Abstract

Abstract Background. COL William C. Gorgas was appointed Chief Sanitary Officer of the Isthmian Canal Commission during construction of the Panama Canal (1904‐1914). In 1910, Gorgas sought to determine the administrative and operating costs of major metropolitan hospitals in the United States and compare these with similar costs in the Canal Zone hospitals. Methods. Gorgas sent a questionnaire to hospitals in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. The information requested included number of beds, daily census, details about resident and nursing staff, salaries, length of stay, and hospital cost per patient per day. Results. The survey results provide information about metropolitan hospitals in the United States at the turn of the century. Hospital costs varied from $.22 to $2.76 per patient per day. Conclusion. Gorgas concluded that the costs of operating hospitals in the Canal Zone compared favorably with those in the United States.