At Walter Reed there are all kinds of patients to deal with. They have at least one dietitian present at every meal, and the patients feel free to bring comment or criticism to them at any time. In the wards the nurse is directly responsible for the service of food. If any food is not just as it should be the nurse is expected to telephone to the kitchen and report it, and it is immediately corrected. The nurse also knows just what is appetizing to certain patients and may request certain foods for them. One big problem is the patient who has been in the hospital for a long time and needs special attention, and it is these patients that the dietitians try the hardest to please. The menus are sent daily to the ward, and the nurse makes out her diet request list. She stated also that for the regular diets 1 pt. of milk and 1 egg are allowed per day; for light diets 1 qt. of milk and 1 egg; for soft diets 1½-qt. milk and 2 eggs; and for liquid diets 1½ qt. milk and 4–6 eggs.
CAPT. EARL P. GREEN, Mess Officer at Walter Reed: Stated he had been three years at the Walter Reed and that during that time many problems have come up. He stated that food and service are the two principle things about feeding people, but the greatest difficulty is service. It is very important to get the people serving the food confident that it is all right. He said a nurse could take the best food to a patient and if she thought it was not good the patient would not eat it. Good food can be bought with money, but service cannot. He said he used to get his complaints from the Post and Star, but this has been eliminated by requiring the nurse to report anything which she thinks is wrong in the diet, and that no complaint is too small to investigate. He believed the mess department could hide nothing, but should be fair and above board.
GEN. SAWYER: “Recently the White House and my office have been bombarded with what seems to us to be a propaganda against the reduction of the ration cost in one of the hospitals of the Public Health Service. This brings to my mind two thoughts: first, in the matter of administration of the affairs of your hospital be sure that you do not take too many people into your confidence in considering any changes you have in mind to make. The fewer people that do the talking and the more that do the acting the better you are off. Also, I would like to express the feelings of Mrs. Harding, who has given a great deal of attention to the matter of the world war veteran and the matter of his feeding. This is what we would like these veterans to have—a generous diet of wholesome food, well-prepared and neatly served.”
MR. L. C. SPANGLER, Associate Medical Purveyor of the public Health Service presented the subject “Hospital Supplies”, reading as follows:
“The term Hospital Supplies may be construed in its broadest sense to mean everything used in a hospital. A fully equipped modern hospital in its various departments will use approximately 5000 different articles.
In the selection, purchase, inspection, storage, and distribution of such a wide variety of supplies in the quantities used by the government lies an opportunity to effect the saving of large sums. Careless or inefficient handling of any branch of this work may result in heavy losses. As it is obviously impracticable to purchase all articles for which individual officers have a preference it becomes necessary to have a standard list of supplies. This list is revised from time to time eliminating such items as can be replaced with more serviceable articles. Through frequent revisions all new medicines, instruments, etc., of proved worth find a place on the list.
By referring to the standard list requisitioning officers can ascertain the articles kept in stock at supply depots. Requisitions for articles not appearing on this list should be reduced to a minimum and when such requisitions are submitted they should be accompanied by a detailed explanation as to the necessity for the supplies requested.
Standard specifications are in course of preparation for all supplies which are purchased in large quantities. Such specifications enable the Supply Section to obtain wider competition from manufacturers and insures the delivery of a uniform and satisfactory product.
Commodities purchased in relatively small quantities can be obtained more advantageously when manufacturers stock articles are specified, as lower prices will be received and earlier deliveries secured.
The careful test and inspection of all supplies purchased either during their manufacture or after delivery has been made is an important function of the Supply Section. The inspection of supplies shipped direct to hospitals by contractors devolves upon the receiving officer who is furnished with either specifications or samples to enable him to protect the interests of the government.