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FELKUAKY 23, 1040
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
FIVE
Mercy Hospital, Charlotte,
Begins Expansion Program
Construction Underway on New Maternity Wing and
Other Additions to Hospital Conducted by Sisters of
Mercy of Belmont in North Carolina’s Largest City—
New Kitchen, Dining Room, Cafeteria and Heating
Plants Provided for in Plans for Improvements
Charlotte n. c.
Work
j lias begun at Mercy Hospital on
i the construction of additions,
| which with improvements to the
i present structure will reach a cost
! of more than a million dollars.
! The program provides for the
■ erection of a modern maternity
MERCY HOSPHAL, CHARLOTTE, N. C.—Pictured above Mercy Hospital, conducted by the Sisters
ol Merc;, 01 Belmont, in Charlotte, N. C., as it appears at present. Construction has been begun on
additions to the hospital which will cost in excess of a million and a quarter dollars
Additions and Improvements Being
Made at Mercy Hospital, Charlotte,
Will Exceed Cost of S1,240,000
CHAIRMAN OF HOSPITAL
BUILDING COMMITTEE
(Special to The Bulletin)
CHARLOTTE. N. C. — Accord
ing to Lawrence W. Driscoll. K. S.
G., chairman of the building com
mittee of tlie advisory board of
Mercy Hospital, (lie cost of tlie
expansion program now under
way at tlie hospital has been esti
mated at slightly over $1,240,000.
which, says Mr. Driscoll, is high
in comparison with the cost of
similar construction in the past,
but which is. perhaps, low. if we
think in terms of the future.
For the past three years. Mr.
Driscoll stated, the dailv census
at Mercy Hospital lias averaged
two hundred patients, and the
student nurses, numbering about
a hundred, are crowded in a
nurses’ home which was built to
accommodate just about half that
number. A study of the hospital’s
facilities by the U. S. Public
Health Service and other agencies
indicates the absolute necessity
for expanding the institution to
meet the demands which have
been mode upon it for hospitaliza
tion service.
“Fortunately,” Mr. Driscoll con
tinued. about eight years ago, fol
lowing the keen judgment of the
Sisters of Mercy of the Belmont
community, who operate Mercy
Hospital, the west wing of the
present building was erected. This
addition includes one of the fin
est and most complete surgical
departments in the country. This
portion of the hospital was built
with a view to the future mid now
fits perfectly into the expansion
program.”
“The city of Charlotte,” added
Mr. Driscoll, is fortunate in hav
ing at its disposal one of the fin
est groups of medical men in the
United Slates. Practically every
phase of medicine is practiced
here by men of national reputa
tion. Further, the city is the cen
ter of a vast population of about
two million people. The city it
self is growing rapidly. A recent
survey indicated that approxi
mately 42 per cent of the daily
patient census in the Charlotte
hospitals comes from a radius of
fifty miles around the city. Some
patients come from places even a
greater distance from Charlotte.
“In our study of the most press
ing need of Mercy Hospital, we
found the maternity section in a
more crowded condition than any
other. The obstetrical cases at
tlie hospital reach a figure of
about 28 per cent of the total num
ber of cases annually. Therefore,
it was our opinion that our ef
forts at this time should be placed
in that section.
“The new maternity wing is be
ing built' adjoining the east wing
and will be a six-story structure
with a basement. It will have one
hundred beds for patients, a nurs
ery on each floor, and six operat
ing or delivery rooms on the top
floor. In fact. tlii.. will be. as far
as I know the only hospital in
North Carolina, if not in the
South, devoted exclusively to ma
ternity cases.”
Accommodations for more stu
dent nurses is another urgent
need of Mercy Hospital. Mr. Dris
coll said.. The new nurses' home
will be an addition to the present
structure and will provide living
quarters lor a hundred more
nurses, or for a total of two hun
dred. Class rooms will be includ
ed for all phases of training and
an auditorium-gymnasium is pro
vided for in the plans? The con
vent section of the home will be
enlarged also to take care of the
need for additional Sisters who
will be required tq serve the hos
pital after its expansion.
Kitchen facilities will necessari
ly have to be extended to meet
the increased load. Work is now
progressing on this feature of the
expansion program and will per
mit the serving of meals to
nurses and othei hospital person
nel in cafeteria fashion.
A new boiler house, with much
greater capacity, is being built on
the grounds. The old boiler house
will be converted into a cold stor
age plant and ah electrical equip
ment center.
Work is progressing satisfacto
rily and it is hoped will be com
pleted within a year. Contracts
have been awarded to most relia
ble firms on a guaranteed outside
cost, plus a fixed fee. basis.
Serving on the building commit
tee of the hospital advisory board,
with Mr. Driscoll, one of Char
lotte’s leading business executives,
is E. P. Coles, another business
man; Thomas Griffith, who is a
leader in the insurance field; C.
II. Cover, an attorney, aaitl Hen
ry McAden, a retired banker.
Mother M. Raphael is the gen
eral superintendent of Mercy Hos
pital and the guiding spirit of the
expansion program Mother Mary
Maura Buchheit is Superior of the
Sisters of Mercy of North Caro
lina, at Belmont, the Religious
Order which has operated Mercy
Hospital since its foundation forty
years ago.
L. W. DRISCOLL. K. S. G,
Bishop Walsh Addresses
Directors’ Meeting of
NCCW Diocesan Council
Motion Picture Projector
Acquired by O’Donoghue
School in Charlotte
(Special to The Bulletin)
CHAR L O T T E, N. C.—The
O'Donoghus School, keeping in
pace with its increased enrollment
of students is steadily adding to
its educational and recreational
equipment. The l-.test addition in
this line is an R. C. A. Victor lb*
mm. motion picture-sound projec
tor, which is now in regular use
in the assembly room.
Through a loan service operated
by the University of North Caio-
lina and the University of Geor
gia. films are periodically receiv
ed, bringing to the screen many
visual aids to high school study.
Among the subjects reviewed are
science, biology, civics, industry,
public, federal government agen
cies. travel and nature study,
Recently a synopsis of ■'Mac
beth” in technicolor, furthered in
terest in the English classes. The
projector further serves as an an
swer to the teachers’ prayers for
activity at the noon recess on
rainy days. Through a free loan
service furnished by the Charlotte
Public Library, an hour’s program
can be arranged quickly, provid
ing a mixture of cartons, musical
and sports reels with educational
subjects. The projector also ani
lities recorded music and has
microphone attachments.
(pecial to The Bulletin)
COLUMBIA, S. C. — The Most
Rev. Emmet M. Walsh, D. D., Bish
op of Charleston, addressed the
members of the board of directors
of the Charleston Diocesan Council
of the National Council of Catholic
Women at the quarterly meeting of
that body held here.
In the course of his remarks,
Bishop Walsh said that women’s
organizations should awaken to the
international situation, “because of
a lack of well informed public
opinion and interest we are losing
every diplomatic battle and aban
doning every principle dear to the
heart of Americans. Face-saving
formulas are being accepted as
substitutes for principles of justice
and the rights of peoples. Unless
aroused public opinion demands a
change we shall soon be in the
Munich stage of appeasement on
the road to the next war."
Mrs. Charles F. J. Buttman, of
Columbia, president of tlie Dio
cesan Council.condueted the meet
ing at which encouraging reports
were submitted by the vai’ious or
ganizations included in the council.
Because of a change in resi
dence, Mrs. Carroll Johnson ten
dered her resignation as secretary
of the Diocesan Council, and Mrs.
I.. S. Thompson was elected to fill
the unexpired term.
Representatives from Charles
ton. Greenville. Spartanburg and
Columbia attended the session, at
which I he Right Rev. Msgr. Martin
C. Murphy. V. F„ the Rev. Albert
A. Faase, and the Rev. Leon J.
Ilubacz, of St. Peter’s Church, were
special guests.
Following the business meeting,
luncheon was served by Mrs. T. E.
Johnson, assisted by Mrs. Frank
Dutton and Miss Mary Bultman.
RALEIGH K. OF C. COUNCIL
C INFERS FIRST DEGREE
RALEIGH. N. C.—Father Thom-
a.: Price Council. Knights of Co
lumbus. conferred the first degree
on a number of local and out-of-
town candidates at a ceremonial
held in the Royal Room of lie
Royal Baking Company on Febru
ary 10.
Members of th council and
their wives were guests at a Val
entine party given in the Kccrea-
tion Room of the Royal Baking
Company on February’IS;’•
j wing to the hospital, a complete
new kitchen, dining 'room, cafe
teria. and cold storage equipment,
a new heating plant, and an ad
dition to the nurses’ home.
In explaining the acute need for
more beds at the hospital, to meet
the ever increasing demands for
its services. Mother Raphael, su-
pcrintendciU of Uie hospital, said
that the hospital has at present a
capacity of 150 beds, but that the
institution is caring for as many
as 200 patients at a time in order
to give its utmost in service to the
sick. This has been accomplished
by turning all sun parlors into
wards and most private rooms into
two and three patient rooms. Even
the corridors have been utilized
to provide places to accommodate
patients.
The new addition, which will
provide space tor 105 beds, ex
clusive of bassinnetles, is expect
ed to aid materially in relieving
the current situation.
According to Walter W. Hook,
A. I. A., architect who executed
the plans for the- new addition,
the structure will be built of brick
and concrete to conform to the
presenPhospital buildings. Ground
has already been broken and it is
anticipated that the work will be
completed within about twelve
months!
Before the plans and specifica
tions for the new addition were
drawn, Mother Raphael visited the
outstanding maternity hospitals of
the country and the plans for the
new Mercy unit have been drawn
in accordance with the latest de
velopments in this type of hospi
tal. It was explained that in this
area some 73 per cent of all the
hospital patients are women and
that at the Mercy approxiriiately
28 per cent of the work is with
maternity cases.
The new wing will be a com
plete building in itself with con
necting arcades to the present cast
wing of the hospital. It will be
on the ground now used as ten
nis courts and already belongs to
the hospital. The final structure
will be six stories and basement
and will house 100 beds. It will
be a maternity hospital exclusive
ly, containing facilities such as
few maternity hospitals in this
part of the country can equal. The
erection of this unit will release
space in the present main units
for other types of hospital cases.
FIRST IN PROGRAM
Mother Raphael explained that
the erection of the new maternity
unit is the project of the first pri
ority in the program, but that
there developed interlocking
needs which will have to be un
dertaken to make the new unit
effective. The new unit will make
increased demands on the kitchen
and dining room facilities, the
heating facilities, and the nurs
ing staff all of which must be
expanded.
The overall program, therefore
calls for complete new kitchens
and related quarters. There will
be developed in the basement of
the present hospital. A complete
cafeteria will be built. A whole
new layout of kitchens will be
constructed while the refrigera
tion and cold storage plant to be
installed will be the last word in
modern construction of this kind.
These facilities will be demanded
to feed the additional patients, the
increased nursing staff, and oth
ers.
The heating plant, of course,
will have to be built all over to
accommodate the additional de
mands of the expanded hospital
plant.
PRESENT NURSING HOME
The nurses’ home now lias three
stories and provides room for 100
nurses.. The addition to be plac
ed in the rear of the present
structure, which itself is iii the
rear of the present hospital with
considerable space between, will
be six stories. It will prqvide
room for an additional 100 nurses
making the nurses corps quarters
able to house 200. The new ad
dition also will have classrooms,
science rooms, libraries, and a
combination auditorium and gym-
•««•»*»*«»*•*•>■ ^
The program was worked out
during the months of preparation
and discussion by tlie members of
the advisory board of the Mercy
hospital and the Sisters of Mercy,
of Belmont, who operate the big
hospital. The advisory board is
made up of C H. Govcr. E. P
Coles. Thomas Griffith.'Henry M
McAden. and Mr Driscoll. The
Sisters who look the lead in the
movement are Mother Mary Bride
Mother Raphael, and Sister Fran
ces. who is secretary-treasurer ol
the hospital.
The Mercy hospital opened
February 26. 1906, in a small
building on East First Street.
Mother Mary Bride is the only
one of the original Sisters who
founded the hospital still alive.
Mother Raphael, the present su
perintendent, joined the Sisters
some three months after the
founding and has seen the whole
development of the hospital
through forty years of its growth
into one of the leading institu-
tons of its kind in the South.
Mother Mary Bride, preceded
Mother Raphael as superintendent.
These two Sisters have devoted
most of their lives to Mercy hos
pital and are the last of the little
band who launched the infant hos
pital almost half a century ago
and with their labours helped it
grow along with the city and com
munity needs
The hospital moved to its pres
ent site at East Fifth and Cas
well road March 16. 1916. when
the building then had a capacity
of 42 beds. Since that time an
east and west wing have been add
ed and the nurses' home was
built.
Speakers Laud US0
Work at Myrtle Beach
(Special to The Bulletin)
MYRTLE BEACH. S. C.—Mark
ing the fifth anhiversary of the
United Service Organizations, a
luncheon was held at the USO-
NCCS Club-by-thc-Sea here on
February 4, and a formal dance
was given at the club on Febru
ary 2, with Miss Pearlie Mac Hew
itt, of Myrtle Beach, and Sgt. Dav
id Farland, of Brooklyn, being
awarded prizes.
Malcolm II. Ormsbee, chairman
of the local USO committee, pre
sided at the luncheon in the ab
sence of Mayor O. C. Calloway.
Colonel Richard Harrell, Jr., Com
manding Officer of the Army Ait-
Base here; Lieutenant Colonel H.
R. Smith, Director of Administra
tion and Personnel: Captain Paul
Dickman, Special Service Office;
Sergeant Edward Reading, editor
of “The Bullseyc”, Sergeant Horn-
beck and Pfc. Jack Orr, express
ed briefly their personal opinion
of the tremendous value of the
USO in general to men and wom
en of the armed forces, and com
plimented the staff of tlie local
USO-NCCS Club for exceptional
services rendered during the last
four years.
Mr. Ormsbee pointed out some
of the little known functions of
USO which did so much to relieve
the strain and anxiety whihe be
set service men, and the services
which added immeasurable plea
sure to their lives.
James J. McAndrew. director of
the club, expressed the apprecia
tion of the staff for tlie wonder
ful cooperation and support re
ceived from officials and army
personnel and from the citizens of
Myrtle Beach who served as hos
tesses and volunteer workers.
In reply to a question as to the
future of USO. Mr. McAndrew
quoted Dr. I., F. Kimball, presi
dent of the United Service Organ
ization, who stated in his annual
report to the nation that “USO
neither seeks nor shirks any spe
cific responsibility, but the par
ticular responsibility it did as
sume in 1941 will have been dis
charged by December 31, 1947.
As to the future of the Myrtle
Beach Club. Mr. McAndrew stat
ed that the continuance of its op
eration depends on the number of
men stationed at the base and the
extent of services required to
meet their religious, educational
and recreational needs as a sup
plement to those offered at the
base and by the community, and
that plans were being made to
celebrate the fourth anniversary
of the opening of the local club
bit’wareh 2.