Of twenty-nine Jewish hospitals inspected in a survey of the country, the Hospital for Joint Diseases, Madison avenue and 123rd street, gave the highest percentage of free service to patients in poor circumstances in 1933. This information, based upon statistics of the Bureau of Jewish Social Research, is disclosed in the twenty-seventh annual report of the hospital, made public yesterday.
The report presents a complete resume, including detailed statistics, of the medical and social services offered during 1933 by both the main building of the hospital in Manhattan and the country branch maintained at Far Rock-away, L. I. It also includes the annual statements submitted by the retiring presidents of the board of directors and the medical advisory board, and a financial accounting by the treasurer.
In achieving the highest rating among the nation’s Jewish hospitals for free service to patients— the bureau credited it with 64.3 per cent. of such services offered—the Hospital for Joint Diseases operated practically at full capacity, serving the community with 355 beds in the Manhattan and Country branches.
OVER 5,000 PATIENTS
More than 5,000 patients received 110,000 hospital days’ care. The significant part about this service is the fact that 91,000 days’ care were given in the hospital’s wards to patients in financial straits. This is equivalent to eighty-two per cent of the total hospital days. In addition, the outpatient department was visited by 26,000 patients who made 191,000 calls and received as many treatments.
This service, the report states, was performed by the 329 doctors on the medical staff, by 400 other employees and 282 volunteers. Thus more than 1,000 workers in several capacities served the hospital and its patients.
Commenting on these statistics, Frederick Brown, the retiring president of the board of directors, states that “at no time in the twenty-seven years of the hospital’s existence has the character and quantity of the service to deserving patients been exceeded.” He also declares that the maintenance of high standards was not easy during the past year, owing to lessened resources of revenue, but that they were nevertheless maintained in the face of a mounting deficit.”
The United Hospital Fund, in its distribution of funds on the basis of free service, gave the hospital the second largest amount of all its special hospitals and the sixth largest amount of all its fifty-seven hospitals, general and special. In his statement Brown attributes this large financial dispensation by the Hospital Fund as an implied compliment for the generous free service rendered by the hospital. The Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies also supports the hospital, contributing annual grants.
Dr. Philip M. Grausman, retiring president of the medical advisory board, points out in his review of the medical staff’s work that 4,900 surgical procedures, or an average of more than sixteen for each operating day, were carried out in the operating rooms during the year.
The hospital has undertaken to share some of the responsibility falling to the medical profession as a result of Nazi oppression in Germany, according to Dr. Grausman. During 1933 an opportunity was provided for several of the younger German physicians, all exiles, to join the hospital’s residential staff. To more mature physicians, the facilities of the out-patient department have been opened. In addition, the board of trustees and the medical staff have joined to raise a sum of money towards the financial assistance desperately required by other of these victims. Dr. Jacob Sobel succeeds Dr. Grausman as president of the Medical Staff.
REPORTS DEFICIT
L. F. Rothschild, a treasurer of the hospital, reports a total operating deficit of $125,229.95 for the main hospital and that of $19,192.68 for the country branch. Donations contributed by the United Hospital Fund, the Federation and other donors reduces the total deficit for the year to $58,430. Income for direct services rendered by the hospital totals $408,007.66 and $29,137.35 for the main hospital and country branch, respectively, but departmental costs incurred expenses of $533,237.61 and $48,260.03.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
