Evening star., 1952-12-07
New SIS Million
Glenn Dale Unit
is Proposed
| Blueprint Offers
| PIun to Expand
| TB Sunitorium

A preliminary blueprint for ex-
panding the Districts tuberculosis
sanitorium at Glenn Dale, Md.
was released yesterday by the
Commissioners.
The plan contemplates building
a new 800-bed main hospital
building. as well as subsidiary
structures, costing an estimated
total Of SIS million. It has won
the city heads qualified approval.
The Commissioners emphasized
that it is only one plan, subject to
revision or even junking by either
of at least two advisory commit
teeS-the one on public works and
that studying municipal hospital
needs.
Municipal Architect Merrell A.
4 oe and his staff prepared 1t on
Instructions issued two years ago
by the Commissioners. It was
rushed to completion in recent
weeks to meet a deadline imposed
by the Federal Housing and Home
Finance Agency which allocated
$25. 900 for preliminary planning.
The job actually was done for
about one fifth of that sum, how.
ever. The money must be re-
paid by the District in three years.
Seek to Increase Beds.
Purpose Of the construction
project Is to increase patient-
capacity. At present. Glenn Dale
accommodates about $50 tubercu-
losis victims in two separate build =
ings. The new hospital building
would boost this figure to about
/ 900. M
DR.. Daniel L. Finucane, Glenn
Dale superintendent. said that this
number Of available beds would
cut effectively into the waiting
list Of 900 tuberculosis victims now
theoretically eligible for hospital
ization.
DR.. Finucane pointed out that
from 1000 to 1900 new cases Of
the disease are discovered each
year in the District. The popula-
tion turnover at Glenn Dale is
about 500 annually, he added.
This release of beds, plus the
facilities of Gallinger Municipal
Hospital and Federal and private
institutions. would just about
keep pace with the new-case dis
covery rate. the superintendent
said.
Multi-Winged Hospital.
The proposal drafted by Archi-
tect Coe centers on a sleek multi
winged new hospital IL stories
high, and provided with ample
space for every requirement of q
tuberculosis sanitorium.
The present 410-bed central
building would be converted into
quarters for nurses and other
women staff members. This
structure was built in 1897. If
the conversion were effected.
adequate room would be provided
for the larger nurse staff required
by the bigger patient load.
Under the proposed building
the new hospital would
have space on separate floor levels
for these facilities: @ u
Surgery. ear-nose-throat, lab
oratories, x-ray. therapy.s chapels.
library, nurses and attendants
training. auditorium, dining halls,
supplies, staff infirmary, adminis-
tration and medical records.
Other Proposed Buildings.
Other new buildings proposed
are warehouse, central heating
plant, utility structure and four
four-unit apartment buildings for
male staff members and two sep
arate quarters to accommodate q
total Of 81 male employees In as
many single rooms.
Assuming conversion of tho
present hospital to nurses quar-
ters, the two buildings now hous-
ing nurses would be remodeled
into IL apartments for male staff
physicians. In addition the sewage
treatment plant at Glenn Dale
would be expanded, as well as
the laundry.
The present childrens' building
would remain substantially un-
changed. Part Of its space would
be turned over, however, for use
by ambulatory patients as well
as children. This building has q
250-bed capacity.
Since the proposed new main
hospital would be built about
one fourth mile from the present
hospital new roads also would
have to be installed.