Dr. Rudolph--There is going to be more money.
Dr. Thompson--There are a lot of angles to this which we ran into.
Dr. Rudolph--You do have a matching fund.
Dr. Thompson--They set up specifications, and must approve your bed space, the number of beds devoted to such and such cases, the amount of space; approval must be from their own architect. We felt that, at least the last word we got there, was that they already had so many requests and so little money that there were only about two or three hundred thousand dollars for the Fund.
Dr. W.B. Steen--Mr. Scholer went to Washington in behalf of the State, and he asked me what we needed for the County Hospital--this was in the last week of so. I suggested that he get in touch with Dr. Thompson or Dr. Manning.
Dr. Thompson--Most of the leads we have had from Washington have turned out to be fouls. Mr. Kautenberger [ Kautenburger ] came back and said we could have all the money we wanted, and this was revealed to be just a rumor. I think we are kidding ourselves if we think we can get funds from this source.
Dr. Rudolph--Hill-Burton Funds will be allocated to Arizona after the first of July. I think the County Hospital would be in a good position to get it, if the request is in. St. Joseph's and St. Mary's have taken quite a bit in the last few years, and there is now no one else who might wish to draw on it.
Dr. Thompson--It sounds very good to secure Hill-Burton funds, but actually it is a job to accomplish.
Dr. Rudolph--Is the request in?
Dr. Bean--In the past it has been only $400,000.00 a year.
Dr. Rudolph--My point is that there is no other place where it can be allocated.
Dr. Thompson--I wish, Dr. Rudolph, that you would do the investigating on this--we have worn ourselves out with it.
Dr. Rudolph--This all goes through the Board of Health.
Dr. Thompson--We would like to know how much is available and how much we could get.
Dr. Rudolph--On the first of July all the money will be awarded. We are waiting to find out what the Health Department will get. No one knows how much anyone will get.
Dr. Thompson--My personal feeling is that you are wasting your time. You have to conform to certain specifications. Per bed, according to Hill-Burton plans, it comes to a great deal over and above what we can build it for. I wish you would get that information for us, however.
Dr. Rudolph--There is no more information available now, other than that which I have given you.
Dr. Bernstein--I do not want to appear to interrupt this discussion, but there is a motion on the floor. The meeting is for what purpose?
Dr. Bean--You can find out what Jane Ryder can do, and present this at our meeting.
Dr. Thompson--The meeting is for the purpose of discussing the problem of the new County Hospital and making a decision as to whether we want to go into this initiative petition. The Committee recommended that we get all members of the Committee to get up to date on all these things and present them, and we would like to know whether the County Medical Society really wants to back this thing under the present circumstances, and, if they do, whether we should initiate our petition for a bond issue, or let it ride.
Dr. Hayden--The Board of Directors could not decide this without bringing it to the Society?
Dr. Thompson--I am just transmitting the wishes of the Committee.
Dr. Engle--I do not think so. There are too many issues, and I feel that if we are to decide to make a real effort to push the County by initiative referendum, it will require the enthusiasm and cooperation and hard work of many members of the Medical Society. A half dozen people can't do it, if the rest of them don't even know what it is about.
Dr. Hayden--How many do you think will come?
Dr. Engle--I do not know, but we can invite them. Most of them don't know what the issues are, and they should be presented in such a way that they can make up their minds.
