To Serve the Greatest Number: A History of Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound

by Walt Crowley

An historical biography of the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound following its meteoric rise from a small group of concerned workers and physicians in 1947 to one of the nation's leading health maintenance organizations. Crowley portrays the Group's idealistic devotion to deliver comprehensive care to ordinary citizens and charge a flat fee for services, promote wellness, and "serve the greatest possible number." Many scoffed at the radical idea and worked toward its destruction, but who's laughing now? Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Hardcover

First published October 1, 1996

Reviews

[Chris]

I work part-time for Group Health so I'm biased. But I did find this inspirational and excellent background for today's health care reform conversations. For a shorter and more visual version, see Group Health Timeline. The backstory I heard on this little book is that Group Health hired Crowley, a well-known Seattle journalist, to write it when he was sick and needed health insurance.

[Kati · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the name suggests, a lot of the content centers around their growth in enrollment, doctors, new buildings, changes in leadership. A few fun history nuggets included as well, with guest appearances by Ted Kennedy and other social justice issues. A fun read for someone born and raised in the co-op and interested in health care reform.