Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-06-26
Bureau Of Medicine
Urged 10 Improve
Care Of Veterans
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

By CARTER BROOKE JONES.
Medical care Of veterans will b
improved only when the medical di
rection Of the Veterans Administra
ton is raised from a subsidiar.
position to an important place IL
that agency, Dr. George Morri
Piersol Of Philadelphia, an author
ity on internal medicine, told tn
House Veterans Committee today
DR.. Piersol, professor of medicin,
ut the University of Pennsylvania
and editor of the Encyclopedia O
Medicine, praised the professional
qualifications of the chief medica
officers Of the Veterans Administra
ton. But he admitted the ability
of the average veterans hospita
physician could be improved.
The witness, for 81 years a mem
Der of the Veterans Administra'
TONS medical advisory group, urgee
the passage of legislation pending
O1iC W CcOdDA1ol
q bureau Of medicine in the agency
comparable in authority TO the
Nays Bureau Of Medicine and
Surgery.
Bill Offered in Senate.
Meanwhile, Senator Shipstead,
Republican, of Minnesota, introduce
ing in the Senate a bill for the ap-
pointment of an outstanding med
ical advisory committee to recon-
mend improvements in veterans
hospitals, commented that charges
have been made by variety of in
vestigators which lead to the belief
that medical care provided by the
Veterans Administration is on a
standard far lower than that pre-
vailing in ordinary practice"
Aside from 1.-The charge that the
medical service is of poor quality"
he added, criticism leveled at the
Veterans Administration are that
salaries for physicians, nurses and
social workers are. not sufficiently
high to attract the best practition-
ers and workers, and that funds are
inadequate to obtain the services
Of the highest quality of consulta-
ton and the part-time services OF
physicians"
The Advisory Committee set up
In Senator Shipstead's bill would be
appointed by the President and re-
port program to him for obtain
ing medical care of the highest
quality for veterans of this and
other wars.
Director Now Has No Power.
Under the present setup, DR.. Pier
sol pointed out, the medical director
of the Veterans Administration is
not even an assistant administrator,
but must report to an assistant ad-
ministrator who is a layman. This
medical director, he explained, lis
not a member of the policy-making
group, but is relegated to a sub
sidiary position"
The veterans medical chief should
have full authority to act, DR.. Pier
sol told the committee, and until he
has the Veterans Administrator
never will give as efficient care as it
could. Such authority is provided in
the bill which the physician IN
dorsed.
DR.. Piersol said the medical ex-
ecutives Of the Veterans Admins
tration are conscientious and WELL
trained group who are doing a good
Job In spite Of the restrictions and
difficulties that hold them down.
Personnel Depleted.
Since 1910, he pointed out, the
personnel Of veterans hospitals has
been steadily depleted, and the
medical service has not improved.
Doctors, he said, should be taken
out OF civil service entirely. Under
the present system, he explained. an
incompetent physician cannot be re-
moved without a long and compli-
Gated procedure.
Asked by Representative Rogers,
Republican, OF Massachusetts. II the
new War Department order refusing
TO transfer more Army doctors to
veterans hospitals would not make
the situation worse. Or. Piersol
agreed.
Not Enough Doctors.
we face a very critical situation
IN regard TO medical personnel" he
said. He denied, however, that he
had observed neglect or mistreat-
ment Of patients in veterans hos
pitals with which ne was familiar.
The complaint Of patients, he told
the committee, is the same that
patients in any hospital make
principally that the doctors haven't
time TO give all the personal atten-
ton needed.
DR.. Piersol said the veterans in
stitutions, in comparison with pri-
waite hospitals in big cities, compare
favorably in clinical equipment and
service and the records they keep.
Several other prominent ply
sicians from various cities. who, like
DR.. Piersol are members of the
Veterans Administration Advisory
Board, were scheduled to testify
later in the day as the committee
continued its investigation of vet
Grams hospitals.