The Charity hospital board of administrators Tuesday night authorized a- committee to seek to unravel a snarled air-conditioning project for the hospital's 10th j floor obstetrics unit.
As explained by house commit-
tee vice-chairman Thomas 0, Nugent, the problem is this;
Plans for the $220,000 steam air-conditioning project, as approved by a previous board, called for use of high pressure steam and chill pipes. These were! installed, but later engineers decided this system would be dangerous and alterations were necessary. "
The' original pipes were installed by Sciambra and Masino, j Inc., on a subcontract from Otis W. Sharp & Son, Inc., which is doing extensive construction on the floor. !
TEMPORARY UNIT ASKED
The board received bids for the alterations,. one for $16,013 from Brindell-Bruno Inc., and another for $9,826.99 from Gulf York Inc. However, attorneys for Sciambra and Masino have said that if other contractors interfere while their clients' worl$ is unaccepted and the clients unpaid for work, they will "protect our legal rights by whatever means are available to us." H
The situation is further confused by the death of a principal in the subcontracting firm, Nugent said.
The board authorized the house ( committee to try to arrange a meeting to work out a solution to the contractual and legal problems.
Since the difficulties will delay completion of the delivery room air-conditioning until after summer weather sets in, Dr. Louis Burroughs, an assistant director at Charity, requested that arrangements be made for temporary air-conditioning. CASE RECORDS
Action on this request was de^ ferred pending further study.
In some of the other actions1 at the meeting, the board: |
Left to Dr. John Adr;ani, an asistant director, the problem of arranging improvements in certain records handling problems. Additional transcribers and stenographers had been requested to assist with dictation of case record.
Voted to borrow funds fr«©m an endowment fund to pay for equipment costing $4165 for use in certain types of surgery.
Authorized Dr. Burroughs and Dr. Houston to study procedures at three hospitals in California April 4-13.
