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Fact Sheet
Regional Medical Programs

LEGISLATION & ACTIVITIES IN THE U.S.
(1965-1976)

A BRIEF HISTORY

First conceived in the report of the President's Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke, chaired by Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, the report, "A National Program to Conquer Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke," December 1964, recommended instituting regional cooperative arrangements to make the latest advances from biomedical research available to benefit the health of the American people.

In October 1965 the Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke Amendment (Public Law 89-239) authorizing the establishment and maintenance of Regional Medical Programs was signed. Its purpose was "to encourage and assist in the establishment of regional cooperative arrangements among medical schools, research institutions, and hospitals for research and training, including continuing education, and for related demonstration of patient care..." (Sec. 900, PL 89-239). Fifty-six regions were established, covering the nation, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Most programs were located at or near university medical schools.

NLM CONFERENCE, WEBSITE, AND INTERVIEWS

On December 6, 1991, NLM sponsored and hosted a conference, titled Regional Medical Programs: Legislation & Activities in the U.S. (1965-1976). As background for the conference, print and photographic materials were assembled at NLM, and interviews of 24 individuals were videotaped. Subsequent to the conference, a website was mounted that provides transcripts of conference activities, photographs, transcripts and short clips of video interviews, digital images of selected archival materials, selections from a history of the Programs, and a bibliography. Regional Medical Programs is located at profiles.nlm.nih.gov/RM/

Individual copies of the video programs (in VHS format) may be borrowed on interlibrary loan for a nominal fee. Libraries should send interlibrary loan requests for the interview videos to the National Library of Medicine:

DOCLINE: LIBID MDUNLM
Phone: (301) 496-5511

Mail orders: National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20894; Fax: (301) 496-2809

Interlibrary loan requests for the overview may be directed either to the Regional Medical Libraries or to the National Library of Medicine.

Overview

Somehow--some way--sometime--
The Regional Medical Programs
(a 34 minute overview)
1/2 inch videocassette
WA541.1 VC no. 3 1991 (P)

Interviews

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Michael E. DeBakey
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette
WA541.1 VC no. 17 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Merlin K. DuVal
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 30 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 16 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Roger 0. Egeberg
By Diane Rehm
1/2 inch videocassette. 31 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 20 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Charles D. Flagle
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 31 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 14 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Edward J. Hinman
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 26 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 18 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With William Kissick
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 31 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 19 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Philip R. Lee
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 29 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 22 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Irving J. Lewis
By Storm Whaley
1/2 inch videocassette. 30 minutes WA541.1 VC no. 21 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Robert 0. Marston
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 40 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 23 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With William D. Mayer
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 27 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 15 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With William H. McBeath
By Diane Rehm
1/2 inch videocassette. 32 minutes
WA54 1.1 VC no. 12 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Stanley W. Olson
By John Parascandola
1/2 inch videocassette. 33 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 8 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With John M. Packard
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 25 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 10 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Herbert B. Pahl
By Diane Rehm
1/2 inch videocassette. 31 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 11 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Edmund Pellegrino
By Diane Rehm
1/2 inch videocassette. 31 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 13 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Arthur Rikli
By Storm Whaley
1/2 inch videocassette. 27 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 25 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Paul G. Rogers
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 28 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 5 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With C. H. William Ruhe
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 30 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 6 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Paul J. Sanazaro
By Diane Rehm
1/2 inch videocassette. 32 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 24 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Nathan J. Stark
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 25 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 4 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With T. Franklin Williams
By Diane Rehm
1/2 inch videocassette. 30 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 2 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Vernon E. Wilson
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 30 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 1 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With Karl D. Yordy
By Storm Whaley
1/2 inch videocassette. 31 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 7 1991 (P)

The Regional Medical Programs, 1965-76
With John S. Zapp
By Donald A.B. Lindberg
1/2 inch videocassette. 28 minutes
WA541.1 VC no. 9 1991 (P)

Additional resources:
From NLM's Current Bibliographies in Medicine series:
No. 91-12: Regional Medical Programs
January 1964 through December 1977
602 citations
Copies available by request to the Curator of Modern Manuscripts.

A 125-page listing of the library and information services that were initiated with RMP sponsorship around the U.S. has been assembled by the History of Medicine Division and is available without charge by writing to the Chief of the Division at the address below.

Chief, History of Medicine Division
National Library of Medicine
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894

Current Program Information
NLM continues to develop and add to its historical collection of materials on the history of the Regional Medical Program. Newsletters, program documents, and publications of the national and various RMP programs have been donated to NLM since 1991. Archival collections, such as the records of the Health Organization of Western New York RMP, files of the National Steering Committee of the Regional Medical Program coordinators, and the papers of Dr. Vernon Wilson have also been added to the Library's collection of historical sources on the Program. These materials are available to scholars, historians, and others through the History of Medicine Division at NLM. Those wishing to donate materials to the RMP's historical collection should contact

Curator of Modern Manuscripts
History of Medicine Division
National Library of Medicine
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894
Phone: (301) 496-5963
Fax (301) 402-0872