410 Cavalier Building
26 South Calvert Street
Baltimore 21202 Telephone: 837-6220

The Maryland Health and Higher Education
Facilities Authority was created by Chapter 408,
Acts of 1970. The Authority consists of nine
members, of whom the Treasurer of Maryland
serves ex officio, and eight members appointed by
the Governor for five-year terms. Members may
be reappointed. The Governor designates the
Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson. The Au-
thority appoints the Executive Director and a gen-
eral counsel, neither of whom can be members.

The purpose of the Authority is to enable pri-
vate health and higher educational facilities to use
the Authority as a vehicle to issue bonds and
thereby pay a lower rate of interest. The Authority
was created to provide certain hospitals and insti-
tutions for higher education with the facilities and
structures that are needed to carry out the pur-
poses of the Maryland Health and Higher Facili-
ties Authority Act of 1970 (Code 1957, Art. 43C).

HEALTH CLAIMS ARBITRATION
OFFICE

Walter R. Tabler, Director
Anita S. Pasciullo, Administrative Assistant

Room 1514, 301 W. Preston St.
Baltimore 21201 Telephone: 383-3910

The Health Claims Arbitration Office was cre-
ated by Chapter 235, Acts of 1976, as a unit
within the Executive Department. It is headed by
a Director appointed by the Governor with the
advice and consent of the Senate. The Director is
responsible for preparing three lists of qualified
persons willing to serve as arbitrators of health
care malpractice claims, one list consisting of at-
torneys, one of health care providers, and one of
persons from the general public who are neither
attorneys, health care providers, nor in the em-
ploy of insurance interests.

Any person asserting a claim against a health
care provider, for damages in excess of $5,000
and due to medical injury, must file the claim
with this office. The Director is responsible for
notifying all affected parties and for supplying a
list of qualified arbitrators, five from each of the
three categorical lists, from each of which one
mutually agreed upon arbitrator is chosen to sit

Independent Agencies/333

on the three-person arbitration panel. That panel
then must determine the issue of liability with re-
spect to the claim and, if it determines that a
health care provider is liable, it must consider
and assess appropriate damages. The decision of
the arbitration panel is final, unless rejected by
any party, in which case the rejecting party must
file an appeal action at the circuit court level to
reverse or modify the award.

HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION

Chairperson: James C. Fletcher, Jr., 1983
Vice-Chairperson: Susan P. Leviton, 1985

Clara Clow, 1981; Essom V. Ricks, Sr., 1981;
Shoshana Cardin, 1983; Flozella E. R. dark,
1985; Mary B. Malley, 1985; Rev. J. Edwin
Pippin, 1985.

David L. Glenn, Executive Director
Carolyn I. Polowy, Deputy Director
Vernon C. Wingenroth, Assistant Director
Risselle R. Fleisher, General Counsel

Metro Plaza at Mondawmin Mall
Suite 300
Baltimore 21215 Telephone: 383-3680

Cambridge Office:
514 Race Street
Cambridge 21613 Telephone: 228-0112

The Commission was established by Chapter
559, Acts of 1927, which added a new Article
49-1 (now 49B) to the Annotated Code of Mary-
land. By the statute a permanent "Interracial
Commission" was established to consider matters
concerning the "welfare of colored people resid-
ing in the State . . . , recommend legislation and
sponsor movements looking to the welfare of said
people, and to the improvement of interracial re-
lations, and to cooperate with other State agen-
cies to these ends." Subsequent amendments to
Article 49B over the years changed the name of
the Commission and expanded its authority and
responsibilities.

The current Commission consists of nine mem-
bers appointed by the Governor with the advice
and consent of the Senate for staggered six-year
terms. The Commission designates one of its
members as Chairperson. In the appointment of
Commission members, consideration is given to