Evening star., 1952-04-01
81 Million Drive
Being Launched
BY Providence
Briefing Of Workers
At Shorehom to Open
Campaign Tomorrow

AT Shorehom to Open
Campaign Tomorrow
An intensive. three-week cam
paign to raise 81 million from
residents of the Washington area
will be launched tomorrow by
Hospital.
The money is needed to help
projected ST million hos
pital plant to be built near Catho-
lie University.
Nearly 500 volunteer workers
will meet in the Shoreham Hotel
at $3.50 pm. tomorrow to hear
campaign plans and to receive
names of persons to be solicited.
A drive for special gifts-dona-
tions larger than the average per-
son could make-is already under
way.
Former Senator John A. Dana
her, a member of the Providence
board. will be the main speaker
at the kickoff rally. John A.
Reilly. general chairman of the
campaign. and the Most Rev.
Patrick A. O'Boyle, Archbishop
OF Washington. also will speak.
Part Federal Financing.
The new hospital, to be financed
IN part by Federal funds, will be
built on 15-acre plot at Twelfth
and Varnum streets NE. Although
officials have not decided what to
do with the present block of hos
pital buildings at Second and D
streets Sc, they have indicated
that a clinic, at least, will remain
when the move is made.
The public appeal for funds is
the first general campaign con-
Quoted by the hospital since it was
founded in 1861. The bulk of the
|non-Federal funds needed for the
|project-about $2.5 million-will
be raised from other sources by
the Sisters of Charity, the order
of nuns that established the hos
pltal in a small frame building.
The Government will be asked
to advance the rest of the money.
under a provision in the legisla-
ton setting up the Washington
Hospital Center. This legislation
authorizes an expenditure of $35
million for District hospitals. Con-
solidation of Emergency, Episco-
pal and Garfield Hospitals in the
new center, to be built on the
Soldiers Home grounds, will take
$40 million of this.
The rest may be used to help
finance new construction by pri-
vate hospitals. Half the money
advanced by the Federal Govern
ment ultimately must be repaid
by the District.
Some Plans Incomplete.
Casualty, Sibley and National
Homeopathic Hospitals eventually
will start new construction using
Federal funds, but their plans are
still incomplete.
Each grant to the private hos.
pltals, however, still must be ap-
propriated by Congress after a
recommendation by the General
Services Administrator.
Providence Hospital officials
have been planning a new build
ing for many years. All present
buildings were built before 1900
and the board has spent more
than $250,000 since the war in
making repairs necessary to keep
the hospital in operation.
The out-patient clinic is housed
In what once was the contagious
diseases building. The hospital
laboratory is housed in two rooms
one on the roof and the other
in the basement.
All laundry is done at Sibley
Hospital because equipment at
Providence has become so obsolete
1t cannot be used. officials said
it would be impracticable to in
stall new equipment because the
laundry building itself is so old it
soon would have to be abandoned.
Power Plant Outmoded.
One official said the power plant
is so old it is impossible to obtain
ready-made parts when repairs
are necessary. An engineer must
come to the hospital, sketch the
part needed and have it especially
manufactured.
An architectural firm, consulted
as to possible renovations, said it
would be virtually impossible =.
to make 1t comply with present.
day standards.
The new building will have $50
beds. SIS bassinets, four delivery
rooms and nine operating rooms.
Officials plan to incorporate a
complete diagnostic clinic in the
new building. Offering a place
where persons could be examined
by specialists in every field during
one checkup visit to the hospital.
Next to the eight-story hospital
building will be a nurses home
and a power plant. The parking
problem, now a serious one for
visitors and doctors, will be solved
by large parking areas on the
spacious grounds.
Officials point out that the new
hospital will be located in an area
where the population is increasing
but no hospital near. Further
more, they say, the new hospital
would be but a 15-minute drive
from the present site.
Three Years to Pay.
Volunteers from the District
Bar Association have been attend
ling public meetings and visiting
Ifraternal and social clubs during.
the last few weeks to discuss the
campaign and stress the need for
a new hospital.
Persons pledging funds during
the drive may make their dona-
tlons over a three-year period.