Milford chronicle., 1948-04-30
HOSPITAL NOTES
Reprint Of Spreading the Burden"
JOHN NJ V0t'ER, JR. fs

--
(From Hospital Magazine "Trus-
tee.''l
IF THE newspapers in this coun-
try were to announce tomorrow,
Hospital Services Discontinued,
the greatest chaotic condition ini
America would result 1t would
be greater than the bank mora
torium, the stock market crash or
d declaration Of war
That there could be such an an
nouncement seems fantastic now,
but it is possible. The reasons are:
Decreasing incomes, rising costs
and the failure Of local government
agencies to do their share to help
the hospitals meet the costs,
Perhaps no hospital in the Uni
ted States is able to accept the full
responsibility Of welfare cases.
Many people wiz question this
point by saying. that there are char
lity, governmental and fraternai
hospitals that render medical SER
vices at no charge. But the money
for these services usually must
come from sources other than Wei
fare agencies.
TO give an example OF this, The
representative of the welfare de-
partment of a nearby community
told me that she had a patient with
a gangrenous foot who. was In need
of disqualification and that her
funds for the current year were ex-
hausted. The governing body Of the
county had not and would not ap-
propriate additional funds for hos
lpitalization.
/ asked her If she could issue a
hospital order and require her
board Of supervisors to appropriate
the money at later date. She said
it was not the policy Of her depart
Inent to issue an order when funds
were unavailable
In reality she was placing an OBJ
legation on the hospital when il
should have been the county's. This
in turn puts an additional respon-
sibiIfty on those citizens who de-
vote considerable time and effort
to seeing that the hospital is KEPT
in operation.
Too often we are faced with the
problem Of patient coming to the
hospital acutely i'll, very often Z
case of life or deathgif immediate
action is not given. The governing
bodies of the political subdivision
! have taken the attitude We'll, he ii
your patient, your problem, nov
e you must take care of him."
!, If the hospital should refuse tt
accept an INDECENT patient anC
: place the responsibility upon thl
government agencies, 1t would b,
J. open to most severe criticism. o.
, if the hospital accepts these pa
}, tients and incufs a. larger deficit
|, the other patients will comment
n why should we contribute to pa,
|, hospital bills for others %
|, In all hospitals there are pip
: lines carrying water, sewage an
n electricity. Many people seem t
y think there, is another larger pip
q line connected to some mint an
4, that from this pipe pours con
q tinuous supply of dollars. Yet yer
p seldom if ever do hospitals hear th
IS drip of financial assistance froI
y any of these theoretical none
2 supplies.
Is We must impress the governin
~ bodies of our hospitals that it
not proper for them to sit back an
wait to see what the federal {
state government agencies are q
ing to do. Anything done by thei
!. agencies must come out of take
y and it is well known that by Il
g time the tax dollar goes to u
y state or national government, pas
q . es through the various bureau
e s and returns to local communitie
! it has shrunk to a few pennies.
! The time has come when v
iis must educate those people who a.
responsible for the care of the eli
he zens Of their local communities.
q is their responsibility to proviI
a. medical service, for those who ca
6 not afford it and not to put tn
lso burden on the few people who gi
ne 5T so much of their time and effort t
81 ward runningsa non-prOfit hospit;
lu Boy--Mr. and Mrs. Norris z. w
- - ley, Bridgeville; April 81.
- p Boy-Mr. and Mrs. James
~ Coulbourne, Seaford; April q.
ies Girl--Mr. and Mrs. David Has
ings, Milton; April %.
Boy-Mr. and Mrs. Carl R. Ba
MiIfords April "a. M
BOy-Mr. and Mrs. Derricks
Webb, Frederica; April 25.
Boy-Mr. and. Mrs. Hayward
ge' Hearn, laurel: April 25.
es- Girl--Mr, and Mrs. Edward Die
'ss. erson, Selbyville; April 26.