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Podcast: Former MCH Bureau Director Reflects on MCH History

Much has been written about, and by, Vince L. Hutchins, M.D., M.P.H., (1924-2001), but on one afternoon in February of 1994, at the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH), a group of MCH professionals sat down at a large conference table and had the opportunity to listen to Vince describe over 80 years of MCH history. It was recorded on a VCR camcorder from across the room, and copies of the tape have been maintained at the MCH Library. Almost 10 years after his death, it is refreshing for those who knew Vince, and perhaps whose careers he fostered, to hear his calm and grandfatherly voice.

Broad thematic outlines of Hutchins' talk include: The vital role played by strong woman leaders in the first decades of the Bureau The perennial struggle between public health policy and the powerful medical lobby (the pull between policy and practice) The see-sawing - and sometimes splintering - of the federal MCH bureaucracy between agencies and up and down various levels in the federal government. Audio quality reflects the age of the video and the limited capabilities of the medium; transcripts for each excerpt as well as the full presentation are linked within each section below.

The MCH Library holds sections of Dr. Hutchins' archives of research, administration and historical files. Click on the links below to see a few special items from the archives related to the 50th anniversary of Title V, in 1985: Letter from President Reagan to 50th Anniversary Celebration attendees Letter from President Reagan to Surgeon General C. Everett Koop on the 50th Anniversary of Title V "Healthy Mothers, Healthy Children" press release Senate and House Resolutions designating the week of 1 June 1986 as "National Maternal and Child Health Week"

Highlights
	(transcript)	Excerpt 1: Dr. Hutchins delivers a sensitive portrait of several of the founding pioneers in the MCH movement, including the first woman member of Congress and several of the early directors of the Children's Bureau, all of whom broke new ground for women in government.
	(transcript)	Excerpt 2: Dr. Hutchins describes how Social Security legislation, while on its surface covering different age groups, actually relates in many ways indirectly to children, child well-being and the strength of families.
	(transcript)	Excerpt 3: Dr. Hutchins reveals his views on the importance of the Federal government providing direct services versus program oversight and standard-setting under Title V, and sets up the conflict between doctors and federal overseers.
	(transcript)	Excerpt 4: Dr. Hutchins details the history of the Emergency Maternal and Infant Care (EMIC) program, administered by the Children's Bureau from 1942 to 1949, and setting up a broader role for the Children's Bureau in delivering assistance to mothers and their infants.
	(transcript)	Excerpt 5: Dr. Hutchins outlines the many attempts, some successful and others not, to move the Children's Bureau around in the federal bureaucracy.
	(transcript)	Excerpt 6: Dr. Hutchins paints a bleak picture of an MCH program that through the 1960s and into the 1970s continued to drift further down into the bureaucracy and lose staff and influence, ending up five levels below where they had started out, and in two pieces, "probably the low point in federal MCH bureaucracy."
Full Podcast
		Listen to the full talk (39:00). (Transcript)

About Vince Hutchins

Vince L. Hutchins, M.D., M.P.H. (1928-2001), was a beloved national leader and life-long advocate for children’s health. During fifteen years as director of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (1977-1992), Dr. Hutchins expanded the federal government’s commitment to women, children, youth and families. He also led the development of new initiatives for children and families such as the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.

After retiring from the MCHB in 1992, Hutchins became Executive Director of the National Ready to Learn Council, where he worked with former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. In 1994, he joined the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH) at Georgetown University as Distinguished Research Professor, and chaired the Center's Division of Policy.