Evening star., 1939-12-31
Medical Guide
Enables |ndigents
To Get Treatment
Three Civic-Minded
Institutions Evolve
Workable Scheme


making medical care available to the
INDECENT and underprivileged has
been worked out by three civic
minded Washington institutions.
1t is not charity, for participants
work to provide partial payment for
benefits received.
1t seeks not only to treat the all
ments of those who come to 1t for
aid but to rehabilitate them ply
sically and mentally so that they
can support themselves in private
employment.
1t does not duplicate existing
medical facilities in the District.
It's cooperating creators-the
Washington Help Exchange.
the Medical Society of the District
of Columbia and the Health Security
Administration of Washington-call
it the Medical Guide.
Started This Year.
Put into operation in February
1899, the service has been so sue
cessful in intervening months that
Medical Annals of the District of
Columbia official publication of the
Medical Society, describes it as IAN
experiment which has far
reaching effect upon the present
method of supplying medical care
to the INDECENT and underprivileged"
The simplest way of illustrating
how the Medical Guide functions
is to cite the case history of one of
the many District residents it has
helped.
A 2l-year -old youth applied to the
Self-Help Exchange for assistance.
His father had remarked and the
young man couldn't seem to get
along with his stepmother. Re-
curing sickness had cost him what
few permanent jobs he could get,
and odd jobs provided scant living.
He possessed natural talent for
mechanical tasks, as the exchange
discovered when he worked in one
of its shops in which one can earn
scrip usable for clothing or ma
terials or services offered by the ex-
change. Because of his poor health,
the youth went to one of the two
weekly consultation periods the
Medical Guide service conducts each
week
Medical Care Given.
There he was examined by
physician, one of 100 or more from
the Medical Society who had volun-
teered for the service. In this par
ticular case, the physician was DR..
Thomas E. Mattingly. chairman of
the society's Advisory Committee on
the experimental project. Dr. Mat
tingly diagnosed the illness as a
stomach disorder and suggested x
ray and consultation with stomach
specialist. Despite the patients lack
OF funds these suggestions were car
ried out through the medical coun-
selor provided the Medical Guide
through the Health Security Admin
istration-Miss Katherine Schindel.
assistant to the H. S. A. admins
traitor.
The Health Security Administra-
ton was able to do this because of
its organiza ton, which co-ordinates
with all the local social and welfare
agencies in handling medical prob
lens. To help pay for special med
ical care and apparatus or hospital
ization needed by the Medical Guide,
the Health Security Administration
utilizes certain labor services obtain
able from the Self Help Exchange
trucking, small printing jobs and
furniture repair work.
The X-ray photographs and spe-
cial examination revealed that the
young man in question suffered from
gastric ulcers, not serious enough to
require an operation, but necessitat-
Ing careful diet.
A Cure Effected.
Through further work at the ex-
change the youth was able to swap
earned scrip for the prescribed foods
IN the exchange dining room. Slow
ly he grew stronger until he could
work steadily without becoming ill.
In few months he obtained a job
from a private employer. He is now
entirely self-supporting.
There have been cases, of course,
In which ailments were more seri-
Gus. For the most part, however,
those availing themselves of the
Medical Guide service have had
minor illnesses Some are largely
psychological in misunderstanding
from feeling of insecurity and fear
OF fancied diseases
But all applicants to the Medical
Guide service are given thorough
and continued attention.
Mrs. Parran Responsible.
To Mrs. Thomas Parran, the
Medical Society gives credit for the
introduction of the medical practi-
toner in this new role. In pre-
senting her case to the society, as
a representative of the Self-Help
Exchange, Mrs. Parran asked the
physicians for their help in initiat-
ing a demonstration in which one
physician might take responsibility
for one patient and maintain the
confidential doctor-patient relation
ship throughout the continuity of
services by which that person S
needs are met.
The Medical Society also acknow-
lodged the contributions of Ross
Garrett, administrator of the Health
Security Administration, and the
heads of outpatient departments of
Washington's two medical schools
DR.. John Cavanagh of Georgetown
University School of Medicine and
DR.. John A. Reed of George WASH
ington University School of Medi-
cine. Through them. arrangement
was made whereby the Medical
Guide was to be permitted to re-
quisition diagnostic and therapeutic
facilities deemed necessary to carry
out the society's agreement in a
manner which would assure a max
1mum OF efficiency and minimum
Of red tape and delay"
Broader Application Favored.
Concluding its summary of the
Nroiort tho MoJico1 Arpo1e e%o%o,.