The Wilmington morning star., 1947-01-27
CLARK EXPLAINS
MEDICAL PROGRAM
Tells Audience State Able
To Undertake Good
Health Program
Special To The Star

III S Oo1ls aAAiN
H. Clark of Elizabethtown. chair
man of the North Carolina Medical
Care Commission, told an audience
of Columbus county citizens Friday
night that after careful study OF
the States finances, he believed
North Carolina amply able to I'M
dertake the commissions entire
$14, 600. 900 Good Health program
without interfering with adequate
teacher pay.
His appearance here was spon,
sored by the Columbus County
Good Health association of which
W. S. Edmunds is chairman. In
attendance were representative
county business. professional and
agricultural leaders.
Citing the increase in state reve-
nue. from $50, 600. 900 during the
1885 biennium to an anticipated
$3.50, 900, 900 for the present bien.
mum, the speaker declared his be-
lief that if North Carolina is ever
to broaden its medical program,
now is the time.
Mr.. Clark outlined the history
of the Medical Care commission
from its beginning with the Poe
commission under the Broughton
administration and the establish.
ment of the present commission by
the 1915 legislature.
Going into detail, he outlined the
commissions procedure in arriving
at a concerted plan for action to
improve the health of North Caro-.
linians. He then explained the pro-
gram which calls for the construc.
ton Of 1900 hospital beds in ap-
proved hospitals and health cen
tiers, and the construction of a
400 bed hospital and medical cen
ter as a part of the expanded
University Medical school at Chap.
ell Hill.
The commission, he said, in ask
ing the legislature for an appro-
prlation covering one third of the
cost of the 1900 new hospital beds,
and an additional appropriation for
the expanded medical school. He
explained that anticipated Federal
funds from the Hill Burton act will
provide an additional one third,
and that the commission had ar
rived at a sliding scale from 10
percent to so percent of local par
ticipation for the remaining one
third Of the total cost.
Answering opposition that the
Medical school should not be To-
Gated at Chapel Hill ON account
of the scarcity of clinical material
in that area, he declared that a
seven-man out-of.state committee
Of medical and research specia-
lists had surveyed the entire state
and had recommended Chapel Hill
as the proper location.
Il am not willing to pit my
Judgment" he stated, against
theirs. We have one of the greatest
universities in the world at Chapel
Hill. 1t is the seat of culture.
lcdlllluS anu llISI AZURE, ana l ain
convinced that the proposed 4
year medical school should also be
at Chapel HILL"
Following his address, the major
portion Of which was broadcast
over station WENC, Chairman Ed.
munds presented members of the
audience and called for questions
and remarks.
Senator j. K. Powell stated his
unqualified support of the whole
program" and declared his in
tention to vote for it in the legis.
lature. chapel Hill is the ideal
place for the medical school," he
said.
Representative Homer G. Avant
said he believed in the program
and would support it ito the limit"
Others heard from we're: DR..
M. L. Johnson, DR.. W. E. Miller,
Mrs. John Council, Rev. Winfrey
Davis, DIR. W. A. Greene, and Will
lard Cole.