History - 1970

Groups - 46
Individuals - 46

Five new Minnesota clinics came on the scene in 1970.  These included Southdale Pediatric Associates Ltd. in Edina, St. Anthony Orthopedic Clinic P.A. in St. Paul, St. Cloud Orthopedic Associates Ltd. in St. Cloud, St. Paul Internists P.A. and Urologic Physicians P.A. of Edina.

Dale Molesworth succeeded George Lehigh as Business Manager at Mankato in 1970.

The Minnesota Annual Conference was to have been held in Red Wing under the direction of President Harold Ullrich.  However, Mr. Ullrich was very ill at the time and this caused a late decision to hold the meeting at the Thunderbird Hotel in Minneapolis.

Mr. Ullrich was manager of the Interstate Clinic in Red Wing for 27 years.  The clinic formed in the late 1930s and then hired Mr. Ullrich in 1940.  Managers to follow Mr. Ullrich at the Interstate Clinic included Arthur Braun, Robert Downs, Neil Swartz and Ellen Dunn who served that group in 1992 as they developed a new relationship with the University of Minnesota Hospitals through which the hospitals purchased the assets of the clinic.

Gerwain (Jerry) Popp represented the Medical Block Clinic of Red Wing in MGMA from 1965 to 1970.  In that year the clinic closed, with some of the physicians joining the Interstate Clinic.  Jerry became Administrator of the Columbia Park Clinic and remained there until approximately 1978.

A Winter Conference was held at Quadna Mountain.

Minnesota members in MGMA numbered 46 in 1970, including these new members: James Claydon and David Leonard of Mayo Clinic; Robert Gruenhagen of Stillwater Clinic; Eugene Inett of North Clinic in Robbinsdale; Bruce McKinnon, Medical Education and Research Foundation at Ramsey Hospital; Frank Schneider, Shakopee Medical Center; Barbara Zapp, Lake Region Clinic; and E. Thomas Lietzke, Paul Larson Clinic in Edina.

The 44th Annual Conference of MGMA was held on September 14-17, 1970, at the Hilton International Hotel in Las Vegas under the leadership of L.S. (Jack) Doyle, FACCM, of the Galesburg Clinic in Galesburg, Ill.

Among important subjects discussed at the conference were:

• The IRS resisted further and tried new regulations limiting professional corporation pension contributions to the level allowed under a Keogh plan.  MGMA lobbied again in this continuing effort; and
  
• National health insurance received more and more attention publicly.
  
  

Among the major items of the administration of the association were:

• MGMA's consulting service was originated -- selected 15 original consultants from among 86 members who had volunteered;
  
• On December 31, 1970, MGMA established a working agreement whereby  MGMA endorsed Medical Group Insurance Services as its official administrator of insurance programs for MGMA members, with Dale Brunken.  President of MGIS.  MGMA's Insurance Committee to work with this program included Ed Stevens, Ray Howe and Dave Allison;
  
• MGMA's liaison activities expanded to include the department of Health Education and Welfare;
  
• The First International Congress of Group Practice was held in Winnipeg in this year.  MGMA limited its participation to encouragement and arranging for one or more representatives to attend each of these conferences subsequently held in such cities as Paris and Buenos Aires.  In 1986, MGMA and ACMGA joined hands with AGPA to bring this conference to Dallas.  It was a fascinating event, very well staged, which saw the programs simultaneously translated into five languages.  The event was closed by the stirring musical presentation of a song written especially for the congress and presented for the first time in Dallas;
  
• In July 1970, executive director Ed Stevens suffered a heart attack.  This resulted in his plans to retire as of December 31, 1971; and
  
• MGMA added the International Member classification.

The preregistration roster for the 1970 conference includes 392 managers.

The Midwest Section Conference for 1970 was held at Notre Dame University under the leadership of President Harry N. Dillon.

ACCM president in 1970 was M. William Shearer, FACCM, of Los Angeles.

 

Committees

* Harold Ulrich

- President