[João de Barros Barreto: a builder of the organizational debate on health in Brazil].

The article explores João de Barros Barreto's ideas and proposals for the field of the organization of health services in Brazil. Based on the proposal of the Capanema Reform (1937-1941), the text reveals the context of the formulation of the so-called district health model in Brazil historically, focusing on its logic, conceptual and theoretical principles and resources employed. The conclusion drawn is that Barros Barreto's professional career, contextualized in a specific scenario of ideas, state agenda and organizational perspectives, contributed decisively to the constitution of modeling achievements of relevant organizational arrangements in the trajectory of Brazilian public health.