(a) To consider all questions relative to the coordination of
hospitalization of the departments represented.
(b) To standardize requirements, to expedite the inter-department
use of existing Government facilities, to eliminate duplication in the
purchase of supplies and the erection of buildings.
(c) To formulate plans designed to knit together in proper
coordination the activities of the several departments and
establishments, with a view to safeguarding the interests of the
Government and to increasing the usefulness and efficiency of the
several organizations, and to report to the President thereon.
4. The Chief Coordinator of the Board of Hospitalization shall preside
over the Board and be responsible for its efficiency and for developing
its activities along practical lines. After a full discussion of any
question by the Board, the decision of the Chief Coordinator will be
final as to any action to be taken or any policy to be pursued, but any
member may appeal from the decision to his own immediate superior.
By direction of the President:
CHARLES G. DAWES,
Director of the
Bureau of the Budget.”
From this you will readily see that the extent of the work under the
administration of this Board is very far-reaching and is an innovation
in Federal Hospitalization activities, for beside being interested in
behalf of reasonable economies in administration, the Federal Board of
Hospitalization is particularly and especially interested in carrying
out the highest ideals of modern hospitalization for the far advanced
Veteran.
The President and his administrative family have in mind, as the basic
principle of all hospital service, the very best that can be supplied,
measured by real end-results.
The Board of Hospitalization represents all of the Departments of the
Government directing and controlling the Federal Hospitals of the United
States. Each of the Chiefs of these Departments will speak of his
particular relation to the subject of Hospitalization as it refers to
the World War Veteran, as the program proceeds.
In order that each of you may understand the magnitude of the entire
subject of Hospitalization of the World War Veteran, I wish to present
the following facts;
Today there are being hospitalized under Government control, in Federal
Hospitals, 22,440 World War Veterans, who are distributed among the
various Departments as follows:
U.S. Public Health Service 16,373
U.S. Army Hospitals 1,681
U.S. Navy Hospitals 1,059
Soldiers Home Hospitals 2,500
Dept. of the Interior Hospitals 827
——————
A total of 22,440
This does not take into account patients in contract hospitals which now
number 9,066. This enumeration demonstrates something of the scope and
nature of the work for which the members of the Board of Hospitalization
are responsible.
It may interest you to know that there are now under construction 7,592
new beds, which will be ready for occupancy within the next few months
and that the Government is at present contemplating at least 2,500 more
beds under the new Langley Bill, so ultimately the Government will have
under its direct administration hospital capacity for a minimum of
32,000 patients, which is estimated to be the peak load.
Heretofore there has been no coordinate plan of operation of these
various institutions. Under the Board of Hospitalization all of this has
been changed and today, you, whether from the Army, Navy, Public Health
Service, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers or the Department
of the Interior are all members of one big professional family, each
engaged in the same service, under the same regulations, for the care
and treatment of the World War Veteran.
The Hospitals engaged in this service number at present 107, distributed
as follows:
77 Hospitals controlled and operated by the Public Health Service,
6 Hospitals controlled and operated by the War Department,
14 Hospitals controlled and operated by the Navy Department,
9 Hospitals controlled and operated by the Soldiers Homes,
1 Hospitals controlled and operated by the Interior Department.
These institutions are located in all sections of the United States from
the Atlantic to the Pacific and constitute one of the greatest
hospitalization propositions within the history of any country.
The personnel engaged represents an Army of almost as many more persons.
In other words, Uncle Sam, within himself, is today keeping in operation
a hospitalization program incomparable with anything with which former
experiences are familiar.
With this representation of the subject and its magnitude, I wish to
remind you that each one of you personally and individually is a part of
this great machine; and upon you rests the responsibility of the
carrying out of such policies as are adopted by the Central
Administration.
In order that there might be perfect coordination and cooperation in all
of these hospitals and that all institutions serving the World War
Veteran might be operated upon a standardized basis, the Board of
Hospitalization recently adopted the following regulation as to
personnel:
Doctors, 1 to every 20 patients
Nurses, 1 to every 10 patients
Occupational Therapists, 1 to every 50 patients
Social Workers, 1 to every 50 patients
Vocational and Prevocational 14 to every hospital of 200 patients
trainers and assistants
Other hospital employees. 130
Making a total of 182 employees to every 200 patients, or almost one
attendant and assistant to each patient.
This arrangement provides that all patients will have equal care and
attention of such a similar type as to guarantee to all classes of
patients the best of professional, nurse and domiciliary attention that
can be given, no matter in what Department they are being treated.
All of the Departments constituting the Board of Hospitalization are now
meeting in joint sessions, wherein they take up in detail all of the
matters pertaining to the welfare of the Veteran Hospitalization
subject. Out of this consideration there is developing a much better
understanding, a more complete system of operation, better conduct and
much better end-results.
One of the objects of this conference is that you the better understand
by personal contact with each other and with the different phases of the
work, what the business of caring for these veterans in its entirety
means. We know of course that you each have your special problems, you
each have certain affairs within yourselves that keep your attention
very much engaged in the things with which you come personally in
contact, but we thought it would give you a better impression of the
magnitude and importance of the subject if we were to have you here
where those who are responsible for the direction of the affairs of
Hospitalization could meet you individually.
We want you to know that we are greatly interested in you and the
service you are rendering. We wish you to feel assured that your
interests are our interests. We wish to impress upon you that the
conduct of the affairs under your administration means the reputation
and the historical record of the Government’s treatment of the World War
veteran.
We are anxious indeed that you should get from this meeting inspiration
for better work and encouragement in the efforts that you are putting
forth, new ideas with which to meet the great and everchanging
propositions which are before you, closer touch with those who, like
yourselves, are interested in the World War defenders. This accomplished
and each of us will have benefited and the expense of time and money in
your coming here will be justified.
Your contact here should make you bigger and broader men. If you will
take out of the great opportunities that are presented in the privileges
of this meeting, the effects which may be obtained, we are sure that you
will go back to your respective fields of service better satisfied, more
capable and certainly more determined than ever to render the best
service there is within you under all circumstances and conditions.
It seems pertinent that I should impress upon you at this time that no
matter what kind of institutions the Government may possess, how well
equipped with apparatus, or how pleasing in location, without your
interest, without the scientific care and attention which you can
provide, without your determination and your loyal support and action in
all of the affairs pertaining to the conduct of these institutions, they
will fail.
On the other hand, if you will give them the best within you, if you
will keep yourselves professionally and administratively in the vanguard
of such affairs, if you will go whole-heartedly, persistently and
determinedly forward to the carrying out of the highest ideals your
constructive visions can invent, the world War Veteran will realize that
in his Government he has the care and appreciation of the best
Government under the sun.
Allow me to again admonish you that upon you individually and personally
rests much of whatever is to come to the present Administration, either
in the form of complaint or of eulogy. To the end that it may be eulogy,
let there ever abide with you the assurance that the President of the
United States and all of his administrative assistants will be with you
heart and soul in everything that promotes the interest of the
rehabilitation of the World War Veteran. Remember that you owe to your
country and to yourselves that you practice economy, that you deal
fairly, that you act squarely with all of the propositions which come to
you. Do not forget that you should be loyal to the Departments to which
you belong, ever obedient to the orders of your Chiefs; that you be
faithful, earnest and sincere, honest, conscientious and ever active in
behalf of the highest principles connected with the maintenance of the
institution with which you are connected and finally that you be ever
able to register and substantiate yourselves as American citizens, full
of an American spirit, loyal to country and to flag.
If you will do these things, you will have the everlasting gratitude of
the President of the United States, you will be entitled to and will
receive the econiums of our dear doughboys and above all you will have
the satisfying consciousness of a noble duty truly done.
In order that the business of the conference may be transacted
expeditiously and effectively, the following rules will be enforced by
the presiding officer of each session:
1. Those having addresses upon specified subjects are expected to
present a typewritten copy to the Secretary that it may be kept
for reference in the Office of the Board of Hospitalization.
2. All addresses will be limited to 15 minutes. All special subjects
will be limited in presentation to ten minutes. General
discussions will be limited to five minutes.