Pub. L. 93-82, tit. II, sec. 201

Sec. 201. Section 4101 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows: “(b) In order to carry out more effectively the primary function of the Department of Medicine and Surgery to provide a complete medical and hospital service for the medical care and treatment of veterans and in order to assist in providing an adequate supply of health manpower to the Nation, the Administrator shall, to the extent feasible without interfering with the medical care and treatment of veterans, develop and carry out a program of education and training of such health manpower (including the developing and evaluating of new health career’s, interdisciplinary approaches and career advancement opportunities), and shall carry out a major program for the recruitment, training, and employment of veterans with medical military occupation specialties as physicians’ assistants, dentists’ assistants, and other medical technicians (including advising all such qualified veterans and servicemen about to be discharged or released com active duty of such employment opportunities), acting in cooperation with such schools of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, public health, or allied health professions; other institutions of higher learning; medical centers; academic health centers; hospitals; and such other public or nonprofit agencies, institutions, or organizations as the Administrator deems appropriate. “(c) (1) Within ninety days after enactment of this subsection, the Administrator, in consultation with the Chief Medical Director, is87 Stat. 188 directed to conclude negotiations for an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences under which such Academy (utilizing its full resources and expertise) will conduct an extensive review and appraisal of personnel and other resource requirements in Veterans’ Administration hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities to determine a basis for the optimum numbers and categories of such personnel and other resources needed to insure the provision to eligible veterans of high quality care in all hospital, medical, domiciliary, and nursing home facilities. Such agreement shall provide that (A) at the earliest feasible date interim reports and the final report will be submitted by the National Academy of Sciences to the Administrator, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and (B) the final report will be submitted no later than twenty-four months after the date of the agreement except that the Administrator, in consultation with the Chief Medical Director and after consultation with the 1 Ions and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, may permit an extension up to twelve additional months. “(2) Within ninety days after the submission of the final report described in subsection (a) of this section, the Administrator snail submit, to the Senate and House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs a detailed report of his views on the National Academy of Sciences’ findings and recommendations submitted in such report, including (A) the steps and timetable therefor (to be carried out in not less than three years) he proposes to take to implement such findings and recommendations and (B) any disagreements, and the reasons therefor, with respect to such findings and recommendations. “(3) The Administrator shall cooperate fully with the National Academy of Sciences, and make available to the Academy all such staff, information, records, and other assistance, and shall set aside for such purposes such sums, as are necessary to insure the success of the study.”.