The History of HeSCA

 Please Note: This is the first version of a historical documentation of HeSCA and the health/science communications field. Many thanks to Reba Benschoter for compiling the text and photographs and thanks to Patricia Hess for organizing the materials. If you have suggestions, contributions or corrections, please contact Keven Siegert at keven@hesca.org. Thank You.

The Health Sciences Communications Association (HeSCA) is a nonprofit organization devoted to the advancement of education in health and science by means of varied contemporary educational technology. HeSCA was founded in 1959 as the Council on Medical Television. The parent organization of the CMT, the Institute for the Advancement of Medical Communication (IAMC), sought to provide a means whereby exchange of information and the resources of a variety of institutions could be focused on the use of television in the health sciences.

In 1964, the Council on Medical Television was incorporated as a separate organization, and in 1971, the name was changed to recognize the broadened scope of objectives and activities of the organization.

The Institute for Advancement of Medical Communication (IAMC) was founded in 1958 as an independent, non-profit organization devoted solely to promoting better communication among biomedical scientists and health science practitioners.

 

Publication from the Institute for Advancement of Medical Communication.

One of the 21-member Scientific Council, all MDs or PhDs, was Michael DeBakey, MD, Professor of Surgery, Baylor University.

To read a synopsis of the Origin of the IAMC that was originally published in this pamphlet, click here.

Excerpt from the booklet pertaining to the origin of the Council on Medical Television.

 

Report of the First Meeting of the Council on Medical Television

First meeting held at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, October 15-16, 1959, under the auspices of the Institute for Advancement of Medical Communication.

The work of organizing the Council on Medical Television and of preparing for its first meeting was supported, in part, by USPHS grant RG-6745.

To read a Synopsis of the Proceedings of the first meeting, as published in this booklet, click here.

Click here to read the Opening Remarks for the first meeting by Murray C. Brown, MD, Director of Professional and Clinical Education, National Institutes of Health

 

To read a detailed History of the Council on Medical Television, click here to access the paper presented by Sam A. Agnello, Coordinator of Medical Television for Duke University, Secretary - Treasurer, Council on Medical Television. This paper was presented at the 7th Annual Meeting of the Council on Medical Television in 1966 at the University of Michigan.

 

John Franklin Huber
Chairman
Council on Medical Television
1961

Vladimir K. Zworykin, the inventor of television and honorary vice president of RCA, delivers keynote address at Council for Medical Television 7th annual meeting in May, 1965.
James W. Ramey and Vladimir K. Zworykin. CMT 7th annual meeting, 1965.

Panel on use of television as a medium of instruction in medical education. From left: Joseph Geiger, chief engineer, Smith, Kline & French; Joe Moffat, University of Michigan TV Center; Dr. Richard D. Judge, University of Michigan; Hazen Schumacher, associate director, University of Michigan TV Center.

CMT 7th annual meeting, May, 1965

Color television projector used at the University of Michigan for the Council on Medical Television 7th annual meeting in May 1965.

The screen size was 9 X 12.

Dr. Edward W. Bird
Chairman of the Council on Medical Television
1966

Dr. Michael Romano, President of HeSCA from 1964-65, speaking to the Biological Photographic Association, August 23, 1966.

Photo montage from the Council on Medical Television, 8th annual meeting in San Francisco, April 25-27, 1966. Printed in Health Sciences TV Bulletin, July 1967. (Click to enlarge)

Dr. David Ruhe receiving the first Golden Raster Award from Dr. E. W. Bird, May 2, 1967.

Printed in Health Sciences TV Bulletin, July 1967

Annual meeting banquet, May 1967.
From left: Sam Agnello, ?, Dr. David Ruhe, Dr. E. W. Bird.

 

David Ruhe

Equipment displays draw interested groups of people at the CMT annual meeting in Kansas City, MO.

4/24/69

 

Richard Judge,
Council on Medical Television Chairman, 1970

X-ray technician operates Ampex videotape recorder while radiologist conducts cardiovascular fluoroscope examination and nurse takes blood pressure of patient.

Instant Replay

A biomedical instrumentation engineer in the Diagnostic Radiology Department at Stanford Medical Center, PaloAlto, California, points out a trouble spot to radiologist while viewing videotape replay of just completed cardiovascular fluoroscopic examination.

(date unknown)

Norelco Plumbicon camera used for "Miracle in OR5" telecast, June 25 and 29, 1967. Shown over commercial television, the 90-minute program depicted a 10 hour heart surgery at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY.

Published in Health Sciences TV Bulletin, July, 1967.

Sister Gregory, C.R., administrator at Resurrection Hospital, listens as I.J. Kaluzna explains the many dials and switches on the master console that controls the hospital's own fully integrated television network.

1967

General Electric portable video tape recorder tri-pack. Available in three compact luggage-type carrying cases. Included in the package is the TE-23 cctv camera, TH-31 monitor and the TD-1 tape recorder. Suggested list price: $1695.00

Published in Health Sciences TV Bulletin, July 1967.

Early Telemedicine

Dr. Lewis Leavitt evaluating rehabilitation patient's grasping capabilities.

Baylor College of Medicine
1969

 

 

Dr. Wolf discusses skull x-rays of patient with consultant, via television.

Baylor College of Medicine and Wharton, TX link
1969

Mr. Hunt, Nuclear Medicine department, presenting patient scan data via television.

Baylor College of Medicine and Wharton, TX link
1969

Close-Up Camera

This camera was used to view demonstrations either by use of a suspended front surface mirror. Because of the great magnification the camera provides, an intense light source is necessary, which is provided by the 1000 watt projection lamp. This photo shows the tripod-mounted close-up camera and the Ultra close-up camera in use for a demonstration at the University of Texas Dental school.

 
University of Pennsylvania
Norelco PCP-90 "Minicam" portable color television camera, demonstrated by Phillips Broadcast Equipment Corp. at the 1970 National Association of Broadcasters convention in Chicago (April 5-8, 1970). The 3-plumbicon tube camera, already in full production and being used daily in national broadcasts for remotes and news coverage, is said to be the ultimate in portability and versatility.
Master control facility, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, 1970. Published in Health Sciences Bulletin, October, 1970.
TV Educator Production Center

"Educational and training television tapes can be made in a professional manner with the TVE-945 which includes all the basic components and capabilities found in the typical broadcast television studio." (date unknown)

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