The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-02-08
Interest In Coop
Continued from Page One)

consumer direction of the medical SER
vice with the technical operation in
the hands of able, well trained medi-
cal personnel. Shares are usually $50
per family and medical care cost run
as low as s25 per year per family for
basic medical care.
The Texas state legislature, i'm
pressed by the success of the South
Plains Cooperative Hospital, passed a
law last year providing for special
charters for cooperative hospitals. Al
ready % cooperative hospital char
tiers have been granted and active
organization campaigns are underway
in 25 communities throughout the
state.
The Hale County Cooperative Hos
pital already has $50 members and
the architect is completing plans for
initial construction Charters have
been granted and organization work
under way for the following: Leonard
Cooperative Hospital at Leonard;
Wolf City Community Hospital at
Wolf City; Freestone County Cooper
alive Hospital at Fairfield; Hale Coun-
ty Cooperative Hospital at Hale Cen
ter; Crosbyton Cooperative General
Hospital at Crosbyton; Cap-Rock Co
operative Hospital near Lubbock;
Cochran County Cooperative Hospital
at Morton; Plains Memorial Hospital
at Dimmitt; Floyd County Co-opera-
tive Hospital at Lockney; Farmer
County Community Hospital at Fri
ona; and Hansford Hospital at Spear
man.
A 16-mm. colored movie on cooper
alive hospital operation is being pre-
pared by the Texas Federation of Co
operatives, the Texas A. & M. College
and the South Plains Cooperative
Hospital.
The PROGRESSIVE FARMER mag
azine said in its December issue, $50
has been the interest in
the cooperative hospital program that
the United Press was moved to com
ment in a recent release: The Texas
cooperative hospital act, which re-
ceived little attention when 1t was be-
ing passed by the last legislature, may
be the sessions most far-reaching
measure =. The cooperative hospital,
it appears, might even become an al
tentative for so-called socialized medi- |
cine"
Dr. Michael Shadid, founder and
medical director of the pioneer CO.
operative hospital at Elk City, Okla
homa, took a leave of absence several |
months ago to work with the Pacific
Supply Cooperative on campaign to
cooperative hospitals in the
Northwest
Already organization is underway in |
a dozen communities in these three |
states. At Bull, Idaho, capital has
been raised and site is being pur-
chased for cooperative hospital. At
Salem, Oregon, a Farmers Union local |
took the initiative and has moved for
ward rapidly in its organization drive.
are furthest along at Sand
Point, Idaho; Bremerton, Washington;
Sequim-Port Angeles, Washington and
~ RtotdV. III inc iotbCl tlbJ III. tolei-
lid says he expects to see the first
cooperative hospital serving a major
,ity
South Dakota-Minnesota Hospitals
At Leola, South Dakota, more than
$4,000 has been raised toward the
erection of 2O-bed hospital There is
10 doctor and no hospital in Leola
low.
Pelican Rapids. Minnesota, expects
o be the scene of the second coop
hospital in that state. Late in Novem-
Der 200 farmers and towns people met
o take the initial steps and the Peeli-
IAN Valley Cooperative Health Center
S already incorporated and plans I'M
lerway for construction of a modern
hospital to cost 100000. The insti-
ution will provide hospital and med
cal care on a prepayment plan and
expects to start construction as soon
IS materials are available
More than a dozen consumer-owned
provide medical care on
prepayment basis but do not operate
hospitals of their own. In addition
everal cooperative organizations pro-
tide medical and hospital care insur-
nee.