The Laboratory of Pathology in the Small Hospital

In order to provide proper care for the patients, the smaller hospitals must offer an adequate laboratory service. If the attempt were made to provide all the special features of the laboratories of the larger hospitals, the expense would be out of proportion to the total budget for operation of the hospital. The cost per patient would be higher than in the larger institutions, for exclusive of endowments the cost of the laboratory work is borne by the patients, whether on a flat rate basis or on the basis of payments for each test. Nevertheless professional standards demand that the patient in the small hospital be given care at least equal to that provided in the larger hospital. The features may be discussed from the point of view of physical plant and personnel. In this paper the major attention is paid to the latter. The amount of space to be