In some ways today s hospitals resemble small cities.

In some ways today s hospitals resemble small cities. They centralize in one institution many of the essentials of every day life and many of the services we regularly use. They provide not only room and board, but also have a “drug store", a power plant, a library, and in many cases a “school" for budding professional personnel. These facilities, of course, are all in addition to the technical and scientific services which contribute to patient recovery. “All of these facilities and services make the hospital one of the community’s largest employers," says Phillips. “In fact, an average of one out of every 35 persons works in the hospital. This week is National Hospital Week, a time designated annually by the American Hospital Association to extend public understanding of hospitals. This year's national theme is “People - Heart of the Hospital.” “Even though science and technology contribute remarkably to patient care, people continue to be the most Important element in the hospital,” Phillips says. Mr. Phillips cited not only the physicians and the persons employed by the hospital, but also the many more individuals in the community who are contributing to the hospital’s objectives by serving as members of the governing board or on one of the volunteer groups. “Today's hospital is really a hundred or more different kinds of people dedicating their minds, hands and hearts to the task of making others well,” Phillips said. "It is through their efforts that the community is able to benefit from the advances of medical science.”