University Childrens Medical Group (UCMG) was incorporated and began operating in 1984 under a different name (Medical Group of Childrens Hospital). Two of UCMG's leading members, Arnold Platzker, M.D., Head, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Gordon McComb, M.D., Head, Division of Neurosurgery, created and developed the idea for the original structure of UCMG. For the next year and a half, a group of division heads created UCMG's Bylaws and articles of incorporation, leading the creation of a professional business management services capability and a vehicle to fund clinical care, research and education. In 1984 all twenty-one medicine specialties and three surgical specialties were members of the medical group. In 1991, the physicians changed the name from Medical Group of Childrens Hospital to University Childrens Medical Group to reflect the importance of the academic affiliation with the University of Southern California School of Medicine. By 1993 all of the remaining surgical specialties had joined UCMG and in 1996 the Departments of Radiology and Pathology joined. Over the past fourteen years, the physician membership in UCMG has grown from 75 to 265 physicians, 250 of whom are pediatric specialists and 15 are primary care physicians including general pediatricians and adolescent medicine physicians. UCMG is now the largest pediatric multispecialty medical group in the United States. In addition to UCMG physician's stellar achievements in pediatric specialty medicine (see UCMG/CHLA Achievements), UCMG grew its business services management culminating in the creation of Pediatric Management Group (a physician practice management company) in November 1996. Return to menu