Evening star., 1939-07-24
|G. H. A. 10 Assist
In Establishing
National Body
Medical Cooperative
Federation to Set
Standards

Federation to Set
Standards
Group Health Association, medical
cooperative of Government en-
ployes here, which took a prominent
part in the recent First Annual Con-
vention of Group Health Plans, in
New York, is to be represented on
the Organizing Committee to set up
permanent federation" of pre-
payment medical clinics.
c. G. Garman, president of Group
Health Association, explained today
that the committee to formulate def
mite plans for the new national or
ganization will include representa-
tive from Ross-Loos of Los Angeles,
Calf; Trinity Hospital, Little Rock,
Ark; G. H. A. of this city, and Group
Health Association of New York City.
The new organization" Mr.. Gar
man said" will serve as a clear
ing house of ideas for improving
the operation of the group plans.
1t will set standards that member
groups must meet and assist them
generally.
Emphasis on Prevention.
Several groups represented at
the convention, including our asso-
citation here" Mr.. Garman con-
tinued, "are placing emphasis on
preventive medicine. The member
ship of these associations is be-
ginning to realize that they are
paying groups of doctors, special
lists, and general practitioners asso-
ciated together in well-equipped
clinics to keep them well-not just
to care for them when they are
sick"
The Group Health Association
here was represented at the con-
vention by DR.. Mario Scandif6o,
medical director; Perry Taylor, ad-
ministrator, and Mr.. Garman. Mr..
Taylor preside over one of the ses-
sions. DR.. Scandiffio and Mr.. Tay-
lor presented papers.
President Garman said the con-
vention had ben real "inspiration'
to all the groups, since reports indi-
Gated substantial growth of the
movement throughout the country.
The largest clinic represented was
Ross-Loos of California, which he
said has about 10000 patients. Next
came the Milwaukee Medical Center,
which has about 10000 patients. G.
H. A. of this city has about 5000
patients and is about the same size
as Trinity Hospital, at Little Rock,
Ark.
! Labor Represented.
| Several representative Of organ
lied labor attended the convention
and pledged support to the move
ment, MI. Garman reported. Dele
gates also were present from the
American Farm Bureau Federation
and from the Farm Foundation
Fifteen States and the District Of
Columbia were represented.
The Organizing Committee was
authorized to draft code of ethics
and work out plan Of organiza-
ton for submission to the associa-
tion's convention to be held in Chi
cago probably in January, 1910.
Name of the federation has not
been chosen.
I DR.. Winslow Carlton, executive
secretary of Group Health Asso-
citation of New York City, chair
man of the Organizing Committee,
declared "the new association will
have as it's first obligation the i'm
provement of medical care, with
emphasis on prevention as much
/ as on cure"
| Similar emphasis was placed on
health preservation by DR.. Kings
! ley Roberts, director of the Asso-
citation of Medical Co-operatives.
which sponsored the convention at
the Astor Hotel.
"One of the important purposes
of the new association" he ex-
planned, will be duplicating in the
field of group medicine the work
of the Associated Hospital Services
in giving us the finest hospitals in
the world, and the American Medi-
cal Association in fighting quack-
cry and charlatanism.
Three Glasses of Members.
1t was explained that the asso-
citation also probably would have
three classes of membership: Afil-
lated members, consisting of operat-
ing groups, such as cooperative.
private, industrial or farm group;
contributing members, such as labor
unions, and associate members. con-
sisting of committees or groups en-
gagged in planning for the estab-
lishment of group health plans
Only prepayment plans will be ad-
mitted as affiliated members.
The convention also adopted
resolution asking 1t. Col. Brehon
B. Somervell to provide for imme-
diate publication of Studies in the
Field of Cooperative Medicine"
survey recently completed by Works
Projects Administration workers en-
gagged In a study of consumer CO.
operatives.
The survey, which contains his
tory of the cooperative health
movement and As court decisions
concerning various group plans, was
made under supervision of Prof.
Valery j. Tereshtenko, former pro-
fessor of Prague, Czecho-Slovakia.
Group Health Association here
has been involved in several court
actions, leading up to the COM
plicated medical case, in which four
bodies of organized medicine and
81 doctors are under indictment for
violation of the Sherman Anti
Trust Act. for acts alleged to have
been committed in restraint of
trade" against G. H. A. and Wash
ington hospitals.
Also represented at the convention
in New York City was Greenbelt
Health Association, Greenbelt, Md.
Delegates from Greenbelt include
DR.. S. Berenberg, DR.. j. Still, Ted
Holmes, business manager, and Mrs.
M. Maxim.