Evening star., 1938-03-24
G. H. A. .A[LYPLANS
EXTENSIVE DRIVE
Committee for Cooperative
Medical Service to Hold
Meeting Tonight.

Representatives from all Govern
ment departments and Offices will
meet tonight as officials of the Com
mittee for Cooperative Medical Serv-
ice for Federal Employees to map plans
for an extensive organization cam
paign.
The cooperative group has been an
ally of Group Health Association in
Its fight with the District Medical So
ciety.
Announcing the decision to open the
membership Of the committee to the
general public. A. c. Edwards, secre-
tary. said strong" organization pro-
gram will be worked out.
The Executive Committee, which re-
Gently decided to break down the lines
restricting activities of the oreaniza-
ton to Government departments only,
has prepared for the meeting tonight
a new policy, with several lines of at
tack, MIR. Edwards said. Among these
is strong support for a congressional
investigation of the District Medical
Society. as proposed recently by Rep
resentative Scott. Democrat, of Cali
1ornla. Plans will be laid for a mass
meeting later on open to the public.
Many Inquiries Received.
Strife between G. H. A. and the
Medical Society has prompted a flood
OF inquiries from the general public to
his committee. Mr. Edwards said, ask
ing If some kind of cooperative medi-
cal service might be made available to
the general public
Instead of being frightened by the
fight between the G. H. A. and the
DOCTORS" Mr.. Edwards said, people
who have called us appear to be more
and more interested in cooperative
service, and how they can get it."
The committee now includes MEM
bers in all major departments and es-
tablishment of the Government. 1t
Is headed by DR.. Paul M. Pearson,
former Governor OF the Virgin Is
lands. The committee, which has
been working quietly for several years.
has no clinic yet, nor does it furnish
any kind Of medical service. Most Of
its members. however. are members of
G. H. A. and have stoutly supported
Group Health in its current contro-
versy. The committee is not officially
afhliated with G. H. A., but is one of
its staunchest allies.
Chest Support Advocated.
Meanwhile, w. c. Kirkpatrick,
president Of G. H. A., called on men,
bers to continue support of the Com
munity Chest, despite threats of some
to cancel subscriptions because Chest
supported hospitals have barred G. H.
A. surgeons.
In his statement Mr.. Kirkpatrick
said:
In view of the controversy over
our association, which unfortunately
has involved the Community Chest,
We feel it desirable to urge all our
to continue their full support
of the Chest as community service
OF vital importance.
1T has been suggested by some
that members OF the association and
those who believe in its program
cancel their subscriptions because of
the refusal of cooperation from hos
pitals which are drawing funds from
the Chest. We ask that no such
precipitate action be taken. The entire
controversy involving the Group
Health Association has resulted from
attacks on our program by a small
group in the Medical Society of the
District of Columbia, which has chosen
to disregard both medical ethics and
public welfare. There is no reason
that others should suffer from their
action
THE Community Chest was founded
as the best means of serving the city's
unfortunates. The public would suffer
from any crippling of its facilities.
Group Health members, committed
to a program with the same social
aims as the Chest, should take no
action that might inperil the Chests
progress"