The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, March 31, 1940, Page 37

¥ 2 THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE, SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 1940. PROGRESS AND TR R ICa0 DEVELOPMENT EDITION MEA‘(I"!})’(’ ~ TERRITORY LOOKS = - AFTER WELFARE - OF ITS CHILDREN = MOTHER, CHILD HEALTH GUARDED BY DEPARTMENT Division G;Is in Its Work Early on Generation of Alaskans Maternal and Child Heaith Div - The lengthy and somewhat cum- berscme title given to this admin- istrative Division of the Territorial Health Department = merely indi- cates that the chief concern is with the health of the mothers and chil- = Division Has>|mporiant Task of Intervening and Protecting Child Welfare Services e philosophy of public services | the pretection of children re- flects the legal doctrine of parens patriae (the state in the position of parent) by which society, 1gh its laws and agencies, at- Keith Carswell Juneau, is a typical he:lthy recently of a tempts to provide for the special dren of the Territory. The respon- Alaskan child. needs of children otherwise cared |sibilities are definitely twofold; the Fc for inadequat by the usual com- |protection and improvement of the |} |“_ v\i’ munity rescurces of home, school, |health of this specific group, and pUBlI( NE[, fi“‘ coreation and health, Embodied |the provision for surgical and med- \ thic doctrine is the idea of theical treatment for crippled children The inclusion of these services in the public health program ex emplifies the change and the ex- willing or unable to afford suitable pansicn of the concept of this field pretection and care |which has come with the years of “hild welfare as a responsibility (grcwth and service to the public. of the Territory is not a new con- | for here the individual rather than cept and the First Legislature, which met in 1913, and each succeeding one has given some consideration to the needs of children. The Terri- established to serve right of the state through its court to provide protection and to inter-| vene when parents have been un- DEPARTMERT IS YOURG, ACTIVE Relief of Déstituficn, 0ld Age Assistance Are Among Duties entity. It is true. that all public health ultimately affects the healh of the individual, but,activities were limited in the early years to pro- torial agency the children of Alaska by working | cedures which protect groups of . . ment of Public | Within the present legislative frame- people, such as pasteurization of W,].]‘,‘:‘“f\]':r::h!,n)‘).':;ll‘,‘, li‘u:fi‘ lf\‘lii:‘ work and with the several groups|milk and control of epidemic dis- Territorial Legislature in extraor- designated to plan and care for them |ease, and w)_fllc l.odny' these still i & charged with su-|is the Territorial Department of form the basic foundations of the dinary session, 8 CAtEE of old |Public Welfare through its division public health .seryjge. ;upon these }vll:»‘z;?:‘;\v“.,‘.-(- “xllelmm « allowance, |0f Child Welfare Services have been built services .relating to maintenance angd jmprovement of the health of each individual, Valuable Childhood Health supervision of. each child Cooperative Plan The Diyision of Child Welfare | Services is charged with the respon- |sibility of establishing, strengthen- ing and extending existing public relief of destitution, has jurisdiction over all juveniles in the Territory, and is rseponsible for certifying per- sons for employment on Works Pro- s Administration projects. J welfare services for homel de- | particularly essential if future gen- A Territorial Board of Public Wel-| o qons “and neglected children and |erations are to be spared the cost fare, consisting of the Governor of |y o i qanger of becoming delin-|and tragedy of prevengable d Alaska and four memb "“’l"’_"".ll' quent. cases. The value, then, of mater- ed by the Governor, onc from €ach | opy o 0y unger which the Division [pal and child. health service of the four Judicial Divisions, s " &t B lielle "eoices operates | which are in the last analysis con- the governing agency of the depart-| - .= ooherative one between the|cerned with the health of individ- ment. The administration of Wel-| . iiorial Department of Public uals, cannot be reckomed entirely fare activities, designated by 1aw.!(yoieo0 ang the United States!in the reduction of mortality rates is delegated by the Board to the Di-| oo g oan. of the women in ehildbifth today rector of the Department of Wel-[™'mp " yian for the present fiscal nor in the death rate of infants fare, who is appointed by the Board vear provides for a supervisor of under the age of one year. The fi- and is subject to the supervision and o, 4 “\elfare Services and three nal results will be found in the direction of the Board. Child Welfare Services workers who improvement of the individual The main office of the Department carry responsibility for the general health of the young adults of to- of Welfare is in Juneau and logal |weirare program as well as services|morrow. The prevention and, post- offices, under the Territorial office, | to children in the areas which they /ponment of death is a noble but a narrow goal; the broader one is the development of positive health. ‘This requires the regular super- Jocales cover. One worker covers the towns throughout the Territory s0 (haliof jyneau and Douglas, one cover persons in need may have an OP-|the Third Judicial Diyision and 7 portunity to apply for assistance t0|nas headquarters at Anchorage, and | vision of the child’s health by a field the Department of Welfare through |one covers the Fourth Judicial Di- staff on a full time basis and is the local agent vision and has headquarters at Fair- therefore the reason that local pub- | 0ld Age Assistance !banks. The administrative cost of |lic health nursing services, working Federal funds are available to|Child Welfare Services is borne by in cooperation. with the local Alaska for old age assistance under (a grant made by the United States health officers and family phys- the public assistance section of the Children's Bureau to the Territory icians, were planned under the Di- Social Security Act, through & sys-on the basis of an approved plen. | vision of Maternal and Child Health tem of grants in aid and under an Local policies are determined by |for the major towns of the Terri- approved plan between the Terri-|the Territorial Department of Pub-|tory. The following report includes | torial Department of Public Wel-|lic Welfare. The total amount |those activities of the local public fare and the Social Securily Board,|granted to the Territory since the health nurses which lend them- in accordance with certain specific |{inanguration of the Division of Child selves to presentation in statistical regulations. Grants to an aged | Welfare Services is $22,255, form: s | person are made on the basis of the Works With Boards Public Health Nursing Activities | circumstances reflected in his ap- The Division of Child Welfare 1. Maternity Care (Prenatal health plication and the amount allowed|€ ices works directly with the supervision, assistance at ceordance | Beards of Children’'s Guardians in confinement and posl- are maintained in necessary him is determined in therewith The n imwmn allow- |each Division offering such servic partum care of mother: ance provided by law is $45 per|as are requested by them in plan- a ~Number of mothers 250 month. In view of the fact that ning and caring for children com- b. Wumber of visits 1918 allowances are made on basi. of mitted to them. The Division works 2. Infant and Preschool Su- the individual need of the appli-|in cooperation with the United pervision: cant, it is not possiblc for the De- | States Department of Justice in a. Number of children 1027 partment of Public Wellare t u.‘»‘nmnning for children adjudged de- | b. Number of visits pose a standard allowan: for allinquent by the courts and has ar- (home or Health Center) 3876 Con- |ranged suitable care for four chil- Schoel Health Service- lowance |dren during the past year. Be-| (Inspection of school to the individual recipient varies|lieving that every child should have s - in accordance with the u reflect- |a chance if his own home has failed | v ot only those for whom the ed in the application and the in-|him, it has been possible to place 'I‘l~{'x'1wx-y has appropdiated funds vestigation. If at any time the ch'v“l\vo of the children referred to in fo care. This means that close cumstances of the recipient change, | private homes and two in special cooperation wtih the Office of y_‘{. the old age as'stance g t is re-|schools. These plans have afforded 4i), Affairs is essential and that evaluated and the grant increased 01'}:\ real opportunity for the children ;. planning for the protection and decreased as tbe need may be. |involved which they would not have care of homeless, dependent or ne- recipient of old age as: sequently, the amount of On March 1 of this year, lfifll‘had had they been sent to a so- ted children and. those D dst: persons in the Territory of Alaska |called reform school Servis nd ger of becoming delinquent, it is received old age assistunce grants.|assistance are provided for children ... that all of the children in the The average grant for the Te whose situations require no cowrt perpitory must be included.” tory is approximately $28.02, which action through funds appropriated _ R A is the third highest average grauifor the Department of Public Wel- - to aged persons in the United States | fare. and its Territorie: Inquiries and| As noted in the general s information relative to Alaska’s Old | regarding the Territorial Age Assistance program should be ment of Public Welfare, the admin- directed to the Department of Pub- | istration of the Mother's Allowance lic Welfare, Juneau, Alaska. | Fund was transferred from the Gov- g " | ernor’s Office to the Department of 3 :‘:J;z;:"e')f‘s::;“‘:‘l': Tersi. Public Welfare on February 1, 1940 ¥ : |and the report concerning children torial law, the Department of Wel- " benefitting through this fund has fare is responsible for the adminis- | s tration of rellef of destitution in|Peen compiled by the Division of Alaska and under this divisin re-|Chilld Wellare Services and 1s in- lief is granted to persons who are | cluded below. i r . Work Summarized i or SRl A ¥ho ch-‘ Number of children under the su- atemont Depart- cumstances are such that they can- | " 2 i not provide necessities for them.- |Pervision of the D'T‘”s“_"'!‘m_‘;; C'L‘)“m eélves. This type of assistance is |Wellare Services, ~TRrs partment of Public Welfare, April 1, 1939 to February 1, 1940, and pay- ments made for their care, are as basis of written au- the agents of the issued on the thorizatibns by Department of Public Welfare. The law provides that authori- | folOWs: S U SYST zations may be written for food, i x5 C\itiiing Sheller, fuel, 1ight, and we- | TyPe of Oare: GMares’ Bepended | ter, hospitalization, medical care | Wards of the Boards | and similar types -of general as-| ©f Children’s Guar- b sistance. Over two-thirds of the| %NS S e Relief of Destitution fund is ex- {Allowances to Moth- 1060 0 pended for hospitalization, medical | €*S ¥ 206 935 and burials. The Department of |Payments from Re- Welfare has expended a large por-| lief of Destitution Ll tion of this amount for care of tu-| Fund » 530034 bercular patients. Since April, 1939, Services only I the beginning of the present bien- | No expenditure of i nium, approximately 1540 cases have | Funds 125 i3 PR P 0 M8 Devasioent o0 Toia) 462 $5121247 Weifare and each has received some | of assistance from the relief | type “Includes regular payments for 75 of destitution fund. | children. There are 89 wards of the > Boards of Children’s Guardians and |court costs were paid for the others. In 1904 Alaska was garrisoned by = In giving any account of its ser- full regiment of infantry, distrib- | vices to children, it must be remem- uted at Fort Seward (now Chilkoot | bered that the Division of Child Wel- Barracks), Forts Egbert and Gibbon | fare Services has responsibility for | considering the needs and circum- Fort u.scum‘l stances of all children in the Terri- o5 S Ll the group has become a predominate | throughout the years of growth is, **t ¢overed 1n 1908 and is still producing. JAMES C. COOPER Certified Public Accountant | Chocking Healthy Chil(rlrvu [ | . | Tuberculosis Clinician Dr. Palmer Congdon of lhe_'ljer- | ritorial Department ¢f Health is shown examining | school children at the Petershurg Health Center. CHILDREN WITH | first aid, con- parents, children, sultations with teachers and doctors) : | a Number of children 3953 'I'WISTED lIM Bs | b. Number of services.. 23070 . | 4. Home Nursing Care (Bed side care for patient who ARE (ARED FOR is ill in the home): a. Number of services. 2356 St 5. Dental Pregram (With co- operation of dentists and school) Important Administrative Duties Part of Ter a. Number of examina- tions arranged by nurse 1713 H 5. Sepsee tor Communies- ritory Program ble Disease Control (As- 3 sistance in clinics) : Divisicn of Crippled Children’s a. Number of immuni- Services zations, (diphtheria, small The best known and perhaps even pox, whooping cough) 3260 e most important phase of the b. Number of tuberculin crippled children’s program js that tests + 2237 of hospitalization and surgical treat- Two Additions i Since the beginning of this pro- |gram, it is has been possible to es- ment of children handicapped by deformities of the bones or joints, to most Alaskans, services for and | tablish, with the cooperation and in crippled children are considersd most cases with financial assistance o1y in relation to the facilities of the local communities, 12 such provided by the Children’s Ortho- public_ health nursing services. It pedic Hospital in Seattle has been possible in the past The total program is far more ke two additions to those pre- v established; one, a full time community nurse, with a full time school nurse now serving Ketchikan extensive than just hospitalization for it includes the location of all crippled children, the diagnosis of the deformity with an estimate of through cooperative arrangements ihe prognosis, transportation to and with the schogls, and quite recently | jrom Seattle, hospitalization for a generalized service has been estab- | those under 14 years of age in the lished at Kodiak. There now full time services in Ketchikan, Pe sburg, Wrangell, Juneau, Cordovs, Anchorage, Palme Kodiak, Fair- {banks and Nome, and part time ser- e Children’s Orthopedic Hospital, and for those between 14-21 years in the Swedish Hospital, convalescent care in Seattle, supvervision of the child when he has returned to his home | vices in Craig, Skagway, Tenakee, iy the Territory, and provision for | Valdez, Seward, Hope, Moose Pass. further treatment in Seattle if there | Seldovia, Homer, Port Graham and pas been any recurrence of the de- | Portlock Two of the full time services |made possible through cooper | financial agreements which were in- formity. Long Waiting List first of these gccessory is essential in order to select of ser- The itiated early in 1939 with the Office the most urgent cases, as well as of Indian Affairs, the local com- those whose condition offers the munity and the Territorial Health greatest chance of full recovery Department. In adition to these. for in spite of increased appropria- two other districts are divided on a tions geographic rather than a racial ba- sis between the Territorial Health Department and the Office of In- the funds are still insufficient to provide for those who would profit by it. In fact, some 62 chil- dren would be el le if funds were dian Affal Each nurse serves t ayailable and each month brings entire population in a given area. additional reports of new cases. thus giving stability to the services, Nevertheless, in spite of this long lmiting cost of travel and prevent- waiting list, it is important that ing duplication of services and con- (g s be reported to the Territorial fusion in the field. For while the peparment of Health because the local public health nurses are em- Rederal grant-in-aid is allotted on phasizing supervision and care of the basis of the number of children mothers and children, they also who are in need of treaiment. carry a generalized public health | In Seattle, there are four ortho- nursing program, since it is realized pedic surgeons and one plastic sur- full well that this particular group is but a part of the family and of the community, and thus are affect- ad by the health or ill health of all others, geon who, for a nominal monthly fee, give time, skill and experience for the Alaska children | pitals provide not only hospital | care, but also the so-called extrs such as medicines rays and phys- iotherapy, on a per diem b In addition, the facilities of the Chil- dren’s Orthopedic Hospital conval- escent home are available for those children who do not need hospital care, but still reguire supervision by a specialist, or who are awaiting further surgical treatment in a short time. Since there is no convales- cent home in connection with the - ; Since the completition of the Alas- ka Railroad coal mining in the Matanuska and Nenana ficlds has hecome an established industry that is gradually becoming stabilized and of increasing importance - e . Iditarod is among the last of the placer camps. The district was dis- EM—AUDIT-TAX SERVICE Cooper Building Juneau, Alaska ' ate | Swedish Hospital, foster homes are secured through the aid of the Washington State Crippled Chil- dren’s program. Tuberculosis Main Cause At the present time, there are 201 children who have been classified as crippled on the basis of a phys ian's diagnosis and in addition, there are 51 more who have been reported as crippled but who have not yet been examined. Of these 201 chil- dren, 124 are suffering from tuber- |culosis of the bones or joints. The cther 77 children have a cleft pal- club feet, dislocated hips or deformities due to infantile para- Iysis, other infections or injuries. | For many years, the Territory |and the Office of Indian Affairs have been treating crippled children both in Seattle and in the Govern- ment hospitals in the Territory. However, it was not until 1936, when additicnal funds became available to the Territory by the passage of the Social Security Act, that an expansion of services was possible. From 1936 to 1939, Federal funds were granted only on a matching basis; that is, for every dollar ap- propriated and expended by Terri- torial appropriation or by local sub- scription for crippled children’s services, a dollar was received from the Federal grant-in-aid. In 1939, a small—indeed a very small, fund was granted on an unmatched ba- sis; this amounted to but $162 for the 1939-1940 fiscal year. The Ter- ritorial Legislature increased the | appropriation for care of crippled children in 1937 and again in 1939, the budget for this fiscal year ending June 30th, 1940, has been approximately $21,000; $10,000 from Territorial funds and $10,000 from Federal funds. In addition, the vil- lage of Kanakanak raised by popu- lar subscription $367 which was matched by Federal funds Caze For 30 Children These funds have provided 358 hospital days and 1208 convales- cent days for 30 children, in addi- 50 tion to transportation and medical and s ical fees. since July 1, 1939 The Office of Indian Affairs has been able to care for 10 children in Seattle and for about 25 in the local Government hospitals Without the magnificent coopera- the staff members of other both Federal and Terri- tori: namely, the Office of Indian fairs, the Department of Educa- on and the Department of Public Welfare, as well those of the Territorial Health Department, it would be impossible to provide the present services to crippled children tion of agel as with the funds now available. Fur- thermore, the assistance willingly given by travelers to and from Se- attle has saved at least the cost of cne year's hospital care for one child. The American Legion and Legion Auxiliary have for the past year aided in making foster home care vossible for the children over the wge of 14 years, who have been hos- pitalized in the Swedish hospital. ALASKA FEDERAL GRANTS $269,000 BUILDING LOANS More than a quarier of a million dollars worth of construction loans were made last year by the Alaska Federal Savings and Loan Associa- tion of Juneau. The total of $269,- 000 consisted of 59 loans, of which x were for homes in Sitka costing $24,000, 18 were improvemefit loans Both hos- | Frank S. Barnes of Wrangell, Alaska islature. tion.” Republican Candi - . PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORIES BUSY AL YEAR Services Expanded - New Methods Used in Aid- ing Alaska Physicians Division of Public Health Laboratories The year 1839 was one of almost mushroom activity in the Division of Public Health Laboratories. The use of a number of newer techniques and the adoption of additional methods of analysis were responsi- ble for the increased use of the laboratory by the physicians, nurs- es and other technical personnel of the Territory. As an added service to the phys- icians and nurses the laboratory adopted the use of a check method of performance of the routine sero- logical tests for syphilis. The labo- ratory now uses a floculation test and a complement fixation test on every specimen of blood submitted for examination. Also, as a check, the laboratory now cultures every negative specimen of sputum sent in for examination for the tubercule bacillus. The laboratory is also equipped, at present, to handle a limited num- r of water specimens for complete chemical analysis in addition to the regular bacteriological examination. These analy are made when re- quested through the Division of Public Health Engineering. As a result of the adoption of the above methods, the laboratory now offers all the services of many of the municipal and state laboratories in the United States proper. Increased Use The following chart shows the increased number of examinations made during 1939 as compared with 1938: 1938 1939 Chemical and bacteri- ologic éxaminations of milk, wa and other foods 762 1,164 Bacteriological exami- nations for typhoid and diphtheria 110 392 Serological tests for philis 2,930 10,363 cellaneous examina- tions including those made for undulant fe- ve norrhea, tuber- culosis and miscellan- eous smears and cul- tures 360 196 Total 4,162 12,720 During 1939, the laboratory also completed the stocking of the four in Juneau totaling '$28,000 and the balance built 35 new Juneau homes, COperating under the FHA plan, the Asscciation provided mortgage funds locally at 4% percent inter- est, at terms up to 20 years and to a value as high as 90 percent of the construction cost on each home. A gain of 40 percent in total as- sets during 1939 is reported by the Association, which paid four per- cent interest to investors on both July 1 and January 1. Savings ac- counts at the Alaska Federal Sav- ings and Loan Association are fully insured by the Federal Deposit In- surance Corporation up to $5,000. "Whatever is good for Alaska is good for ~ youandI. Mr. Voter, let me be your personal representative at the next session of the Leg- "Tt elected I promise fo do my utmost to give you a strictly business-like administra- date for ‘ AND WELFARE HEALTH ! § i $ | main biological depots at Nome, | Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau, | and established a number of smaller depots at various towns. These de- “)o(s carry an adequate supply of vaccines and antitoxins used in the prevention and control of commun- |icable diseases. The laboratory has | also helped the local health office by the establishment of a field investigation unit in a number of outbreaks of undulant fever, typhoid and diphtheria The laboratory and its facilities are available to all residents of the Territory and visitors are always welcome. e —————— -i'rhis Is YOU on your WASH DAY ! ! [ | | ! ! ] | | | | | | | ! ! | ! ! ! ! | ! | | | [ i | ] [ i [ ] | | [} ] { ] i [ l | 4 i | | i [ ] i | | | g | ! 1 Y i | | | ! | [ | | | | | i i Ji | | | | i | | 1 i e No more “WASHING AT HOME” for me. It is a pleasure to re- ceive your clothes laundered so snow white and promptly as the Juneau Laun- dry does. It's econ- omical, too! | JUNEA LAUNDR | \ | Y PHONE 359