Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-05
Poor Planning,
Past and Present,
Cited by Survey
BY CHARLES G. BROOKS

The District General Hospital
has become a rambling and in
efficient operation because of
poor planning, a preliminary re-
port, drawn up by two firms
hired to make a $4,000 study,
said today.
1t is very late, but not too late
to begin to be orderly on this
campus" the firms, John G.
Steinle and Isadore and Zach
airy Rosenfeld of New York. in
dicated, recommending a 81 mil
lion building and remodeling
program.
The interim report blasted
construction planning in the
past and even present planning.
The second phase of the re-
port treads lightly on recon-
mending many improvements
which would cost money for the
Glenn Dale Hospital because of
the uncertainty of its future as
tuberculosis hospital.
The report attacked a lack of
foresight of planners who de-
signed the new psychiatric
building which is still under
construction.
THE trend in modern PSYCHE
atric care is in the direction of
indignation of acute psychiatric
facilities and programs with
general hospitals. This was ig-
nored in the planning and de-
sign of the new facilities" the
surveyors wrote.
while indignation would have
been relatively simple prior to
construction, it is not now pos
sible."
Building Has 248 Beds
THE new building of 248 beds,
estimated to cost S2,243, 900, is
amply equipped for the modaii-
ties of psychiatric treatment
which were in vogue up to World
War II. Program-wise it will be
almost 20 years old when it is
opened.
1T is just another building
showing no clear lines of inte-
grafton with the existing build
ing, except that the two are con-
nected by a tunnel" the report
reads.
The surveyors declared that:
With the exception of the psy-
chiatric unit. which is too dis
tant from the main hospital
group, it is still possible to bring
about a substantial consolidation
of the hospital into an integrated
unit. Without such an arrange
ment the operating costs of the
hospital will continue to mount
and the services TO patients will
never achieve acceptable stand
ards.
Charges Scattering of Buildings
The report charged that scat
tering of new buildings has been
going on since 1921 and the
policy lis still in force"
1t is recommended that pedia-
tries. obstetrics and gynecology
be located in central buildings.
1t calls for connections on all
floors of the three principal and
central buildings. There is no
means at present by which the
.overcrowding of one division can
be relieved by utilizing the va
cant beds of other units.
1t pointed out that accident
cases from the emergency room
must be taken on stretchers to
the ground floor of the surgery
building. up one story to the
first floor. and then across a
corridor connecting it to the
medical building.
ooNo ShlCA 6NhNy AeOOHI
The report blasted the emer-
gency room saying that, in
terms of space, accommodations
and general atmosphere. it is
the most dismal spot in the hos
pital."
The surveyors attacked the
major service units of the insti-
tuition. the kitchen, laundry and
Others.
Speaking of the lobby, the sur
veyors declared that properly
speaking the present hospital
has no entrance lobby which
would bespeak with dignity the
Districts concern with its in
digent citizens. The only
way to make contact with the
hospital is through a small
barred window"
Only last week. a House APP
preparations subcommittee re-
leased a report condemning the
general administration of the
Health Department and the hos
Ipital which is administered by
the department. That report at
tackled administrators and plan
ners as being inadequate and
incompetent.
Today's interim report joins
hand in hand with the subcom-
mittee investigators but deals
primarily with the physical plant