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NATIO AL OFFICERS NATIONAL
WOODRO SON RED CROSS WAR COUNCIL
PRESIDENT BY APPOINTMENT OF THE PRESIDEN
ROBERT W FOREST OF THE UNITED STATES
VICE-PRESIDENT
JOHN SKELTON WILLIAMS
TREASURER THE AMERICAN RED CROSS HENRY P. DAVISON, CHAIRMAN
JOHN W. DAVIS JOHN D. RYAN
COUNSELOR CORNELIUS N. BLISS. JR.
STOCKTON AXSON C. D. STIMSON, MANAGER GEORGE B. CASE
--- SECRETARY NORTHWESTERN DIVISION HARVEY D. GIBSON
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT SEATTLI-E, WASH INGTO N
CHAIRMAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE E EX-OFFICIO
ELIOT WADSWORTH
HARVEY D. GIBONVICE-CHAIRMAN ELIOT WADSWORTH
GENERAL MANAGER
October 29, 1918.
N.W. 52
To the Chairman of the Chapter and
Chapter Comnttee on Influenza:
Reports received indicate magnificent cooperation by the Chapter with local
health authorities in 'ractically every community seriously affected. This
letter should be read in connection with l@! 48, 49 and 50, - bearing con stantly in mind that the primary responsibility is upon the local health
authorities but that the Red Cross is obligated to supplement the resources
of local health authorities as to supplies and nursing personnel, whenever
prompt action is otherwise impossible. Appeal for Division assistance should
be made only as a 1 ast resort and should always be made through the local or
county health officer to the State Board of Health.
He1 to Families
Chapter committees on influenza should be alert and resourceful to render
locally any variety of useful service turgently needed and not provided for by
other agencies, - always with the approval of the local health officer. For
example, some chapters have fouad it advisable and necessary to prepare suit able hot cooked. food. for families deprived by influenza cases in the family
of the means of serving themselves; to distribute this food by motor service
to homes where it is needed; to send volunteer hosekeepers and caretakers
for children to homes where such help i s noede be cause of influenza; to
establish and main tain a Red Cross office wher thusne wishing to volunteer
as nurses aids anid. as emergency housekeepers can repoQ t and. receive orders;
and to seek constantly suggestions from competent nur sing and medical author ities for needed service. The use of commnon sense, applied in the Red Cross
spirit to problems arising, will guide the chapter aright in the exercise of
the authority and discretion granted in the several letters from the Division
Office on the subject of influenza.
Use of Nurses
Naturally the need for nurse s is greater than can po ssibly be met exccept
by the utmost conservation of nursing resources. Graduate nurses should be
used to oversee undergraduates; cases should be "specialed" only when abso lutely necessary; where conditions are acute cases should be concentrated in
ho spit als rather than cared f or in scat tered pr ivatea home s. The name and address of every nurse, graduate and practical, who is available for service
outside the C hapter jurisdiction should be reported at once to Miss I y S.
Loomis, R.N. Director Department of Nursing, Northvestorn Division, White
Building, Seattle.
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