Evening star., 1948-11-24
$4,000 Grant
Voted Hospital
In Alexandra
Council Wards OFF
Jan. 81 Closing, Calls
For Audit, Study
By GEORGE Beveridoe

BY George Beveridge
The Alexandria City Council has
decided that 1t must halt the threat
of its only general hospital being
closed January 81, but that a long
range study is needed to determine
how far the city should go in as
suming permanent responsibility for
its financial troubles.
At a council meeting last night
the group:
l. Voted an immediate $4,000
Istop-gap grant to Alexandria Hos
pital. warding off a threat by its
officials that the institution would
close unless it received aid. The
hospital asked for an outright grant
of 100000 for next year.
2. Recommended that $4,000 be
provided next year for hospital care
for the city's INDECENT patients.
3. Approved recommendations
that "a complete financial audit
and study" be made of the hos
pitfalls operations.
HSA Fate Discussed.
In another meeting, meanwhile,
officials of several Washington hos
pitals. the Community Chest Fed
Grafton and the Hospital Service
Agency-which handles eligibility
certification of Chest-aided patients
and payment to hospitals for treat
ing them-discussed for four hours
controversial proposals by hospital
leaders that the service agency be
eliminated.
The meeting, held at the Wash
ington Hotel, ended with apparent
agreement by all participants to
withhold any comment on the
discussion.
Reporters who called Edward j.
Keyes. director of the federation,
were told there would be no COM
ment following it.
They remained because they had
been told earlier by Robert P
Bryant, executive secretary of the
Hospital Council of the National
Capital area. that a prepared state
ment would be issued after the
closed session. The statement did
not materialize, however.
Further Discussions Planned.
Mr.. Keyes said only that problems
involving the service agency were
explored" and that there would be
further discussions. He said no time
had been set for the next meeting.
After the Alexandria council meet
ing, David S. Haddock, chairman of
the Hospital Board Of Directors. said
the grant voted by the council would
prevent the threatened closing at
the end of January. He said he
frankly doesn't know" whether it
will be necessary for the hospital to
come to the council every year for
such a request.
Both he and Van C.. Adams, ad-
ministrator of the hospital, stressed
that the grant docs not solve our
problems" but that it will enable
the hospital to pay some of its
creditors. rn-
The councils action came in ap-
proving a report of the council
disqualification Committee, headed
by r. Samuel Luckett.
The report said that results Of
the audit and study should help
decide what does constitute a
reasonable financial responsibility of
the governing body Of the city to
the Alexandria Hospital"
Citizens Committee Urged.
It urged that a citizens committee
be set up to evaluate the results and
make recommendations to the coun-
Gil and hospital
Mr.. Luckett said he thought the
hospital study should include COM
plete survey of administrative ma
chinery, particularly of the per-
sonnel setup. He said it has not
been decided who will make the
survey or audit.
The report provided that the $20,-
600 grant be made as soon as pos
sible after the hospital board agreed
to the provisions for an audit and
study and formation of the citizens
committee. This agreement was
reached by the board at a special
session Monday night, Mr.. Luckett
announced.
$4,000 "Best Figure"
Council Member Albert A. Smoot,
who presented the report, praised
it as the start of a constructive
move for better relationships be-
tween the hospital and council"
Commenting on the $4,000 grant,
he added that "the hospital has to
be kept open, but we don't want to
see this thing recurring every year"
The $4,000 grant, he said, was the
best figure we could arrive at"
A vote on the grant was won by
count of 6 to /. Dissenting was
Rov c. Bragg.
The vote followed discussion as
to whether such a grant could be
made legally. Joseph M. Pancoast,
CITY attorney. told the council that