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Community Council of' the Atlanta Area inc~ newsletter Eu gene T. Branch, Chairman of the Board Duane W. Beck, Executive Director 1000 Glenn Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Telephone (404) 577-2250 mrnOMPHIHIISIVE AHIAIIDI HIAllH PlANNING PHOUCI Raphael 8 . Levine, Ph.D. Director Alloys F. Branton, M.BA. Associate Director VOLUME I Cynthia R. Montague, Editor June, 1°969 IN THE BEGINNING-THE LAW Public Law 89-749 is cited as the "Comprehensive Health Planning and Public Health Services Amendments of 1966", and declares the following to be its findings and declaration of purpose. Sec. 2 (a) The Congress declares that fulfillment of our national purpose depends on promoting and assuring the highest level of health attainable for every person, in an environment which contributes positively to healthful individual and family living; that attainment of this goal depends on an effective partnership, involving close intergovernmental collaboration, official and voluntary efforts, and participation of individuals and organizations; that Federal financial assistance must be directed to support the marshalling of all health resources-national, state and local-to assure comprehensive health services of high quality for every person , but without interference with existing patterns of professional practice of medicine, dentistry, and related healing arts . (b) To carry out such purpose , and recognizing the changing character of health problems, the Congress finds that comprehensive planning for health services , health man power, and health facilities is essential at every level of government ; that desirable administration requires strengthening the leadership and capacities of state health agencies ; and that support of health services provided people in their communities should be broadened and made more flexible . NUMBER I The Partnership for Health Law requires that such planning be done with people rather than for people. Therefore , maximum participation of health "consumers", health professional s, governmental units and agencies, and other community organizations is a necessity. The law is telling the states and communities that they will be given increasing responsibility and power to determine their own best health interests, and that the current Federal practice of funding health-related projects through specific project-type grants will phase into a system of "block" grants to the states for use as local emphasis requires . Eventually, on ly communities which have organized themselves for comprehensive health planning may be eligible to receive Federal support. Ide as of excellence need corresponding institutions; the Comprehensive Areawide Health Planning Project is an example of such an idea. Such ideas need feet and so the pioneering march has begun towards healthful social change of a magnit ude never before undertaken . THE CONVENORS THE SALUBRIOUS WIND STOCKING OF CHANGE Vision of social and health planners of the Community Council of the Atlanta Area, Inc. (CCAA), made it possible for the Atlanta metropolitan area to be the first area in Georgia to receive an " organizational grant" for the purpose of defining and developing an agency which will be capable of doing comprehensive health planning and obtaining broad community support and participation in the planning effort . This grant, from the United States Public Health Service, through the Georgia Office of Comprehensive Health Planning, supports the CCAA in the professional and organizational effort necessary to instigate such an organization . Eu gene T. Branch, Chairman, Dr. Rob ert E. Wells, Chairman, Gilbert R . Campbell , Jr., Board of Directors, Communi t y Area Joint Hea lth Profession als Ch airman, Met ropo litan Council of the Atlanta Area, In c. Commit1ee on Comprehensive Area Council of Chambers Health Pl anning of Commerce The term " comprehensive" means that every aspect of the hea th landscape in the six-count y metropolitan area must be taken into account in the planning process. This includes not only the treatment of illness and injury but the prevention of same as well as compensation for any lasting effects received. In addition to the manifold activities of medical and paramedical personnel in the variety of health treatment facilities, planning must consider environme ntal controls of air, water , soil, fo od , disease vectors, housing codes and construction , and waste disposal. Needs for tra ining of health personnel , fo r improvement of manpower and facili ties utilizat ion, and for access to health care must be considered . The fields of mental health , dental health , and A necessary step in the organization al devel opment of the Comprehensive Are a wid e Health Planning Project was the convening of a large "Community Involvement Panel", to which approximately 170 representatives of agencies , organizations, and governmental units were invited·. In order to indicate the brea dth of concern for healt h planning in this commun ity , three major groups collaborated in issuing the invitation, and hence, became the "convenors" of the Panel. Shown are the chief officers (left to right) of the t hree groups: Eugene T. Branch , Chairman of t he Board of Directors , Community Council of the Atlanta Area, Inc .: Dr. Robert E. Wells, Chai rman of the Arca Joint Health: Professionals Committee on Comprehensive Health Pla nning Gilbert rPh".lhi i it!lfinn c:-hA11 l rf hP inf"l 11 n t1rl Tho-ro ..,_., (" . R l,.,.,.. ,..,..., ... ,..,.. ....... ,, i... ,-.. u t +1... c. rQm n ho11 Tr r'h .... ; .. ._,,,," ,...f th.n AA.ot .-r. n n l; +.-.n A .. " .. "' - -··· ,.. : I , ... f �DIRECTOR'S REPORT organi za tion , and (2) to devise an organiza ti onal structure for such opera ti on, including corpora te ident ity, policy Council , and the means of selecting the Council and writing its by-laws. Two of the activities undertaken in this field are (a) identification of community interest and decision groups involved in health activities , and holding literally scores of meetings with them ; and (b) working out the detailed plans for permanent agency and obtaining accept ance and endorsement of them by importan t groups in the community : governments , health officials and consumers' groups. Raphael B. Levine, Ph .D. On Thursday, June 5th, the long process of "community involvement" came to a successful climax, when the new "Metropolitan Atlanta Council for Health" met for the first time , and formally accepted the responsibility for guiding the destinies of comprehensive health planning in this six-county metropolitan area. The membership of the Council represents in the truest sense the "partnershi p for health" concept which is the basis of Federal support of comprehensive health planning. Local governments, major planning agencies, health providers, health consumers, public and private medicine, voluntary health agencies, poor and middle class , black and white , are all present on the Council . Moreover , they were selected for Council membership in the spirit of today's participatory democracy, rather than being appointed by a select body. I am enormously pleased with the caliber of this body of citizens, who will be making policy decisions on health matters for this community. I am convinced that , although they come from many different walks of life , they will function as the 18th Century Statesman, Edmund Burke , expected of the British Parliament : "Parliament is not a congress of ambassadors from different and hostile interests, which in te rests each must maintain , as an agent and an advocate, against other agents and advocates ; but Parliament is a deliberative assembly of one nation , with one interest , that of the whole-where not local purposes, not local prejudices , ought to · guide, but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole . You choose a member , indeed ; but when you have chosen him, he is not a member of Bristol, but he is a member of Parliament." ORGAN IZAT IONAL EFFORT The work during this organizational year has fallen into two major fields : (A) identification of the technical aspects of community health planning, and (B) development of an organization or agency capable of carrying out comprehensive health planning on a perma nent basis . A. Technical Aspects The principal technical objectives of this project are (1) to identify the community's principal health problems, and the probable, most urgent planning efforts which will have to be undertaken by the permanent organization during its first year of existence- 1970 ; and (2) to specify the numbers and qualifications of the technical staff who will be needed to carry out such planning. Two of the numerous activities undertaken by the staff and volunteers which bear on these objectives are (a) developing a "systems approach" in planning for the health field , involving cost-benefit analyses, and the building of community health " systems models", etc.; and (b) the use of volunteer "task forces" to identify and scope healt h problems through descriptions of problem areas, trends , reso urces, obstacles, and suggested solutions to the problems. A great deal of thanks is due to these hundreds of volunteers , both health professionals and other concerned citizens, for their efforts, expertise, and insights into the health picture of this community. B. Organizational Development The principal organizational objectives of the project are (I) to ..l ... ...... 11'1"111 ti...,.. 1,. ____ ..... _ - - - !l_ l _ ..] _____ _ J: -- -- ··- = ··· :_.,. . . 1...... _...__ ,. =- COBB COUNTY HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL ESTABLISHED In tune with the Comprehensive Areawide Health Planning concept , the Cobb County Health Advisory Council was recently born . The infa nt Council has the charge of determining the county's health needs in order of priority and how such needs should be met. Mr. William Thompson, Administrator for the Cobb Health Department, and Chairman of the newly formed Council has cited four areas of concern : service , manpower, fin ances, and facilit ies. The idea of such Health Advisory Councils grew out of the Partnership for Health Legislation of 1966 which established a program of providing matching funds to help communities obtain needed health services and facilities. Says Dr. Raphael B. Levine , Director of the Metropolitan Atlanta Comprehensive Areawide Health Planning Project, "Citizen participation in health planning at the local level as well as the metropolitan level is essential to a successful community-wide effort. It is most encouraging that the Cobb County Health Advisory Council has been formed" , he concluded. BACKGROUND-Dr. Raphael B. Levine Dr. Raphael B. Levine was educated at the University of Minnesota. There he received a Bachelors and Masters degree in Physics and a doctorate in biophysics . His recent professional work has consisted of developing "intelligent " computors which can learn to recogni ze patterns of behavior in complex systems (biological or physical). Some of his previous research activities concerned man's reaction to physical and emotional stresses of atmos pheric and space flight , as well as the electrical activity of the heart and brain. He has taught and done research at the University of Minnesota, the University of Illinois, and Ohio State University . Since 1958, he has been managing and performing research in t he Human Factors Laboratory and the Systems Sciences Resea rch Laboratory of the Lockhee d-Georgia Company . In 1968, he became the consultant to and then t he Director of the Comprehensive Areawide Health Plan ning Project for Metropolitan Atlanta under the Community Council of the Atlanta Area , Inc. He is currently serving as President of the Planned Parenthood Association of the Atlanta Area. BACKGROUND-Alloys F. Branton, Jr. Alloys F. Branton , Jr., was educated at the University of Minnesota where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree, and at the University of Chicago where he received a Masters Degree in Hospital Administration. He was Health Division Secreta ry of the Co uncil of social Agencies of Greater New Haven, Inc., New Haven, Connecticut. Next , he served as a Health Consultant to the Community Health and Welfare Council of Hennepin County, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota . He came to Atlanta as Assistant Director of the Hospital and Health Planning Department, Community founcil of the Atlanta Area , Inc . He is now Associate Director of t he Comprehensive Areawide Health Planning Project. He also has an _appointment as adjunct faculty member Course in Hospital Arl.-n;n;c-trt'l+;nn C',..hnn.l Af' D,.. ,.. ;.,..,..,..,.. A~ --: .... : ... ..... ... ,._ ; ...,_... r, ,.. #, - - ! ... c, .._ ... ,,._ �