Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-07-22
By John McKeIwoy

n eAOAP Va w WA WV
tors are pooling their talents
and plan by the fall of 1854
to give this city another example
of q new trend in medicine
group practice.
The doctors. both specialists
and general practitioners, feel
the public is demanding this
type of medicine.
Ten doctors will occupy what
is to be known as The Wash
ington Clinic" Six other doctors
will make up the consulting
group. They hope to be open
for business by September or
October, 1854.
The clinic, three STORY build
ing, is to be located on a TRAN
gular tract of land formed by
the intersection of Military road
and Western avenue N.W.-just
east of Wisconsin avenue. Cost
of the building has been esti-
mated at 100000 and construc-
ton is expected to begin in
October or November. 1t has
been roughly six years in the
making.
Similar to Mayo Clinic.
The operationaI plan of the
clinic follows the same lines of
the famous Mayo Clinic in
Rochester. N. Y, according to
a member of the staff. A wing
of the clinic will be the James F.
Mitchell Foundation for Medical
Education and Research. The
foundation will sponsor research
projects and also make fellow
ship grants.
A non-prof1t organization, its
trustees are Henry Spencer, re-
tired railroad executive and IA
Their OF Commissioner Samuel
Spencer; Arthur Gardner, Am
baSSador to Cuba; and Senator
Lister Hill. Democrat, of Ala
bama, and co-author of the Hill
Burton hospital construction act.
The foundation is named for DR..
Mitchell, now retired and former
chief of staff at Emergency Hos
pital.
The clinic is not a hospital, but
actually a big doctors office. 1t
will operate much as an out
patient clinic. The doctors also
plan social service program for
INDECENT patients.
Procedure Described.
A few of the new wrinkles
group practice brings to the pro-
feSsion of medicine were de-
Scribed by a spokesman of the
clinic group.
AT the clinic" he said, 1.-The
patient gets one bill. What often
irritates the patient is travelling
all over town, seeing several doc
tors for various tests and then
winding up with a flock of bills.
In group practice he can see all
the doctors in the same building
and pay one bill.
The BILL" the spokesman
added, sis determined by the
business office of the clinic and
not by the doctor"
To some doctors, group prac-
tice is an answer to the problems
brought up by the r-increas-
ing completely of medical science
and technology. 1t is impossible,
some doctors say, for one indivi-
dual particularly a specialist, to
know what's going on in other
fields of medicine.
In group practice, they say,
the patient can benefit from the
highly technical knowledge of the
specialist and also general med
ical care.
The doctor, working in a group,
keeps in touch with medical
progress and has quick access to
consultations and technical as
SiStance.
Former President Humans
Commission on the Health Needs
of the Nation recently recon-
mended group practice by saying:
1T is apparent that when
group medicine is practiced in
accordance with the highest
standards. it provides excellent
medical care at the lowest cost
to the patient and the commun-
ity. We cannot afford the vast
age entailed in the partial idle
ness of the solo practitioner
while he is building up his
practice. In the group he is able