Evening star., 1945-10-26
Program 70 Improve
Artificial Limbs for
Veterans Announced

| A new medical program, prOvld-
ing veterans with the. services of
the country's best doctors and CO.
ordinating all efforts to improve
artificial limbs in the Veterans Ad-
ministration, was announced today
by Maj. Gen. Paul r. Hawley, acting
surgeon general of the Veterans Ad-
ministration.
II The + Veterans Administration,
Gen. Hawley told press confer
ence, will become the central agency
for study and development of arti-
fetal limbs, spending approximately
81 10000 year on research.
On the score of other medical care
for veterans, Gen. Hawley outlined
program to use specialists from
nationally known medical centers as
part-time consultants in veterans
hospitals.
II Reason for Hospital Sites.
''We can't go into isolated COM
munities and expect to get the spe-
cialists to come to u.s." he declared.
That's why we've got to put our
new hospitals where the specialists
are"
Gen. Hawley was referring to the
choice of sites for l9 new veterans
hospitals, all of which will be located
near medical schools-reversing the
old idea of bringing the hospitals to
the veterans. He added, however,
that chain of small hospitals more
conveniently located to the veter-
ans homes also is planned. Gases
needing specialized care will be
|'transferred from the smaller hos
pitfalls.
To carry out the new program of
securing specialists on part-time
basis and tying up with medical
schools, Gen. Hawley announced the
appointment of DR.. Paul B. Mag
nuSon of Chicago to carry out the
new program of securing specialists
on part-time basis and to get CO.
operation of the medical schools.
Mr.. Magnuson is sacrificing a prac-
tice that ran into five figures" to
improve the quality of medical
treatment in veterans hospitals,
Gen. Hawley said
1 DR.. Magnuson, who also attended
the press conference, said the part
time conSultants generally would
be drawn from the men in the 35-45
age group who have been in the
Army for the last few years.
/ Gen. Hawley also predicted that
the bill establishing a medical de-
partment within the Veterans Ad-
ministration will not go through in
| its present form, but he said he
hoped three basic features of the
pending legislation would be ap-
proved These include giving addi-
tional pay to veterans hospital doc
tors who become specialists. provid-
| ing resident doctors for the hos
pitals and providing postgraduate
training courses for veterans hos
pital doctors.
| Outlining the artificial limb pro-
gram, Gen. HaWley said that white
research is being made, immediate
steps will be taken to improve the
limbs. Those now in use have been
| targets for complaints of members of
Congress and amputees.
Training Program Planned.
These steps included setting up a
section in the Veterans Administra-
ton on prosthetic appliances, train
ing physical therapy aides to teach
the veterans how to use the limbs,
persuading the artificial limb indus
try to make the. improvements as
they are discovered and starting a
leg museum" where the veterans
can look at all the legs on the mar
ket and make their choices.
Gen. Hawley denied the Veterans
Administration puts limit on the
amount of money that can be spent
for an artificial leg and added,
We'll give the veteran honest ad-
vice and we won't quibble about
prices. Well pay any amount for a
leg if it's worth it,
While the Veterans Administra-
ton will not go into large-scale
manufacture of legs, Gen. Hawley
explained, four or five shops will be
operated by the agency throughout
the country where limb makers will
work closely with the veterans