Evening star., 1941-02-06
D. {. Hospitals Put
Boycott on 6. a.,
Prosecutor CHARGES
Potients Turned Away
In Some Coses, Expelled
In One, He Says
BY HAROLD b. ROGERS.

0y HAhoLD d. hOOEhS.
Charging that harsh. outrageous
and unreasonable treatment" had
been accorded patients of Group
Health Association at number of
Washington hospitals under pressure
Of 4 boycott" by organized medi-
cine. John Henry Levin, assistant
to the Attorney General, today told
District Court that one woman
patient, q member of G. H. A., had
been expelled from hospital after
having been given morphine pre-
paratory to an operation.
Mr.. Levin, continuing his opening
statement in the Governments
antitrust medical case before JUS
tice James M. Proctor, described in
some detail the case of this woman
patient who, he said, had been re-
fused an operation at this hospital
because her surgeon, DR.. Raymond
E. Selders, was a Group Health
doctor.
The expulsion occurred, Mr.. Levin
explained, after the woman had
been admitted to the hospital, put
to bed and given morphine to pre-
pare for an operation.
Denied the services of her own
surgeon because of his connection
with Group Health Association" the
prosecutor continued, she had to
dress and leave the hospital, seri-
ously sick and in a stupefied con-
dition."
Emergency Cases Held Delayed.
In some other cases, Mr.. Levin
charged, patients were turned away
from hospitals after automobile &C
eidents because they were taken to
the hospitals by a G. H. A. doctor.
I'm other instances, he continued,
Group Health Association patients
IN need Of emergency care were kept
vaiting-their treatment delayed
and their health jeopardized-while
the hospital authorities haggled and
deliberated over the question of ad-
mitting them"
Some hospitals even went 50 far,
the prosecutor charged, as to refuse
to accept G. H. A. checks in pay
ment of hospital bills.
Mr.. Levin went into the Gov
ernment's charges against four Or
ganizations of doctors and 20 in
dividual defendants at some length.
He resumed his opening statement
when court opened this morning
after having spent an hour before
the jury yesterday afternoon. Es-
pecially. the prosecutor outlined the
alleged boycott" by organized medi-
cine against Group Health Associa-
ton doctors practicing in Wash
ineton private hospitals. He also
charged that the American Medical
Association and the District of Co.
lumbia Medical Society had exerted
pressure on doctors joining Group
Health Association staff. Three of
them resigned, he explained, and
attempts were made to expel an
other, while still another was ex-
PEELED by the District OF Columbia
Medical Society.
Grant w. Kelleher, assistant to the
Attorney General, closed the open
ing statement for the Government
by declaring that "the keystone of
the conspiracy was the economic
purpose of the defendants to destroy
legitimate practice of medicine in
the District Of Columbia" He had
outlined at some length litigation
which has held that Group Health
Association was legal.
Reply to the charges was to be
delivered by William e. Leahy Of
defense counsel.
Mass Of Evidence Waits.
In his statement yesterday Mr..
Levin said more than 80 witnesses
and a mass of documentary evidence
will be presented by G. H. A. during
the trial
The Government then plans to
call on its witnesses and its mass
Of documentary evidence to support
charges that organized medicine
has violated section 3 of the Sher-
man Antitrust Act and is guilty
Of misdemeanor The specific
charge includes restraint of trade
against Group Health Association,
its members, its doctors and also
certain restraints directed to II
Washington hospitals and members
Of the Medical Society of the Dis
trict OF Columbia.
Doctors at Liberty.
Defendants include the American
Medical Associa ton, the Medical So
ciety of the District, the Washington
Academy of Surgery and the Harris
County (Texas) Medical Society, 4
member of the A. M. A., and 20 in
dividual doctors, five from Chicago
and IS from this city. All of the
individual defendants were in court
yesterday afternoon with the ex-
ception Of DR.. Francis X. McGov-
ern, who is i'll. They are at liberty
on their own recognizance, and not
even required to attend all sessions
Of court, depending on their own
Judgment as to wether their at
te1tion Is needed for care of the
sick.
The jury was not locked up over
night, but permitted by Justice
Proctor to return to their homes
under the admonition not to dis
euss the case with any one.
The list of witnesses called by the
Government in the case was read
IN court by Justice Proctor. First
Of the witnesses were to be called
this afternoon, according to indi-
cations as court opened. Among
the prosecution witnesses are DR..
Hugh Cabot Of Rochester, Mimi, a
nationally known advocate of group
medicine; William c. Kirkpatrick,
Qrst president OF G. H. A.; DR..
(See MEDICAL, Page A-12D