The records of the task force were received in great disorder in 1975, including not only documentation of the task force itself, but also some related records of the Health Policy and Program Council, the Advisory Comprehensive Health Planning Council, and the Bureau of Comprehensive Health Care.
After sorting, it was found that the task force records had originally been organized as a highly detailed numerical file. Unfortunately, this system, which assigned a numerical classification to each of the work groups and the major functional areas of the task force's activities, was not used consistently nor was filing carefully done. In some cases no records corresponded to established categories. The other cases, numerical files were established but there was no record of their meaning or title. Where possible, in the Archives the records have been resorted as NUMBERED FILES to make use of the original arrangement scheme. The remaining files were arranged as alphabetical SUBJECT FILES. This arrangement strategy revealed that while information about the task force was relatively complete, records of task force meetings, perhaps the single most important form of documentation, were missing. (Presumably these records were in the two boxes accessioned in 1975 that could not be located when the records were processed in 1990.)
The NUMBERED FILES include documentation about the task force's administration, public hearings it conducted, and its work groups. Of these, files on the education of health workers, the financing of health care, health planning, and the special Subcommittee on Developmental, Behavioral, and Chronic Problems are most complete. These files variously include correspondence, background material, research and surveys prepared by the task force staff, and minutes and transcripts of meetings and hearings. A large quantity of additional material including interim, draft, and final reports; statements presented at public hearings, and additional research papers prepared by task force staff were issued as publications and are available in the SHSW Library.
The alphabetical SUBJECT FILES consist of material that could not be placed within the numerical files. Most extensive is the material on the special Chiropractic Study Committee. Correspondence received by this committee in response to a Medical Society of Wisconsin newspaper advertisement that was critical of chiropractic has been extensively weeded based on content. This section also includes a survey of information concerning the education and training of Wisconsin chiropractors.
