SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS Senator HUDDLESTON. I thank all of you for your participation today. We will recess at this time. Thank you. [Whereupon, at 4:18 p.m., Wednesday, March 26, the subcommittee was recessed to reconvene at the call of the Chair.] MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1981 FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 1980 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 2:10 p.m., in room 1223, Everett McKinley Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Walter D. Huddleston (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Huddleston and Inouye. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MEDICAL CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS STATEMENT OF VERNON MCKENZIE, PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (HEALTH AFFAIRS) ACCOMPANIED BY: MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM E. READ, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY BRIG. GEN. QUINN BECKER, DIRECTOR OF HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS, OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY REAR ADM. D. G. ISELIN, CEC, USN, COMMANDER, NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND REAR ADM. E. P. RUCCI, ASSISTANT CHIEF FOR PLANNING AND RESOURCES, BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY BRIG. GEN. GERALD W. PARKER, DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL PLANS AND RESOURCES, OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM D. GILBERT, DIRECTOR, ENGINEERING AND SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE BUDGET REQUEST Senator HUDDLESTON. The subcommittee will come to order. Today our subcommittee is meeting to hear testimony on the fiscal year 1981 request for medical facilities construction within the Department of Defense. The fiscal year 1981 request of approximately $248 million is a substantial increase over the approximately $58 million appropriated for fiscal year 1980. Our subcommittee is anxious to be briefed on this sizable increase, particularly since we continue to hear and read of the shortage of medical personnel within the Defense Department. INTRODUCTION OF WITNESSES Our primary witness today is Mr. Vernon McKenzie, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. He is accompanied by representatives from the Army, General Read and General Becker; from the Navy, Admiral Rucci and Admiral Iselin; and from the Air Force, General Gilbert and General Parker. Gentlemen, we are glad to have you with us today. Mr. McKenzie, I understand that you have a statement covering all of the medical requests for the Defense Department. The subcommittee will hear your testimony; then if the other witnesses wish to make remarks, we will hear from them. Mr. McKenzie, please begin when you are ready. PREPARED STATEMENT OF VERNON MC KENZIE Mr. MCKENZIE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have been designated to represent the Office of the Secretary of Defense in connection with these hearings on the DOD medical construction program. As you noted, I am accompanied by representatives of the military departments who will address their individual programs, but first I have a prepared statement which I would like to present to the subcommittee. [The statement follows:] PREPARED STATEMENT OF VERNON MCKENZIE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Mr. Chairman: I am Vernon McKenzie, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs). I have been designated to represent the Office of the Secretary of Defense in connection with these hearings on the DoD Medical Construction Program. I am accompanied by representatives of the Military Departments who will address their individual programs, but first I have a prepared statement which I would like to present to the Subcommittee. The statement addresses health issues and activities within the Department of Defense which impact on and influence military medical health care delivery and the requirement for medical facility construction. The primary health goal of the military health care system continues to be the requirement to support the medical needs of our military forces in the event of war. An integral part of this objective is the provision of quality care to those beneficiaries for whom the military services are responsible, by a professionally efficient, effective and satisfied medical staff, in the appropriate physical environment. The modernization program of our health facilities continues to be a prime example of supporting the readiness objective while concurrently providing for quality medical care. We believe that this year's request for approximately $248 million will provide the funding level necessary to support this program. Our FY 1981 request includes: four hospital additions and alteration projects; four dental clinic replacements; two dental clinic alterations; two combination medical/dental clinics; four health clinics (one with beds); one utility and life safety upgrade; the San Diego Medical Center site preparation, phase IV, part one, of the Bethesda Medical Center project; and two other minor projects. The health facilities construction projects in this year's request have been carefully scrutinized by the DoD Hospital Planning Review Committee to insure that our needs are met on a regional basis. We feel that the regional review process is working to help us attain a truly tiered DoD health system on a regional basis. Further, comprehensive planning has been accomplished in that all hospital projects have been presented to local health systems planning agencies for comments. Your past support of the health facilities modernization program is appreciated and we urge your continued backing of this endeavor in order to maintain a military health care system that provides for the health and medical needs of our military system. Unless we continue to replace and upgrade our old outmoded and deteriorated facilities we will jeopardize our ability to support our mobilization and contingency plans and day to day operations. In an effort to attain even better utilization of our existing and planned medical facilities, DoD will continue to place increased emphasis on improved sharing of medical facilities between the Services, Public Health Service, Veterans Administration, and the private sector. The main efforts at sharing between the Federal agencies for the last two years have been pursued through the medium of the Federal Health Resources Sharing Committee (FHRSC for short, consisting of representatives of our office, the Army, Navy, Air Force, the Veterans Administration and the Public Heal Services. There are subcommittees working on the following areas; CT scanning, cardiac catherization labs, cancer treatment centers, information systems, laboratory services, |