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EQO06
Heart Disease, Cancer
and Stroke

Fact Sheet

Amendments of 1965

Backeround:

Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the three leading causes of
death in the United States, Taken together they accomted for 71% of
all Ue S. deaths in 1963, claiming more than 1.2 million lives. The
economic cost of the three diseases amoumts to many billions of dollars.

On March 1964 President Johnson appointed a 28-member Commission .
on Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke. The Commission was asked to identify
the obstacles to progress in controlling the three diseases and to
recommend a national program to reduce their toll by applying existing
knowledge more effectively and by accelerating the acquisition of new
knowledge.

The Commission's Report, presented to the President in December
1964, outlined 35 major recommendations. The proposed Heart Disease,
Cancer and Stroke Amendments of 1965 embody the principal innovative
thrust of the Commission's program-the establishment of a network of
regional medical complexes to make the best in diagnostic and treatment
methods readily available to patients across the nation and to provide
for coordinated development and use of manpower and facilities, region
by region, for research and service related to heart disease, cancer

and stroke.
Proposal:

The proposed amendments to the Public Health Service Act provide
a new program of grants to encourage and assist in the establishment of
regionally coordinated arrangements among medical schools, research
institutions, hospitals and other health resources for research, training,
and demonstretions of patient care in the fields of heart disease, cancer,
stroke, and other major diseases. |
Authorized Appropriations:

$50 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1966, and such
sums as may be necessary in the succeeding four fiscal years.
Eligible Applicants:

Public or nonprofit private universities, medical schools, research

institutions, and other public or nonprofit private institutions and

agencies.

 

Two types of grants are proposed.

A. Grants for planning and development of regional medical complexes
comprising one or more medical centers, categorical research
centers, and diagnostic and treatment stations.

B. Grants for establishing and operating such complexes.

Funds appropriated may be used by the approved applicant for part

or all of the costes of planning and operating such complexes, except that:

(a) Any grant with respect to construction of a facility or providing

puilt-in equipment may not exceed 90% of the cost of such

construction or equipment; and
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(>) Funds may not be used to pay the cost of hospital, medical
or other care of patients except to the extent that the cost
is incident to research, training or demonstration activities.

National Advisory Council:

The proposed amendments would establish a new National Advisory
Council on Medical Complexes to advise and assist the Surgeon General
in preparing Regulations and to review all applications for grants and
make recommendations as to approval.

The Surgeon General serves as Chairman of the Council, which will
have 12 additional members who are leaders in the fundamental sciences,
the medical sciences, or public affairs. At least one member must be an
outstanding leader in heart disease, another in cancer, and another in

stroke.

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