[Wesley Long expansion campaign]

              The first,,
pitsjrcpenei
shortly before
Hill, Durham
AT
n $80O,Oo4;:
light with
the dinner are,
banker who was guest
(Daily News staff photo.)
L FUND  DRIVE MEETING
rive to finance an expansion program at Wesley Long Hosier at Greensboro Country Club. Shown  talking things over
ed Merritt, co-chairman of the Doctors Division; George Watts
eaker; and Dr.  S. F.  Ravenel,  also  co-chairman of the Doctors'
Division.
pne
tes,
com-
Drive Begins
for Hospital
Expansion
$140,5iTpiedged
For Wesley Long
Advance pledges* totaling $140,«
511, for the Wesley Itpng Expansion
Fund were announjpl last night by
Dr. S. F. Ravenel, •, co-chairman of
the doctors division of the hospital'*
$800,000 fund raising  campaign.
The  announcement was »ade at
a   "Doctors'   Dinner,"   held   at  the '
Greensboro   Country   Club   as   the
drive got under way officially.
Of the amount pledged in advance, $74,660 came from 20 Greensboro physicians; $60,100 has been
pledged by an anonymous donor;
and 72 employes of Wesley Long
Hospital have pledged a total of
$5,751.
Guest speaker George Watts Hill,
Durham banker and dairyman, told
the assembled medical men that
they must lead the drive for better
medical facilities if it is to succeed.
Competit'
Citing hi gurham
as an exam^^^B^
in expansionppff hospital fadE
Hill emphasile^he value 3|
petition.
"A friendly competitive a'"
phere among tvbspitals creates better hospitals and better patient care
for all," he declared. "Duke Hospital's coming to Durham was tha
finest thing that could have happened for Watts Hospital there."
Hill said Greensboro is "at least
25 years behind" in hospital facilities. Unless expansion is carried
out immediately, he said, the city's
hospitals will be swamped by 1970.
He cited figures to show that by
that time the city's population
should be 140,000, with approximately 220,000 within the local hospital area.
The speaker was introduced by
Dr. Ravenel.
Earlier, Dr. Ravenel presented ths
plans and aims of the expansion
fund to the group. Principal among
the objectives is the erection of a
four-story, 30-patient room addition
at  the  present  hospital  site.
The program is to be financed by
funds raised in three-year pledges.
Dr. Ravenel said the goal set for
local physicians is $200,000, or about
$60,000 in addition to the pledges
announced last night.
Also speaking in behalf of the
campaign were Dr. Ralph Deaton,
Dr. J. F. Stevens, Dr. R. O. Lyday,
Dr. R. N. Harden and Dr. J Fred
Merritt, co-chairman, with Dr. Ravenel, of the Doctors' Division.
Dr. Merritt explained wtiat he
termed "a misconception held by
many" that Wesley Long is a profit-making organization. He pointed
out that the hospital was incorporated specifically as a non-profit
facility, and said directors and trustees receive no compensation for
their services.
Drawings Displayed
i-rominently displayed at the
meeting were two architectural
drawings of the proposed expansion
as designed by Charles C. Hart-
mann, architect. A ground level delineation and an aerial delineation
were shown.
An estimated 175 doctors and their
wives attended last night's meeting, which opened the first phase
of the drive. Later a special gifts
solicitation will be made, followed
by an appeal to the general public.
In addition to the new four-story
wing, plans call for the renovation
of existing patient rooms, corridors
and service rooms, as well as the
purchase of new equipment, enlargement of the laundry and
kitchen facilities and construction
of a four-unit apartment for nurses.