Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-11-14
HEALTH CENTERS
! TO Be OPENED
BY RED CROSS
Projected service to COM
munities to be financed by
Third Roll Call

Very soon after the signing of the
armistice, the American Red Cross
made it clear that the central feature
of its peace time program would con-
sist of activities in the field of pub
lie health. Perhaps the most import
ant consideration of this peace pro-
gram is the plan for the mobilization
of Red Cross interest and influence
in the establishment of public health
centers in every community through.
out the country where conditions
make this desirable and possible.
The working plan will be discussed
at the annual meeting of Red Cross
Chapters to be held at Chapter head
quarters in the near future.
"In% planning thus to enter the field
of public health, the Red Cross has
no idea of attempting to encroach
upon the fields of the already existing
health authorities" said Major Cen
eral John F. Organ, chairman of the
Third Red Cross Roll Call for the At
lantic Division. at has no thought
of s~uperseding any of the accredited
volunteer health agencies. But the
Red Cross sees clearly a great OPP
p%ortunity to advance the public well
fare by enlistfng alongside Of these
agencies. By mobilizing the reserve
forces, its universal prestige, its dem
ocratic and non-sectarian ideals in a
new and mightier national effort for
public health, the Red Cross plans a
great campaign against unnecessary
sickness, poverty and death now
caused by preventable diseases. And
this campaign is to be made possible
by the Third Red Cross Roll Call,
Nov. 2-11.
A Militant Campaign.
'"That a militant general campaign
to promote physical welfare in this
country is needed, General Organ
said. lis made clear by the experience
of the draft examinations, in which
approximately one-third OF all candi-
dates were rejected for active ser
vice on account Of physical disability.
The first step, he said, has been the
extension of the public health nurs-
ing program. The establishment of
public health centers is another step.
"The Red Cross health CENTER"
General Organ continued, will be
the physical headquarters for the
public health work of a commun-
ity. AS such, it will be the practical
and concrete expression of the in
terest of the community in the health
of its people. It will constitute the
business-like way of associating
health activities, both public and pri-
vate, under roof, in daily touch
and in mutual understanding. Thus,
1t represents the latest step in the
evolution Of community health work,
and answers the demand for efficient
conservation of effort in bringing to-
gether Independent health campaigns
against p~reventable diseases.
Tn the larger communities, the
health center will be the focus which
brings together all community agen-
cies both public and private which
deal with the health Of the people.
In the smaller community, the health
center will often take the form of a
community house, OF social center.
"The two fundamental elements in
the modern public health campaign
are the war on tuberculosis and the
conservation of child life. In the lat
ter category may be included the
whole range of prenatal supervision,
the advice and instruction of mothers.
in the care and feeding of babies, the
exercise of influence for the portion of
clean, paseurized milk, the supervision
homes and surroundings Of boarded
out children, the hygiene of children
before and during their school years,
and all the other usual activities as
ISOLATED with the conservation of
child life" ,