Free Beds At The Hospital

City's Right to Them Acknowledged by Authorities

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SETTLES THE QUESTION

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City Has Same Rights As to Precedence That Is Accorded to All Other Patients

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For some years there has been some question between the city and the University hospital over the question of the admission of two city patients to that institution free of charge, or upon same terms as other patients are received. This agreement was entered into it seems when the city made a donation at the time the hospitals were first projected. 

This fact seems never before to have been put into proper acknowledgement. But at Monday's council meeting Dr. E. K. Herdman, city physician, presented a letter in which the obligation is freely and fully acknowledged, and the assurance given that these beds will be at the service of the city as all times under the regular rules of the hospital and free of charge.

The letter presented by Dr. Herdman from Supt. Gilmore relative to this matter is as follows:

     Ann Arbor, Mich., July 30, '03. 

E. K. Herdman, M. D., 

     City Physician:
Dear Doctor - As there seems to be some misapprehension on the part of some citizens of Ann Arbor with reference to the care of city cases in University Hospital, we desire to make the situation clear.

It has been the understanding on the part of the University authorities, as it evidently has been on the part of the citizens of Ann Arbor, that accommodations free of charge to the city are to be furnished, when needed for two city cases at the University Hospital on the same plan for receiving patients that is adopted for other cases. The accommodations at our hospital have never been equal to the demand. There is always a large waiting list and applicants have been given an opportunity to enter the hospital in the order of their application, except in the case of emergencies, such as dangerously acute disease and accidents requiring immediate hospital care. These cases are allowed to take precedence at all times of the less urgent cases on the waiting list. It is intended that no variation of this rule shall operate against city cases. They are placed in their proper order, when application is made on the waiting list and are admitted as their turn is reached, except as mentioned in the case of emergencies, when they are received at once. 

This, all should admit, is a just and equitable arrangement, doing justice to all who have the right to be accommodated at the University Hospital.

Respectfully,

 E. S. GILMORE,

Superindtendent.

WM. J. HERDMAN, 

Chairman Hospital Committee.