Evening star., 1938-08-02
G. \. A. WILL SEEK
BOOST T|NPAT|ENTS
TO TOTAL OF 1000
Active Membership Rise to
$500 Aim of Medical
Service Group.
TWO DOCTORS ADDED
TO MEET new NEEDS
U. S. Officials Predict National
Health Program Will Be in
Reorganizing Bill.

Reorganizing Bill.
Group Health Association, Inc, GEN.
ter of the battle over ''socialized medl-
cine" moved today to increase its
active membership from $500 to $500
and thus bring its total patients from
5000 up to 1000.
This was announced after a meeting
last night of the Board of Trustees OF
G.H. A., at which the board surveyed
the entire situation. including the pro-
posed Federal grand jury investigation
of organized medicines fight against
G. A.
Looking to the future. William c,
Kirkpatrick, G. H. A. president. said
the present facilities of the G. H. A.
clinic, at 1928 I street. were sufficient
to justify expansion of the patient load
from 5000 to 1000. There is big
waiting list of Government workers
hoping to join G. H. A., officials said.
Medical Staff Increased.
The medical staff is being increased
to meet the needs of an expanded
membership. Two new doctors were
added yesterday, and another will be
added within a day or two, Mr.. Kirk
patrick said. The two new Vdoctors,
who were on duty today. Ere Dr.
Charles j. Albright, graduate of the
University of Pennsylvania, who comes
here from Fayetteville, N c., and DR..
Clarke P. Halstead, formerly of Mis-
souri,, who took his bachelor of arts
degree at George Washington Univer-
slty and his M. D. degree at George
town University.
Meanwhile, it was predicted by Fed
eral officials here that broad ma
tional health program would be in
cluded next winter in a new Govern
ment reorganization bill.
The program, which would cost
the Federal and State Governments
S850,000,000 a year, was suggested
recently by presidential committee
at the National Health Conference.
Medical Society Silent.
The District Medical Society. which
was named along with the American
Medical Association by the Depart
ment of Justice in its threat to start
grand jury investigation of alleged
violations of the antitrust law, con-
tinued today to maintain official si-
lence on the matter, pending further
study by its legal counsel.
Work on the proposed grand jury
investigation was proceeding at the
Justice Department today. with in
formal indications that it now might
be sometime in the fall before the
case would be ready for presentation
The matter is being handled by a
number of persons. it was said
Representatives of the Washington
League for Cooperative Medical Serv-
ice planned to discuss tomorrow with
Assistant United States Attorney
Harry L. Underwood the possibility of
bringing quo warranto proceedings
against the ofScers and Executive
Committee Of the medical society, with
a view to limiting the latter's activi-
ties.
Representing the league at the con-
ference will likely be H. T. Cory.
chairman; F. o. Billings executive
secretary, and A. c. Edwards, secre-
tary-treasurer of the organiza ton.
In Chicago last night, according
to the Associated Press, DR.. Morris
Fishbein, editor of the Journal of
the American Medical Association, as
serted that the A. M. A. as national
body never had boycotted cooperative
health groups. Local units of the
organization. he added. may take any
action they deem feasible.
The association, DR.. Fishbein said,
"never opposed hospital insurance
plans but insisted on arrangements
which would maintain the quality of
professional service
Unless there is special call, he
said, trustees of the A. NJ A. will not
meet to consider action on the Justice
Departments charges. The next regu-
lar meeting of the board is scheduled
for next month. Members of the as
sociation now number 108,9l6 of the
l69,628 physicians in the United
States
Fishbein Attitude Critical
DR.. Fishbein, in an editorial for the
journal, had taken a critical atti-
tude toward the Governments threat
ened grand jury investigation. vir-
tually challenging the Government to
take the case to the courts.
In Lansing, Mich. the Associated
Press stated. the Michigan State Med
ical Society issued statement heart
lily" welcoming the investigation in
hopes it would disprove loose accu-
sations" against the professions high
morals and ethics"
The State society asked for fair,
Impartial and unprejudiced investi-
gation-one that will bring out the
truth and will insure the right of free
speech and action
The statement attacked corporate
practice of medicine" as "inimical to
the best public interest" because it
tends to wipe out" the physician S
personal attention and interest and
because the quality of service de-
teriorates" when such service be
comes medium of profit by cor
poration."