Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-08-04
HEALTH CENTERS WILL
DEMONSTRATE VALUE


where. through superstitious fear. the
savage abandoned the sick, 10 the inn
where the Good Samaritan brought
the dying stranger because he had
compassion upon him. II vas another
long step from the inn of compassion
TO the modern hospital where spiritual
compassion is happily blended with
scientific medical skill
Now an institution is i'm process Of
development in this country, which
II Is hoped, will mark as important an
advance in the ethical and physical
progress OF mankind as did the hos
pital. This institution is the Health
Center where the preservation and
promotion of health rather than the
cure of disease is the sole object OF its
program of procedure and activities
IL is the outgrowth of our increased
and all-embTacing sense of social re-
sponsibility For whereas compassion
dictates that tender care and skillful
treatment of the sick. well-developed
sense OF social responsibility COM
mands that every means be employed
to prevent such sickness and suffer
ing.
Scientific medical research has
brought to light the causes of many
diseases and has discovered the
means of prevention and of protection
against not a few of them. AS o
natural consequence, the people have
enacted laws to secure for themselves
the application OF these preventive
and protective methods. principally
with reference to communicable dis
eases. They have created public
health departments TO enforce these
laws. They have organized many
private health organizations. each, OF.
which is ATTACKING some preventahle
disease or Is engaged in some spec
ialized health activity. los msuIele M.
The American Red Cross has def
pitely decided upon health service as
its principal ipeace7time, activity. The
American Red Cross takes practical
interest in the problems of disease
prevention ana health preservation a.
whole It. is not. exclusively inter-
osted in combating any one disease
IL does not center its attention on any
enc group of people. II desires TO be
OF practical and effective service to al
the people and to all the health in
forests of any community. In line
with the League of Red Grass, Socie-
ties, it has adopted the following
health service program; ass ras 9.,-
nal To. stimulate and maintain in
teIest in public health work. .bse
spib) To- UNFOLD, and if need be, sup
plapeut tho work Of government
lagencits.a5t 9st, o.ea..<se n.e.r
(c) To disseminate useful knowl-
edge concerning health through dem
onstration. education and otherwise
The American Red Cross has de-
cided that ii can best carry out this
health service program through the
medium of the Health Center This
decision was arrived at largely upon
recommendation of some of the lead
ing health experts in the United
States. The health service of the
American Red Cross then, is chiefly
concerned with the establishment of
Health Centers in this country
The establishment of a Red Cross
Health Center in any given commun-
ity is. however, matter for local de-
termination, by the Red Cross Chapter
or Branch. after consultation with the
local health authorities. Its import
ance is emphasized by National Head
quarters and il is earnestly hoped that
chapters will give serious considera-
ton 10 the question of establishing a
Health Center in one or more locali-
ties. But it is not desired to do this
where one already exists. Where the
local health department. county tuber-
culoSis association. or other we'll
qualified organization has established
Health Center, it is hoped that the
Red Cross Chapter will cooperate and
aid TO the best of its ability in increas-
ing the service of the Health Center to
the community.
The Red Cross Health Center is
voluntary local health agency, estab-
lished, maintained and operated by
the Red Cross Chapter or Branch. 1t
does not attempt to treat or to cure
disease. hence it is not a hospital. II
does not give out drugs, hence it is
not dispensary. 1t is not primarily
interested even in discovering cases of
disease, hence, the Red Cross Health
Center does not necessarily include a
clinic or a collection of clinics.
The Red Cross. Health Center ex-
lists primarily 10 teach well people
how TO keep we'll Ii gives out infor-
nation on how people may prevent
disease. and how they may protect
themselves and others against disease.
The Red Cross Health Center bears
partly the same relation 10 the physi-
cal life and development of folds as
the church does for their spiritual life
and development, and that the school
does for their mental life and develop
ment. The Red Cross Health Center
promotes healthy environment and a
healthy body.