Evening star., 1948-05-12
PLIGHT of the Hospitals

Today is National Hospital Day. For
Washington and vicinity it Is not just
day for routine recognition of the i'm
portant role which hospitals play in the
life of the community. The hospital Sit
uation In this war-expanded National
Capital area calls for more than passing
nod of public appreciation for the con-
tribution of hospitals to the health and
happiness of every resident.
This is day for real concern on the
part of citizens who have not as yet
become fully aware of the grave plight OF
some of our oldest and most respected
hospitals Through combination OF cir
cumstances for which none of them Is to
blame, Washington's voluntary nonproflt
hospitals are in serious financial straits.
Ever since the war these institutions have
been struggling earnestly to make both
ends meet 1t has been a difficult and
at times hopeless task. Higher costs OF
everything have hit the hospitals as
severely as they have other agencies and
individual households. Food conserva-
ton at the expense of the sick has been
out of the question. Nor could the quality
or amount of services rendered be reduced
when ailing humanity was involved. The
services have had to go on, despite rising
prices and wages.
To make matters worse, the demands
on the hospitals have increased at an
alarming rate, in the face OF shortages OF
beds and personnel. Some OF these de-
mands have come from sources which
have failed to produce revenue sufficient
to meet the costs of services rendered.
For example, payments from Community
Chest funds for semi-indigent patients
have fallen far short Of meeting today's
hospital expenses. The Hospital Council
points out that Chest payments have been
based on outmoded cost estimates, with
the result that the payments have covered
only about half of present costs. The
failure of last falls Chest campaign to
reach its goal has cut the disqualification
fund to what the council describes as
"a pitifully small proportion of what the
hospitals need" Similarly, rates orig
: inally agreed upon for disqualification
insurance plans have proved to be
inadequate.
Another problem has arisen with respect
to hospital care for tax-eligible patients
funds to pay for disqualification. In the
past, the District government has con-
tributed tax funds to only three OF the
voluntary hospitals-Emergency, Casualty
and Children's. Yet other private hos
pitals have sustained losses totaling ap-
proximately eight hundred thousand dol
lars year by reason of free services to
those unable to pay. The Commissioners
have asked for funds to reimburse these
hospitals for such aid during the fiscal
year.
The problem Of the hospitals is COM
munity problem. 1t is not problem which
can be solved by the hospitals themselves,
nor one that affects only those who run
them or receive treatment from them.
The welfare of the public as whole is
at stake In the struggle Of these institu-
tons to survive their current difficulties.
It is for that reason that the hospitals,
beginning today and continuing for
month, will seek to give the public
better understanding of the hospitals
of their obligations to the community and
the community's obligations toward them
This educational program is timely and
badly needed. For without public under
standing and support, the hospitals face
an insuperable task in meeting the
RESPONSIBILITIES imposed upon them.