Functions of H-2

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Group H-2 i s the Industrial Medical Group and its function a t Los Alamos i s somewhat similar t o that of a medical department ina college or university, and to that of a medical department inin - The Group i s composed of 19 people, with 3 physicians, 5 nurses, 1 first aid man, 4 laboratory technicians, and 6clerical and secret arial aides. The Group operates four dispensaries which are scattered throughout the technical areas and i n addition has a mobile unit an a i d man which visits outlying sites daily. The general flmctions of the Group may be divided into four-subheadings o r subdivisions as follows: (1)Examination Program; (2) D i s - pensary Work; (3) Laboratory Services; ( 4 ) and miscellaneous duties. (1) Examination Program: , Because of the distance from the hiring points many of the preplacement examinations of employees have been done by their own physicians who are unfamiliar with conditions a t h s Alamos. This bas resulted i n some unfortunate episodes and as a result the Group tries to do as many of the preplacement examinations as possible. During the past year about 45% of all preplacement examinations were done by us as c o w pared t o none three years ago. In addition, the Group does all the termination examinations, periodic examinations, examinations for overseas test programs, and any others that may be required, Such an examination includes a history, physical, chest x-ray, complete blood count and urinalysis, and. s p e c i a l laboratory work, or x-rays that may be indicated. Over 2000 such t year, and our rejection rate of preplacement t ly less than 1.0%. *

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(2) Dispensary WLK: This program includes ccrin, i'or any industrial illnesses or injuries and many minor non-industrial injuries or illnesses. Much of t h i s work is health counseling or diagnostic medicine, f o r it seems incumbent on the Group to try to establish an exact diagnosis of a variety of complaints,for people have a great tendency to attribute any unusual illness or symptom complex to their working conditions regardless of how far fetched it m y appear tothe diagnosis that the patient feels that the industrial physician i s interested in him as an individual patient rather than i n protecting his company from physician. It i s only through exact visits from 7000 ia 1949 t o nearly 20,000 i n 1953. During the past years there has been a growth of dispensary (3) The Group maintains laboratory.servibes comparable t o a hospital laboratory and routinely performs blood counte, urinalyses, serologies, and blood chethistries. I n addition x-ray and electrocardiographic services are available. The laboratory i s used as an adjunct i n following group8 of individuals who may be exposed to potentially toxic substances such as lead, benzol, or l i v e r and kidney poisons, as well as screening individuals i n the has been called upon t o perform a variety of divergent duties. Briefly, these have included providing medical services a t Nevada Test S i t e during one series of tests, acting as medical advisors to the Task Group i n overseas operations, and fora brief period of time providing medical eendce tothe community a t large during a period when the hospital was short of personnel. In addition tothe duties outllned above the Group Despite this variety of duties and diversity of interests the Industrial Medical G r o u p would be Largely ineffective without the help of other Groups chemical o r radiological hazard without the help and assistance of the For example, it is powerless t o properly evaluate a

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Industrial Hygiene Group orthe Radiological Safety Group. By the same token this dependence on other Groups i s not a one-way street, for without the Industrial Medical Group t o evaluate t h e health of laboratory personnel, they have no measure of the effectiveness of their attempt t o conkrol chemical, safety, o r radiological hazards.