Speech #900281615

In another. it has resulted in four hospitals in one community pooling their resources. raising private funds. and establishing a single high quality coronary care unit in one of the hospitals rather than one in each of the four as so frequently happens. In short. regional medical programs has proven itself so effective and so essential to the overall development and delivery of health services that all groups. including the American Medical Association. which 4 years ago had reservations as to its necessity. have now given the program their full support. . Testimony during our hearings on H.R. 15758 also indicated strong support for the continuation of the program of grants for health services for migrant workers. We heard witnesses from the AMA. the APHA. the AFLCIO. all of whom testified to the necessity and effectiveness of this program. Title II of H.R. 15758 authorizes the extension of the grant program for health services for domestic migrant agricultural workers and their families. This program was initially authorized in 1962 as a system of project grants to help pay the costs of family health service clinics and other activities to improve the health of migrant families. 700 of the Nations 3.100 counties are dependent on the approximately 1 million migrant workers and their families to harvest their crops. These workers for the most part come from a reservoir of workers subject to economic and social deprivation and who suffer from the poor health characteristics of such a population group. Their way of life. moving from location to location. often makes them ineligible for health assistance offered residents of communities. Those communities who attempt to meet migrants health needs find their resources overburdened to the point where they are unable to provide adequate health care to this group. Project grants provided by the Public Health Service to help meet this need are in operation in 285 counties. providing services to almost onethird of the Nations migrants. These services include medical and dental services. and in addition. limited hospital care. immunizations. family planning services. nutrition counseling. prenatal care. and other preventive health services. This bill asks for an extension of this program for 2 years. on the assumption that at that time. the responsibility of providing health services for migrant workers will be assumed by the States as part of their comprehensive health planning and services. The 2year extension of the existing program allows the States time to plan for the provision of these services while at the same time. the special needs of the migrant farmworker will be met. Support for this extension from our witnesses was unanimous. Title III of H.R. 15758 will extend the provisions of the Community Mental Health Centers Act by authorizing grants for the construction and staffing of facilities and services for alcoholics and narcotic addicts.