The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1961-08-03
Gripping Birth Defects viii Be
Fought With Polio Funds
Holmes Chapter Gives
$4,000 To Assist
In New Project

FOunQaIlOn III cooperation With
the University of Mississippi
Medical Center, Jackson, have
set up a new medical project
to right one of the matt on's
greatest childhood gripping dis
eases = birth defects.
In a join effort, the chapters
have contributed $4,000 in
March of Dimes funds in a
grant that will enable medical
specialists working as a team
to provide top mo1ern treat.
ment for children with birth de-
fects.
J. w. Moses, chairman of the
Holmes County Chapter of The
National Foundation said, "Our
Chapter is clad to have a part
in this statewide project to
better serve victims of crippling
birth defects" The Holme.
County CHAPTER contributed
$4,000 for this project. Mr..
Moses stated.
DR.. Robert @. Marston. Direc-
tor of the University Medical
Center thanked the chapters.
your support is gratefully ac-
cepted." he said. "sThe grant
will allow the University OF
Mississippi Medical Center to
improve its diagnostic and treat
ment facilities to patients with
congenital defects. The achieve
ment of comprehensive and
exemplary patient care will pro-
vide appropriate models without
which our teaching efforts be-
come limited"
Details of the project, an adj
vanced concept in patient aid
for victims of crippling diseases,
were announced today by DIR.
A. L. Gray, State Health Off
Ger and State March of Dimes
Chairman.
AS spokesman for the project,
DR.. Gray explained that tn e
grant will help finance certain
staff salaries. including a clint
cal director, medical social work
and physical therapy personnel
and some equipment.
The Special Birth Defects
Treatment Center will serve
outpatients in the general pedia-
trio clinic. Patients may be adj
mitted on referral by a physi-
clan.
March of Dimes funds r Z
also available through County
Chapters to help pay hospital
costs for those patients who may
require hospital admission.
Chapters may provide funds
when needed for transportation
of patients to the Center as well
as for certain appliances which
some patients may require.
The special facility is to have
the services of doctors, nurses,
physical theropists. medical So
cial workers and others. The
"team approach" pioneered by
The National Foundation in its
polio centers. was explained
this way by DR.. Gray:
"The team mtethod in treat
ing chronic and crippling dis
ease conditions like birth de
fects offers special advantages.
Together they bring to the
treatment problem a variety of
skills and a store of new know
ledge no individual medical
specialist can be expected
1T is one answer to the long
range al program an increas-
ing number of disabled children
require. 1t employs new medi-
cal techniuues and rapidly ex-
panding DEVELOPMENTS and pro-
vides services that give parents
and the community a greater
understanding of the special
problems involved in caring for
children disabled by birth de-
fects."
DR.. Noel c. Womack, Jr.,
Chairman of the Medical Ad.
visory Committee of the Kinds
County Chapter of The Nation
al Foundation, in a letter tt
physicians in Mississippi ex-
planning the Special Treatment
Center. called attention to the
need for expanded services tt
children. "As the first two Mis-
sissippi Conferences on Handi
capped Children 1889 1861,
clearly brought out, the needs
of Mississippi children with
birth defects are much greater
than can be cared for by the
available facilities and person.
mel. This Special Treatment
Center will attempt to help
close this gap"
Owen Cooper. Associate State
March of Dimes Chairman. has
commended Mississippi Chap.
tiers of The National Founda.
ton for their role in establish.
ing and supporting the Specia'
Birth Defects Treatment Cen
ter.
"The spirit Of close coooera.
ton between The Nationa
ChorAorc opI tho IYpsxyorc@,, -