Financial Sltua sn
At Local Hospi' !
Discussed by G cup
The board of directors of ..he
Valley Hospital Association, Inc., |
met with the medical staff atid
various leaders of the commun.ty
on Friday evening, December 17,
in the lobby ar.d conference room
of the Valley Presbyterian Hos
pital. Miss V. Louise Kellogg,
president of the board of direc
tors, conducted the meeting.
Jasper Skc-k, membership
chairman, drew attention to the
association’s annual meeting
which will be held Tuesday, Feo
ruary 15. He also mentioned the
pamphlet, "This Is Your Hospital"
which is being distributed in the
community and stated that mem
berships in the association axe
now on sale, at the lowered ra’e
of $2.50. The lower rate was s ,-t i
to enable both husband and wife j
to join the association at the
same rate as previously paid for
individual membership. Member- j
ships may be purchased from
any of the board members, at the!
hospital desk, or by mail, using :
the coupon attached to the pam
phlet.
The financial situation of the^
hospital was reviewed by Lloyd 1
Morley, hospital administrator.
He stated that although the-bos-;
pital is by no means ready to!
close its doors, there has been a i
general downward trend in all:
departments of the hospital, so:
that a serious accumulation of ac
counts payable has resulted. Un-'
less means are found, he said, to
counteract this trend or to collect;
the amounts due, the hospital
might be in the same financial j
positions as the Anchorage and i
Fairbanks hospitals have found ■
themselves. !
Bad debts at the Valley Presby
terian Hospital that had to be
written off as “uneollectable” to
tal $7,006.77, according to figures
presented at the meeting. In ad
dition, a total of $5,755.56 in ser
vices rendered must also be con
sidered a lost sum. The money
represents the difference in ser
'vxies rendered and amount paid
%>y Alaska Native Service, Alaska
Department of Health and the
Territorial Department of Public
Welfare. As an example, Morley
pointed out that Alaska Native
Service pays but $14.00 per day.
.Hospital room rates of $17-00 per
day, plus medicines. X-rays, and
other attentions, soon run the hos
pital into the red on such a pa
tient. Various other losses were
pointed out and discussed by the
group. At the present time ao«
counts receiveable total $31,442.*
7y, the majority oi wtncn are over
90 days past due.
it was pointed out that through
better medical care and finer
nospital service, the average pa
tient’s stay in a hospital has been
. shorten'd; the past few years.
Mis& Kellogg stated that the
services of the hospital were very
fine, and the staff unusually cap
able and pointed out that if these
were to continue to be of the
present high quality, three things
would be necessary: (1) Legisla
tion on both the territorial and
federal levels to enable the gov
ernment agencies to pay the full
costs of their patients. (2) A pos
sible endowment, or other local
financing. (3) An increased num
ber of patients.
In the course of the evening,
many ideas were brought for
ward, but no definite conclusions
were reached. As a result of the
meeting, questionnaires will be
sent to each service organization
in the valley, as a guide for sug
gestions to be communicated to
the hospital board.
Suggestions were asked from
those present, with the following
receiving the most favorable dis
cussions: A hospital guild, to act
as a service organization and a
fund-raising body. A local revol
ving fund or insurance program.
Increased rates, or the reduction
of the hospital staff, ar.d the sub
ject of a local surgeon.
I
1
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1
BARBARA COO PER
TO WED ON DEC. 30
Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Cooper
of Palmer announced the forth
coming marriage of their daugh
ter, Barbara Arler.e, to Corporal
Ralph Everett Pelchat of Fort
Richardson, and formerly of Gor
ham, New Hampshire.
The ceremony will take ploce
in the United Protestant Church
on Thursday evening, December
30 at 8 p.m. Rev. Briar. Cleworth
will perform the wedding cere
mony which will be followed by
a reception at Grange Hall All
friends of the family are extend
ed an invitation to attend the
teremony and reception.
Hospital Plans
Christmas Menu;
Quests Invited
Patients at the Valley Presby
terian Hospital or. Christmas
Day will be treated to one of the
finest of menus and will be per
mitted to invite a dinner guest.
More than or.e guest may be in
vited, but a charge will be made
for each additional guest.
The menu, prepared by Fritz
Lowe, chef, has been planned to
please most any appetite. *There
will be chilled tomato juice, cel
ery, pickles, olives, roast turkey,
brown rice dressing, baked ham,
with champagne sauce, snowflake
potatoes, lettuce hearts with ro
quefort dressing, buttered cauli
flower, cranberry sauce, Danish
pastry, rolls and butter, pumpkin
pie with cream, fruit cake, steam
ed pudding, mixed nuts, and
mints.
Christmas bouquets are appear
ing in patients rooms and a beau
tiful Christmas tree has been set
up in the lobby.
Announce Winners
(Continued from page 1)
nie home a decorated tree on the
porch and lights framing the win
dows brilliantly lights the area.
Honorable mention in this class
went to guests at the Co-Op dorm,
Mrs. Clayton Esslinger, L. C.
Stock, Karla Duff, and R. M.
Jones.
Not registered for the contest,
but considered by the judges as
worthy of mention were: Robert
Johns, the Newman home, United
Protestant Church, Harry Wim
mers, Rosina Tost, Co-Op tree,
\RRC, and out on the highway:
;he Mel by home, M. B. Martins,
Virgil Eckerts, and Midway Mar
cet.
The contest is the first of its
cind in the valley and members
<f the Garden Club today ex
messed their pleasure with the
esponse shown by valley resi
lents. Cash awards of $15, $10.
ind $5 will be given to the win
lers in the two classes, with the
hird prize in the outdoor class
teing split.
The difficult job of selecting
he winners was done by Hugh
L Johnson, Betty Jo Riddle, and
Jrs. Archie Moffitt, members of
he judging committee.
•RONTIERSMAN CLASSIFIEDS
ALWAYS BRING RESULTS
School Vacation
To Begin Today
Christmas activities in the Pal
mer schools this week have in
cluded the presentation on Mon
day and Tuesday of Tchaikovsky’s
Nutcracker Suite, by grades one
through six of Swanson School.
The attendance at both per
formances was high, with some
parents who had attended on
Monday returning on Tuesday to
see it again. It would be difficult
to pick any one section of the
performance for praise. The en
tire program, which was directed
by the teachers of Swanson Sch
ool, was approved with delight
by those attending. A total of 147
pupils, each and every one in
costume, took part in the presen
tation.
Thirty-four members of the
Junior High Chorus, under the
direction of Mrs. Lois Weldon,
presented the Christmas program
at the Parent-Teacher’s Associa
tion meeting Tuesday night. In
addition to the presentation of
several popular Christmas carols,
Michael Kleinbach offered a
piano solo of “Jesu Bambino.”
This afternoon all rooms in
grade one through six are having
Christmas parties from 2:15 to
3:30 p.m. A simple lunch is plan
ned by the individual rooms,
which have been decorated in
the holiday theme.
Christmas vacation begins to
' night, December 23, and school re
sumes on January 3, 1955. During
the vacation period the school
gym at Central School w-ill be
closed and not reopen until De
cember 30. During this period the
much needed new floor will be
laid by Jack Land, who was re
cently awarded the contract to
lay a hemlock floor. As soon as
completed, new lines and a shuf
fle board will be painted on the
floor and asphalt tile will be laid
in the lobby.
Quoting from the Christmas is
sue of the school paper, "Banana
Belt Breezes”,—As you all know,
our gym floor was in bad shape.
A new floor will be a big im
provement but Palmer students
are anxiously awaiting the day
when some kind Santa Claus will j
present us with a new gym”.
Most of the vacation plans of
the students -.include trying out
the new PARC skating rink, ski- :
ing, sliding and a week of fun j
with the new toys, games, and
other gifts all are hoping "Santa” I
will leave under their Christmas i
trees tomorrow night.
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Remnant Sale
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December 27 thru December 31
Togs 'n Seams
OPEN EVENINGS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
HAGEN BLDG. PHONE 74 j:j
1
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Qlt/ilitmcui jbituteA'
We will be open Chrislmas Day
FULL COURSE DINNER $2.00
Choice of
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TURKEY AND TRIMMINGS
PRIME RIB OF BEEF AU JUS
Season Greetings to all customers
and friends
Matanuska Hotel Coffee Shop
LOCAL GAME HEARING
SET FOR JAN. 4
The annual game hearings, con
ducted each year by members of
the Fish and Wildlife Service,
will be held in Palmer on Janu
ary 4 at 8 p.m. in the Matanuska
Valley Sportsmen rifle range
room in the basement of the Co
Op rec hall.
The public is urged to attend
the meeting, during which fish
and wildlife regulations in the
territory, and principally in the
region, will be discussed. The
hearing is the same type as held
in past years in the Valley Thea
tre.
Valley Wide—
i (Continued from page 1)
! Members of the Palmer Moose
lodge have volunteered their ser
vices as ushers and will take care
of even the youngest children.
A full program of fun, treats,
and thrills is planned and every
child in the area is invited to at
tend.
Telephone—
(Continued from page 1)
i out in the field, they can not pos
sibly contact everyone in the
areas effected and Hanks urged
this week that people not wait to
be called on, but sign up at once.
City Budget—
(Continued from page 1)
| recreation land, League of Alas
j kan Cities membership, ARRC
! payments, payments to the water
fund, rent, and loss for the tele
phone system.
WARM-UP HUT
SECURED FOR
ICE SKATING RINK
| Progress on the success of the
j P. A. R. C. ice skating rink went
up another notch this week, when
Leo Lucas moved the Democratic
, Club booth from the Fairgrounds
to the rink. The local political
club has loaned the booth to
P. A. R. C. for use this winter as
a temporary warm-up hut. As
soon as possible a stove will be
added.
Members of the recreation
group announced this week that
they are in need of snow shovels,
brooms, and man or youth-power
to help keep the rink clear of
snow. Flooding of the rink is be
ing taken care of by adult vol
unteers but the snow removal
chore is moie than a two or three
man job and the youngsters are
urged to volunteer their services
in sweeping the rink. Following a
heavy fall of snow, the use of a
small tractor has been secured but
there still remains some snow re
moval that must be done by hand,
and prior to flooding, the rink
must be swept clean of all sr.ow
j for good water penetration.
It is expected that lots of valley
Council Notes
(Continued from page 1)
for the local hospital and library
was tabled for additional study.
The City Clerk was authorized
to set up a petty cash fund of $50,
and a like amount for change.
The office of the City Clerk will
be closed on December 24, follow
ing procedure carried out in fed
eral and territorial offices.
* * *
Many bills were approved for
payment and as soon as funds are
available, payment will be mailed
with only Councilman Hagen vot
ing against approval of payment.
The city is attempting to borrow
the sum #of $10,000 which will be
used to pay the approved bills.
* * *
There will be no regular City
Council meeting on the 28th of
December. The next regular meet
ing will be held in the Clerk’s of
fice on January 4 at 7:30 p.m.
residents will find “silver blades”
under their Christmas tree this
year and to all is extended an
invitation to try the ice at the
r.ew community rink.
«!S!€l«!€tgtg!C!€!6!g!C!C!€!€>€!C!g ’XK'Z. «€«€«€*
FRONTIERSMAN CLASSIFIEDS
ALWAYS BRING RESULTS
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