TRENDS
By JOHN P. HUBBARD, M.D., Contributing Editor
Statements appearing in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editor nor are they to be interpreted as the official opinion of the Academy.
THE
PRESIDENT’S
HEALTH
COMMISSION
LOOKS
AT
CHILD
HEALTH
T
HE President’s Commission on Health Needs of the Nation, appointment of whichwas noted in this column last February, has included within its broad assignment specific consideration of the health needs of children. On June 18 a panel of persons with special interest and experience in maternal and child health met in Washington with
rep-resentatives of the Commission. A summary of the deliberations and recommendations of the panel will be submitted and discussed with the Commission itself on July 9.
The Panel on Health of Mothers and Children was made up of the following persons:
Harriet Bartlett, Professor of Social Economy, Simmons College, School of Social Work, Boston ; Leona Baumgartner, M.D., Assistant Commissioner in Charge of Maternal and
Child Health, Department of Health, City of New York ; Edward Davens, M.D., Chief, Bureau of Preventive Medicine, Maryland State Department of Health ; Nicholson
J.
Eastman, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Martha M. Eliot, M.D., Chief, Children’s Bureau ; Mrs. John E. Hayes, Past President,
National Congress of Parent Teachers Association ; Albert E. Heustis, M.D., Michigan
State Health Commissioner; John P. Hubbard, M.D., Professor of Public Health and
Preventive Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine ; Mrs. Ethel
Kirk-land, State Midwife Consultant, Florida State Board of Health ; Marion Murphy,
Resi-dent Lecturer in Public Health Nursing, University of Michigan School of Public Health;
Mrs. Kate W. Smith, Social Worker, Turtle Mountain Indian Agency, Belcourt, ND.;
Mrs. I. H. Teilman, Chairman, Health Division, Fresno County Coordinating Council, Selma, Calif. ; Myron E. Wegman, M.D., formerly Professor of Pediatrics, Louisiana State
University School of Medicine, New Orleans, and now with regional office of World Health Organization, Washington, D.C. ; Kent Zimmerman, M.D., Chief, Mental Health
Services, California State Department of Health. Miss Elizabeth S. Magee, General Sec-retary of the National Consumers League and a member of the President’s Commission, acted as Chairman.
The panel discussion was launched by Dr. Eliot who read a prepared statement which covered the subject in a very comprehensive manner and which drew extensively from the
Academy’s cooperative Study of Child Health Services. This statement was so inclusive
and contained so much up-to-date information, that the suggestion was made that
it
should be published in full, either as a part of the Commission proceedings or separately. In any event, it would be premature to review the statement in detail at this time. The subject matter may, however, be noted briefly.
First, there was a review of the status of our child population, emphasizing-in this day when so much attention is being given to the aging population-the continuing high
birth rate and the record-breaking number of the nation’s children. In comparison with
238 JOHN P. HUBBARD
years of age has been even greater, so that ‘‘we are growing younger faster than we are
growing older. ‘ ‘ Attention was drawn, as in the Academy study report, to the progress
in the care of children : the reduction of maternal mortality, infant mortality, mortality
and morbidity in the pre-school ages, and the “extraordinarily successful’ ‘ fight against
many communicable diseases. The major part of the statement then proceeded to outline steps which may be taken to meet recognized existing needs and to achieve higher
standards of maternal and child health. Specific consideration was given to the training of more health personnel of all kinds ; to hospital services for children ; to the quality and distribution of health services for mothers and children ; to the special needs of handicapped and crippled children ; to the economic barriers to medical care ; to the need for more research, particularly evaluation studies of health programs and basic studies
of the social and economic factors which influence child life ; and finally certain special
problems related to children in families of migrant laborers and to the children who are
mentally or emotionally disturbed.
Many of the points presented by Dr. Eliot reappeared and came in for lengthy
discus-sion as the panel proceeded throughout the rest of the day to consider the items in an
agenda prepared by the Commission staff. This agenda included the following subjects (but let no one assume that the panel limited itself accordingly) : contributions to
compre-hensive health care by maternity and child health programs ; relationship between health
services for mothers and children, and other family members and community life ;
de-ficiencies in the scope and quality of services, facilities, and the number, distribution and
training of personnel with the question as to how these deficiencies may be overcome;
the groups needing special consideration, such as families of migratory workers, families of service men, needs in special regions ; and the need for research in many areas of child life.
This panel is only one of a large number called in by the Commission Chairman, Dr.
Paul B. Magnuson, to assist the Commission and its staff in the staggering assignment
to make a critical study of the nation’s total health requirements and to recommend courses
of action to meet these needs. Among the problems which the Commission was specifically. asked to consider are: the current and prospective supply of health personnel ; adequacy
of training opportunities ; availability of local public health services ; amount and distribu-tion of hospital, clinical and similar facilities ; research ; financing of medical care ; the
long range effect of requirements of military, civil defense, veterans and other public
service programs upon civilian health resources ; and the extent to which federal, state and local government services in the health fields are desirable.
In the relatively few months which the Commission was given to fulfill its assignment,
it has met with some 25 to 30 panels, including experts in their respective fields from all over the country. Among the panels which have been heard in addition to that on the health of mothers and children are those on : general practice, specialization, group prac-tice, regional medical care plans, veterans’ medical care, the promotion of health, the prevention of disease, rehabilitation, training of physicians, health of the aging, rural
TRENDS 239
Francisco and either Birmingham or Atlanta. If time permits other cities may be added. The Commission intends to invite representatives of major organizations in each area,
such as medical societies and farm, labor and consumer groups. Individuals who care to testify will also be heard.
Although the Commission was severely criticized by the A.M.A. when it was created
last December and again during the recent Annual Meeting in Chicago, it is nevertheless noteworthy that panel participation has included representation from the A.M.A. Board
