USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1949 > Part 2
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Commission of Public Health
DR. RICHARD M. ASH, M. D.
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Health Department
The year 1949 marks the beginning of a new era in the history of the Quincy Health Department. During this year construction of the new Public Health Center was begun. Its completion, scheduled for the late 1950, will open up new opportunities and facilities for expanded service in the field of preventive medicine.
The Quincy Health Center, partly financed by Federal funds, is the second of its kind to be started in the country. The building was designed by M. A. Dyer Company, Boston architects; and the con- tract was let to James S. Kelliher, Quincy contractor. The total cost, of which the City bears two-thirds and the Federal government the balance, will approximate a half million dollars.
"The vision of a unit with all of our various divisions housed under one roof with efficient and ample equipment to properly conduct the affairs of a modern and up to date Health Department has become an actuality," wrote Dr. Richard M. Ash, Commissioner of Health, who has worked long and hard toward the materialization of this vision.
"In spite of the greatly expanded field of services that have been assigned to the Health Department over the past ten or fifteen years, we have carried on with limited personnel. With few facilities, and those scattered over the city, it would have been difficult to eco- nomically and efficiently use needed personnel. Now, with proper facilities and quarters, it is necessary to add a limited number to our staff to properly conduct our work, and bring the Department up to the minimum requirements that are obligatory to obtain Federal assistance that will be available very soon.
"There have been tremendous advances in research work for the past several years, and almost undreamed of treatment and pre- ventive procedure have become known and widely used. While many diseases have been brought under control and some practically elimi- nated; it is predicted by authorities that these will be overshadowed by events to occur in the immediate ensuing years. With such a facility as we are now building, we will be able to take advantage of these as soon as their value is determined.
"Our Center will be visited by Health authorities from all over the Eastern and Central portion of the country, and providing that it is properly administered, the facilities efficiently operated and used to their economically best advantages, it will be an institution of which the people of Quincy may well be proud. Already it is being followed closely by authorities from distances away who are eagerly awaiting what is supposed to be the ideal to follow in local health administration."
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Vital Statistics
There were 752 deaths in Quincy during 1949. Adjusting this figure by substracting 79 non-resident deaths and adding the 153 resident deaths occurring outside the city, the official figure of 826 resident deaths is obtained. This leaves Quincy with a death rate of 9.5 per 1,000 in 1949. This rate is .8 per 1,000 in excess of the rate for 1946, which was the lowest ever recorded here; and it is .2 per 1,000 less than in 1948.
The principal causes of death, as in many years past, were diseases of the heart, cancer and intracranial lesions in that order. Deaths from heart diseases, with 334, showed an increase of 15 over the 1948 figure. The 148 cancer deaths showed an increase of 7. Deaths from intracranial lesions were 75, or 17 less than in 1948. These three causes were responsible for 557 deaths, or 67.4 percent of the total.
There were 30 deaths from reportable diseases, as against 25 in 1948 and 31 in 1947. Of these, 22 were from tuberculosis.
Infant mortality, with 37 deaths, indicated a rate of 20.5 per 1,000 live births, the lowest in a decade. Of these 37 deaths, 29 occurred in the first month of life. There were only two maternal deaths at births, a rate of 1.1 per 1,000.
With 1805 births credited to the city in 1949, the birth rate per 1,000 was 20.8. Thus the Stork won over the Grim Reaper during the year by 11.3; giving Quincy a net gain of 979 inhabitants resulting from the vilal causes of birth and death. These figures left Quincy with a birth-death ratio of 218.9 in 1949 as against 227.3 in 1948 and 250.3 in 1947.
REPORTABLE DISEASES
Chickenpox, 666; An mal Bites, 204; Mumps, 193, and Scarlet Fever, 130, topped the list of reportable diseases in 1949. Measles, which hit an epidemic mark in 1948 with 2,331 cases, fell off to 93 cases in 1949.
Diphtheria remained low with only two cases as against one in 1948. Poliomyelitis jumped from one in 1948 to 56 in 1949, when this ailment struck down 28 persons in August and 22 in September, and then tapered off
Pulmonary Tuberculosis developed 41 cases in 1949 as against 52 and 44 in 1948 and 1947 respectively. During 1949 there were 516 cases of this disease registered in the city; of which 85 were active and 348 arrested.
CHILD WELFARE
The Quincy Health Department through its Child Welfare Program conducted 318 Well Baby clinics, 10 Pre-School clinics and 12 Ortho-
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pedic clinics during the year, with a total registration of 1,669 and a total clinical attendance of 3,040. In addition, Child Welfare nurses made 1,170 visits to babies under two years of age.
Nurses referred 27 cases to Private or Dental clinics, 89 cases to local medical physicians; 37 to Child Guidance clinics and two to the children's hospital
CHILD GUIDANCE CLINIC
The Quincy Child Guidance Clinic, staffed and supported by the State Departmental of Mental Health with supplementary support from the Quincy Community Chest, operated two full days a week through the year. Case therapy work was conducted by three psychiatric so- cial workers four days weekly. Temporary staff vacancies somewhat curtailed services; demands for service could not be met, and a waiting list accumulated.
The average attendance at the clinic days was 30 children; visits totalled 2,647, or an average of 1012 visits per child. A total of 6,541 interviews were recorded, and a total of 292 children were served.
MISCELLANEOUS
Nurses 'n parochial schools made 233 visits; visited 162 homes; made 1,801 health inspections; weighed and measured 693 pup'ls, and referred 44 pupils to private doctors. In connection with this work, 1,295 vision tests and 1,089 hearing tests were made.
The school dental clinic examined 4,53l' children, Grades One through Three. A total of 1,533 teeth were filled; 872 teeth were ex- tracted.
The pre-school dental clinic treated 170 children; filled 458 teeth and extracted 19.
The work of the milk and dairy farm inspector produced some interesting statistics. They include the following: 7,649,000 quar's of milk, 406,583 quarts of cream and 901,888 quarts of ice cream sold in Quincy during the year; 2.138 milk samples analyzed; 450 process- ing plants inspected; 1,070 vehicles inspected; 560 dairy inspections and 725 store and restaurant inspections.
During the year the food inspector made 2,595 routine inspections. He condemned 1,402 pounds of food; 1,540 pounds of fish; 58 bushels of fruit and vegetables.
The plumbing inspector issued 238 permits for new and 1,021 for old buildings. During the year 216 buildings were connected with sewers, 6 with septic tanks and 16 with cesspools.
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The Quincy City Hospital
The Quincy City Hospital in 1949, the 60th year of its service to the community, showed a continuing high level in the number of patients admitted and a steady increase in the volume of work per- formed. Again, however, the unresolved picture of over-crowded con- ditions had to be faced.
Hospital costs continued to rise in a spectacular increase in sup- plies, labor and services begun in 1946. Wages remained a major part of the operating expense, with the hospital competing with in- dustry in pay and working conditions.
"The demand for new hospital construction is acute," Dr. Ensio K. F. Ronka, director, told the board of managers in his annual report. "The planned construction program must reflect future economies."
Wages and commodity prices are not the only forces causing up- ward trends," he pointed out. "Medical science has made phenomenal advances. This greatly increased the scope of hospital care and neces- sitates additional facilities. Nuclear medicine and new diagnostic ser- vices are here, demanding increasing knowledge and effectiveness of future medical care. The hospital, as the health center of the com- munity, must provide the facilities and the technical assistance to make these advances available to the sick. Additional costs must be expected if we are to fulfill our mission of benefiting the sick in the continual battle against misfortune of ill health."
Dr. Ronka expressed the opinion: "The hospital exists only to care for the sick, conduct clinical investigation and to train medical personnel-not to make a profit."
The director summarized some of the results of the reorganization of the hospital during the past four years. Among these he listed: new rules and regulations for the medical staff compiled to meet the re- quirements of the American College of Surgeons hospital standard za- tion program; departmentalization of the medical activities of the sta'f and appointment of chiefs for the departments; crea'ion of a medical staff educational program required for the approval of the American College of Surgeons and the American Medical Association; organization of a residency training program, resulting in the approval of residencies in various fields; reorganization of the laboratory de- partment under a full-time pathologist; establishment of the depart- ment of Anesthesiology with a full-time physician-anesthetist.
O her accomplishments included: establishment of a personnel depa tment; a new central service and supply department; organiza- tion of an employees' association; completion of plans for. a new wing; highest raling in the history of the hospital from the American College of Surgeons.
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Dr. Ronka listed as prime needs: added nursing personnel; in- creasing wages to a plane more equitable with wages paid in industry; construction of a new power plant, new nursing wing and new surgical unit; improvement and control of costs and consolidation of all account- ing functions under one head; a better public relations program.
REPORT OF STATISTICIAN
Expenses for 1949 showed an increase over those for 1948 of $258 - 510.98. The greater part of this, $2.46,950.70, was due to increased ex- penditures for salaries and wages. Foremost among the factors con- tributing to the increase was the $300 per year raise to all employees; and increase in personnel, particularly nurses, due to the 40-hour week; and the institution of the "cash-salary" basic for compensation for nurses.
Although cash receipts for 1949 showed an increase of $28.541.94 over 1948, the excess of expenditures over receipts produced an in- crease of $229,969.94, and reached a total of $647,418.28 for the year. It is interesting to note in comparing the years of 1948 and 1949 that during the latter year admissions increased while in-patient days decreased and the average length of stay decreased approximately one full day. This condition of a more rapid turn-over means an increase in work and consequent costs. The in-patient per diem cost for 1947, 1948 and 1949 were $13, $16 and $20 respectively.
During the past few years when expenses have increased rapidly, the charges for services at the hospital have remained fairly constant.
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY
A department of Obstetrics and Gynecology was created in 1949 within the surgical services. This department, which has operated heretofore as a division of the general surgical service, will operate independently. This plan provides improvement in services rendered under exclusive direction of specialists in the field who are vitally interested in advancing all phases of the specialty in the treatment of patients. It also offers improved graduate training for junior staff men and house officers. The plan has the approval of the AMA.
In March the new out-patient department was opened, and a clinic for the treatment of surgical patients established. This service
provides for consultation, diagnosis and treatment of low income groups. Since the opening of the department surgical treatment has been pro- vided for 742 patient visits.
A noteworthy event of the year has been the establishment of a teaching affiliation with the Boston University school of medicine, Dr. Arthur L. Hanrahan, surgeon-in-chief, points out.
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DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE
The year of 1949 witnessed the gradually expanding activities of the department of medicine at the hospital. Dr. Daniel M. Swan, phy- sician-in-chief, reported. The medicine out-patient department was es- tablished during the year and operated three mornings each week.
DEPARTMENT OF NURSING
At the exercises held in First Parish hall in March, 23 students were capped in the exercises of the school of nursing. On June 15, in the graduation exercises held in Quincy High school, 27 students were graduated.
The first award of the Dr. and Mrs. Charles Sumner Adams Schol- arship was given to Miss Olive Duggan, selected by the faculty as the most qualified senior student. Miss Mary Pimental was chosen as the alternate.
On September 8, thirty students were admitted to the school, an icrease of five over the 1948 September enrollment.
The number of hours of bedside nursing care rendered by gradu- ate and student nurses during the year was 69,635 for obstetrical patients, and 1,067,830 for all others. The number of calls filled by the Central Directory for nurses for private duty was 1,029.
The addition of 20 graduate nurses to the staff made it somewhat easier to reduce the work week to a five-day week, effective June 1, 1949.
"I am please to report," wrote Miss Mary E. O'Gara, director of nurses, "that the personnel policies for graduate nurses at the Quincy City Hospital meet all the recommendations of the American Nurses Association, and surpass many of the policies existing in nearby hos- pitals. These improvements should attract good nurses and thereby improve the quality of nursing service which we give to the members of the community."
THE LABORATORY DEPARTMENT
The work of the laboratories increased in the number as well as in the variety of analyses. In 1949 a total of 87,585 tests were performed as against 73,282 in 1948.
Dr. O. J. Pollak, pathologist, reported that: "On the whole the department functioned well. Its efficiency was hampered by the fol- lowing factors: lack of personnel; lack of space and ventilation; lack of equipment; inefficient purchasing."
The department received the highest point rating possible from the American College of Surgeons
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A school for medical technologists was approved by the Council on Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association in February, 1949; and the first 18-month course was started on July 1.
The 1949 gross revenue of the department was $115,200.
X-RAY DEPARTMENT
In 1949 a total of 9,850 examinations were made in the X-Ray department. There were 423 treatments, including three radium treat- ments.
These figures show an over-all increase of 2.7 percent, exclusive of treatments. The increase in the radiographic examinations alone was 9.8 percent.
ANESTHESIAS-1949
Surgery
3852
Accident Room
637
Out-Patients
96
Delivery Room
1595
Dental
143
Total 6323
OXYGEN SERVICES-EQUIPMENT USED
Tent
298
B. L. B. Mask 112
Nasal
55
Incubator
75
Aerosol
30
Total 570
OUT-PATIENT DEPARTMENT (Established March 14, 1949)
New Patients
691
Revisits 1658
Total 2349
OBSTETRICAL STATISTICS FOR 1949
Number of Deliveries
1,625
Private
1,472
Service
153
Single Live
1,578
Multiple Live (Twins)
13
Premature
73
Neonatal Deaths in 48 Hours
31
Maternal Deaths
2
Stillborn
34
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STATISTICAL REPORT
Admissions
1948
1949
Room Patients
1,312
1,294
Ward Patients
7,219
7,427
Service Patients
1,112
1,409
Totals
9,643
10,130
Outpatients
9,833
11,486
Accidents
5,948
6,210
Ambulance Calls
1,738
1,712
Newborn
1,770
1,637
Operations
3,927
4,400
Daily Average Patients
248.9
237.8
Total Days Treatment
91,119
86,807
Deaths
384
366
EXPENSES AND RECEIPTS
1948
1949
Salaries and Wages
$ 807,375.84
$1,054,326.54
Expenses
447,232.68
451,314.48
Pensions
3,742.35
4,930.58
New Equipment
19,458.76
25,373.34
Out of State Travel
88.72
000.00
Miscellaneous-Deficit Bills
5,300.61
000.00
Improvements
000.00
5,765.00
$1,283,198.96
$1,541,709.94
Cash Receipts
865,749.73
894,291.67
Excess of Expenditures Over Receipts
$ 417,449.23
$ 647,418.27
Public Works Department
HIGHWAY DIVISION
The usual work of the Highway Division including street cleaning and repairs, sidewalk repairs, maintenance of equipment and drains, and snow removal was carried on during the year. Street repair work consisted chiefly of routine patching and shaping and resurfacing of utility trenches throughout the city. No street oiling was done during 1949.
Routine repairs were made to the Saville street, Dimmock street and Bates Avenue bridges. The Atlantic bridge, repairs for which were
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formerly handled in part by the city, was taken over by the state on January 1. The Warren avenue footbridge was replanked during the year.
City carpenters repaired and repainted city fences wherever such work was necessary. During the year the sign department painted all cross-walks, stop lines, bus stop lines and center lines, as well as stalls for metered parking places and the striping in the municipal parking area. Mechanics in the department made routine checks and repairs to meters. The sign department also handled considerable Christmas lighting and decorating work during the holiday season.
STREET CONSTRUCTION: Under the regular street construction program the public works department rebuilt or resurfaced with city labor Clivedon street, Whitney road, Ryden street, Watson terrace, Edison street, a part of Cleverly court, Franklin street, Independence ·avenue, Jackson street, Kendrick avenue, Quincy avenue, Copeland street, Standish avenue, Newton avenue and Billings street.
New construction was completed on Hamilton avenue, Harrington avenue and Whitman road. Hancock street was resurfaced by city labor from Neponset bridge to Elm avenue.
Under Chapter 90, which provides for joint state, county and city financing of highway work, Washington street was rebuilt from Chub- buck street to James street by A. V. Taurasi company; and the balance of Washington street was resurfaced by A. Capone. The State also, through contract with Bradford Weston, rebuilt Washington street from Chubbuck street to the Fore River bridge.
The city constructed under contract: Beebe road, Bailey street, Bittern road, Turner street, Northfield avenue, Richards street, Guild street, Grogan avenue, Chapman street, Myopia road, Carruth street, Fayette street, Reservoir road, Prospect street, Roberta lane, Bayberry road and Burgess street.
FORESTRY AND GYPSY MOTH DEPARTMENT
The flower beds, which always attract favorable comment from both visitors and citizens, were planted and maintained during the year. The tulip display was particularly attractive in 1949.
The routine spraying and destroying of gypsy moths and brown- tails was handled by the department.
A major portion of the work of the Forestry Department was de- voted to the removal of trees affected by the Dutch Elm disease. Ex- tensive spraying was also carried on in the fight against this blight.
CURBING AND SIDEWALKS
In addition to the curbing installed during street construction, con- siderable special curbs were laid in 1949. Curbs installed by the de-
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partmental employes were on South street, Alden street, Pembroke street, Brooks avenue, Reardon street, Adams street, Shirley to Robert- son; Victoria road, Thornton street, Old Colony avenue, Clement ter- race and Elliot avenue.
Bituminous concrete sidewalks were laid on Dimmock street, Hobo- mack road, Munroe road, Narragansett road, Broadway, Pembroke street, Independence avenue, Alton road, Intervale street, Adams street, Stedman to the Milton line, Adams street, Shirley to Robertson, Cross street, West street, Fenno street, Standish road, Shoreham street, Bloomfield street and West Squantum street.
MUNICIPAL PARKING AREA
A contract for the construction of the Municipal Parking Area west of Hancock street was let to the Walter Reed corporation. Landscaping was done by the Littlefield-Wyman corporation. Plans and supervision was by the Philcot corporation. The section from Clivedon street to Granite street was completed during the year, and the south section trom Hancock court to Clivedon street was partially constructed. The entire project was sufficiently advanced to permit use of the parking area for Christmas shoppers. The project, when finished, will give Quincy the largest municipally-owned metered parking area in the country.
MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS
The year of 1949 was marked by progress made in the four million dollar school construction program and by the start of work on the half million dollar health center. No extensive repairs were made on existing public buildings because of curtailed appropriations.
Construction of the Squantum School addition was completed by C. R. Burns and Son, providing four extra class rooms and a combina- tion auditorium and gymnasium.
A contract for the four-room addition to the Atherton Hough School was let to Clark and Smith, Inc., of Quincy. Albert West, a Quincy architect, prepared the plans.
James S. Kelliher of Quincy was given the contract for the big health center which is building on Hancock street at the corner of Johnson avenue. M. A. Dyer Company of Boston drew the plans and specifications.
SEWER DIVISION
During the year 322 connections were made to the common sewer. This brought the number of sanitary sewers in operation up to 16,378 by the end of the year.
A total of 14,766 feet of particular sewers were laid at a cost of $27,101.79, or an average of $1.835 a foot. Of the 322 connections
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made, 284 were for one-family houses; six for two-family houses; four for three-family houses; 20 for business property; five for churches; and one each for the health center, a house trailer and a 12-family house.
A total of 8,446.51 feet, of 1.60 miles, of common sewer was built in 1949. Of this amount, 6811.84 feet were of eight-inch; 680.57 of 10-inch, and 954 of 12-inch pipe. The department also put in 44 manholes.
The 1949 construction brings the total amount of sewers up to 173.59 miles.
During the year, a total of 3,130.15 feet of storm drains were con- structed; 39 catch basins and nine manholes installed. The new construction brings the total amount of storm drains up to 120.5 miles.
WATER DIVISION
Quincy, a part of the Metropolitan water system, used water in 1949 at the average rate of 6,783,200 gallons a day. Based on an esti- mated population of 87,000, this is an average consumption of 78 gallons per capita daily.
During the year 5,560 feet of main pipe was laid, bringing the total miles of pipe now in use up to 207.78. In 1949 11,960 feet of new service pipe was laid, bringing the total footage up to 823,354.
Other general figures are: Number of taps made during year, 260; services discontinued, 7; total services in use, 17,892; service leaks repaired, 389; meters installed in 1949, 184; total meters in use, 17,750; per cent of services metered, 99.2; fire hydrants in use, 1,992; hydrants broken during the year by automobiles, 10.
AVERAGE DAILY WATER CONSUMPTION IN GALLONS, 1949
January
6,523,300
July
7,853,000
February
6,526,800
August
7,610,700
March
6,467,300
September
6,647,700
April
6,104,200
October
6,483,300
May
6,356,500
November
6,569,100
June
7,750,500
December
6,589,700
DIVISION OF ENGINEERING
Supervision of the Engineering Department was reorganized dur- ing 1949. For the first five months of the year the commissioner of public works also acted in the capacity of city engineer. On May 23 the position of superintendent of engineering was created and the department was incorporated in the department of public works under the title of the Division of Engineering.
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Under the ordinance, the superintendent of engineering shall be consulted on all matters pertaining to civil engineering in any depart- ment of the city. The division consequently works in close cooperation with many other municipal departments. The division furnishes plans for all land takings and street acceptances; furnishes information to the city solicitor on easements; takings and related matters; furnishes descriptions of lands sold for taxes; surveys city owned land to be. sold, and prepares the assessors' plans for all parcels of land in the city.
During the year the engineering department described 982 parcels to be sold for taxes; furnished information relative to outstanding betterments on 1,096 parcels; furnished information relative to 2,296 transfers; plotted new construction on 706 plans; furnished grades for 447 new buildings; and made plans for 1.60 miles of sewers, 3,130 feet of drains and 1.035 miles of new streets.
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