Evening star., 1948-11-19
Hospitals
Continued From First Page.)

of all patients routed to hospitals
by HSA.
The controversial question of con-
tinued operations under HSA, mean
while, has been building toward a
climax for months, with no previous
announcement of developments.
Members of the hospital council,
officials said, believe the question OF
admission is purely hospital mat
ter, and that they can both save
money and operate more efficiently
these functions of the Chest agency.
Elimination OF HSA, officials
stressed, would not mean withdrawal
of the hospitals from Chest Fedora
ton activities, or the absence OF
some central agency to protect
spending of Chest contributions.
The HSA Board of Directors, at
q meeting Tuesday night, it was
reported, adopted resolution ad-
vising the federation that some hos
pitfalls are refusing to accept HSA
certifcations and have set up in
dependent machinery of their own
presumably resulting in additional
expense" 1t urged the federation
to make every effort to correct
this practice in the interest of COM
munity health and welfare"
Days of Care Increase.
The agency head contended that
hospitals have failed to take full
advantage of HSA's services. and
that they are "treasuring their au-
tonomy, even If it costs much more"
While he emphasized that he
thinks differences still can be settled
and that he sympathizes with the
hospitals financial problems. Mr..
Smith declared he is unable to feel
the community can trust to the ten
der mercies of the hospital admins |
traitors the health of the commu-
nifty"
Despite the new developments and
cutdowns by some hospitals, how
ever, HSA records show that more
than 1000 more days of care were
given last September than in Sep
tember, 1947, through the program.
The number of days listed is 8,419I
for last September. as against 7,417
for the same month the previousI
year.
Asked by The Star for comment,
Robert P. Bryant, executive secre-
tary of the hospital council, today
released this statement:
Eve regret that the HSA author
tiles have apparently seen fit to
take this action at this time. The
hospital council has indicated its
willingness to sit down and discuss
across the conference table our
problem, as indicated by the fol-
lowing resolution, passed by the
hospital council on October %:
"'Moved that the council, after
careful consideration, approve in
principle the recommendation of
various hospitals that the func-
tions of admission certif1cation and
collection of. Community Chest pa
tients should be returned to the
hospitals and that the council should
eventually undertake for the hos
pitals other functions of the HSA,
and that the Administrative COM
mittee of the council be authorized
to meet with a similar committee
from the HSA for further discus
SION
Knows of No Extra Cost.
"To my knowledge, no hospital
has incurred additional expense in
setting UP additional medical-social
service screening procedures. In
connection with the present ar
rangement with the District Health
Department, 1t is necessary that
the hospitals maintain facilities for
screening tax-eligible dndigenD pa
tients.
mo hospital has refused any
emergency case. and, according to
the information at hand, more pa
tient days of care were rendered in
September, 194S, than in the same
month last year through the HSA.
Tn spite of what has happened,
talks with the HSA and the Com
munity Chest will 60 forward"
A Roman farmhouse is being ex-