History - 1973

New Minnesota clinics in 1973 included Digestive Health Care P.A. of Minneapolis, Metropolitan Orthopedic Associates, Minneapolis, Surgical Consultants of St. Cloud P.A., St. Cloud and Western Ob/Gyn Ltd., Waconia.

Three state associations were formed in this year; Ohio Medical Group Management Association; Medical Administrators of Texas; and Michigan MGMA.

For the year 1972-1973, the officers were June Shaver, President; Wilford Youngquist, Vice President; Douglas Ravnholdt, Secretary; James Vitali, Treasurer; and Woody Glad, Past President.  Committees included the Legislative Liaison Committee with Dale Molesworth as Chairman, and Stan Salzman, Luther Boie and Don Shoberg.  The Blue Shield Liaison Committee included Vivian Linquist, Chairwoman, John Brust, Woody Glad and Donald E. Olsen.  The MMA Liaison Committee was composed of Stan Allen, Chairman, and Merle Lindberg, Charles Lowery and James Sullivan.  They discussed HMO's and phone call charges.  The Third Party Billing Committee was composed of John Strehlow as Chairman, Jim Lawson, Tom Lietzke and Bill Costello.

MMGMA held its mid-winter meeting at Quadna Mountain in Hill City on February 25-27.  Dave Adams of the Coon Rapids Clinic was Program Chairman.  Twenty-seven managers were in attendance.  The program subjects included medical records, personnel, unions and optometrists.

The summer meeting (23rd Annual Conference) was held July 15-17, 1973, at Madden's resort.  A milestone of sorts was noted in that the association received financial support from eight "sponsors" of lunches folders, etc.  June Shaver was President and Chairwoman of the meeting.

Oz Seavey directed the golf tournament at Maddens.  VIP introductions were for John J. Regan, M.D., President, Minnesota State Medical Association as well as Midwest Section Officers and other special guests.  Program elements included seminars, round table discussions, question and answer sessions and a government relations panel.  Participants included:  Douglas Ravnholdt, William Gerber,
Don Kalishek, Charles Lowery, Tom Lietzke, Neal Swartz, David L. Schmidt, James Vitali, Lyman Anderson, Art Braun, Joe Dillenburg, David Leonard, Carl Gustafson and Jule M. Hannaford.

In July 1973 officers signed the formal documents for a new 501.C-type organization with new articles, bylaws, etc. and a new name--Minnesota Medical Group Management Association, Inc.

MMGMA issues and actions for the year included:

1.  Executive committee endorsed the concept of the "Minnesota system" for billing, as explained by John Strehlow;
2.  Received report on meeting guidelines including who may attend workshops by James Vitali and considered a new policy on workshops forthcoming from MGMA;
3.  Suggestion received:  adopt policy on workshop seminars coming from MGMA;
4.  Dues increased from $5 to $10;
5.  Problem-oriented medical record, discussed by Dr. Filiatraut; and
6.  Advantages of employing optometrists working with ophthalmologists in the clinic, by Jack VonBokern.

The 47th Annual Conference of MGMA was held in Los Angeles on September 16-19, 1973, under the direction of President John Therrell of Denver.  More than 500 members were registered and almost 500 others attended as well.

A most exciting event happened in 1973.  The AACM undertook to sponsor an educational program in London in May 1973. This was on the subject of the British health care system.  Clyde Hardy, President of the College, was in charge.  Over 100 members were registered.  Most of the registrants enjoyed post-conference tours arranged to various parts of Europe.  This first international conference was so successful that immediately a second was planned for Copenhagen and the Scandinavian countries/Leningrad in 1977.

The Second International congress of Group Practice was held in 1973 in the city of Rio je Janeiro.

Again, Advisory Council Members for each state provided comments for the "Midwest Memo."  These are interesting as we try to track the emerging and ongoing issues for clinics through the years.  Joe Krapek of the Park Clinic in Mason City, Iowa, reported on a very difficult problem of hospital development in his community.  The two existing hospitals were unable to reach agreement on merger and a third one was proposed to solve some of the perceived problems.

Jim Vitali, Administrator of East Range Clinic in Virginia, relates his experiences as advisor of a medical explorer post-sponsored by the clinic.  "The East Range Clinic Ltd. and LeNont-Peterson Clinic Ltd., both of Virginia, Minn., (Al Vonderhaar, Administrator of LeNont-Peterson Clinic Ltd.) have contracted with Group Health Association of Northeastern Minnesota to provide medical services on a capitation basis for members of Group Health Association.  So far, several groups have enrolled, including schoolteachers and several businesses.  Over several hundred recipients of FAD (St. Louis County Welfare) have enrolled under an arrangement between GHA and the St. Louis County Welfare Board.  The GHA organization has an HMO grant from HEW to fund their administration costs for three years.  The Board of GHA is consumer dominated and the impetus came from local unions.  Administration people and the Board of Group Health Association are presently negotiating with the steel industry which could add 3,000 to 4,000 families to the plan."

The 26th annual Midwest Section Conference was held on June 10-13, 1973, at the Continental Inn in Lexington, Ky.  The writer remembers enjoying a great day there on Fergus Hanson's boat going down the Kentucky River and watching the TV as it showed Secretariat, perhaps the greatest race horse in history, winning the Belmont by 31 lengths.  Some of the subjects covered at the conference were:

• Paramedical training;
  
• Problem-oriented medical record;
  
• PSROs;
  
• Presentations by Douglas Patterson, new MGMA Research Director; and
  
• Legal and tax issues.
  
  

Minnesotans who participated in program leadership in addition to the officers named before included J. Roger Asplin, Lymman V. Anderson and June E. Shaver.

This was a landmark meeting for the Midwest Section and the first of its more well-rounded family-type conferences.  It was extremely well-received; much careful planning and hard work had gone into its preparation.  President Ed Gerloff had recognized that it was his responsibility to make this transition for the Midwest Section and bring them up to speed with other sections so that they could take their place appropriately among the section councils of MGMA and as an important geographical representation of the association and its educational pursuits.

MGMA's 501c(4)  status was reviewed, resulting in a decision to create a 501c(6) organization.  Thus, the Center for Research in Ambulatory Health Care Administration (CRAHCA) was created late in 1973.  J. Douglas Patterson was named its first Research Director.