With special thanks for contributions by Charles L. Park, Sr., MD, Charles L. Park, Jr., MD, and Susan Dunmyer (SCMS Executive Director 2001 - 2006)

1908 - The Early Years:
Seminole County was still a part of Orange County when the Orange County Medical Society (OCMS) was created in May 1908. The founding members of the OCMS included seven Orlando physicians and three Sanford physicians -- Jerome Bruce, MD, N. Devere Howard, MD, and O.W. King, MD. The constitution and bylaws for county medical societies developed by the American Medical Association were adopted. That same year Orange County sent its first delegate to the Florida Medical Association (FMA) meeting.
The first recorded OCMS meeting held in Sanford was in 1909. The agenda of the early meetings included scientific discussions on subjects like dengue fever, eclampsia and pellagra. Fees for various services were frequently discussed.
In 1913 Seminole County was created by state legislators. However, Seminole County physicians remained in the OCMS until 1927, at which time a charter for the creation of the Seminole County Medical Society (SCMS) was granted by the FMA.
Click here for more information on the OCMS from 1908 - 1927.

1927 - The Beginning of SCMS:
On January 14, 1927 the first SCMS meeting was held, and the eight founding members elected Samuel Puelston, MD, the first SCMS President. Six more members were accepted the following year. Relations with the OCMS remained good, with many of their members participating in the Seminole annual river cruise meeting. The agenda at this meeting always included a barbecue at Lemon Bluff, poker, craps, and skinny-dipping in the St. Johns River.

The first meetings of the SCMS were held at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital, a mansion that was converted into a hospital in 1920. From the very first meeting the chief order of business was to obtain an adequate medical facility for the county. At one time the Federal Government considered constructing a new hospital as a WPA project, but never did. Numerous other efforts by the Society, Seminole County and the City of Sanford to obtain a new hospital were unsuccessful.
The Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital (opened 1920)

Click here for a fascinating account by Charles Park, Sr. MD, of what it was like to work in the Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital.
During the early years the County Board of Health and the SCMS worked closely in various endeavors. Schools were closed during influenza epidemics, educational programs were presented to the public and mass inoculations were given. In 1929, at the recommendation of the SCMS, the city of Sanford passed an ordinance requiring dogs to have rabies injections.
During these years SCMS educational programs included presentation of papers by guest speakers or members on subjects like nephritis, spinal anesthesia, trauma of the extremities, electrocardiography, radium treatment for cancer of the cervix and uterus, and head trauma. Some interesting accounts of early meetings include:
During the April 12, 1929 meeting "Dope fiends were discussed and it was agreed that city and county physicians would handle these cases and the society would discontinue any members prescribing or giving dope to an addict."
During the November 15, 1931 meeting, after a talk on the treatment of rattlesnake bites, a lively discussion on snake encounters followed with many personal accounts given. One story was that "a diamond back rattler had his fangs caught in a man's pants and the man running for some miles before the snake's hold was broken and the snake venom had run into the man's shoes. Supposition was that the shoes had other contents mixed with the venom."
Click here for a summary of SCMS meetings from 1927 - 1965

1941 - World War II:
World War II brought a temporary halt to the efforts to obtain a new hospital. Five out of the thirteen physicians in the community went into the Army, placing a huge workload on the remaining older physicians. Dr. Orville Barks was captured in North Africa and spent three years in a German prisoner of war camp. Dr. C.L. Park, Sr. helped organize the Second Auxiliary Surgical Group, which was the forerunner of M.A.S.H. units of the Vietnam era. Because helicopter evacuation was not available at that time, these units operated very close to the combat area. The Second Auxiliary Surgical Group sustained a 60% casualty rate in the Italian campaign.
After the return of their veterans, the Society resumed its efforts to obtain a hospital. In 1947, Sanford leased the former U.S. Navy air base from the government, and the base hospital was reopened as a community hospital. Several new physicians came to Sanford, but the south end of the county was just beginning to grow, and the few physicians there joined the Orange County Medical Society.
The 50s & 60s:
In December 1949, the SCMS instructed their delegate to the FMA to vote in favor of accepting black physicians into the society, and on May 9, 1950, the FMA voted to accept qualified black physicians. On July 1, 1950, SCMS member Dr. George Starke was elected to membership into the SCMS, becoming the first black physician in the state accepted for county medical society and FMA membership.
George Starke, MD. (1898-1978)
Learn more about the life of Dr. Starke here (PDF, 1.9MB), from Chapter 5 of a thesis titled "The Black Physician in Florida from 1900-1965: An Examination of the Desegregation Process", by Sally P. Vihlen, University of South Florida, 1994.
SCMS was incorporated in 1955. In February, 1956, Seminole Memorial Hospital opened. Prior to the opening of the hospital, the SCMS cooperated with the new administrator in accepting applicants for the staff, served as a temporary board of trustees, and gave advice regarding the purchase of equipment. In 1962, the Sanford Jaycees and the SCMS sponsored a free tetanus toxoid injection program, and in 1964 they sponsored a Sabin oral vaccine program for polio (20,000-21,000 doses were given).
In the mid 1960's, the south end of the county grew rapidly, but the physicians moving into the area were still joining the OCMS and using the Orlando hospitals. Several doctors moved into the rapidly expanding city of Deltona and joined the SCMS.
The 70s & 80s:
With the opening of Florida Hospital-Altamonte in 1973, Central Florida Regional Hospital in 1982, and South Seminole Community Hospital in 1984, a rapid influx of doctors into the entire county occurred. By 1977, many physicians from Altamonte and Longwood had joined the SCMS, and in 1978 meeting sites alternated between Florida Hospital-Altamonte and Seminole Memorial Hospital. In 1984, physician membership was evenly divided between the north and south ends of the county.
In 1987, SCMS member Dr. Luis Perez was elected President of the Florida Medical Association, becoming the first foreign medical graduate in the United States to be elected as the President of a state medical association. When Dr. Perez passed away in 1988, SCMS pediatrician Dr. Vann Parker spearheaded the creation of the Dr. Luis Perez Scholarship Fund that still awards a $2,000 scholarship yearly to a Seminole County high school senior interested in pursuing an education in the sciences.-
By 1988 the SCMS was an active organization with more than 150 members. During the 1990's the SCMS became increasingly involved in community service. The Medical Assistant Program was established as a partnership with Seminole Community College to allow medical assistant students to complete a clinical practicum in doctors' offices. The Volunteer Physicians Program enabled doctors to volunteer their services at the county health department and the health clinic at the Orlando Coalition for the Homeless.
2000+:
A major medical liability crisis occurred in 2002. The SCMS coordinated efforts with OCMS and the area hospitals for a "Health Care Crisis Rally" held in October, 2002, on the campus of Florida Hospital-Orlando. Attended by thousands, the Rally brought attention to the seriousness of the malpractice crisis, and to the exodus of physicians from the area. The SCMS put up a billboard about the crisis on I-4, and was instrumental in efforts both locally and statewide that resulted in the 2003 medical liability reform legislation.
In December 2003, after years of inactivity, the former SCMS Auxiliary was reactivated as the SCMS Alliance. Comprised of spouses of physicians, the Alliance works in partnership with the society to promote health education, support health-related charitable endeavors and encourage involvement in legislative education. Shirley Davis became the first Alliance President.
In 2004, the SCMS created its Physician Mentor Program, a collaborative effort of the SCMS, the Seminole County public school system, and the three hospitals in Seminole County. As part of the Program, twenty-four minority Seminole County high school seniors were matched with twenty-four SCMS physician mentors, for the purpose of encouraging them to consider medicine as a career and to give them a competitive advantage when they apply to medical school. The Program received national attention.
SCMS and Alliance members urge voters to support Amendment 3
Medical liability reform continued to be an issue in 2004, when the SCMS and Alliance obtained over 10,000 signatures to help the FMA place Constitutional Amendment 3 on the Florida General Election ballot. The amendment sought to place limits on attorney contingency fees in malpractice cases. SCMS physicians and Alliance members attended numerous rallies and manned voting precincts to encourage the public to vote for the Amendment. It passed by a 68% majority.
Recent Activities:
In 2004 the SCMS became a non-profit organization, and in 2005, the Society created its website. By 2005 the SCMS membership had increased to more than 200.
Becky Cherney of the Florida Health Care Coalition leads a panel discussion on “Patient Safety in Seminole County” at the Summit
In 2006 the SCMS joined with the three Seminole County hospitals and hosted the Seminole County Patient Safety Summit, which was held at the Conference Center at the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford. The Summit attracted several national speakers, including keynote speaker Dr. Paul Gluck, who was the Chair of the Board of the National Patient Safety Foundation. As part of the Summit, the Society published the “Seminole County Patient Safety” magazine, and distributed over 2,000 copies to physicians in Central Florida.
Following the Summit, a Patient Safety Council was created so the SCMS, the three Seminole County hospitals, the Seminole County Health Department, and the University of Central Florida could collaborate on patient safety issues. In creating the Council, Seminole County became the first county in the United States to address patient safety issues on a county-wide basis.
Also in 2006, the SCMS created the SCMS Foundation to oversee the Society’s educational, charitable, and public service activities. At this time the Society has become one of the fastest growing county medical societies in Florida, now boasting almost 250 members.
Additional Historical Information and Attachments
An account of medical care in Seminole County in the 1800s
Seminole County as part of the Orange County Medical Society 1908 - 1927 (OCMS Bulletin)
The Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital (historical account)
George Starke, MD
Luis Perez, MD
Highlights from SCMS meetings 1927 - 1965
Past SCMS Presidents