THE TAOS MEDICAL CO-OP
Harding, T. Swann
A UNIQUE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT The Taos Medical Go-ob By T, Swann Harding Noted Authority on Azricultural and Kindred Subjects THERE are mUlions of Americans who have wondered just what they would...
...For another, Taos County was unusually well supplied with hospitals, for a strictly rural com' ntunity...
...Infant mortality, tuberculosis, and maternal mortality in child-birth rates have been high...
...That brought on a spell of picture showing...
...Members pay about ten percent of the total cost of the medical and dental coverage provided for them...
...some trinkets, **re presented for our admiration...
...But so many of these people are what might truthfully be called below-subsistence-level operators, that the gain is slow...
...Somehow they thought dimly aid would be forthcoming!' and it was...
...As wa climbed the slight incline to the simple adobe dwelling, the father came toward us, a somewhat emaciated man who looked older than his years and was probably tubercular himself...
...he had been gone two years...
...Without creating a feeling of guilt she deftly implied that, had the coule brought the Fitzpatrick in the St...
...Many experiments must be carried on to aid us in evolving a suitable pattern of rural medical and dental care for different localities...
...Its services are mere rational and scientific than those available to most of us-outside...
...A visit to this extraordinary asiociation in Taos is both Infortnativ* and inspiring...
...A son in the South Pacific was mentioned...
...This is because group practice lend* Itself to high efficiency, without any development whatever of eoldness or regimentation...
...Devotional objects, photographs, and trinkets abounded...
...Extraction and filling of teeth that undermine general health constitutes the dental care...
...It I* of the utmost Importance that this and many more experiments be carried on, until health and ssnltsry standards In rural United Slates generally approach what they have every right to be...
...Some years ago a wealthy woman of Taos built for a huge sum a palatial home for a woman novelist who, after all, never came there to live...
...Malnutrition abounds...
...The FSA grant, which Is about 160,000 a year, Is an Investment in health and in scientific research...
...The nurse recognized her opportunity at once and used it to the full...
...Meanwhile I had been introduced as a distinguished visitor from Washington and the couple put on their company manners...
...For another,- its entire staff—doctors, nurses, dentists, and others—was salaried...
...Could they get a doctor at all...
...As new members come into the association, and as it continues its work, dues will undoubtedly go down, and the cost per member per year will still further decline...
...Of course the clinic was closed, but the duties of tho staff, or what they regarded as their duties, didn't end with Saturday...
...They do not limit themselves to the mere service for which they are paid...
...Weather Clear, Track Fasi girl to the clinic for full examination when they joined up, her life might perhaps have been saved...
...The upshot was that FSA decided to try out here a unique county-wide social, economic, and medical experiment, It provided a grant and the Taos County Cooperative Health Association was formed...
...A UNIQUE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT The Taos Medical Go-ob By T, Swann Harding Noted Authority on Azricultural and Kindred Subjects THERE are mUlions of Americans who have wondered just what they would do if they sot sick...
...It 1* already strong in service and steeped In practical humsnltarianism...
...Moreover, as the people become incrsr-singly convinced of the association's value, they will probably foot a latrger proportion of its total operating cost...
...The mother felt she must see him now...
...However, people in Tsos County, New Mexico, who belonged to the county's cooperative health association, needed to do no such wondering...
...As we entered' the simple little house the mother, a small figure in black, with a black silk handkerchief bound round her head, came tearfully to the nurse who consoled her witb^ quick tenderness...
...So, though it was Sunday, they had driven many miles over mountain roads to the clinic in Taos to secure aid...
...Their medical needs wero provided for, and more...
...She gave brief, kindly instructions about cleansing the clothing, bed clothes, and bedroom of the deceased...
...Itut it is unlikely that these impoverished subsistence farmers can fully finance the association for years to come, if ever...
...Could they find accomodations in a hospital...
...A selfconscious look clouded the father's face, but the nurse went on...
...Indians compriso the other 2 percent...
...Income levels are low...
...Naturally the clinic people would help...
...AH relatives, not only members of the family, and even friends who had been close to her should be "X-rayed and examined...
...There was some small talk...
...The plan it followed was unique in two ways: For one, it was evolved around three clinics and two subclinic*, which acted as medical centers...
...While those who earn more than $1,500 per year are excluded, that afreets few of the Spanish-Americans constituting 96 percent of the population, though about 2 percent of Anglo-Americans dominate business and professional life...
...The car was an antique, but it ran.' On a closer glance it developed that the couple were weeping...
...The association staff rejoices whenever it can thus gather to Us fold new members, or induce old members to take better car* of their health...
...These were all carefully translated, and the mother nodded agreement Then she half whimpered something in Spanish and the daughter said: "Mother asks, will maybe all of us get this dreadful disease...
...She was the supervising nurse of the association's clinic...
...the nurses, who live at the branch clinics or in Taos, constantly make visits in their antique station wagons, As much educational and pre• ventivo medical work as possible is done under the circumstances...
...She left promising to visit the home again in a few days...
...Anyway every relative, everyone who had had contact with the girl in her illness, should take the utmost precautions...
...Most of the people it serve* formerly lived and died without sclentiAc medical attention...
...She, too, was beautiful, but her posture was poor and she coughed frequently, as did hervfather...
...Later progressive citizens induced others of wealth to transform this home into a hospital...
...Today they do better than average low-income people elsewhere...
...The nurse got into action at once, aslisted the bereaved couple to get sn undertaker, drove back to their home with them, and remained long enough to console the tearful, half-hysterical relatives, and to bring order out of chaos...
...Later she returned to attend the funeral...
...Other Experiments The service iVnow open to practically all inhabitants of Taos County, as they are essentially all farmers...
...The county had a prewar population of 18,000, but migrations to war industries and the armed forces reduced this to 14,000...
...Nevertheless an investment of even $10 a year in their life and health seems small, even if Government foots the bill...
...The nurse addressed the couple in Spanish and they quietly replied...
...As a result the association gained some six thousand members and is still growing...
...Could they procure s nurse...
...What is learned In each county has useful application somewhere else, for each one presents it* own unlqua problems...
...The staff of the Taos County Cooperative Health Association is idealistic and enthusiastic to a high degree...
...On that visit I accompanied her...
...The nune next congratulated the . mother on having the mattress out there in the sun...
...But now one of their two daughters, a beautiful child of fifteen, had died of tuberculosis in a quick, virulent form...
...Ait Inveifmenf In Health How did Taos County come to hsve this health association T Well, for one thing, It is almost wholly rural, and the Farm Security Administration was already trying to give group medical rare to some of Its client* there...
...The association has contractual or cooperative arrangements with the three hospitals and it provides medlcsl surgical, specialist, dental, and nursing care to these SpanishAmericans who depend upon It absolutely...
...Doctors visit patients only in extreme emergencies...
...One Sunday morning a Spanish-American couple sat silently in their car before the clinic The mountains looked down forebodingly...
...Indeed an old grandmother in the family was rather skeptical of this new-fangled medical care...
...We entered \ clean, cluttered room...
...Although the-nurse spoke Spanish she held the Interview in English permitting the daughter to act as translator...
...Then, since the town could not maintain the institution, it sought a sponsor...
...The hospitable urgency of the family was pathetic...
...It can grow a great deal more before It encroaches upon the clientele of private practitioner* among those who can afford to pay prevailing rate...
...A mattress hung over the fence in the sun...
...Perhaps, indeed, she might never have had tuberculosis at all, had not gome relative infected her...
...For a pattern of rural medical care developed among the** primitive pstrlsrchal people, who are suspicious and difficult to influence, would certainly have application elsewhere...
...Lottit Poit-Diapatch...
...True, FSA is doing its best through various devices to Improve their income...
...Sometimes we saw the same one two or three times...
...Vsrlous photographs, ther...
...They had long paid association dues but had rarely asked medical aid...
...Just then a woman who almost drove by, hurridly parked her car and ran over to them...
...A married daughter appeared...
...The Church gave able assistance in membership drives and the priest's aid was invaluable...
...The nurse promised to arrange this through Red Cross and Catholic agencies...
...When we left, a bereavement bad been used to make active association members or adherents out of families rather too fearful of hospitals or too superstitious to take full advantage of the inexpensive medical csre offered by the health association...
...As a result, the Roman Catholic Holy Family of Nazareth Order of Sisters took over...
...If so^ne were not members, why bring them along anyway...
...They would be examined and X-rayed free...
...It is bringing the gospel of health to those who never knew whst medical cara was before...
...It is unfortunste that the experiment cannot be directly planned on a five-year bails, for Us prenuUnre termination would result in much waste of funds already expended...
...V. Moreover,' the .medical coverage Is provided very economically...
...Later still the people of Taos became acutely conscious of their health needs, appealed to their State authorities, and were aided to form some institution, appealing to the Farm Security Administration among others...
...However, a nearly complete health coverage can rarely if ever be provided at a rate of less than $18 to $20 per individual per yean But the association in Taos provides it at a rate of $72 a year per family averaging 5.2 individuals, or at around $14 per person per year...
...That is very low, and can'doubtless be further lowered as time goes on...
...They didn't know what to do next, or how to go about making funeral arrangements...
...The a**ociatlon has the sctlve support of both laymen and doctors...
...The Farm Security Administration has been carrying them on in a number of counties — two in Texas, and one each in Arkansas, Mississippi,, and Georgia, In addition to tho Taos project...
...They should all come down to Taos clinic, say next Thursday, all of them...
...There were two la Taos Village —Holy Cross, and the Indian Hospital in Taos Pueblo—and a third just over the line in the county to the south...
Vol. 30 • February 1947 • No. 7
