Houston Medical Forum (1955-1980, Section 3)
1958
the city’s African-American physicians decided to form the Houston Medical Forum (HMF) to address the particular concerns of black doctors and their patients. Despite the advances of the past decade, discriminatory practices still foreclosed many alternatives. The continued refusal of most white hospitals in Houston to extend privileges reflected the persistence of Jim Crow segregation. In the face of such segregation, African Americans continued to face health crises.
Since its inception, the HMF has sought to promote the art and science of medicine among its members and to improve the quality of care for the city’s African-American community whose members constituted the bulk of their patients. Regular meetings have given HMF participants the opportunity to discuss developments in diagnostic tests, surgical procedures, and pharmaceuticals. Over time, they have provided scholarships for black medical students also.