Evening star., 1947-02-22
Individual. Care
Urgedon Vain
Aiding Veterans
Medical Conference
Hears Pieu From
Dr.. Rowntree

De more on q PERSONAL OASIS, LIT.
Leonard Rowntree, chairman of the
National Medical Advisory Board
of the American Legion today told
the closing session of a three-day
conference of Legion medical ad-
visers.
Under existing conditions there
is too much of a tendency to treat
symptoms or diseased organs-what
We need is care directed at an indi-
vidual person." he said 1.-THE veteran
should obtain from the Veterans
Administration the same DOCTOR
patient relationship that he would
receive by going to the family doc
tor"
Commenting that the group had
come together to discuss plans for
care Of veterans since we also were
interested in the care of veterans"
DR.. Rowntree said plans of the VA
as outlined at the conference "are
not only good but are superb and
worthy of our complete support.
There are, however, some difficulties
to be overcome in the care of the
veteran-dif1culties perhaps inher-
ent in the law rather than in the
operation of the Veterans Admins
tration.''
Right to Best Care.
Veterans have earned the right
to the best medical care that the
Nation can give" the speaker de-
clared. THE veteran gave us liberty,
let us give him health no matter
what the COST"
The law which wiped civil service
status from numerous Veterans Ad-
ministration medical positions was
defended by DR.. Paul r. Hawley,
chief VA medical director in an
address last night to the medical
advisers.
DR.. HaWley said he understood the
Legion was opposed to this law and
told the Legion members, II hope
that 1t is not so. If it is, I would
like to ask If the American Legion
is more interested in the veteran
employe than in the veteran
patient
Extension of Law Urged.
He urged extension of the law
telling of difficulties in obtaining
competent medical personnel under
civil service restrictions. He said
non-medical men drawn by civil
service could not operate or admin
iSter competently the best possible
medical service and said civil serv-
ice restrictions hampered getting
sufficient doctors to administer VA
facilities.
DR.. Hawley said that when the
rights of the employees are placed
before the rights of the patients,
the medical service ceases to be
good.
His remarks were indorsed later
by Brig. Gen. Wallace H Graham,
physician to President Truman.
DIR. Mayo to Speak.
DR.. Charles w. Mayo, of the
famed Mayo Clinic, presided at to-
days final session. The meetings
were being held at headquarters of
the District Medical Society, ITO
M street NV. This afternoon, the
30 Legion officials were to participate
In Washington Birthday ceremonies
at Mount Vernon.
To guarantee that neuropsychia-
trio service will be available to vet
Grams in even the most remote
areas, special mobile service units
soon will be dispatched throughout
the country, according to DR.. H. P.
Tomkins, chief of hospital service
for the Veterans Administration
neropsychiatric division.
Program Explained.
Addressing the group yesterday,
DR.. Tomkins said the units will be
sent from both hospitals and men,
tai hygiene clinics at regional Offices
to cover areas not already served.
While no units are planned to be
sent from Washington, DR.. Tom
kins said one of the travelling teams
would be sent out from the hospital
at Perry Point, Md. The plan is
expected to go into operation in the
near future, the official said.
In another talk, DR.. Winfred Ov-
erholser, superintendent of st.
Elizabeth's Hospital, urged that the
public learn to look on mental all
ments as a sickness that can be
treated, and not as a stigma.