The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-04-03
Administrator

Administrator
in the Veterans administration
which, I believe, will be of assistance
to the physicians on your staff when
discussing the medical and hospital
service Of the Veterans adm!nistra-
ton with, the physicians whom they
may. be able to interest in applying
to the Procurement and Assignment
Service for certi1cation to the Civil
Service Commission looking toward
war service appointments.
desire that this matter be
brought to the attention of your
entire medical staff as promptly as
possible and that you also dissem-
mate 1t through any other channels
of publicity that may be available
to you, as thereby you will not only
assist me in keeping an adequate
source of professional personnel
available to the Veterans admins
tration but any who take part in
this will also be aiding federal serv-
ices in very important sphere dur
ing the existing emergency.
It is desired to emphasize that it
Is highly important that the ques-
tionnaireS, which are shortly to be
received by all physicians in the ma
ton from the Procurement and AS
signment Service, should be COM
pleted and returned promptly to
that service and those who desire
service with the Veterans admins
tration should make this desire
known to Major Seeley through the
questionnaire and not directly to the
Veterans administration.
Your cooperation by intensive APP
plication of this directive is desired"
Civil Service
Doctors enter the Medical and
Hospital Service of the Veterans Ad-
ministration In the grade of Asso-
ciate Physician, by selection from
the registers of the United States
Civil Service Commission; therefore,
1t Is necessary to apply to the Unit
ed States Civil Service Commission
for advice as to what steps are nee
esSary to obtain their certification.
If there is not an office of the Unit
ed States Cevil Service Commission
in your city you will probably find
local representative of the Com
mission at the United States Post
Office and you will be able to OBJ
tain the necessary information and
application forms from that source.
The appointee is first sent to one
OF several selected Facilities of the
Veterans Administration at which
he is given training course in med
ical subjects and in administration,
as based upon the Regulations and
Procedure, the Manual for Medical
Examiners, Clinical Bulletins, and
other Institutional publications of
the Veterans Administration. After
passing his examinations at the end
Of this preliminary training course,
the appointee Is assigned at the
same or another Facility for ward
and other duties pertaining to an
Associate Physician. Physicians in
the Service must be available for
transfer to any Facility within the
continental limits OF the country as
need for their service arises.
The volume and variety of the
medical activities of the Veterans
Administration are approached by
few If any other organization. Vet
Grams of former wars constitute a
public of approximately four and
one-half million persons who are
potentially entitled to treatment by
the Veterans Administration. Con-
tinuoCls accretionS to that total are
made made through discharges from
service of disabled officers and en-
listed men of the Army Navy, Ma
rine Corps and Coast Guard. The
huge total Of hospital beds is con-
Stantly in demand, and abundant
clinical material is afforded in all
fields Of medicine save obstetrics
and pediatrics. The proportions of
out-patient activities are unprece-
dented: In the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1871, a total of 1,111,589
physical examinations were made
and 1,176,658 treatments were rend-
cred in the out-patient service. 1t
Is not only the numerical proper
tons Of this service that make 1t
valuable, but quite as much the pc
culiar advantage derived from civil
ian clinics to have patients drop off
before completion Of study or treat
ment; but the determinations that
are called for from time to time, for
purposes Of pension, disability, COM
penSation, Government insurance,
treatment, etc., insure folloW-up of
Veterans Administration beneficiar-
les through successive years. The
evolution Of conditions can thus be
observed, errors in earlier diagnoses
can be corrected, and treatment to
meet present indications can be pre-
scribed to marked advantage
through these circumstances.
High Standard
The Veterans Administration is
committed to and maintains a high
standard Of medical treatment and
care. Clinico-pathological confer
ences of hospital staffs are regular
" held. Continuous attention is
given to the introduction Of new
diagnotic and treatment methods,
and the laboratory and clinical
equipment is Of modern design. Post
graduate ~'refresher" courses, as wen
as postgraduate courses In the spe-
cialities, are arranged whenever
necessary ut several 81 the larger
Stations, and official leave may be
granted for attendance upon cours-
es In other clinics and hospitals in
the country.
Medical research Is supervised by
specially trained physician Of the