PAPERS OX MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 437 



curtailing the hospitalization of the sick, rather than in- 

 creasing it. 



Inasmuch as the standardization program as outlined 

 by the College of Surgeons applies almost entirely to the 

 conduct of physicians and surgeons and not to the better 

 organization of the hospital, it appears to me that this 

 program puts the hospital in the position of policing 

 the medical profession instead of serving it. The stand- 

 ardization program calls for five rules with which the hos- 

 pital is supposed to comply. If the hospital governing 

 bodies undertake compliance with these rules they must 

 change their fundamental relations to the medical pro- 

 fession. They must change their fundamental relations 

 from that of serving to that of dictating to the physician. 



THE MIXmUM STAXDAKD OF THE AMEEICAX COT.T.EGE OF 



SUBGEOXS 



1. That physicians and surgeons privileged to prac- 

 tice in the hospital be organized as a definite group or 

 staff. Such organization has nothing to do with the 

 question as to whether the hospital is "open" or 

 "closed": nor need it affect the various existing types of 

 staff organization. The word staff' is here defined as the 

 group of doctors who practice in the hospital exclusive 

 of all groups such as the "regular staff." 



2. That membership upon the staff be restricted to 

 physicians and surgeons who are (a) competent in their 

 respective fields, and (b) worthy in character and in mat- 

 ters of professional ethics : that in this latter connection 

 the practice of the division of fees, under any guise what- 

 ever, be prohibited. 



3. That the staff' initiate and. with the approval of the 

 governing board of the hospital, adopt rules, regulations, 

 and policies governing the professional work of the hos- 

 pital ; that these rules, regulations, and policies especially 

 provide: (a) That staff' meetings be held at least once 

 a month. (In large hospitals the departments may 

 choose to meet separately), (b) That the staff revieAv 

 and analyze at regular intervals the clinical experience 

 of the staff in the various departments of the hospital, 



