Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-21
Medical Society
Hits Revision Of
Health Board
Alexandria Proposal
Attacked as Ignoring
Physicians Thinking

A pending ordinance to revise
the duties and organization of
Alexandria's Board of Health to-
day was attacked by the Alex
andria Medical Society.
The doctors said tina pending
ordinance completely ignores
the thinking of the physicians Of
Alexandria and would tend to
reduce the Board Of Health to
an ineffective body"
An alternate list of changes
in the health board was rec
commended by the society.
The new health board ordi-
nance proposed by the City
Council comes up for second
reading and passage tomorrow
night. It would make the health
board strictly an advisory body
of seven members-three Of
them physicians.
Drafted to Meet Criticism
Councilmen had said the ordi-
nance was drafted to meet criti-
cism of the present health board
setup contained in a govern
ment survey by the Wharton
Business School. The present
code gives the health board
certain administrative powers
which the Wharton survey said
it should not have.
DR.. Haskins Terrell, jr., presi-
dent of the Alexandria Medical
Society. said the physicians felt
the health board should be "a
technical advisory body to the
Health Department, the city
manager and to the City Coun-
Gil, and be the watchdog
guarding the city's health. The
proposed ordinance does not
fit this concept. 1t in no way
conforms with the Wharton re-
port ;"
DR.. Terrell said the society had
drafted a list of recommended
changes in the health board
after consultation with public
health specialists and after a
special meeting with former City
Manager Ira Willard and Stuart
Morrison. chairman of the Citi-
zens Advisory Committee for
Study of the Wharton Report.
MIR. Willard and Mr.. Morri-
son were in complete agreement
with these recommendations, I"
said DR., Terrell.
The physicians propose that
the health board have five mem
bers. including three physicians
recommended by the Alexandria
Medical Society. and two lay
members to be appointed at
large by the City Council. This
is one of the major differences
between the council and medi-
cal society plans for the health
board, since the council pro-
posal would place physicians in
the minority on the board and
the medical society would give
the physicians a majority.
Other Proposals
Other recommendations of the
society are:
i. The health officer shall be
appointed by the city manager
in accordance with qualifications
recommended by the Board of
Health.
2. 1t shall be the duty of
the Board OF Health to advise
the city manager regarding the
policy and establishment of the
standards and rules to be fol-
lowed in the operation of the
Department of Public Health
and further to recommend to
the council from time to time
such changes and additions to
the health laws and regulations
OF the city as it may deem
advisable.
3. 1t shall be the duty of
the health officer acting through
the city manager to see that all
OF the health laws and regula-
lions are enforced; and in the
event legal proceedings may be
deemed necessary to compel
compliance, all such cases shall
be referred to the city attorney
for prosecution.