Evening star., 1938-10-26
MEDICAL PR0BERS
SUMM0NRECORDS
Of DC. HOSPITALS
Special F.B. |. Agents Study
Data for Presentation
to Grand Jury.
ANTITRUST VIOLATION
EVIDENCE is HUNTED
subpoenas Reported to Be Causing
Inconvenience to Institution
in Conducting Business

Records of number Of Washing
tons leading hospitals have been
examined by special agents of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation and
subpoenas have been issued in many
cases for production of parts of these
records before the special grand jury
investigating alleged antitrust law
violations by the American Medical
Association and the District Medical
Society.
Meanwhile the grand jury heard
the flrS witness from the District
Medical Society who has appeared be-
fore it, when Theodore C. Wiprud,
executive secretary, was in the jury.
room for less than an hour.
Mr. Wiprud is new officer of the
medical society who came here from
Wisconsin, where he had been engaged
in similar capacity with the medical
profession there
He was followed on the stand by
DR.. Henry Rolf Brown. who was the
first medical director of Group Health
Association.
DR.. Brown, who had formerly been
with the Veterans Administration,
resigned from G. H. A. to re-enter
the private practice of medicine
He was succeeded by Dr. Raymond
Selders, the associations surgeon. who
now heads the cooperative clinic in
the 1900 block of I street NV
DR.. Brown, after leaving the grand
jury room, said that he had made all
of his statements to the grand jury
itself and had no comment to make
on the subject for the public.
After DR.. Brown left the grand jury
went into executive session with the
Department of Justice staff, which il
presenting the evidence, and then adj
journed about O'Clock. No announce
ment was forthcoming as to future
plans of the grand jury, tomorrow.
Hospital authorities in some in.
stances are said to be in a dilemma
over the subpoenaing of Office records
needed in the daily conduct of bust.
ness. No funds are available for the
photostating of the data, even II the
photostats were deemed acceptable in
lieu of the original papers.
Apparently few of the hospitals in
the city failed to receive the duces
tecum subpoenas requiring production
of the records
Received at Least by Seven.
Among those known to have re-
ceived the summonses are Emergency,
Casualty. Children's, Garfield. Colum-
bia. Sibley and Georgetown Univer-
sity.
Records at Georgetown University
Hospital must be presented to the
grand jury on November 2. of Emer-
gency Hospital on November 3, OF
Garfield on November I, of Sibley on
November 9 and of Casualty on No
vember IA. Dates for the presentati ton
of data by other hospitals were not
learned
Apparently some of the records were
wanted by Department of Justice
attorneys because of their alleged
bearing on charges that organized
medicine has obstructed the Junction.
ing Of Group Health Association, Inc,
here in defiance of the Sherman Anti
Trust Act, but the subpoenas are said
to have covered also many papers
which have no apparent connection
with the group health controversy.
Boycott Tactics Charged.
The Government has charged that
"obstructionists" and boycott" tactics
by the A. NJ. A. and the District Med.
ical Society have included barring Of
Group Health Association physicians
from courtesy privileges" at local
hospitals.
The superintendent of one hospital
commented perhaps facetiously. that
so many papers have been requisitioned
that truck will be required to take
them to the grand jury room in the
new Police Court Building.
1t is understood all of the hospitals
readily opened their books and records
to the Department of Justice agents
and have agreed to produce all records
asked for, or,Sif permission is Granted,
to furnish photostatic copies. An
effort may be made to have the Gov.
ernment bear the expense of the
photostating, it was reported.
Meanwhile the grand jury was
scheduled to hear more witnesses today
from Group Health Association. Sew
eral officials of the association already
have testified.
Medical Society Defended.
Contending that an impression had
been given the public that the medical
profession would selfishly stand in the
way of progress" was unjust and
disproved by facts" Theodore c. WI
prud, executive secretary of the Med
ical Society of the District of Colum-
bia. declared today that many expert
ments to provide adequate medical care
to the low-income group Of Americans
were being sponsored by or in co.
operation with medical societies of the
country.
This statement was made by Mr.
Wiprud to the press after he appeared
before the special grand jury investi-
eating Department of Justice charges
against organized medicine.
Mr.. Wiprud emphasized that he
could not refer to his testimony before
the grand jury. In his statement. he
referred to the program for the low
income group already adopted in its
basic features by the Medical Society.
Mr.. Wiprud was the first witness
which the grand j1lrv has heard renre.