Some developments in medical care programs in the Washington metropolitan area

Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States, was vastly affected by the political, social and economic forces which were evident between the years 1930-1950. The successive expansion of the federal government under the stimulation of the depression, the New Deal, the defense preparations and action of World War II, and the subsequent activity of the Korean conflict were factors which materially influenced the growth of Washington City and the surrounding area. The suburban communities of Virginia and Maryland which developed to encircle the capital city were linked closely to the socio-economic and cultural activities within Washington. Thus, in a true sense, the city and its environs constituted a functional entity known as the Washington Metropolitan Area. While the divisions of this Metropolitan area are politically distinct as jurisdictional parts of Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, the area is, nevertheless, a community of over a million people whose life and work have converged here; it is a community of people bound together by many mutual interests, activities, problems and needs. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to review in a broad and general way, one aspect of this community life of the Washington Metropolitan area. The need for medical care and health services was common to all sections. The development of these resources accompanied the expansion of the Washington Metropolitan area as it occurred between 1930-1950. The subject matter of this paper is primarily a historical account of the development of public health services throughout the area; the expansion of hospital facilities, the growth of voluntary agency programs and the increased medical care resources available through the official welfare agencies.