History - 1974

Two new state associations were formed in this year -- MGMA of Mississippi and Virginia MGMA.

New groups formed in 1974 in Minnesota included Alexandria Orthopedic Associates P.A., Anoka Orthopedic Associates P.A. of Coon Rapids, Blue Earth Medical Center Ltd., Brainerd Medical Center P.A. Cardiovascular Consultants Ltd. of Minneapolis and South Lake Clinic/Pediatrics West of Minnetonka. St. Paul Heart Clinic, P.A.'s predecessor practice, Cardiovascular Disease Consultants, P.A., was founded in 1974. David Rothschiller became their first manager in 1982. St. Paul Heart Clinic, P.A. was formed in 1987. In the Blue Earth Group, Marjeane Werner joined MMGMA in 1976 and Mary Amundson in 1984.

Officers for the year were Will Youngquist, President; Douglas Ravnholdt, Vice President; James Vital, Secretary ; Stanley Allen, Treasurer; and June Shaver, Immediate Past President. The combined Legislative Liaison and MMA Liaison Committee was composed of Stanley Allen, Chairman, along with James Sullivan, Richard Lehigh, Dale Molesworth, J. Roger Asplin, Luther Boie and Merle Lindberg. The Blue Shield Liaison Committee was composed of Vivian Linquist, Chairwoman, along with Donald Olsen, Glen Engwall and Donald Grandgenett. The Membership Committee was composed of Woodrow Glad and Lyman Anderson. The Clinic Third Party Billing Procedures Committee was composed of John Strehlow, Chairman and James Sullivan, Tom Lietzke and James Lawson.

The Summer Meeting was held May 8-10, 1974, at the Marquette Inn, IDS Center, in Minneapolis. We are favored again with a copy of the 24th Annual Convention Program in Minneapolis. This began with a tour and reception at Lufkin Medical Laboratory. The program opened on Thursday, May 9, with an invocation by Kelly Martinson. There were greetings from Thomas Hoban, Executive Secretary, Hennepin County Medical Society and representatives of Blue Cross Blue Shield. June Shaver chaired the first session. This seminar also featured speaker Dr. John Flagler, University of Minnesota, who spoke on "Anticipating the Future."

Stanley Allen was leader of the afternoon session which included a manager's personnel manual by Jim Stolhanske with participation by Jim Claydon of the Mayo Clinic, Herb Howe of the Mayo Clinic, Len Veingers of the Gunderson Clinic, LaCrosse and William Matthews, Marshfield Clinic. The evening program following the banquet was chaired by Douglas Ravnholdt.

On Friday morning there was a round table discussion chaired by Jim Vitali and a discussion of investment environment "Your Retirement Trust" by Thomas C. Arland, Tax Shelter Counselor. Jack Hurley delivered a report on his program, "Medical Data Reports."

Notes from the Annual Business Meeting of MMGMA held on May 10, 1974, included the following:

• Third Party Billing Committee composed of Strehlow, Lietzke, Lawson and Sullivan, reported that our superbill has been turned over to the MGMA Procedures Committee as they are finishing a superbill instruction book; and
  
• The Department of Public Welfare takeover of all welfare claims processing:
  --There will be a provider agreement;
  --MDPW will use the Minnesota relative value index; and
  --Implementation in the fall of 1974.
  
  

MMGMA's cash balance as of August 19, 1974, was $1,803.00.

Fifty-one Minnesota groups were members of MGMA in fiscal year 1974-1975.

The 48th Annual Conference of MGMA was held on September 8-11, 1974, in Washington -- in this city for the first time in MGMA's history. William E. Costello, FACCM, of the Nicollet Clinic in Minneapolis was President. The conference included interesting programs, including cocktails with Congress, a talk by Frank Carlucci, Under-Secretary of Health Education and Welfare, a talk by Ralph Nader and a talk by Dr. Todd, President of AMA.

Administrative activities of the Association this year included:

• Reports from the Gerloff Committee on goals and objectives of the Association;
  
• A Long-Range Planning Committee was established to become a permanent committee in the ongoing governance of the Association;
  
• Lease new office space in southeast Denver effective January 1, 1974;
  
• CRAHCA manual on insurance was developed with a $12,909 grant from HEW;
  
• Efforts were made for a more extensive and stronger affiliation with Canadian MGMA;
  
• The Board addressed MGMA participation in the Accreditation Council of the JCAH, proposing to take action in 1975 to become operational in 1975; and
  
• State / province / local organizations were growing fast -- at least 40 were said to exist by 1974.
  
  

This year was also a very big year for CRAHCA in view of these first substantial grants:

• $491,191 from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a three-year program of national assistance for organizations to help develop into group practices;
  
• $234,297 HEW grant for studies on "management of group practices"; and
  
• $33,662 HEW grant for the development of textbooks on employment contracts and income distribution plans.
  
  

H. Dean Andrews of the Vicksburg Clinic in Vicksburg, Miss., was President of ACCM.

The Midwest Section Conference was held June 9-12, 1974, at Tantara, Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., under the direction of President Kenneth Lange.

The section's cash balance on August 31, 1974, was $7,235.67. Midwest membership was at this time 363, a close second behind the Western Section which had 376.