Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 86.djvu/1142

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PUBLIC LAW 92-541-OCT. 24, 1972

[86 STAT.

Hublic Law 9z-D4i October 24, 1972

JOINT RESOLUTION

[H. J. Res. 748] Amending Title 38 of the United States Code to authorize the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs to provide certain assistance in the establishment of new State medical schools and the improvement of existing medical schools affiliated with the Veterans' Administration; to develop cooperative arrangements between institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other nonprofit health service institutions affiliated with the Veterans' Administration to coordinate, improve, and expand the training of professional and allied health and paramedical personnel; to develop and evaluate new health careers, interdisciplinary approaches and career advancement opportunities; to improve and expand allied and other health manpower utilization; to afford continuing education for health manpower of the Veterans' Administration and other such manpower at Regional Medical Education Centers established at Veterans' Administration hospitals throughout the United States; and for other purposes.

Whereas there is a great national shortage of physicians and allied health personnel; Whereas it is now estimated that there is a shortage of approximately 48,000 doctors of medicine and over 250,000 allied health and other medical personnel; Whereas the Veterans' Administration operates the largest medical care system in the United States, if not the world; Whereas the Department of Medicine and Surgery of the VeteransAdministration has an active and close affiliation with over eighty medical schools; Whereas if the training of sufficient numbers of physicians, other health professionals, allied health personnel, and other health personnel is to be accomplished, it is essential that the educational capacities of medical and health professions schools affiliated with the Veterans' Administration be expanded, that new medical and health professions schools affiliated with Veterans' Administration hospitals be established, and that education and training opportunities for the training of existing and future allied health and other health personnel be expandea and improved; Whereas because of the size, diversity, and quality of its medical program, the Veterans' Administration's Department of Medicine and Surgery is uniquely qualified to assist in the expansion and improvement of existing affiliated medical schools and other health professions schools, in the establishment of new medical and health professions schools, and in the expansion and improvement of education and training opportunities for allied health and other health personnel; and Whereas it is essential that an adequate number of physicians, health professionals, allied health personnel, and other health personnel be trained if the Congress is to discharge its responsibility to provide the best possible medical care for the Nation's veterans: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United ministration Mtd- ^^^^^^ ^f -America lu Congress assembled. That this Act may be cited u:Ti School" ^ ' as the "Veterans' Administration Medical School Assistance and Assistance and Health Manpower Training Act of 1972". Health Man- ^ _ SEC. 2. (a) Part VI of title 38, United States Code, is amended by power Training Act of 1972.^^ inserting immediately after chapter 81 the following new chapter— 72 Stat. 1251; 80 Stat. 1372. 38 USC 5001.

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