Washington University School of Medicine Oral Histories
Paul N. Saunders Oral History
Interviewer
Edwin W. McCleskey Ph.D. and William M. Geideman
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Summary
Paul N. Saunders was interviewed by Edwin W. McCleskey and William M. Geideman on June 12, 1990, for approximately 64 minutes. Saunders discusses a lawsuit filed against Barnes Hospital in 1978 for civil rights violations and other hospital policies and procedures which create informal segregation.
Scope and Content
Paul Saunders discusses the suit he and others filed against Barnes Hospital in 1978 for civil rights violations, as well as the state of health care policy and health care for Black people in St. Louis.
Saunders discusses the policy for “geographic separation of patients” at Barnes Hospital’s Maternity Hospital, initiated by hospital director Robert Frank in 1978, and the suit Saunders and others filed with the Missouri Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
He addresses hospital policies and procedures which create informal segregation, and the effects of white flight on medical care in St. Louis, particularly for indigent patients. He discusses the need for national health insurance, and barriers created by the current health care system for Black patients.
Biographical Information: Interviewee
Paul N. Saunders received his Master’s of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh in 1948. He was director of the Joint Community Health Services in St. Louis in the 1970s. He served as president to the St. Louis chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers. He testified before congress during hearings to extend the Public Health Services Act and other related laws to the improvement of the delivery of healthcare.
Biographical Information: Interviewer
Edwin W. McCleskey, Ph.D. was an assistant professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at Washington University School of Medicine from 1986 to 1993. His research addressed the biophysical properties of calcium-selective ion channels and the discovery of ion channels that trigger different types of pain. He also taught physiology and neuroscience.
William M. Geideman is an orthopedic surgeon who graduated from Washington University School of Medicine in 1993. He completed his internship and orthopedic residency training at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Interview Date
1990-06-12
Collection Identifier
OH110 (PC054-S12)
Length
Approximately 64 minutes.
Restrictions
Users wishing to publish (in whole, or in part) content taken from the audio or transcript of this oral history interview must request, sign, and return a Statement of Use form to the Becker Archives. For detailed information regarding publication and use of this oral history, contact the Becker Archives (arb@wusm.wustl.edu).
Recommended Citation
Paul N. Saunders Oral History, OH110 (PC054-S12), Bernard Becker Medical Library Archives, Washington University in St. Louis.
Disclaimer
The Becker Archives provides access to this oral history interview as a record of the past. This interview reflects the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of the interview participants, which may reflect outdated, biased, and offensive views and opinions. The Becker Archives does not endorse the views expressed in this interview, which may contain materials offensive to some users.
