Me LAREN GENERAL HOSPITAL Oetober 3, 1951 Te the Hoard of Trosteesa: As you know, @ sehedule of events was planned in connection with opening the new bulléing, Since all members of the Board could not be present at all functions, we would Like fo make an immediate report-as follows; Wednesday - September 12 The Auxiliary met for a pot-luck luncheon with 170 members and gueste present. The cafeteria was not quite finished, but wes presentable, and everyone Seemed pleased wlth the tour which followed, Some crowling was inevitable on the ground floor, since contractors were carrying on their work. Sunday - September 1.6 The Gideon Society, Flint Chapter, Mr, BE. L. Hoyt presiding, conducted a prayer service in the director's office with sbout 30 Gideons present. Testaments for eacn bedside in the hospital were presented, as well as 15 Bibles and a Bible bomd in white with name in gold letters to Miss Sanders and one to your superintendent. The service was much appreciated, as it started the hospital on ite way aa an institution seeking Divine muidance, praying that ell who render service in it must realize their special calling, endeavoring always to give kind, gentle, and understanding care to patients, be considerate with anxious relatives and friends, deal fairly with each other, and be loyal to associates and to the hospital. Wednesday - September 19 Thea first board meeting to be held in the new building was 4 milestone long to be Temembered. The tour revealed much finishing work to be done. Friday — September <1. About Pive hundred life members and their friends inspected the building. By dint of untiring work, the furniture, lobby, and four floors in the hosanite!] were ready and made a fine esppesrance. The committee for the opening, of which Mr. Stewart was chairmen, Mre. Miner, and the hospitel administrators are grateful for the splendid work the hospitel personnel accomplished in order to make the opening events successful and informative to the people of Flint, It is impossible to mention every name, suffice 1+ to say thet we were delighted wlth the performance, without a single hitch or flaw. Saturday - September 22 About 100 contractors, workers, and gueste visited the hospital. Most of them have been in the building since the beginning, but seemed to enjoy bringing their families, ba meet the hospital workers stationed in the departments, ami to see the finished results of two years and three months work, Suniay - September 23 All Trustees were present excepting Mr, Blackinton who waa 111 at home, and Mr, Kleinpell who was out of the city, The dietary department, Miss Ford in charge, served luncheon to eighty guests and per- sonnel. It was mich appreciated by everyone, Your Superintendent was indeed happy to take her three brothers, three sisters, nine nieces and nephews, only living aunt, Mise Sarah McLaren, two cousine, three classmates, their husbands and a few close friends through the building before luncheon. The family We photographed under the name at the front entrance, Page 2 Sunday - September 23, continued Those of us whe took part in the dedication secepted it as a duty and a privilege. The program sterted on time and concluded in the estimated time - forty mimutes, Mre. Miner presiding most capably, Mr. Stewart made acknowledgements and introductions. Dy. Longman's prayer of dedication was so appropriate, expressing so exactly what the hoepitel personnel should strive for, that it is proposed to use it in the hospital handbook. Your Superintendent introduced Miss Lillian Girard, co-founder with Dr. Lucy M. Ellictt of the 408 Harrison Street hospital; Mre. J. Guy Blackinton, charter Auxiliary member; Mre. Fussell Durler, President of the Auxiliary: Dr. E. P. Vary, Chairman, and Dr. Well Ward, Secretary, of the Medical Staff. Miss Sanders was introduced as the superintendent elect cf the hospitel. Dr. Malcolm T. MacEachern was introduced, His address was excellent, We expressed approval of the building, commending the standard of hospital service in Flint. Dr. MacEachern drew from his vast knowledge of the growth and improvement in hoepitel care if ‘hte and other countries, presenting facts on responsibilities of trustees, medical beoff, and personnel, as well as making a comparison of the costs of today and twenty- [ve Years Ago. the Board of Trustees, the Medical Staff, and the hospital peraonnel were indeed grateful to have Dr. MacKachern give the dedication address, A great many telegrams, lettera of congratulations, and good wishes were received for the Board of Trustees, the hospital, and ite personnel, We are certain thet no insti- tution was ever launched with more goodwill. The hospital was beautified by 73 bouquets, corsages, and plants. A list of the donora is enclosed. Mre. Carl Geiger, Auxiliary member and newly appointed head of the Red Cross Gray Lady Corps for the hospital, received, listed, arranged, and cared from the flowers, which lasted the whole week. From 2:00 p.m. until eight o'clock on Sunday, five thousand people inspected the hospital ing gitet, appreciative manner, with no confusion or crowding, following the route as outlined and marked off by Mr. Stewart and the committee, 60 Auxiliary members and 30 nurses and other hospital personnel served ag guides, and filled stations as scheduled by Mrs, Durler and Mias Weinschreider., Mr. Durler anda Mr. Geiger capably assisted in the lobby, @tarting the tours. Puesday - September 25 Everyone enthusiastically prepared for the afternoon ani evening. Fifteen hundred people toured the hospital. Again Auxiliary members, recruited and instructed, and placed by Mrs. Durler, acted as hostesses and guides with supervisors and every available hospital employee meeting every contingency attendant upon such a huge and unrehearsed performance. Volunteers ran the two elevators without mishap or delay. Boy Seouts of Troops 6 and 72 irected traffic and all went on echedule, Wednesday - September 26 This was the last day of the general public tours. Everything went as smoothly as the night before with nineteen hundred people touring the hospital. Fage 3 Thursday - September 27 the executive steff and board members of the Community Chest agencies and social service organizations were taken through the building in groups by the hogpital per- sonnel, the Auxiliary members again acting es hostesses. friday - September 20 The administrators of Genesee County Tuberculosis Sanitorium, Hurley and St. Joseph Hospitals were invited for luncheon, The Sisters of St. Joseph were unable to accept, but came later to tour the building as did 200 visitors from other hospitals and hospital supply companies. A totel of almost ten thousand people toured the building 1m an orderly way during the week, wlth evident pleasure and generous commendation, the dietary department under Miss Ford's direction, with many recruited workers,. did an amavingly good job of serving the necessary meals and lunches for workers and guests. loomdey ia fn Pull operation, doing the old and new work, and was of grest interest ts all visitors. this has been the outetanding experience of a life time for many of us. Some high lights of the week were as follows: Mire. Miner presiding at the dedication, and attending all of the functions. The marvelous assistance and generosity of the Auxiliary president, Mra. Durler, and her husband, Mr. Durler, and of Mr. and Mre. Geiger. The beautiful corsages and planta for the desks sent to Mra, Miner and five others by the 100 and more members of the Auxiliary who participated in the opening Punections, Olive Hummel's whole family coming from Detroit, an: their pleasure in seeing her name in bronze on a door in the administrative suite. The lawn and shrubbery so well started. The sunset from the lobby, the view from every window, The News-Advertiser supplement prepared by Ben Bennett, and the generous publicity in the Flint Journal written by Homer Dowdy. The photographs by Dan Levi. The exceptional way in which Mrs. Pearse, housekeeper, and her corps prepared the building for visitors. Mre. Prescott, purchasing, with Mr. Van Horn, storekeeper, received, checked, and dis- posed of ten moving vans of furniture and equipment. Mies Weinschreider, director of nurses, did an outstanding job in setting up the depart- mente ready for visitors, and manning them during all tours. Mr. MacArthur's committee, with Elmo Stadler and Boy Scowte and city police, managed traffic and parking without confusion or mishap. The parking lots are adequate and accesBibLle. Mr, Stewart, Mise Ganders, Miss Harris, and everyone, planned and carried out a auccesafw ‘opening week". m7 =. / SCHEDULES TO BE COMPLETED: Page 4 Tuesday - October 9 The Genesee County Medical Auxiliary (Dectors' wives) - invited for ‘tea and tour. Thursday - October 11 Hembers of the Flint Distriet Nurses Assoclation, the Fractical Nurses Association, and the Puture Nurses Clubs - invited for tea and tour. Friday - Oetober 12 The Genesee County Medical Society is invited with guests from the University of Michigen and Wayne University Medical School faculties, as well as a number of doctors from the Michigan State Medieal Society. For this meeting, which will help materially to gain approval for interns and Tesidenta, we would like very mich if every Board member could be present, The letter or card of invitation sent to the members oF the Genesee County Medical Soclety, guest physicians, {interns and residents of Hurley and 5+. Joseph hospitals read as follows: “The Board of Trustees of the Women's Hospital Association cordially invites you to be present at a dinner in honor of the Genesee County Medical Society to be held in the McLaren General Hospital on Friday, October 12, 1951, at 6:00 p.m. A tour of the building and survey of the equipment will be held immediately follow- ing the dinner." We are indeed happy at the opening of the new building under such Suspicious circum- stances, We are hopeful that patients may be transferred from the old hospital on October 15, Yours sincerely, Wargaset © tetra superintendent