History - 1957

Several Minnesota clinic first saw the light of day in 1957.  These included Forest Lake Doctors Clinic, France Avenue Family Physicians in Edina, Grand Rapids Medical Associates, P.A., Group Health Inc. of Minneapolis and Orthopedic and Fracture Clinic in Mankato.  Through the courtesy of Group Health Inc., we have a handsome history of that organization published in 1991.  The Group Health Plan opened its doors on Como Avenue Aug. 1, 1957.  Group Health Mutual (Insurance Company) was established in 1938.  Several administrative people well-known to MMGMA members are recalled and pictured in the book.  Among these are Dean Lund, Arvid Schwartz and Maurice McKay.  Mr. McKay served as Chief Executive Officer from 1960 until his retirement in 1982.

Charles Lowery became Business Manager of the Albert Lea Medical and Surgery Center in 1957.

George W. Scherer was Chairman of the Minnesota State Association.  It helps to place the time of the Mankato conference which many Minnesota managers remember very well.

Eleven Minnesota managers attended the thirty-first conference of MGMA which was held at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego on Oct. 14-16, 1957, with Mr. M. William Shearer of the Ross-Loos Medical Group as President.

New Minnesota members of MGMA in 1957 included Jerre Blodgett of Detroit Lakes, Frank Wilkus of Olmsted and Ken Nelson of Wabasha.

Major subjects at the conference included:

• Pharmacies owned by clinics (responding to a North Dakota state board of Pharmacy ruling); and
  
• IRS resisting clinic incorporations (8).
  
  

In this year the Western Section President, Ed Stevens, developed a joint meeting of the Western Sections of the NACM and the AAMC.  This practice was to continue into the early 1970s.

A Midwest Institute of Clinic Managers was held on May 23-25, 1957, at the Kellogg Center for continuing education at Michigan State University at East Lansing, Mich.  This was sponsored by the NACM and the ACCM in cooperation with Michigan State University.

Harold R. Heberlein was Chairman of that educational experience.  The program was on the subject of modern building management and it attracted a very large attendance.

Robert L. Newell served as Chairman of the Friday afternoon session which featured workshops and a presentation on air conditioning, ventilating and heating.  One of the presenters at the institute was Donald O'Donnell of the Dayton Co. in Minneapolis, Bob Newell's brother-in-law.

All of these half-day programs featured experts from Michigan State University except the first one on decorating.

The program brochure for the 1957 institute gives us this interesting perspective:  "Costs for the conference will be a registration fee of $20 which will include dinner at Walnut Hills, plus $4 for two luncheons, making a total of $24 of costs for the conference.  Housing available at the housing desk.  Half of a twin bed room is $4.25/person/night."

Ormond Seavey became a new Fellow in the College.