Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-14
Hospital Feud
Probe Pushed
ByMcLaughIin
Dr.. Stebbing Assoils
Duplicated FueiIitie:
At District General

Health Department feud, involv'
ling duplication of medical serv.
ices at District General Hos.
|pital.
The feud centers around thu
fact that the hospitals Pediat.
RIGS Building houses two sepa.
rate activities. One is a 76-bet
wing for acutely Ill children
controlled entirely by the hos.
|pital. The other, entirely fret
from hospital control. is an "a.
bed wing for chemically Ill chill.
dren. operated by the Health
Departments Bureau Of Mater
nal and Child Health.
Controversy over whether the
activities should remain separats
has fiared anew over the discov.
|ery Of expensive medical equip.
|ment which the maternal and
child health wards have had
locked up. unused, for more thar
four years.
DR.. p. A. e. Stebbing. hospital
superintendent. said the MICH
wards are seldom half full" anc
|contenoed duplication and need
less expense" could be avoided
liz the two operations were con-
|solidated.
Separation Defended
DR.. Ella Oppenheimer. MICH
director, commended the children
in her wards, suffering Gripping
bone diseases, heart ailments and
other long-term ills, require q
total planned program" apart
from normal hospital care. She
charged, In turn. that one rea-
son her wards are not more full
lis that the hospital is unable tc
provide sufficient nurses and
other facilities.
Commissioner Mclaughlin said
he has been looking into the
question OF duplication at the
hospital generally" for four oil
five months. But he said hi
would give special attention tc
the maternal and child health
matter in view Of the recent
|flare-up.
DR.. Stebbing meanwhile. con-
|firmed a newspaper report that
he recently discovered and con-
|fiscated about $3.400 worth Of
unused optical equipment. ear
marked for NIGH and drastically
needed In the hospitals main
'out-patient clinic.
But he arlgrily denied:
l. That other stored equip.
ment. including a reported
$40, 900 Observation-Disclosures
also has been needed by hospita
units.
2. A number of charges-at
tributed IN a newspaper story Il
hospital staff doctors-that h,
had spent money for other pur
poses that could better be uset
/ for direct medical service.
DR.. Stebbing said the electro
acknowledgement, a brain wave
machine, actually cost 1890. in
stead OF $4,000, and was re
ported to the District propert!
officer in. January, 1855, as un'
needed surplus property"
The administrator said tn
brain wave machine was bough
along with other new equipmen
for DR.. Oppenheimer in May
1851, while the Pediatrics Build
ing was under construction.
| When it arrived, he said. !
was unacceptable to DR.. Open
heimer, who had asked for a diff
ferent type. DR.. Stebbing salt
the hospitals brain wave" tech
nician also preferred a machin
already in use elsewhere in tn
hospital to the new one. So l
never has had any use.
Along with the brain wave
machine, DR.. Stebbing said. ney
equipment ordered In 1851 TO
DR.. Oppenheimer's program in
cluded the $3.400 worth Of opti
cal equipment and two complet
dental chair setups. None ha
lever been used.
DR.. Stebbing contended tina
DR.. Oppenheimer's plan to set III
separate eye and dental clinic
was evidence of duplication.
since such clinics already exis
to serve the rest of the institu
Ition.
DR.. Oppenheimer said "per
sonnet problems" have prevente'
her frome opening separate ey
and dental clinics, but that sh
feels the children in her ward
should have separate facilitie.
IShe said she has found a docto
to head the eye clinic and tina
1--WE had hoped to start it soon.
DR.. Stebbing said the MCI
equipment had all been pur
chased before he became super
intendent, and that he had m
direct knowledge" Of what wa
in storage until recently.
Sought as Surplus
He said he learned about tn
optical equipment two week
ago." when DR.. Dewitt Tai
madge, chief medical officer a
the District Children's Center a
Laurel, asked that he declare
as surplus. DR.. Talmadge ha
hoped to open his own eye clini
lat the Children's Center.
DR.. Stebbing, however, said h
investigated and found tn
equipment was needed at Dis
ltrict Generals own out-patien
clinic. He had it installed Their
last week end.
DR.. Elizabeth Hill. chief OF tn
out-patient department, said tn
eye clinic has relied chiefly 1
the past on private doctors VIII
visit the hospital and have bee,
good enough" to bring alon
lkI.