History - 1971

Family Practitioners P.A. was founded in 1971 as were Fridley Ob/Gyn P.A., Minneapolis Heart Institute, Obstetrics Gynecology and Infertility of Edina, Rum River Medical Associates Ltd. in Princeton, St. Cloud Clinic of Internal Medicine Ltd., St. Paul Pathology P.A. West Side Health Center of St. Paul and the Shakopee Clinic.

Danny Danielson, wonderful friend of all clinic managers in Minnesota, died of heart trouble.  He was succeeded at the Albert Lea Clinic in 1972 by Bert Boss.  David Adams joined the Coon Rapids Clinic in August, 1971, and joined MGMA and MMGMA in 1972.

Ormond Seavey was president of the Minnesota Association in 1971.  The 1971 Winter Meeting was held at Quadna Mountain on February 14-16, 1971, with June Shaver acting as Chairperson.  On June 23-25, the Annual Summer Conference was held at the Kahler Inn and Motel in Hibbing.  The program was arranged by Jim Vitali.  The program included a presentation by  Dr. Robert from Itasca, who was President of Minnesota State Medical Association.  Mr. Seavey reciprocated at the MSMA  meeting.  The conference program included significant pieces on HMO development and we have these notes regarding the thinking of the Health, Education and Welfare Department:  "HEW planners believe the present system will be replaced by, 1) HMOs or 2) national health insurance on a franchise basis.  Why?  Rising health care costs and utilization of health care services."

Information on the Summer Conference and the program are available to us through the courtesy of Doug Ravnholdt, who presented us with the program.  In addition to the information presented above, we can identify the following presentations:

Workshop sessions included:

• Your clinic manager organizations -- June Shaver;
  
• Malpractice and associated insurance -- Cordan Smith, St. Paul Companies;
  
• Medical/Legal relationships -- Stan E. Salzman;
  
• Panel on Building Construction -- Virginia Kellen, Joe Dillenburg, Thomas W. Prokasky, Architect;
  
• Personnel problems, office management, management structure -- C. Charles Lowery and Donald Kalishek;
  
• Medical staff procurement, professional relations -- Virgil Hanson and Vivian Linquist;
  
• Collection, credit, data processing -- John Strehlow and John Brust;
  
• Prepayment and HMO -- D.F. Person, M.D., East Range Clinics, Virginia, Minn.;
  
• Preparation for prepayment -- William Townsend, American Rehabilitation Foundation, Minneapolis;
  
• Orientation of new employees -- James G. Stolhanske, St. Louis Park Medical Center; and
  
• General economic trends in medicine -- R.T. Kelly, M.D., Itasca Clinic, Grand Rapids.
  
  

The 45th Annual Conference of MGMA was held on September 19-22, 1971, in Cleveland under the leadership of D. Stuart Blakely, Manager of the Keene Clinic in Keene, N.H.  This conference was a back-to-back conference with the AAMC.  An interesting feature of the program was a presentation by Dr. G.S. Custer of the Marshfield Clinic in which he outlined the role of the Administrator and a similar presentation by Clyde Hardy of the Bowman Gray School of Medicine in which he portrayed the role of the medical director.

Significant business of MGMA in 1971 included:

• Hired Richard V. Grant, Ph.D., as Executive Director effective Jan. 1, 1972;
  
• Held six educational programs in 1971;
  
• Selected and hired Fred E. Graham II, Ph.D., FACMGA, as new Assistant Executive Director; and
  
• Official recognition of Ed Stevens and Vesta at the conclusion of the Annual Conference.
  
  

The pre-registration roster for the 1971 conference showed a total of 310 members including 17 from Minnesota.

ACCM's President was Donald A. Starr of Tucson, Ariz.  (1971 was indeed a good year for records retention.  We have a "Midwest Memo" for 1971 which provides much interesting information.  There is also a copy of the program for the 1971 Midwest Section Institute on Medical Services Management.)

The Midwest Section was headed up by President Cloyd G. Ramsey of Michigan.

The major Midwest event of the year was the education institute held at the University of Nebraska in Omaha on April 25-30, 1971.  The quality of this program is shown by ACCM's approval of 33 credits for the program toward fellowship and the offering of the program for University of Nebraska graduate credit.  New MGMA Executive Director Richard V. Grant was welcomed to this, his first MGMA Institute.

Woodrow M. Glad of the Worthington Clinic in Worthington, Minn., was identified as a member of the Midwest Advisory Council for 1971 -- for the state of Minnesota.

The Indiana report from John Horner talked of professional liability insurance and noted that for $100,000/$300,000 limits, annual rates ran from $109 dollars at the low end of class one to $1,406 for the high end of class five.  Umbrella costs were $75 for the first million, $37.50 for the second million and $4.00 for the third million, "Blue Shield will accept computer claims in 1971 and computer-to-computer programs in 1972."  Finance charges were discussed also.

For Minnesota, Woody Glad reports on a number of items:  "Minnesota state association, which now comprises 80 some members, will hold their midwinter meeting at Quadna Mountain Lodge, Hill City, Minn., February 14-16.  Quadna is the Aspen of Minnesota.  June Shaver is again taking charge so we can be assured of a topnotch program mixed in with some afternoon skiing and snowmobiling.  Speaking of June Shaver, in preparing herself for this meeting, she spent two weeks in Switzerland during the holidays on a ski vacation -- no kidding.  If you miss this meeting, you are missing a biggie.  The regular annual state meeting will be held this year at Hibbing, Minn., home of President Oz Seavey.  The dates are June 24-26.  Champion Lyman Anderson, winner of the MGMA golf tourney at Las Vegas last fall, will be defending his national title.  His doctors weren't too surprised he had won.  The Minnesota clinic managers again met with Blue Shield on October 9.  The meeting was partly in regard to Blue Shield's ‘new concept' and its effect on the clinic managers' jobs as administrators."

The North Dakota report includes information that C. Warner Litten was selected Assistant Majority Leader in the North Dakota State Senate.  Also, that John Q. Paulsen was re-elected to a second three-year term of the Fargo Board of Education and was named Board President.