Problems of Jewish Hospitals Discussed at Two-day Conference

More than 100 presidents and executives of Jewish hospitals and community federations from all parts of the United States and Canada held a two-day conference here devoted to discussions of the relationship of the Jewish hospital to the community. The conference was sponsored by the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.

Trustees and executives of federations and hospitals exchanged views on the changing objectives of Jewish hospitals in various communities and discussed the future direction of Jewish hospital development.

Louis Stern, president of the Jewish Community Council of Newark, who presided, pointed out that Jewish hospitals are becoming increasingly involved in expanding community services. One aspect of this development, he said, is the extension of the hospital program to other agencies in the community such as homes for the aged, institutions for the chronic ill and the family service agencies. This, Mr. Stern reported, has led to increasing interdependence and cooperation among community agencies and a growing acceptance of community responsibility for the program planning and financing of Jewish hospitals.

The questions which will come under consideration, Mr. Stern said, are those which concern the Jewish community directly. Some of these are: changes in the functions and cost of out-patient and in-patient services; hospital responsibility for the chronically sick; extension of services to homes for the aged; development of home care programs; and research, education and medical school affiliations.

A session on “The Stake of the Jewish Community in Current Hospital Planning” sought to clarify the responsibility that the Jewish community has towards the hospital and provide the foundation for evaluating budgetary problems, reassessing size and scope of hospital programs and initiating joint planning for the future.