p. 20 | Sanitarium Relief Campaign by L. A. Hansen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 5, 1911

Sanitarium Relief Campaign

By L. A. Hansen

Some Figures on Sanitarium Work

THE last statistical report shows a continuous growth in our sanitarium work. While the report does not show so many institutions as did that of last year, three or four being discontinued or merged into others, it shows a substantial gain for the seventy-four sanitariums reported. These institutions have a valuation of $3,368,041.46, representing the largest part of our institutional investments.

The number of employees in our sanitariums is given as 1,989, or very nearly 2,000, which figure is probably more than reached on an average, if the extra help during the busy seasons is included. Most of these are skilled workers or are in training, there being 116 physicians and 1,109 nurses. This represents considerable talent and energy devoted to this branch of work.

Financially this work pays. It is self-supporting, although requiring an annual expenditure of $600,000 in wages. This amount is met by the income from patronage, thus placing no burden for support upon our conferences, except in a few instances where the salary of a medical superintendent of a sanitarium may be paid by the conference, he also serving as medical secretary of the conference; or in other instances the chaplain of an institution may be supplied by a conference. When it is taken into consideration that a tithe of the wages of the sanitarium workers is $60,000, it will be seen that from a financial standpoint, this work is a source of income rather than an expense to the denomination.

Those who are observant of the progress of our medical work agree that as a factor in the support and progress of our denominational work, it is constantly attaining larger proportions. The establishment and existence of the sanitarium work itself is bound up with the interests of our entire movement, and the work that is being done is in harmony with the spirit that controls the work of the denomination.

Much of the work of our sanitariums may be regarded as distinctively denominational. The employment, care, and training of more than a thousand of our young people, developing them into efficient and capable workers, is a matter of deepest interest to all. That the cost of the educational training given, moderately estimated to be at least $150,000 annually, is met by the institutions, no burden being placed upon either parents or conferences, is no small consideration. The very fact that our sanitarium workers have a support while engaged in a missionary work is cause for gratitude.

In addition to all this, when we consider the evangelical side of sanitarium work, and what it would cost the denomination to reach the 33,000 persons that come more or less in touch with our work and truth through our sanitariums, it will be seen that we have in this work a means of effectually advancing the cause of truth without calling for a constant support. Not a great deal of denominational money has gone into this work by way of donations, nor is it being called for now. At the same time it is a branch of our cause that legitimately appeals to all our people for help.

How reasonable is the call that comes to us in our “Ministry of Healing” campaign! While utilizing the specially dedicated gift of a most excellent and timely volume of truth on the ministry of healing, we are engaged in a movement that gives us all an opportunity of rendering substantial aid to our sanitariums, and at the same time of taking part in the good work they are established to do. The missionary feature of the movement is one that should in itself present a call to each one to engage in doing that which really ought to be done anyway, even if there were no relief measure connected with it. But when, in addition to helping others to find precious spiritual truth and relief from physical suffering, we can render help to our important medical missionary work, and thus do what might reasonably have been asked of us long ago, should we not respond gladly and hasten to accomplish our part of what is both a privilege and a duty? L. A. HANSEN.