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PAGE 8 SECTION B ‘‘THE SEA COAS^ ECHO, BAY ST. LOUIS, MISS:*JTHURSPAY, MAY 13,-1971
Hancock General Hospital MeetftMedical Needs Of The
Community
j By Joe Pllet, Echo Staff writer
L There are about 7,000 hospitals In the United States. Han-t-.cock General is one of them and ?thls Institution meets a very
CIRCLE MEETING
Lutheran Church of the Pines Ladles Circle met Wed-..nesday morning at the church ‘i with Mrs. Cal Smith, president, conducting the business session.
Mrs. Marla Langbein host-l|d the social hour.
real need in the community. It is dedicated to the care of persons who need medical attention and to those who have been Involved in accidents.
During National Hospital Week May 9 - May 15 It seems fitting to pay tribute to persons both living and dead who have contributed time, energy and money that the people of Hancock County may have privileges afforded In a modern, well-ordered Institution housed In a brick building and equipped and staffed to render good
professional services. JGjjjRt' Half a century agp urom 1921 to 1958) The Kings Daughters and Sons maintained a hospital on Carroll Avenue. The Board of. Supervisors’ln 1958 acquired this hospital and each supervisor appointed one trustee from; his tieat to serve on the hospital board together with two trustees at large. The original Hospital Board of Trustees was composed of Mrs. T. P. Ward, Norton Haas, Sr., K.W. Pepperdene, T.T.Reboul, F.A. Selph,~ Frank Shaw and
Today’s Report Many changes have taken place at Hancock General during the past decade. H. J. Black-ledge is administrator who says i the value of the hospital building and grounds Is now $1,258,504.72 and the value of moveable hospital equipment is $217,858.16. Bed capacity has j increased to accommodate 56 | patients. During the last fiscal year the payroll totalled $414,394.91. An average of 5,000 meals are prepared and served each month. Medicaid (.welfare.) and State Aid programs help fund the charity j cases. The provisional accre-ditation that existed In 1967 has been overcome. The hospital i acquired a rating of full ac- I credltatlon In 1968 that is still I In effect.	!
Doctors on the active medical staff Include Drs. C. J. Cox, M. L. Dodson, J. B. Le-vens, W. L. McFarland, J. D. I Rutherford in and M. L. Wolfe. 1 There are 20 associate doctors available for consultations. I
The Board of Trustees in- -J eludes Kenneth N. Caron, Pre- ! sldent; John D. Rutherford, Treasurer; Conrad Mauffray, i Secretary; Chas R. Johnson, Vice President; Wesley Haas, Herbert R. Knight and Paul D. Smith.
There are 45 persons on the nursing staff. The Pink ladles ■ of the hospital Auxiliary assist j the hospital as do the Candy Stripers whose services relieve the registered nurses for professional duties. The !
hospital strives to provide the patients with comforts and some amusements as well as health care. T, V. sets are available and hostess carts carry a variety of Items patients may wish to buy. A gift shop Is in operation. Private rooms are $35 a day and semi-private accommodations are $30.00 daily.
Administrator Blackledge said last year’s operations' showed a deficit, but attributed it to the aftermath of Camille. “Our census Is now increasing”, remarked Blackledge, who added the hospital hopes to be operating on a pay- , lng basis wlthinthls fiscal year.
Blackledge praised the cooperation of the community, the auxiliary group of workers and the fine group o f doctors who assist to the extent of remaining over night at the hos- j pital on a rotation basis during the weekends. He said New Or- j leans physicians assist as re- ■ serves and the organization is ; geared to serve the needsofthe citizenry of the county.
Hubert Thigpen. Sam L. Favre, I Jr. was appointed attorney for this board. The name of this hospital was changed to Hancock General tn 1960.
“NEW” HOSPITAL
On May 28, 1960 the “new” hospital was dedicated. The I Honorable Ross Barnett, then Governor of the State, gave the dedication address. A financial report showed the cost of the i building and grounds to be worth : approximately $500,000.00, the i hospital equipment worth was > listed at $44,245.26 plus equipment moved from the old hospital valued at $12,000.00 or a total worth of $556,245.26.
Statistics showed the total number of patients admitted for a year -- 771 but 882 left the hospitall You see 111 babies were born. All together 103 operations were performed 62 of which were classed “major”. The annual payroll ran $110,094.64. There were 8,198 lab tests, 1,104 X-rays made and patients made 4,976 telephone calls. There were32pat-ient beds, 10 of which were private and 10 bassinets. Thomas O. Logue was administrator, the staff of associate doctors Included: Drs. C. N. Floyd, Emil Gutman, Bedford Floyd, Gerald Wessler, George Byrne, W. W. Lake, Robert McKinley, A. V. Friedrichs, Richard Gates, Robert Graham, George Thomas, Joseph Cotton, B. L. Ramsey, and O.J. Mollere.
That the entire community showed vital Interest In the'" Hancock General Hospital lsl evidenced by a list of gifts j donated during the year lnclud-ing in addition to personal con- • tributions such organizations as I the Waveland Youth Center, La- I dies Auxiliary, American Legion, Bay-Waveland Yacht Club Ladies’s Auxiliary and Fahey Drug Store.	1
“We were fortunate not to ; incur any deficit in the year’s operation and It might be of i interest to note that no increase ] in tax millage was needed for'ij the new hospital” wrote ~i Hospital Administrator Thomas?! O. Logue, who attributed the successful year to “Wonder-'! ful support, cooperation and ; assistance given by the people of the community.”