History - 1959

Donald Denneson of the Austin Clinic chaired the Minnesota association conference in 1959.  This was held at the Hormel Estate in Austin, Minn.

Bob Newell informs us that he attended this state meeting.  "Roger Asplin and Dr. Jacobsen of the St. Louis Park Medical Center were there and this was my first meeting with Rog."

Crossroads Medical Center, P.A. of Chaska was founded in this year as was Doctors Diagnostic Center, Minneapolis.

George Lehigh joined the Mankato Clinic in 1958, and became Business Manager in 1962.

Below is information taken from the 1959 study titled "Medical Groups in the United States, 1959 by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare."  This study presents some new information about clinics in the United States in 1959 and some comparative information with their previous study done in 1946.  On page 137 of that same book, we find Appendix Table #9 which displays the number of multispecialty and general practice groups with three or more full-time physicians and physicians in these groups in each geographic division and state in 1946 and 1959.  Thus, in terms of numbers of such groups, Minnesota is shown to be first in both 1946 (37 groups) and 1959 (115 groups).  The second largest state was Wisconsin in 1946 with 27.  By 1959, other states had moved ahead of Wisconsin, namely California with 26 in 1946 and 110 in 1959, and Texas with 26 in 1946 and 100 in 1959.  Wisconsin had 46 in 1959.

As to the number of physicians in group practices in Minnesota, the 1959 information shows that Minnesota had 1,110 of whom 320 were within the Mayo Clinic and 790 in other group practices.  Similarly, multispecialty group practices had a total 963 physicians including 320 from the Mayo Clinic and 643 from other multispecialty group practices in Minnesota.

The 1959 study was accompanied by a second report titled "A Preliminary Directory of Medical Groups in the United States, 1959" (Appendix 6 on page XXX).  Interestingly, this directory shows the date of organization of each medical group as well.

Minnesota's members in NACM (Appendix 5C on page XXVIII) numbered 27 including new members Robert Fleming of the Mayo Clinic, Karl Ladner of the Mayo Clinic, Lyman Anderson of the Oxboro Clinic, David A. Barnes of the Mayo Clinic, Luther Boie of the Mayo Clinic, Herbert R. Shrier of the Mesaba Clinic and George Lehigh of the Mankato Clinic.

The 33rd Annual Conference of the NACM was held at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto on October 4-7, 1959.  Archie McFarland of the McGregor Clinic in Hamilton, Ontario was President.  The Conference program included an in depth discussion of the Canadian Health System, "Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Services Act of 1957 -- the first federally sponsored program in North America."  Attendance was 207 people.

Other NACM activities during this year included:

• NACM Bulletin carried a series on professional incorporation as an answer to problems of taxation, benefits, etc.;
  
• The IRS began to promise regulations -- the first were published in December of 1959;
  
• Dues were increased to $75.00 per year in order to make it possible to employ an executive secretary and establish an executive office; and
  
• The name of the "Bulletin" was changed to "Medical Group Management."  This was suggested by the editor who saw the value of connecting this publication more directly with the span of influence of NACM.  "Medical Group Management" would be published bimonthly in 1960.
  
  

An NACM institute was held at Emory University in Atlanta on the subject of collections and retirement planning for physicians.  This was well attended.  Also, the Western Section held its 13th Annual Conference -- this one at Elko, Nevada in May of 1959 and the Southern Section held its 13th Annual Conference at Wagoner, Okla.

A Clinic Managers' Midwest Institute was held May 13th-16, 1959, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.  Within the University, this was a cooperative effort sponsored by the University Extension Division, Management Institute and School of Commerce -- all in cooperation with National Association of Clinic Managers and approved by the American College of Clinic Managers.