St. Louis Children’s Hospital

1967

• Dr. Philip Dodge, a leading pediatric neurologist, was approved as Pediatrician-in-Chief of St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
• The size of the House staff at the time was increased from 16 to a total of 23, including fellows. The price of a room in a ward was $30.00 and a semi-private room was $33.00 a day. 

1968

• In a report of the past and present, it showed that our daily average number of inpatients was 135 and that occupancy was 80 percent at that time. The average length of stay for an impatient was 8.6 days.
• We established the dedication date for the new Spoehrer Tower for November 17. About 4,000 invitations were sent out. 

1970

• The Cleft Palate Clinics at Children’s Hospital and Jewish Hospital were combined, and were renamed the Washington University Cleft Palate Clinic.
• The new neonatal unit was opened and operating to full capacity.
• Lilly Hoekstra, who had served as the hospital’s administrator since 1954, announced that she would retire in June.
• Changes in the bylaws to create a Chairman of the Board were recommended. It was also recommended that the present President of the Board would become the Chairman, and that a full-time salaried President of the Hospital would be hired to serve as an ex-officio member of the Hospital and he would be responsible for hospital operations. It was also reported that a person was available for the fulltime position of President: C. Alvin Tolin, an early retired corporate Vice-President of Ralston Purina.
• It was announced that Linn Perkins, former Assistant Director of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, would be joining the Hospital on October 21, 1970, as Executive Director.

1972

• Dr. Guze asked the Board to vote on changing the name of the Medical Center from Washington University Medical School and Associated Hospitals to Washington University Medical Center
• The Board was made aware by Mr. Tolin of a new group known as the Development Board, under the leadership of Harry Hamm. They were formed to provide additional income for the Hospital as well as improve public relations.

1973

• Mr. Perkins stated that in the future our main goals would be to obtain more support for free care, keep patient days at a high level and concentrate on obtaining more financial support for Hospital.
• The Medical Center was developing a heliport pad for delivery of patients. An ambulance would be purchased to be used in transporting patients between the pad and hospitals.

1975

• The Board approved reorganization of the nursing staff for each of the seven nursing units resulting in 92 more employees in patient care to improve the quality of our care.

1976

• Mr. Perkins said that Children’s Hospital was at 90 percent utilization of bed facilities but there was severe lack of space and expansion was badly needed. Mr. Tolin said that fund-raising was the only practical solution to our financial problems.
• Mr. Childress announced that although the Hockey Benefit had been financially successful for the past two years, it was felt that the Development Board now needed to concentrate on the Hale Irwin Golf Benefit and therefore, would not do a Hockey Benefit in 1977.
• The Development Board reported that the golf tournament was a big financial success and would become an annual event.
• The board was acquainted with the fact that hodgepodge improvements were not the answer, and what the Hospital did need was a totally modern facility.