Evening star., 1948-05-11
0verho|ser' said
Enlisted bYWest
In Hospital Law
Method of Screening
Patients for Entry to
St. EIizubeths Sought

CORPORATION Counsel Vernon west
said today he has asked DR.. Win
fred Overholser, ST. EliZabeths Hos
pital superintendent, to specify
which patients should be sent direct
to the mental hospital under pro-
posed change in the law to bypass
Gallinger Hospital.
Mr.. West said he has also asked
DR.. Overholser to suggest a method
of screening" the patients to de-
termine whether they should be sent
to st. Elizabeths or Gallinger.
The corporation counsel went to
work on law to provide direct ad-
missions to ST. ElizabethS on IN
structions from Commissioner G'Iy
Mason. The request for the draft
was. made by Mr. Mason after
Chairman Miller of the House Dis
trict Subcommittee on Health, Edu-
cation and Recreation demanded
immediate action to get such
measure before Congress.
In turn, Dr. Miller acted after an
article in last Sundays Star dis
closing that nothing had been done
to seek such law, although there
had been general agreement montns
ago it was needed.
Statement Due Tonight.
DR.. Overholser said he would get
to work on Mr.. Vests request at
once and hoped to get his state
ment in the mail tonight.
He said he would propose that
the Districts Commission on Mental
Health should be the agency to de-
termine if patients should be sent
direct to st. Elizabeths. He pointed
out that the agency Is predoml-
nantlv medical and could use It's
Judgment in making temporary
commitments.
As for the types Of patients that
would benefit by skipping Galhnger'
DR.. Overholser said he would recon-
mend that patients requiring ex-
tended care would go direct to 81.
Elizabeths.
I'm not proposing that the COM
mission hold night hearings, Dr.
Oyerholser said. If patient can't
wait "a to 48 hours for the commls-
sion to make its determination, the
case is of an emergency nature ana
should go to Gallinger anyhow
He said alcoholics and police cases
would be specifically excluded from
his proposal.
Type for Direct Admission.
The type of cases which ne salo
should 60 directly to st. Ellzaoeths
included those where relatives, fam
ilv doctors and psychiatrists coulo
show a history of mental illness
patients, who previously might nave
been in private hospitals or cared 1or
at home over a long period OF time.
DR.. Overholser said St. Eliza
beths now gets 1900 to 800 cases
from Gallinger Hospital annually.
He estimated that from 600 to l,ooo
of these patients might 60 directly
to St. Elizabeths.
He emphasized the "physic in
fury" suffered by patients who nave
to 20 through the whole routine OF
hospital admission. history taking
and examination twice within
few days.
He also pointed out that patients
we're upset by the delays in trans
ferring their personal effects from
ore hospital to another.
While the effect on patients is
the first concern, he said, direct
admissions to St. Elizabeths would
relieve Gallinger of the serious
overcrowding which has made con-
ditions even more difficult in the
city hospital.
Bids for Screens Opened.
Meanwhile. bids for the lnstalla-
ton of 20 protective screens in the
psvchopathic ward at Gallinger were
opened at the District Building yes
terday.
A low bid of S2.l70 was made by
the Chamberlin Co, of Detroit.
The screens will replace the bars
over the windows In the ward.
Bids for the installation OF in
direct heating in the ward, which
will allow the removal of radiators
and pipes, were to be opened at the
District Building today. On May a.
bids for the installation of three
xor, ol.vo+orS will he onened