Medical Missionary Department by L. A. HANSEN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 10, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 40.

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Medical Missionary Department

By L. A. HANSEN

W. A. RUBLE, M. D. — General Secretary

L. A. HANSEN — Assistant Secretary

H. W. MILLER, M. D. — N. Am. Div. Secretary

Report of Assistant Secretary of the Medical Department of the North American Division Conference

Read at the Medical Convention Held at Madison, Wis., June 5-10

THE report of your assistant secretary will deal principally with the office end of our department work. This covers more particularly the routine business of correspondence, securing and filing various data on sanitarium and training school work, gathering matter of general interest to medical workers and passing it on, placing unemployed workers and answering calls for them, supplying material for our papers dealing with health questions and the progress of our medical work, and lately, developing our Central Purchasing Bureau.

As far as we can judge from our correspondence, there exists a good spirit of cooperation in our medical work as a whole. We are receiving no word that indicates on the part of any a feeling of dissatisfaction or criticism. Letters that we receive are warm and encouraging, and usually speak appreciatingly of the efforts our department is making to be helpful.

While as an organization we are drawing together and growing stronger, we believe that much more can be done to strengthen our work and make it more effective as one of the principal branches of denominational effort. We see an increasing willingness on the part of our workers to contribute suggestions and to furnish us with matter that may be copied and sent out, or that may be used in our reports. We still plead, however, for greater cooperation in this direction.

We have excellent facilities at the office for preparing and sending out matter that may be thus contributed. We have been glad to get hold of cost systems, advertising suggestions and hints, follow-up letters, notes on studies, financial statements, and news notes. We have tried to make careful use of such material, and that which we have in turn supplied to others seems to have been well received.

We realize that circular letters are not much in demand, so we are not mailing very many. We assure you that it is only when we feel we have something worth your while that we go to the trouble and expense of getting out matter in multiform shape. We bespeak your consideration for the communications of this sort that we do send out.

In connection with our plea for fuller cooperation in supplying departmental material, let me urge that more attention be given by our doctors, managers, chaplains, and other sanitarium workers, to providing articles and reports for our church papers, such as the REVIEW, Life and Health, Signs of the Times, and union conference papers. Our people want to hear of what is being done in our institutions. Our sanitariums will hold a place in the hearts and dealings of our people according as we improve our opportunities to place their interests before our brethren and sisters.

Our people need and want the health instruction that our sanitarium workers can give them. With the present-day popularity of health topics, our writers have a wide-open door. Others are furnishing much matter of this kind. We should be in the forefront as public teachers in health and temperance. Are we meeting the responsibilities resting on us in this direction? Our own people should be well instructed in the principles of true health reform.

Incidentally I may say that we have the privilege of a cordial relation with one of the chief officers of the United States Public Health Service. I have told him quite fully regarding our health work, and have explained at some length concerning our other missionary activities. He is enthusiastic in his expressions regarding our health educational principles. He gives a full and free invitation for our workers to make use of the facilities of the Health Service. Regular health reports, bulletins, and other literature are available, as well as the use of a growing library of stereopticon slides; all without cost to us.

Our Employment Bureau is proving serviceable, both to workers who want employment and to persons who want workers. It seems to be growing into use for all classes of our workers, as conference presidents and others are referring quite a number of people to us. We endeavor to exercise all possible care in looking up proper recommendations. And here let us most sincerely thank you for so promptly and carefully replying to our letters of inquiry regarding the qualifications and fitness of applicants for employment. May we also ask that due notification be given us when you make arrangements to employ persons whose names we give you. On my last visit to sanitariums I found several persons placed through our bureau whose names we were still carrying as available.

We have on our list the names of a few doctors, lady and gentlemen nurses, pharmacists, cooks, stenographers, bookkeepers, engineers, electricians, and others. We are not very well prepared to fill calls for medical superintendents, and we present to you the strong need there is of properly qualified men who will be willing to bear responsibilities in this connection, devoting themselves fully to the interests of this cause.

The Central Purchasing Bureau, authorized at the last fall council, is taking definite shape. We have already issued eight bulletins, and are seeing considerable business developing on some items, with satisfaction in goods used and with a saving in money. We are mailing our bulletins to two hundred and sixty names and addresses in North America, including sanitariums, treatment-rooms, food factories and stores, schools, publishing houses, and conference offices.

Thus far we have placed nearly two hundred cases of grape juice, about four hundred cases of olives, two thousand pounds or more of malted milk, considerable vegex, and more or less of miscellaneous items. A letter to conferences suggesting the use of malted milk at camp meetings has met with fair response, seven or eight conferences placing their orders. A number of conference presidents and others have expressed their appreciation of this bureau.

It has occurred to us that we may extend the benefits of our Purchasing Bureau to include most of our membership on some commodities. Most of our people have a limited income. They are liberal in responding to calls for means in behalf of our denominational work. If we could help them save money, it seems we should do so. Possibly through our tract societies or conference offices acting as agencies, some practical plan may be worked out in this connection. We have as yet done nothing to work up foreign trade on this proposition, though we have taken care of a few orders that have come from foreign fields where word of our bureau has been sent.

We truly believe that on the whole our sanitarium work is enjoying the best degree of prosperity it has known. We have word of a large patronage from nearly all these institutions in this country. In some instances a sanitarium has not been able to receive all who have come. One institution reports having to turn away twenty-two applicants in one week. Some institutions that have had a hard financial experience are making good gains.

We wish to say to our workers here assembled that the Division Conference officers and various department heads are very sympathetic toward the work of our Medical Department, and show a willingness to render all help possible. We know of no reason why this branch of our work should not move steadily forward.

L. A. HANSEN.