Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-11
Byrd Scans Shifts
Of Health Duties
Four Agencies
Would Yield
Some Functions
BY WILLIAM GRIGG
Star Staff Writer

~HAA ~AA-A "AANNA
Senator Byrd, Democrat of
West Virginia. explored the
possibility today of transferring
the health activities now in
four District agencies to the
Health Department.
The agencies affected would
be the Welfare Department
which operates a clinic for chill
dren and health facilities at
the District Training School
for the mentally retarded at
Laurel. Md, and an infirmary
at Blue Plains for the elderly,
the Board of Education which
operates a school nursing pro-
gram in the secondary schools;
the Police and Fire Board
Clinic. and the Department of
Correction which provides
some medical care for in
mates.
Transfer of the police and
fire clinic to the Health De-
partment was recommended in
a memorandum last spring
from the General Accounting
Office to District officials. The
suggestion brought immediate
reaction from Fire Chief Ray
mond Roberts and Deputy Po-
lice Chief Howard v. Covell,
both of whom strenuously OBJ
jected to the plan.
Net Saving Seen
The GAO recommendation
was based on the premise that
consolidation Of the four
agencies under the Health De-
partment would increase the
budget Of that department by
several millions Of dollars.
However, GAO auditors be-
lieved the result would be a net
saving for the District.
The associations made up of
firemen and policemen also
opposed the move.
The Health Department
could run the police-fire med
ical clinic, DR.. Murray Grant,
director of public health, said
under questioning by Senator
/ Byrd. But DR.. Grant made 1t
J clear he was not seeking to
; take over the operation.
Senator Byrd asked for the
: private office hours of all doc
tors employed part time at the
police-fire clinic.
Commissioners Walter N.
Tobriner and John v. Duncan
both recommended the trans
fer of the school nursing pro-
gram to the Health Depart
ment as soon as internal re-
organization of the depart
ment is completed.
Planning Aid Seen
DR.. Grant also told the
Senate Subcommittee on APP
preparations, headed by Senator
Byrd, that the transfer would
facilitate overall planning, eff
ficiency and flexibility.
He said that at the present
time a secondary school nurse
may wish to investigate health
problems in a students home
but must then ask a separate
Health Department nurse to
look into the matter. DR.. Grant
said this kind of duplication of
effort involving the same stu
dent could be eliminated.
The transfer of nurses from
the Board of Education might
begin in mid-1964 if the in
ternal reorganization of the
Health Department is COM
pleted by then.
Separate Programs
At present, the Board of
Education provides nurses in
the secondary schools while
the Health Department has a
separate program in the ele-
mentary schools.
DR.. Grant said that transfer
of many of the health activi-
ties of the Welfare Depart
ment to his own department
would also provide for efficient
care for the individual patient
and that there could be a
greater continuity of care than
is now possible when a patient
is transferred from a Welfare
Department program to D. c.
General Hospital, for example.
The District Commissioners
have ordered a staff report to
be completed later next month
on the proposed transfer.