Public Health Service
                  DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH          HUMAN SERVICES
                                                       April 1, 1991                    National Institutes of Health
                                                                                        National Library of Medicine
                William D. Mayer, M.D.                                                  Bethesda MD 20894
                President
                Eastern Virginia Medical Authority
                P, 0. Box 1980
                Norfolk, Virginia 23501

                Dear Bill:
                       I am making plans to hold a  one-day  meeting  at  the  National  Library  of  Medicine
                on "Regional Medical Programs: Legislation and Activities in  the  U.S.  (1965-74)."  We  have
                tentatively scheduled the meeting  for  December  6,  1991  in  the  Lister  Hill  Auditorium,
                probably preceeded on December 5,  1991  by  an  early  evening  wine  and  cheese  reception.
                       Your participation in such an event will be  critical.  Can  you  attend  on  the  date
                noted? Would you be willing to help  us  in  the  interim  in  connection  with  planning  the
                program'.?
                       Your help might take the form of responding briefly to our questions  by  mail,  or  if
                convenient for you, by doing a recorded interview  at  NLM  at  a  mutually  convenient  date.
                Our  questions  by  mail  would  likely  have  to  do  with  names  of  people,  location  and
                availability of records, and your advice concerning presentations, panels, and persons  to  be
                especially invited (realizing that such a meeting will also be open to the public).
                       From NLM's point of view, the meeting will  be  organized  by  Dr.  John  Parascandola,
                our Head of the History of Medicine Division. In addition, ProL Arthur  E.  Rikli  has  agreed
                to assist us as a consultant to help organize and to contact possible participants.
                       Why hold  such  a  meeting?  I  believe  RMP  was  a  proud  and  important  effort  to
                improve health care delivery. There is almost no historical record of  these  events,  and  we
                hope that the meeting may contribute to remedying this lack. In addition, I  believe  that  we
                may  learn  important  lessons  for  re-examining  RMP  expectations,   implementations,   and
                ultimately the circumstances of its abandonment.  With  luck  the  lessons  may  illuminate  a
                clearer path to effective health policy now and in the future.
                       Lastly, I should tell you that we can probably  manage  to  hold  the  meeting  without
                a significant registration charge. On the other hand, there is no obvious  source  from  which
                to subsidize most travel expenses. If this lack would prevent your participation, I would very
                much appreciate it if you would tell me.




                                                                                 Lindberg, M.D.
                                                                  Director
                Enclosure - RSVP






                                      Regional Medical Programs
                     Re:           Legislation and Activities Meeting
                                           December 6,1991

                               ---------------------


                      @   I can attend.
                      @   I will not need travel cost subsidized.
                      R   I would require travel cost subsidy.
                      R   I can agree to help by answering questions by mail.
                      El  I would be willing to do recorded interview at NLM if a
                          convenient date could be found.



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