American College of Surgeons - Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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6 American College oj Surgeons having to do with the keeping of records and the second being case record forms, the aim being, in the latter, to suggest forms that are practical, simple, and adequate. These two bulletins will also be ready for distribution early next year. In order to obtain accurate information with regard to the entire hospital field in advance of visits to the hospitals, the College sent a questionnaire to approximately all general hospitals dis- tributed throughout the United States and Canada. In response to these requests for information approximately i,ioo hospitals promptly returned the data. The questionnaires had to do with the financial status of the hospitals, the capacity and scope, the hospital staff, the clinical laboratories, case records, departmental organization, and the training of internes and nurses. The reason the College took up hospital standardization as part of its work is here briefly stated: The admission of Fellows to the College made necessary at once that the Regents adopt a sound standard of surgical train- ing. From this fact it followed that the Regents must necessarily acquire accurate data with regard to the training of surgeons not only in the medical schools, but also in hospitals. But this approach to hospitals involved the Regents in more than a con- sideration of the training of surgeons in these institutions. The training of the internist is also the training of the surgeon, and in fact every procedure of a hospital designed for the welfare of its patients is inseparable from the training of a surgeon. Further, at an early date the Regents were convinced the usefulness of the Colleg e could find its most adequate expression in a continent-wide standardization of hospitals. A sound analysis of hospital conditions was, therefore, not merely a task which the College may do. It was a task which the College must do, for the College is a responsible society of about 4,000 surgeons which aims to include in its Fellowship all who possess practical scientific knowledge of medicine and surgery, together with honor, trustworthiness, and strong moral character. In so far as the problem is concerned with hospitals, it is compli- cated by the fact that among hospitals there is wide discrepancy in the educational opportunities offered; there is confusion as to

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Hospital Standardization In case of death all unpaid balances are canceled. ENDOWMENT FUND hereby subscribe Five Hundred {$500) Dollars to the Endowment Fund of the American College of Surgeons, the amount to be paid in installments as follows : Date Amount Date Amount Date Amount $ $ J $ $ $ further agree to pay interest on unpaid balances of this pledge at the rate of 5 per cent per annum. SipnfiA Date - The Regents propose to bring the Endowment Fund up to one miUion dollars as rapidly as may be. To this end they earnestly request Fellows of the College who have not already done so, and who can do so without hardship to themselves, to subscribe to the fund rather than to pay annual dues. From time to time unexpended balances in the treasury of the College are transferred by the Regents to this fund. Subscription cards may be had on application from the Secretary General of the College. HOSPITAL STANDARDIZATION The College published in March, 191 8, a bulletin entitled Stand- ard of EflBiciency for the First Hospital Survey of the College (Vol. Ill, No. 3). The title states the purpose of the bulletin. Following this pubHcation, and with the cooperation of the hospitals themselves, the College began an inspection of hospitals in accordance with the plan stated in the bulletin. Special inspec- tors were employed for this purpose for all or for part of their time. The results of the inspection, restating the problem of stand- ardization and recording the findings in the hospitals, will be pub- lished early in 1919. As an outgrowth of the first survey of the College, also, two additional bulletins will be published, the first

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The Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons 7 the value of all phases of these opportunities even among hospitals of like or comparable equipment. The Regents of the College were therefore confronted with two questions: First, what are the actual standards in the practice of medicine and surgery among hospitals? Second, what is an acceptable standard in the practice of medicine and surgery among hospitals? This second question involves the larger question as to whether the standards among our best hospitals are too good for the humblest patients anywhere on this continent. Both as an obligation of their trust, therefore, and as a constructive service to the profession and to the public, the Regents of the College entered the field of hospital standardization. THE CLINICAL CONGRESS OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS By the joint action of a committee of the Clinical Congress of Surgeons of North America, appointed with power to act, and of the Regents of the College, the Clinical Congress of Surgeons became, on October 25, 191 7, the Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. The resolution which effected the merger of these two organizations is self explanatory: Whereas, the past presidents of the Clinical Congress of Surgeons were, on October 26, 1916, in Philadelphia, appointed as a Committee with power to act, to confer with the American College of Surgeons with a view to closer affiliation between these two organizations; and, Wheeeas, the Regents of the College, in accordance with Section VI, Article 3 of the By-Laws of the College, consti- tute a governing board with power to act with regard to the proposed affiliation. Now, therefore, Be it Resolved, that it is the unanimous decision of the Committee of the Clinical Congress of Surgeons of North America, as above stated, and of the Regents of the American College of Surgeons in joint session, first, that for the welfare of the two organizations the management and the control of the Clinical Congress of Surgeons shall be vested hereafter in