Evening star., 1954-05-28
g.
DisdgreeIIlenfs
Cloud Shift Of
Funds
Council Willingness
To Make Payments
Not Yet Clear

Not Yet Clear
A controversial recommends
ton to place control Of the Hos
pital Service Agency in the hands
Of the Hospital Council was
somewhat up in the air today,
despite its passage yesterday by
the Health Section of the United
Community Services.
The recommendation now goes
to the Executive Committee Of
the UCS for final approval. But
still in question. Chest officials
said today. is whether the Hos
pital Council. as well as area
hospitals, win give full support
to the move. Application Of the
recommendation depends on the
Hospital Councils willingness to
oversee the payment of Chest
funds to local hospitals for in
digent patients job now done
by HSA.
Fisher Howe, a State Depart
ment official, who headed the
committee that made the recon-
mendation after nine months of
study. said approval by the Chest
Executive Committee would
mean the UCS had adopted the
idea as its policy"
Chief opposition to the pro-
posal came yesterday from DR..
Herbert p. Ramsey. president of
the District Medical Society, and
Lawrence M. Proctor, member
Of the Howe COMMITTEES, who
counted himself out of the final
committee report.
Weak, Says Ramsey.
DR.. Ramsey. who had opposed
the preliminary draft of the
recommendation. heatedly as
serted that the Hospital Coun-
Gil is a weakened" outfit and
not able to assume direction or
control Of HSA. He further said
statistics included in the COM
mittee's report are not "objec-
tive" and that outlying Chests
in the Washington area are get
ting "too much dictation from
the District of Columbia" He
said the move would tend to
divorce the District from sur
rounding areas in voluntary
activities.
Along these lines, DIR. Ramsey
was backed up by Mr.! Proctor,
who warned members of the
Health Section that. he has re-
ceived indications that outlying
Chests would not go along with
the idea. These Chests, he said,
would not want their hospitali-
zation fund handled by the Hos
pital Council.
The motion passing the rec
ommendation stressed that there
are several alternatives in the
report, (which require further
discussion and exploration with
the interested parties"
Alternatives Presented.
These alternatives, contained
in the main recommendation,
include:
/. Transfer Of the manage
ment authority Of HSA from the
HSA Board to the Hospital
Council.
Q. The making Of a direct con-
tract with HSA by the council
or any other agency for the per-
formance Of specific services.
HSA currently administers
funds for four community chests
in the Metropolitan Area and
also funds of five local tax
supported agencies, besides the
Community Chest of Washing
ton. It's largest payment
$3.50, ,000-last year came from
the Washington Chest.
Section Elects.
Yesterdays meeting Of the
health section included an elec-
ton Of officers for 1954-55. They
were:
DR.. ]. Ross Veal, chairman, re-
elected; George c. Pendleton,
vice chairman; Mrs. Henry A.
Bartlett, DR.. Paul B. Cornely, DR..
E. H. Cushing, DR.. Albert K.
Leon, Joseph w. Leverenz, DR..
George Maksim, Mrs. Harold N.
Marsh, Myron Mills, Rosalie I.
Peterson, DR.. Alice M. Water
house, Mrs. Theodore o. Wedel,
members Of the Executive Com
mittee; Ferdinand v. Grayson,
DR.. Daniel L. Seckinger and
Fisher Howe, ex-officio members.
Also. DR.. Josephine j. Bu-
chanan, Miss Clarissa Gibson,
Miss Beatrice Hodgson, DR.. How
ard M. Payne, George H. Pennell,
jr., delegates to the. UCS Board
Of Trustees.
Also, Mrs. j. Shepard Bartlett,
DR.. Charlotte p. Donlan.; the Rev.
Andrew Fowler. Mrs. Louisa
Eskridge Haas, Marshall Horn
blower, Mrs. George r. Jordan,
Frederick c. lie Comte, DR.. Fred
erick D. Mott. Mrs. Grace G.
Parr. Mrs. Margaret N. Talia-