Evening star., 1939-06-11
Self Help Exchange
Medical Care Plan
Is Announced
Program Worked Out
Through Cooperation
Of Doctors Society

A program for medical care of
persons at the Self-Help Exchange
has been worked out through CO.
operation of the exchange and the
Medical Society of the District, it
was announced last night.
The system for such care was
adopted after a months trial had
proved satisfactory to all concerned
officials of the exchange, of the
society and the patients themselves.
The experiment began early in
February ur@er an agreement en-
tered into by the medical society
through a committee consisting of
DR. Thomas E. "--i+ingly, chairman;
Dr.. Sterling Ruffin, and Dr. Eugene
w. Higgins. The exchange was rep
resented by its Service Committee,
of which the following are men,
bers: Mrs. Thomas Parran, chair
man. Mrs. Harlan Fiske Stone, Mrs.
Henry .Grattan Doyle and Mrs. Da-
vid Cushman Coyle.
Under the arrangement entered
INTO the society promised to OBJ
tain volunteer physicians to 60 to
the exchange twice a week. 1t was
not contemplated that any medical
service be given in acute illnesses
but that emphasis be placed on the
renab'lltati1n to a Self-supporting
status of persons in need of medical
guidance to make possible their re-
employment.
Plan Is Explained.
In its statement announcing the
plan the medical society explained:
Members of the Society'S COM
mlttee agreed with officials at the
exchange to demonstration of the
value of maintaining the pSySician-
patient relationships among a group
of persons who ordinarily go to
clinics without guidance. 1t was
agreed that once a physician as
sumed responsibility for a patient
he would continue to advise him
until the completion of the case.
Professional services were to be
paid for in scrip which the eX-
change redeems by making layettes
for families under the doctors care.
be turned over by physicians to the
Health Security Administration
which distributes the layettes to hos
pitfalls and clinics affiliated with it.
To facilitate the work of the CO.
operating physicians, reports were
to be obtained directly from clinics
with the cooperation of Ross Gar
rett, director of the Health Security
Administration. In this manner,
physicians volunteering for the serv-
ice could follow up on persons COM
ing to them for guidance with a
minimum of delay.
DIR. Mattingly Was Guide.
For the duration of the expert
ment, which was continued until
March /, DR.. Mattingly, chairman
of the committee, acted as medical
guide for persons at the exchange.
He interviewed them, discussed
their disabilities, recommended
clinics to which they should 60 and
followed through to see that they
obtained proper care.
Following a months trial of this
plan, the medical society recon-
mended to the exchange that the
program be made permanent. This
action was enthusiastically received
by officers of the exchange.
The society's membership has re-
Gently been canvassed for volunteers
to assist with the medical care plan.
Some 80 physicians have already
volunteered to serve. In the mean
time, the exchange has requested
that representative Of the medi-
cal society be appointed to its ad-
sisory board. The Executive Board
of the medical society has approved
and DR.. Mattingly has been ap-
pointed to serve as the society's rep
reSentative for the coming year.
This unique medical care pro-
gram is regarded by officials of the
exchange and the medical society
as demonstration of the impor-
tance of the personal relationship
between the physician and patient
and both are anxious that it be con-
tinued for the benefit of the under
privileged persons being served