History - 1972

Groups - 86
Individuals - 86

Association activity among the various states was picking up markedly in 1972.  According to a 1992 survey by
Adrienne Bendel, these new associations were formed in 1972; Louisiana MGMA; Tennessee MGMA; and Washington State MGMA.

New Minnesota organizations in 1972 included the following: Consultants in Arthritis and Rheumatology, Edina; Creekside Family Physicians, St. Louis Park; Metropolitan Hand Surgery, St. Paul; Noran Neurological Clinic, P.A., Minneapolis; and StrategiCare Inc., St. Paul.

Woodrow (Woody) Glad was President in 1972.  Woody always tended to business while he entertained with wry, homespun humor that members came to expect.  He managed the Worthington Clinic for the many years that intervened between Howard Winholz' move to become Administrator at Rochester's Methodist Hospital and Woody's retirement when John Sieve replaced him.  Woody is remembered also as a manager with unusual strength in serving his community and the profession at large.  He and his wife Dorothy made a big impact on MMGMA.

Woody's comments of July 13, 1993:  "I think the thrust of the organization in the early 1970s was the introduction of the "Super Bill."  If you remember, every insurance company, government, the Blues etc., had their own forms and insisted no the doctors' signatures.  We never got them to adopt our form, but I believe we were the driving force to get a universal form adopted.  A couple people-- Bruce McKinnon, Ramsey Hospital Group, John Strehlow, Edina and Jim Sullivan, N.E. Group, put in a lot of time."  Significant also was the split between Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

The Winter Conference of MGMA was held on September 10-13, 1972, in Atlanta, under the direction of President Dudley Towne, FACCM.  Again, the conference was back-to-back with AAMC.  A dramatic event was the inclusion of the first time of the MGMA library's annual "book fair."

Significant subjects in 1972:

• HMO's--MGMA put on a four-day program on HMOs which attracted more than 100 people; and
  
• Wage price controls which were to become effective in 1972-73.
  
  

Association business in this year included:

• Established the library with original funding supported by MGMA, $3,000; Western Section, $3,000; Midwest Section, $1,500; southern Section, $1,000; and HEW with a two-year grant for $122,629;
  
• The Research Committee had designed the library department -- led by Chairman Carl Anderson;
  
• Ed Stevens was commissioned to write the 50-year history of MGMA; and
  
• The Research Committee, headed by Chairman Bob Fleming, made a recommendation to develop a Research Department and start searching for a Research Director.  This was approved by the MGMA board in July 1972.
  
  

ACCM leadership included President C. Warner Litten, Fargo.  MGMA membership totals, by section, are:

Western                342
Midwest                 289
Southern               243
Eastern                 133
Canada, etc.        143
Total                   1,150

John E. Garrett was President of the Midwest Section in this year and the Midwest Institute was held at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, the same venue that was used in the previous year.

Excerpt from a Midwest Memo piece by Ed Gerloff:

"A survey was taken to establish guidelines for a section conference.  Responses from 80 percent of the members clearly indicated their preference as to the time, place and type of meeting they desired.  Therefore, a change in the format of the Midwest Section Conference will be instituted at the 1973 conference in Lexington, Ky.  it will be the beginning of the new look and the first step in developing the type of meetings the majority of the membership have asked for."

Midwest Memo:
"Jack Garrett reported on the Midwest Institute held at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in May 1972.  he stated that the attendance was not good the second year, and he announced that a new approach will be attempted in 1973."

Ed Gerloff announced that an advisory council had been selected.  These members will assist the Secretary in publishing the "Midwest Memo."  Minnesota members of the Midwest Advisory Council were Douglas F. Ravnholdt and June Shaver.

Several items reported from the Minnesota scene in this "Midwest Memo" included:  Jim Stohlhanske, St. Louis Park Medical Center, reports that MGMA sponsored a 2 1/2-day seminar on management techniques and supervisory skills at the Ambassador Motel in St. Louis Park.  Faculty members included Dr. John Mauriel and Kjell Knudsen in the Department of Continuing Business Education at the University of Minnesota as well as Mr. Tom Kokesh and Hilton Vilen of the Mayo Clinic.  Fifty-four persons attended with the upper midwest represented most heavily but others attending from such states as Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas and one person from Canada.

The winter meeting of the MMGMA is scheduled for February 25-27, 1973, at Quadna Mountain Lodge in Hill City, Minn.  Dave Adams, Administrator of the Coon Rapids "Clinic P.A., is Program Chairman.  Skiing, snowmobiling and business sessions, all mixed together, amount to a much needed mid-winter break.  This is the Fourth Annual Quadna event and Minnesota managers are asked to make reservations.

J. Roger Asplin, Administrator of the St. Louis Park Medical Center, sent an article from the Minneapolis Tribune on its HMO plan which started in November.

The article states:  "The clinic intends to enroll 5,000 persons in the HMO through employee group insurance contracts.  The clinic already  has an estimated 70,000 patients, however, the large majority of cases still will be handled on the traditional basis of a fee for each visit or service rendered.  At first, the HMO plan will be offered only as an optional part of employee group health contracts.  However, the intent is to make it available on an individual subscriber basis in the future.  The plan will be called MedCenter Health Plan.  Northwestern National Life Insurance Company is the underwriter, but other insurance firms will also be able to offer it."

Minnesota's membership in MMGMA totals 86.  Members from other states not included in the 86 are Ed Gerloff, Greg Gerloff, Ken Peterson and Virginia Kellen.

Minnesota clinic managers were invited by Blue Shield of Minnesota to attend a luncheon and meeting with them at the St. Paul Hilton Hotel on November 10, 1972.  New product Blue Shield, claims processing, prepayment group practice and doctor's fee profiles were discussed.

Richard Board was a new Fellow in 1972.

Bert Boss published his first historical novel, "Tall are the Hills," in 1972.

Committees

* Woodrow M Glad

- President