Page 5
In The Picture
MRS. SCOGGINS IS ONLY
EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER
IN SOUTHERN AHA
By Mrs. Shelton Smith
The difference between
order and bedlam is organi
zation and usually organiza
tion has gone on behind the
scenes .. . where the organiz
er does not show and is rare
ly credited for the good job
done.
One such member of the
Hospital family is Mrs. Mar
tha J, Scoggins, our Executive
Housekeeper.
Mrs. Scoggins, a native
North Carolinian, has been a
staff member since August,
1942. In 1948, she became
the first Executive House
keeper in the Southern Dis
trict to be admitted to mem
bership in the American Hos
pital Association. One must
have had ten years of service
to be eligible, and Mrs. Scog
gins remains the only one to
achieve the distinction. She
is the present governor of the
Southern District of the Na
tional Executive Housekeeper s
Association, organized in
1900.
Mrs. Scoggins' depart
ment at Duke employs just o-
ver 100 people. Her steiff is
responsible for all cleaning in
two - thirds of the Medical
School, the vast entirety 6f
the Hospital and Baker House,
Kirby Clinic and the Psychiat
ric Clinic on Erwin Road; for
the department which re
ceives all soiled laundry and
dispenses all fresh linens,
keeping check on linens used
in various areas; and for the
sewing room which keeps lin
ens mended and does a myri
ad other sewing jobs.
Mrs. Scoggins, who has
written job descriptions for
all her services, has three
people trained for each job,
providing immediate replace
ment in case of illness or e-
mergency. In addition, each
person employed is trained
for three different jobs, which
makes possible an inter
change of personnel. She al
so has six supervisors, all
except one having been
trained under her leadership.
She expresses warm appreci
ation for the cooperation of
her employees, giving them
their full measure of credit
for the smoothness with which
the department operates. She
says that working with her
employees has been a mutual
ly rewarding experience.
Mrs. Scoggins and her
husband, Howard, who has
held a responsible position
with Durham Hosiery Mills
for 32 years, reside at 104
Fifth Ave. They have two
daughters, both nurses with
the Durham Public Health De
partment, and three grand
children, a girl and two boys,
ranging in age from 18 months
to four years.
Asked in what way her
work at Duke Hospital has
more appeal than other such
positions she has held, she
replies that there is some
thing more personal about the
whole job and that she and her
staff render a service which
has more humanitarian value
than any such commercial po
sition could afford.
That the buildings are
kept clean, with all that in
volves, that linens are count
ed and stored for use, that
mending and sewing jobs are
kept up to date -- these things
do not just happen. They in
volve accurate records,
planned schedules and the
meeting of personal problems,
inevitable in a group so large.
Mrs. Martha J. Scoggins
( Photo by Jimmy Whitley)
Mrs. Scoggins' staff works a
44-hour week, but hers is a
job which can never be dis
missed, even in off hours.
Through her years of
service, her efficiency has
simplified living and working
in all areas touched by her
department. Her spirit and
understanding have endeared
her to all who know her.
AUXILIARY TO MEET
FEB. 23
The next general meeting
of the Woman's Auxiliary will
be held at 8 p.m. Tuesday,
February 23 in the Men's
Graduate Center.
Guest speaker will be Dr.
R. Taylor Cole, professor of
political science at Duke. All
members are urged to attend.
Auxiliary membership
meetings are interesting and
informative. Be sure to at
tend.
BRICKBATS
There's been an increase
in losses of instruments from
medical students' kits. Please
do not "borrow" instruments
from students without permis
sion.