Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-09-23
.Ga||inger Told
If Must justify
Corresponding
Hospital Warned
To Watch Budget;
Accounting Asked

Overspending by Gallinger Hos
pital during the first quarter OF the
current fiscal year has resulted in
a warning by District finance Off
Gals that the hospital must stay
within its budget.
Some of the expenditures since
July 1 were described today as mot
absolutely essential" by an official
of the District budget officers de-
partment. He added that the hos
pital has been asked to submit a
detailed breakdown and "justifica-
ton" of ali spending items to date
and those intended for the future
During the first three months of
the fiscal year. the hospital has
spent about $4,000 of its $4,000
appropriation for medical supplies
for the full II months, Ray Cole
of the budget officers department
said.
Balance Below Estimate.
District Auditor Arthur r. Pilker-
ton said his Office only has overall
expenditure accounts at this time,
but these show the hospital should
have had $577. 900, apart from per-
sonnet expenditures, remaining at
the end of this month on the basis
of first quarter apportionment. AS
Of today, it has $549 ,000
This does not necessarily mean the
hospital will go beyond it's 1949 fiscal
year budget, he explained. But it
indicates the hospital is running
ahead in expenditures and must be
called to account, he declared.
Budget officials disclosed that the
problem has been discussed in
several closed conferences. One rea-
son for asking complete itemized
of spending, an official
is to determine whether
the faster rate of spending thus far
has resulted from higher prices for
some commodities.
Patient Load Below Average.
SO far as can be determined now,
he said, there is no indication that
increased prices could be used to
justify overspending to date. Nor is
there evidence that the patient load
at Gallinger has increased, he
added. The budget was based on an
l 100 average daily patient load and
the present load is somewhat below
that average, he said.
Plans for new administrative
setup and staff rearrangement at
the hospital have been worked out
by representatives. of Government
agencies and private institutions
and will be submitted soon to
George Washington, Georgetown
and Howard Universities, District
Health Officer George C. Rutland
said today. The proposed agreement
is being drafted by the corporation
counsel's Office.
AS was indicated several months
ago, DR.. Alvin r. Sweeney will re-
tire as hospital superintendent, Dr.
Rutland said. A new medical di-'
rector would be appointed by the
Commissioners, on nomination of
the deans of the three university
medical schools and on approval of
DR.. Rutland. Two other top Of
hcials would be appointed to assist
him, one as hospital administrator
and the other as chief of staff
Howard To Enter Plans In July.
Howard University would come in
to the plan next July when the uni
versity sends doctors and medical
students to the hospital. George
Town and George Washington each
provide one-third of the internes at
present and the other one-third
comes from hospitals in general.
In July one-fourth of the students
will be recommended by Howard,
DR.. Rutland explained. Next Mon
day, Howard will begin sending a
group of medical students to OBJ
serve hospital work. but they will
take no direct part in it until July,
he added.
The proposed realignment Of top
positions at the hospital was dis
cussed at closed meeting in Com
missioner Guy Mason's Office Sep
TENDER 13.
DR.. Rutland said today he has
several doctors in an
effort to obtain successor to DR..
Sweeney. He has found none as
yet who is willing to take the posi-
ton for the salary offered. he said.
Under the proposed realignment,
chief medical officers for separate
branches of the hospital would be
chosen by the universities and paid
by the District. DR.. Rutland said
that when Howard University par
ticipates in the setup, it probably
will assign its students only to the
pediatrics, dermatology and COM
disease branches.
ROssiter to Remain.
DR.. P. S. Rossiter, retired rear
admiral and assistant chief of staff
at Gallinger, had planned to retire
/, but will stay on until
next year until the proposed revl-
sions can be made and necessary
funds obtained.
At the September 10 meeting
Commissioner Mason produced a
preliminary chart of the proposed
revisions and called attention to
some loopholes in the existing Or
ganization.'
There is friction" he said. TOO
many people are running to the
newspapers with criticism and
things of that sort, which does the
patient no good and the hospital
no good. That I want to eliminate
as much as possible On the side
of the District, We are furnishing a
S7,500,C00 facility there. 1t is not
complete. not all that it should be
qualitatively and quantitatively.
However, it is all that We can expect
for this size city. We need a new
laboratory. new pediatrics, new
crippled children's building and a
new psychology building
General Accord Reported.
Those at the conference discussed
the proposals from many angles, but,
according to the transcript, came to
general agreement.
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