashes be-
tween the different medical groups
and personalities"
I'm other words" he added, "the
hospital has not only failed to i'm
press upon the medical profession
the clear mutually of interests that
should unite them in a common
effort, it has failed as we'll to save
itself from the confusion and the
cutthroat attitudes prevailing within
the medical profession"
Pointing to rapid growth of hos
pitalization insurance, with nearly
100000 Americans covered, the
author declared that deficits were
encouraging the hospital bureauc-
racy" to look to the Federal Treas
ury and large-scale Government in
tervention.
But to allow this increase in Gov
eminent functions, he said, might
lead to Government taking over
hospitals and establishing economic
control of medicine. This would
amount to a fateful increase In the
power of government, which he de-
clared should make us shudder."
The annals editorial made no di-
rect reference to the Drake article,