“The Medical Department of the Navy has been able to work with the
Veterans’ Bureau along the following lines:
_First_: the turning over to the Public Health Service for the care of
the Veterans of the World War of the Naval hospitals at Philadelphia,
Pa., Cape May, N.J., Gulfport, Miss., and New Orleans, La. and quite
recently to the Veterans’ Bureau itself of the hospital at Fort Lyon,
Colo. used for tuberculosis patients. These institutions were completely
equipped when transferred, so that no additional expense was involved.
The hospital for tuberculous patients at Fort Lyon has been operated by
naval personnel since November first, but this institution will be taken
over by the Public Health Service on March 1st. With the great reduction
in naval personnel and the discharge from the service of large numbers
of the tuberculous, the needs of the Navy did not seem to justify the
maintenance by the Navy of so large a hospital, there being at present
735 beds with possibilities of expansion. Upon his return from a recent
inspection the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service expressed to
me his admiration for the institution. We should not have been able to
turn over this hospital had it not been for the generous offer of the
Surgeon General of the Army to take care of the naval tuberculous at the
Fitzsimmons General Hospital at Denver. The bed capacity of these five
hospitals totaled 2229.
_Second_: The caring for the veteran patients in the same hospitals in
which the sick of the Navy are being treated. In assigning
accommodations to the patients of the Veterans’ Bureau there are many
problem which complicate this matter. Manifestly it is necessary for the
Navy to be prepared to receive the patients from its own personnel, and
when it is considered that the fleet may at one time be in the port of
New York and sending its sick to the New York Hospital during such time
and then sail away for another port to then transfer its sick to another
hospital the difficulties are apparent. If we could divide the ships
between different ports and their sick between different hospitals the
matter would be easy of adjustment.
Again we have only a limited number of beds in our three hospitals on
the Pacific Coast and at the present time a large fleet is based on this
station so that we are unable to offer accommodations in those hospitals
to the Veterans’ Bureau and at the same time make adequate provision for
the naval sick.
As a general rule we are only able to provide hospital facilities for
general medical and surgical cases, but much of our work is in studying
cases of suspected tuberculosis and where a positive diagnosis is made
the determination of the extent of the process.
At Great Lakes, Ill. owing to the urgent needs of this section of the
country, we have agreed to care for approximately 300 neuropsychiatric
patients, this in addition to 300 beds for general patients. In order to
obtain medical personnel trained in the supervision of such cases it was
necessary to withdraw our psychiatric specialists from various stations
where their services were needed, but it was felt that this was a
greater need. To provide for additional men trained in this specialty we
now have a number of young medical officers under training at St.
Elizabeths Hospital.
The Navy is not only indebted to Doctor White for this service but it
owes him obligations for his many years of instruction to the classes at
our Naval Medical School. At the present time there are under
consideration plans for the establishment under Doctor White of a school
for the training of psychiatric personnel for other services caring for
veterans, taking advantage of the abundant clinical material at St.
Elizabeths.
At our hospital at Chelsea, Mass., we have been able to offer 539 beds
to the Veterans’ Bureau and from the letters I receive, as well as from
a personal inspection, I can attest the care that is there being given
our veterans.
The Navy is particularly proud of its good food and I think our
hospitals lead the Navy in this important service, which not only makes
for contentment but aids convalescence. We have just agreed to receive
the patients from the Polyclinic Hospital of New York and expect in a
short time to be caring for approximately 350 patients in the naval
hospital located in Brooklyn. We are very proud of the physio-therapy
installation at this hospital, which has been pronounced by experts as
one of the most complete equipments in the country.
In our hospital in Washington we are offering 250 beds. In this
institution we are peculiarly well equipped for the diagnosis and
treatment of obscure cases by reason of its association with the
laboratories of the Naval Medical School. These naval hospitals are
geographically so situated that large numbers of patients can be treated
near their homes. Although most of our hospitals in our island
possessions are small yet we can take care of a limited number of
veterans who might be in such localities.
The mental environment at these hospitals is admirable from a standpoint
of cheerfulness, amusement and when indicated occupational recreation,
our rule has been so far as possible to treat veterans and sailors
alike. To the Red Cross we owe much of the measures for contentment
among the patients, although we also owe obligations to the morale
division of the Navy Department for assistance along the lines of
recreational and educational opportunities, especially as regards well
conducted libraries. The number of beds now available in our hospitals
approximates 2900. Adding the 2229 beds transferred to the Public Health
Service makes approximately 5172.
_THIRD_ In the transfer to other agencies caring for veterans of
hospital supplies and equipment. As noted previously we have turned over
not only the beds of five hospitals but in addition surgical, X-Ray,
laboratory and other facilities as well as store rooms full of varied
supplies. In addition we have from time to time given various medical
and surgical supplies. I may state that we are now turning over to the
Public Health Service $1,375.00 worth of stock from our Supply Depot and
stand ready to transfer another million dollars worth of medical stores
when called for.
_FOURTH_ On board ship and at our various stations medical officers have
examined claimants by the thousands, assisted them in making their
applications and aided them with advice.
In the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery one of our most important
activities is in supplying data to the Veterans’ Bureau for use in the
adjudication of claims for compensation. The reports at present are more
comprehensive than formerly made, and include in addition to the name,
rank or rate and claim number, the date and place of birth, enlistment,
discharge or release to inactive duty, together with a detailed medical
history. The maximum number of reports sent out by the Bureau has been
250 in a day with an average daily completion of about 100 cases. At
present we are up to date in answering claims. Notwithstanding the
reduction of the clerical force in some divisions to the point of
extinction of the activity in the effort to make the furnishing of
records to the Veterans’ Bureau our first consideration we should have
been far behind in furnishing records had it not been for the hearty and
willing cooperation of the Veterans’ Bureau in assigning clerks from
their own forces to assist in this most important and imperative work.
Where by reason of law or otherwise we have been unable adequately to
provide for the veterans either in personnel or material Colonel Forbes
has ever stood by to give us hearty cooperation and assistance. I am
also indebted to General Sawyer, the Chief Coordinator of the
Hospitalization Board for encouragement and advice whenever asked of
him.
In reciting the activities of the Navy in providing hospital care for
veterans, I trust it has become apparent that I have the honor to
represent an organization, equipped to aid the Veterans’ Bureau in
fulfilling the pledges of our government to its veterans, disabled in
the Great War, and manned by a personnel actuated in all ranks by an
earnest desire to contribute in the discharge of our obligations.”
GENERAL SAWYER: “I do not know exactly what impression you get from this
information that is given out here by the heads of these great
departments, but to me it seems that here is a spirit, a whole-souled
determination to put everything at the command of the Government at your
service to help you, that we may help the World War Veteran to the best
that can be given. The recitation of these things by this Admiral and
this Major General shows how much really comes through a closer
affiliation,—how much we get that is worth the while from a better
understanding; and that is what we really believe we have in this new
Board of Hospitalization.
We have with us this morning the man who has been personally responsible
for the largest number of these patients; in fact, he is responsible for
more of these patients than all of the rest of the departments together;
and if you do not know him, I should like to introduce to you a man whom
I have found, by close contact and personal observation during the
months I have been in Washington, to be a man who is giving everything
within him to make of the Public Health Service of the United States of
America the best Public Health Service in the world and to give to the
World War veteran the best hospitalisation service that can be rendered.
I have pleasure in introducing to you Surgeon General Hugh S. Cumming,
of the United States Public Health Service, who will speak on the
subject of “The Service Rendered World War Veterans by the Public Health
Service.”