Research Policy of Los Alamos Medical Center

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Medical Research i s an intagxal part of modem medicine. Not only is the pm c tim of mrdicinr dependent dippnaesmrch but modern physician8 are depandent upon their own research activities to keep thaP abremt with thoa d nn cw and r pir it of modern medicine, A 6 a con6rqu.nce of this relationship phyriclans of ouch caliber tht they can &mag8 mc ces w the most 6eriou6 dlr u rer and accidents a8 rehll as those aeon every day,hve an innate nod for the fac ili tier for doing research. exfiremoly difficult to retain the sod ces of such physicbnr and t o Nhen such fac lli tie a are not available it is Lor Ahmor has the unique situ tion of having of Its popuhtlon mrtxd.nf desiraur of the b r a In modern medicine; of ha- more potentitrl h.zards that dunand on the 8p& highly sJdUed medical asirtanco; and of hVing t h e equipment, facilities, and nod ical aci anti ii c personnel tht mrke po861blO a ms d ical research progmm rrhich would Interest and aid in retaining the type of p4picb.n rho is so needed hem, A t the aam t h e the collaboration of the Lo8 Aalupoa mi cia as in research here ahould/augment the bio-medical researoh program here. The roop of tho mrrorch progrrm and fac ili tier for the Loa Ahor phprlciPna do not adto be large. There are ~ vera lkinds of reaecrrch, nom of rhioh are more important than the other or are engaged In mom than another, The80 Idnds are2 llbnrry research, i n which a physician atu die a the literature concerning pr ti cula r disareer, qm-iments, and techniquer; cllnic81 rerearch, in which a physicIan studirr t h e offectivenes~ of newly developed treatments of direares o r studlea tho cour ~ eof as yet rrmarch, in which the physicIan studies in the laboratory mrnifertationr

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Of diaaam d urd lab on tory demonstmble effects of clinical trmtment; by mean8 of sxperimontP1 animals. The peraoml bel-tlonr and background of a phplclan do tend nu to8 large extent which type of rosearch he prefers I 8 aatlrf- most adequately the nod for a fac iUt y for library research. The Lo8 Alpmor hospital 8 & tis flor in mort instances the need for a facility for c lh ical remarch. The hospital clinical laboratory i o equipped and lacks sufficient funds for this purpose a n instances. The University carry out fk clinic01 laboratory res arch axcept it of C;Llifolmi. group Hrl, is adequately e,.:uipped and staffed t o help physicians i n axparimental medical research and has many problems where physician8 not interested in working independently can CoUbORte and receive tminhg. The present hospital r0804rch facility is of adequate 8iee t o carry out the independeent experimental medical research of five or 8 h physicians but a t present lacks funds and quip a ent In some regarda. Since h t h e first three types of research physlclons are/dsaling directly with problems brought t o mind by pot i ents hospitalized a t Los Alan08 during the y-r, activities of phyriciana in these research prognms can not be considered not in line of duty t o those petlents. Ths majority of phy8iCbn8 on any a f f can be orpectod t o be engogod in these types of research. Cnly about on t it hid of the staff can be expected/to be engaged prt tiaw in pure expsrinental research. Since this type of research h VOl Ve8the amy from the hospital, pr t icl pet ion In a program of this sort must be re gul rt rd by the Chief of Staff a& a colnmittee designated for this purpose und govsrned by t h tmet that responsibilities t o patients m &re of first priority.

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Yo& of t h o factor8 which mke a rrswrch program poasible are prreent a t Lor Alnmos. Utho HCOmTmnd.tiOn8 of theY ed ical Advisory cdt tee that the struot atoff be nrplntained ata size rrhich can bast take care of pdc loads of medical cam there will be adequate time for all typ.8 of nr urch to be carried out on a port time bar18 by a n manbers of the mW f.Until result8 are obtrined frua theae research prognmmrrrhich After much moults are obtained grrnts-in-id are t o be requertsd fran sources outside of the loop1 atamic energy cds sion so that the research Astabilishnent wlll bo self-supportin&. Yith the continued unselfish aid afforded t o the hospital group by the Hsolth Divirion of the Univerisyt of CaUfornl~and w i t h these funds the operation of a research rpcogram rhould be quite feusible and would be of great aid in keeping medicine d Loa Ahnos ata level with the best. t o develop and gnr prosper, t h e local atomic energy carnmisrion managsnent fund rill bo needed for bupprt. In order for such a program fithdnmr only If t h e research proglpn failed t o be ruccesrful in Its