Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-29
NewP|anSp
|ndigents' Care
AT Hospitals
Seckinger Announces
Agreement to Block
Potent Dumping
By George Beveridee


agreement today on a double
barreled program to provide i'm
mediate care for INDECENT pa
tients who need emergency hos
pitalization.
The agreement, announced by
District Health Officer Daniel L.
Seckinger, has these two main
goals:
/. To prevent private hospitals
from using Gallinger Hospital as
a dumping ground" for INDECENT
patients who-under agreements
with the District-should be
treated at the private hospitals.
2. To assure that INDECENT pa
tents not eligible for care at
District expense get care without
delay through funds provided by
the Community Chest.
Chest Leaders Set In.
DR.. Seckinger said complete
agreement on policies was
reached at a conference yester-
day. attended by James G. Capos-
sela, Emergency Hospital admins
traitor. Chest leaders and CAL
linger and District health officials.
No representatives of other pri-
vate hospitals were present.
The conference was called to
discuss an incident Saturday
night when Emergency Hospital
workers deposited at Gallinger a
patient who was treated earlier in
the day at Emergency. Gallinger
officials had told an Emergency
intern earlier the patient could
not be transferred to Gallinger
because he did not meet residency
requirements for care at District
expense.
The incident brought to head
a long requirement by Washing
ton hospitals over District policies
for the care of indigents who are
not long time residents of the
city.
Hospitals Under Contract.
Under contract, the District
pays nine private hospitals for
treating emergency INDECENT pa
tients. provided they are District
residents. But the city pays nom
resident indigents only if they are
taken to the hospitals in city,
owned or operated ambulances.
Gallinger officials cited entries
in a doctors "log." showing that.
on some occasions, hospitals
shipped patients to Gallinger who
were not supposed to be admitted
there under District regulations.
In the '1og." doctors also COM
planned that in some cases pa
tients were sent to Gallinger with
out notification, and in some
cases. without adequate emer-
gency treatment.
Under the plan to which DR..
Seckinger said Mr.. Capossela
agreed yesterday, the senior resi-
dent physician at the private
hospital is to report any transfer
of patients to the Gallinger adj
hitting officer. In the past, GAL
linger officials said, interns at the
private hospitals at times trans
ferred patients, over Gallinger
protests.
Instructions on Ambulances.
District officials said that, II
INDECENT patients need psychiatric
or other special care for which
facilities are not available at priv
ate hospitals, Gallinger will accept
them on transfer. Normally, how
ever, they said, hospitals will be
expected to care for patients who
come to their doors, under terms
of the contract.
District emergency ambulances,
they said. have instructions to
take patients to Gallinger or the
nearest of the contract" hospi-
tails.
DR.. Seckinger said that, if the
residency question arises, under
the plan, payment for the care
SAAoAAN VIC GohCl1 OP ltI1l1lGOldIEiy
with the Hospital Service Agency.
which disburses the Community
Chest funds.
"HSA has expressed it's willing
ness to assist in the care and
payment for such patients in the
private hospitals of the District"
DR.. Seckinger declared.
Under this plan, no patient
should be denied medical care,
which is, of course, at all times
of utmost Importance from q
medical and public health point
of view"
DR.. Seckinger said that, while
the machinery for handling trans
fers OF INDECENT patients to CAL
linger has been agreed to only by
Emergency, he hoped it would
serve as a definite proposal" to
the other eight contract hospitals.