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              TEXT OF PRESIDENT'S REPORT ON 1962
In a few days the year 1962 will pass into
history. It is fitting that at this annual meeting we turn our thoughts in review to the
Fresno Community Hospital, the progress
it has made, and the services it has rendered
to our community, together with our plans
and responsibilities of the future. In general I am pleased to report that through
the untiring efforts and dedicated devotion
of the board of trustees, the hospital's medical staff and its officers, the hospital's entire personnel, and the Women's Service
Alliance, the Fresno Community Hospital has
had a successful year. In line with its dedication it has provided to all who have entered its doors the best in medical, physical
and mental care.
The demand for hospital service in this
area and from the Fresno Community Hospital continues to grow. It is graphically
illustrated by the following comparison of
the total annual patient days and patients admitted. In 1958 we had 47,249 patient days
with 8,547 admitted; in 1961 we had 66,803
patient days with 12,838 patients admitted
and in 1962 we had 71, 529 patient days
with 14,157 patients admitted. This is approximately a 50% increase within the last
four years.
To meet this growth the fifth floor was
completed and fully furnished with 69 new
additional beds the latter part of May at a
total cost of $374,863.98. Unfortunately,
due to the acute shortage of registered nurses in California and throughout the United
States only one half of the 69 beds are now
in use. To emphasize the acuteness of the
shortage we are endeavoring to recruit nurses from as far away as England, Ireland,
Wales, Scotland, and Canada. We have
every reason to believe our recruiting, program will be successful and the balance of
the fifth floor will be staffed and open for
use within 90 days.
I continue to be amazed at the work performance in the hospital. During this past
year we have had 6,364 surgeries with an
average of 24.5 per day, 2,131 new babies
were born and our psychiatric department
had 405 patients. This department continues
to receive many compliments, not only for
the beauty of its design, its functional use, its
homelike atmosphere, but also for the excellence of its staff and the mental care
provided. During the past year the average
patient stay has been reduced from 15 to
13 days.
Many of us do not realize the service of
our emergency department which had an
average of 752 emergency cases and treatments per month.
In line with our policy to always provide the hospital with the latest and most
modern, up-to-date equipment to render
its patients the best of care, we have purchased $34,458.00 worth of new equipment
for the x-ray department. In addition to this,
numerous other items have been purchased
for the surgery, laboratory, central service,
nursing, delivery, psychiatric, and all other
departments. Due to the increasing significance of radioactive isotopes in the practice
of medicine, the radioactive isotope department was expanded, permitting the installation of new equipment and the adoption
of many new additional procedures.
In addition to good buildings and equipment, adequate medical care can only be
given with properly trained, experienced,
and dedicated employees. In recognition of
the outstanding work and devotion of our
hospital staff the board of trustees after a
very careful study for many months, on
November 15 authorized the implementation of a pension plan to be effective on
January 1, 1963.
The hospital continues with its educational program by providing training in the
clinical laboratory and x-ray departments.
We are most enthusiastic about our affilia
tion with the Fresno State College and the
Fresno City College in their nurses training
program. Last June the Fresno State College
graduated its first class of registered nurses
and a larger class will graduate in June of
1963. The Fresno City College instituted its
two year nurses training program in September and will graduate its first class in June
of 1964. It is our policy to be most cooperative with both schools in lending our facilities
in every department for the laboratory training of these students.
Mindful of the words on our dedicatory
plaque which reads "Dedicated to Health —
Physical, Mental and Spiritual" during the
early part of this year the hospital Inter-
Faith Advisory Council was organized consisting of representatives from the various
religious segments of Fresno. With this service a patient service representative has been
established at the hospital who acts as the
personal contact between administration and
the patient as well as the liaison between
the patients and their churches. In line with
this, under the auspices of the Inter-Faith
Advisory Council, an all day seminar is being scheduled for January 28 in the Knights
of Pythias auditorium, conducted by the
University of California Hospital for a general review and discussion of areas where
contributions may be made by the clergy
in regard to patient care.
A seemingly never-ending obligation is
our monthly payment to the Aetna Life
Insurance Company. You will recall that in
1959 in addition to our fund raising campaign, federal and state grants, we borrowed
$1,000,000 at 5% interest to enable us to
build the new hospital. The monthly payments are $7,287.00 wtth principal and interest. These payments have been made regularly and as of September 30, 1962 the end
of our fiscal year, the $1,000,000 indebtedness has been reduced to $849,656.87.
We are ever mindful of the growth and
increased population in our area and the impact it will have on the Fresno Community
Hospital. The Board of Trustees has established within itself a long range planning
committee for the hospital needs, projecting
our needs for the next five, ten, and fifteen
years. Looking forward to the development
of the hospital to its maximum, the board
of trustees this year purchased an area
known as Block 65, City of Fresno, at a cost
of $112„500.00. This is the area occupied
by the Knights of Pythias building. Subsequent to the purchase of this building the
City of Fresno, recognizing the logic of the
expansion of the hospital in this area with a
possible extended wing agreed to abandon a
portion of Merced Street between R Street
and Divisadero. This street area has now
been deeded to the hospital. Although our
master planning does not call for development of this area before 1968 or 1970, I am
reminded of our previous planning which
did not call for completion of the fifth floor
until 1965.
In addition to this major purchase of additional property, I am pleased to report
that our old hospital building built in 1916
has now had the exterior remodeled, face
lifted and repainted to harmonize with the
newer portion of the hospital. This work was
done by the Harris Construction Co., Inc.
for a total cost of $63,647.23. It is our plan
to gradually remodel the interior of this
building and use it for ancillary services
such as records, storage, locker rooms, classrooms, library, conference rooms; etc.
The Fresno Community Hospital must
grow, and to grow we will constandy need
large sums of money. Of the $1,605,773.00
pledged during our fund raising campaign
a few years ago, the outstanding balance on
September 30, 1962 was $100,416.99. During the last year a little over $25,000 was
paid. With our future plans I hope each of
you will recognize the importance of the payment of the balance of these pledges and
will do so as soon as possible. And may I add
that the hospital solicits and urgently needs
funds in the form of gifts, endowments and
legacies to finalize its future building plans.
I cannot find adequate words to express
our appreciation to the Women's Service Alliance for the excellent and numerous sympathetic services they have rendered the hospital through their over 300 members. During our campaign they pledged $25,000 for
the new hospital building and they have to
date paid $22,000, leaving a balance of only
$3,000. Mrs. Lowell Firstenberger, the president of the Women's Service Alliance will
give us a more detailed report later. Again,
thanks for the job very well done.
As president I have enjoyed serving as
an ex-office member of the executive committee of the hospital medical staff. May I
at this time compliment Dr. J. Malcolm Mas-
ten, the president of the medical staff for the
excellent manner in which he has conducted
his office and in particular the fine manner
in which the new by laws of the medical
staff have been adopted and are being implemented by January 1, 1963.
I also want to express our appreciation to
all other officers and members of the executive committee as well as the individual
members of the staff for the manner in
which they have safeguarded the interests of
the hospital and its patients. I feel that a
close liaison, understanding and cooperation
among the hospital trustees, administration,
and medical staff assure good hospital care
and service.
May I take this opportunity to express
our most sincere appreciation and gratitude
to each member of the board of trustees who
willingly and voluntarily, without compensation and yet assume a large liability and
responsibility, have devoted so much time
and effort to make this a finer institution to
serve their fellow man. I would like to read
their names in review and ask them to stand.
First may I publicly welcome Milo Rowell
who came on the board to fill the unexpired
term of Mr. Paul Bartlett who is now in
Europe.
Dr. William L. Adams, Jr., M.D.
Vice-President
Mr. Paul Staniford, Secretary
Dr. H. F. Anderson, D.D.S.
Mr. E. L. (Ted) Barr
Mr. Gilbert Caswell
Mr. Sam Davidson
Mr. R. O. McMahan
Dr. John D. Morgan
Mr. Maynard Munger
Mr. J. E. Rodman
Mr. R. F. Schmeiser
Mr. T. P. Shelton
Dr. J. E. Young, M.D.
And now, on behalf of the board of trustees
and members of the Fresno Community Hospital we wish to extend our heartfelt thanks
and sincere appreciation to our able administrator, Mr. Clifton H. Linville. Because
of his administrative ability, his devotion to
his work, his patience and understanding and
his dedicated loyalty to the board of trustees,
the medical staff and the hospital employees
we enjoy harmony within our organization,
high employee efficiency, and morale which
develops excellent patient care. As a further
tribute to him he has been chosen president
elect for the California Hospital Association,
an honor we take great pride in sharing with
him.
As we look toward the past we take great
pride in our accomplishments and as we
look forward we see a great deal yet to be
done. Let us all, wherever we are or whatever interest we may have, dedicate ourselves
to do our part to make the Fresno Community Hospital unsurpassed in recognizing as
first and foremost our patients' care and
comfort.
Leon S. Peters
President