Mr. GLEASON. Just like in Puerto Rico the Army will be taken care of at ours.

Senator MAGNUSON. And I suppose some of them, like the Alaska fellows, might come down to my State in some cases?

Mr. GLEASON. Generally speaking the Army takes care of them in Alaska, Seantor.

Senator MAGNUSON. They could if they wanted to.

Mr. GLEASON. Oh yes, very definitely, if there is some particular

reason.

Senator MAGNUSON. Well, a lot of them have so many times and relatives and everything else.

AIR-CONDITIONING PROJECT-OKLAHOMA CITY

Senator MONRONEY. I would like to ask a question on modernization. How are you coming along on this air conditioning? We have hoped for 4 years that you would finally reach completion on it. Mr. GLEASON. I am confident that we will.

Senator MONRONEY. When?

Mr. GLEASON. It should be rather shortly.

Senator MONRONEY. This is desperately needed. This new hospital has low ceilings and was built for eventual air conditioning.

Mr. GLEASON. We appreciate that. I think it would be a safe statement that very shortly that will be accomplished.

Senator MONRONEY. Is there money in this to do that?

Mr. GLEASON. We think that we will be able to take care of it. Sometimes we have to have a second look at our whole program, and

(Discussion off the record.)

HOSPITAL BEDS IN ARIZONA

Senator MAGNUSON. At this point, the chairman of the full committee, Senator Hayden, has a communication from the State director of veterans affairs pointing out the increase of veterans in Arizona, and hoping that we could gain additional VA hospital beds for Phoenix and Tucson. I won't go into that now, but I will give you these two letters.

Mr. GLEASON. I have a prepared statement on that.

Senator MAGNUSON. Put it in the record.

CONSTRUCTION PLANNING FOR THE VA HOSPITAL AT PHOENIX, ARIZ.

Mr. Chairman, as you know, the Veterans' Administration is operating three hospitals in the State of Arizona. In addition, there is a domiciliary facility at Whipple. The total beds now in operation are as follows:

Our long-range plan for hospital facilities, which was formulated in 1959, provided for an additional 160 beds to be added to our Phoenix hospital.

We are, at present, in the process of updating this plan, in light of veteranpopulation trends based on the 1960 census. Our tentative projections for the Phoenix area indicate a need for approximately 300 additional beds. However, these projections are based on veteran migration patterns that occurred between 1955 and 1960. It appears that the rate of migration into Arizona may have accelerated since 1960 and that, therefore, our tentative projection requirements may be understated.

We are reevaluating these trends, as well as other factors that may influence future bed requirements for the Phoenix area, as well as for the entire State. I am hopeful that, before the end of this calendar year, we will be in a position to formulate a firm plan for bed expansion in Arizona.

As you know, Senator, we have recently completed the modernization of our Tucson hospital at a cost of $6 million. We do not plan to add any additional beds at Tucson at this time. Therefore, any new beds to be constructed in Arizona will, undoubtedly, be placed at Phoenix.

We will keep you advised of our revised planning as it relates to the State of Arizona.

QUESTIONS OF REPRESENTATIVE JULIA BUTLER HANSEN

Senator MAGNUSON. I have a series of questions which I want to ask, and Mrs. Hansen, the Congresswoman from my State, on the Vancouver situation. If you will take those, you can answer those and put those in the record too.

We will put in the record prior to your answer the letters from both Tucson and Phoenix.

(The documents referred to follow :)

STATEMENT OF CONGRESSWOMAN JULIA BUTLER HANSEN ON H.R. 490

Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I appreciate very much the opportunity to appear before your committee today in support of H.R. 490, a bill I introduced early in the 1st session of the 88th Congress. Very simply it would call for construction of a new veterans' hospital at Vancouver to replace the existing one. It would also authorize an appropriation for construction of the hospital.

The present Veterans' Administration hospital was built for the U.S. Army in 1941 as Barnes General Hospital. It was originally designed to care for over 1,500 patients. Through the war years the Army treated thousands of sick and wounded soldiers in the sprawling cantonment-type installation.

After a brief closure the Veterans' Administration reopened the hospital on August 1, 1946, to provide care for the Northwest's rapidly expanded veteran population. A total of 575 beds was devoted to the treatment of general medical and surgical, tuberculosis, and neuropsychiatric patients. A tuberculosis study unit and a chest surgery center serviced over 203 tuberculosis beds. Dramatic medical advances in the treatment of tuberculosis in recent years eliminated the need for such beds within this hospital.

Today the 501 operating beds provide for general medical and surgical as well as neuropsychiatric patients. Within the medical service, 100 beds are set aside for long-term chronically ill patients. The professional facilities of the hospital are many and varied. They include a dermatology center, a neurosurgical orthopedic team for spinal surgery and subinsulin and shock therapy for neuropsychiatric treatment. Consultants in most of the major specialities supplement the regular full-time hospital staff. The hospital has an excellent, modern hospital staff, also an excellent, modern medical library with access to the library facilities of the University of Oregon Medical School.

Over 600 full-time employees comprising a complete team of physicians, nurses, dentists, and a full range of auxiliary staff are supplemented by more than 1,600 volunteer workers in the community.

Combined efforts of doctors and nurses are devoted to providing the finest of hospital care to our veterans. We are extremely proud of the reputation established among the 44,000 veterans who have been hospitalized at Barnes since

1946. A reputation not only for fine treatment, but for warm and sympathetic understanding.

The medical service consists of seven wards, each of which has been designated to care for special types of diseases. These include cardiology, gastroenterology, and pulmonary diseases. The surgical service is also subdivided into specialties, which at this hospital include orthopedics, urology, and eye, ear, nose, and throat, as well as two general surgical wards. The intermediate service is devoted to the care and rehabilitation of selected chronically ill patients. The neuropsychiatric service provides diagnosis and treatment of acute psychiatric problems as well as arranging the transfer to larger special institutions for longterm therapy.

Closely paralleling the need of skilled employees is money for salaries, supplies, and maintenance. The fiscal division is handling a budget of $3,852,917 this year, of which about 80 percent will provide salaries for more than 600 employees.

The hospitalization of an average daily load of 450 patients requires a multitude of supplies and equipment. The supply division at Barnes procures a tremendous variety of drugs, foods, equipment, and everyday supplies to make it possible for the professional personnel to take care of the patients.

This hospital serves not only southwest Washington but it serves other areas of Washington and Oregon. In my office is a file of correspondence from commanders of servicve groups throughout our State and from the State of Oregon, urging not only the continuance of the Barnes Hospital for the benefit of our veterans, but urging its reconstruction and the necessary expenditure of funds to modernize it.

Veterans who have used this hospital and who seek to use it, do so for a multiplicity of reasons, but particularly because of its fine staff, its reputation for goodwill, individual attention, and the one-story type of service enabling activities denied in high-rise institutions.

The average cost for the care of a patient at Barnes is low, ranking with the lowest among all veterans' hospitals, yet it consistently ranks among the highest in efficiency ratings conducted by the Administrator of Veterans' Hospitals. Total bed capacity is 501, the average daily patient total is 441, and it serves about 3,500 veterans each year. Here I list costs per day in four hospitals in the Northwest.

Yet, in spite of this support for veterans, in spite of its high efficiency, its low cost and the number of veterans served each year, the Veterans' Administration has to date spent not one cent on reconstruction or rehabilitation of this hospital.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON VANCOUVER (SENATOR MAGNUSON)

1. What are your plans for the Vancouver Veterans' Hospital? 2. Why have no plans been made for improving the facility?

It

There has been no decision made regarding the Vancouver hospital. is in fairly good condition and can continue in operation for several years. We are currently studying bed requirements in the Pacific Northwest and their relationship to the Vancouver hospital. Final judgment with regard to the future of the hospital will be based on veteran population trends and patient demand in this area.

3. Why has not one cent been spent for improvement in the last 18 years?

Over the past 3 years the maintenance and repair costs have averaged $260,712 annually.

Since 1950 we have expended approximately $81,000 on construction projects for improvements.

4. What are the Veterans' Administration plans for nursing beds in the Vancouver hospital?

At the present time we have no plans for locating nursing care beds in the Vancouver hospital.

5. What is the cost of care per patient at the Vancouver hospital compared with the cost at other installations in the Pacific Northwest?

The cost per patient day this fiscal year to date is as follows:

6. What is the estimated cost of a new hospital in Vancouver which would provide 500-bed capacity?

The estimated cost of constructing a 500-bed hospital in Vancouver would approximate $12 million.

7. Isn't land already available at existing Federal installations on which a new hospital at Vancouver could be built?

Yes.

8. Clark College at Vancouver and the veterans hospital have a cooperative program of training nurses. How has this worked out?

Clark College, AA program, has used the facilities of Vancouver VAH for student experiences on medical, surgical, and intermediate wards since January 1962. Each student spends 18 hours for 12 weeks in the VA hospital. Approximately 20 students per year have had this experience.

There is a good relationship between the college and hospital. There has been no apparent difficulty in coming to a mutually acceptable solution to any problem encountered.

9. How many veterans are served each year at the Vancouver hospital? In fiscal year 1963 there were approximately 4,400 patients treated. 10. How many veterans live in the area served by the Vancouver hospital?

The estimated June 1963 veterans population of the area served by the Vancouver hospital is 65,000. However, a considerable number of these veterans reside closer to other Washington hospitals.

11. What do the patients at the Vancouver hospital feel about the care?

Our correspondence, service organization, and staff reports indicate that patients receiving care in the Vancouver hospital are very enthusiastic and complimentary regarding the treatment received.

HOSPITAL BEDS IN COLORADO

Senator ALLOTT. As long as you have made this statement, some people consider Colorado in the Midwest, I hope you are not considering closing down our veterans' hospital?

Mr. GLEASON. We have nothing contemplated at all.

Senator ALLOTT. The University of Colorado, in the State of Colorado is in the process of completing a multimillion-dollar hospital and part of the medical school and they have gone right on the grounds next to this veterans' hospital and actually have a connection between the two.

Senator MAGNUSON. As part of this migration, I would think you would have more veterans moving into Colorado than moving out. Senator ALLOTT. We do.

Senator MAGNUSON. Colorado is one of the States that they are moving to, Arizona, Colorado, and those places.

HOSPITAL LOCATION IN STATES

Senator YOUNG. Mr. Gleason, would you plan this to the extent that some States wouldn't have a hospital at all.

Mr. GLEASON. Hawaii and Alaska don't have hospitals now.
Senator YOUNG. We are talking about the Midwest.

Mr. GLEASON. For example, many parts of New Jersey aren't covered by hospitals. We send them to New York and we send them to Delaware.

Senator YOUNG. But those are short distances. For example, if you took the one out of Fargo which served the whole State.

Mr. GLEASON. We are not planning anything like taking the one out of Fargo because we need it there.

Senator YOUNG. That is what I have in mind. You would have a long distance for veterans to travel.

Mr. GLEASON. That is right, yes.

Senator MAGNUSON. Are there any further questions on this item?

HOSPITAL BEDS IN FLORIDA

Mr. GLEASON. I would like to read this statement about Florida. Senator MAGNUSON. I was hoping that we could postpone the Florida matter until next meeting, but go ahead and put it in the record.

Mr. GLEASON. I am pleased to report that we are making rapid progress in overcoming the shortage of beds in Florida. As stated earlier, the new 480-bed hospital at Gainesville is under construction, the construction contract for the new 1,068-bed hospital at Miami will be awarded by June 30 of this year. We have Presidential approval for the construction of a new 720-bed hospital at Tampa, in addition to continuing the Bay Pines Hospital at 680 beds. We are now developing the requirements for this news hospital. The President has also approved the continued use of the 450-bed Coral Gables hospital after completion of the Miami hospital. This all adds up to an increase of 2,268 beds over the 1,598 beds now in operation in Florida.

Senator MAGNUSON. I am glad you made that statement. At the next meeting of course Senator Holland will want to talk to you about this matter.

All right, any further questions on that item?

Senator MONRONEY. That means you will have over 3,800-plus beds? Mr. GLEASON. Yes, sir; instead of the 1,598.

ELIGIBILITY FOR NONSERVICE CONNECTED

Senator ALLOTT. I would like to interject a question which I have asked about before. The people in Colorado, when I visited the hospital about a year ago, assured me that the question of eligibility for non-service-connected entries was being gone into very carefully, but I have heard from other sources that in other places this has not been gone into. I wonder if I could have a letter from you indicating what is being done in this area so that perhaps we could discuss it at the next session.

Mr. GLEASON. Fine, very good, sir.

VETERANS BENEFITS AND INSURANCE PROGRAMS

Senator MAGNUSON. On compensation and pension on that item you are requesting $3,963 million. Is that an increase or a decrease? Mr. GLEASON. It will be an increase.