 Wherever American soldiers are on duty, Army Medical Service personnel must also be on duty. And in order for them to be able to do their jobs, they must have the tools of their trade, the right medical equipment and supplies, when and where they need them. To assure that needed equipment and other material are where they're needed, when they're needed, is the responsibility of the medical supply system. But because the system is a good one, doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel tend to take the medical supply system pretty much for granted, which really isn't a very good idea. So in order to be sure that medicines and other needed medical items are obtained simply and directly without delay or a lot of waste motion, every doctor, nurse and all other medical service personnel should understand how the medical supply system operates and how to work within it. The right way is the easy way to obtain items that are needed to help everyone understand the system better. In today's film, we're going to give you a rundown of the organizations and the administrative programs that lie behind the medical supply system. To put it in its simplest terms, two organizations do most of the work with regard to the wholesale stock of medical material. The Defense Supply Agency, through its Defense Personnel Support Center, has the responsibility of providing medical supplies to the three military medical services. The Directorate of Medical Materiel of the Defense Personnel Support Center performs the day-to-day activities required to carry on this enormous operation. Each year, the Directorate of Medical Materiel or DMM obtains more than 75% of all medical, dental and veterinary supplies needed by the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. More than $200 million worth of medical supplies and equipment annually from aspirin to operating tables. The Directorate of Medical Materiel is staffed with military personnel from the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, as well as by numerous civilians. DMM's main job is to determine requirements, initiate action to purchase needed supplies, and see to it that they are delivered to the depots for issue to users as required. Over 12,000 items of medical supply are stock listed in the Federal Supply Catalog, and it is with these items that DMM is concerned. From stock control studies, DMM personnel determine the rates of demand for every item of supply and the quantities which must be purchased to maintain proper levels of wholesale stocks. There are some items, however, which are listed in the Federal Catalog but not stock in the depots. Such items as x-ray machines and surgical lights are subject to frequent changes in characteristics. They are listed in the Catalog without being stocked. These items must be ordered locally or through DMM on the basis of a one-time requirement. In this way, the users provided with the most modern specialized equipment required to keep pace with new trends at the time of demand. In addition to the responsibilities we've already discussed, the Directorate of Medical Materiel has several other missions. It provides the medical supplies needed for our Mobilization Reserve, for the Mutual Assistance Program, and for use in case of a national emergency. Not only must the supplies themselves be maintained, but elaborate stock and dollar accounting systems are also required for their proper administration. These cards, for example, represent the individual items of supply found within a 1,000-bed field-type general hospital. A Mobilization Item stored under the control of DMM. This hospital requires more than 3,000 different items of medical supply, 14 railroad cars of boxes, cartons, and crates, all of which must be accounted for, kept up to date, and stored where they are readily accessible. An enormous administrative task, requiring the most modern equipment and techniques of supply management. In providing day-to-day medical material, obtaining special items, and stocking Mobilization Reserves, the Directorate of Medical Materiel sends an endless stream of medical supplies around the globe to military units. Depots which house medical material within the continental United States are operated by either the Defense Supply Agency or the Army Materiel Command, but all the supplies remain under the control of the Directorate of Medical Materiel and are put up for sale. That's right, for sale. For the Directorate is in business, the wholesale medical supply business, and all of its stock is sold to using units at wholesale prices. From the manufacturer to the depot to the using unit. And in addition to doing all this, the Directorate also undertakes a load of minor companion duties, so to speak. Consider these, for instance. There are repairs to be made to wholesale stocks, inventories to be taken, special handling procedures to be designated for narcotics, precious metals, and radioactive substances, quality control programs to be initiated, financial control to be maintained, special kits and chests to be assembled, and the Federal Supply Catalog to be kept up to date. And there are many others which we won't even try to mention here. Among these items there is one which is of unusual interest to medical personnel, the Federal Catalog DOD section for Medical Materiel. This is an enlargement of one of the pages to show its many advantages. In the catalog, the stock number, nomenclature, and picture of the item are all found together. A piece of equipment which medical personnel have learned to identify at a civilian institution only by its brand name can therefore easily be identified by its picture and tied into the nomenclature used in the catalog. Well, so far it looks as though the Defense Personnel Support Center and its Directorate of Medical Materiel are doing it all. But that's not quite true. For within the Army itself, the overall administration of medical supply is the responsibility of the supply division of the Office of the Surgeon General. The supply division administers and develops medical supply policies and procedures for both conus and overseas installations. This requires an awareness of all medical activities, visiting installations, evaluating complaints concerning supply support, and making the thousand and one decisions necessary for the Army supply system to function properly. This broad area of responsibility includes many activities. General policy matters, special handling instructions, storage regulations, routine supply procedures, and so on. Numerous publications are released covering technical and professional aspects of medical supply, as well as maintenance. It isn't hard to see. There's a lot to do. And among its other duties, the supply division accomplishes the necessary planning for capability studies of mobilization programs and such special projects as the shipment of medical supplies under mutual assistance programs. Constant changes must be made. Obsolete medical items must be dropped, new items added, and others reclassified. Obviously, there's plenty to be done, and we still haven't discussed one of the most important functions of the supply division. Money. That's right. Money with which to buy supplies. For each year, the Army Medical Service receives just so much money for use by the consumers. Part of this money goes for medical materiel. One of the jobs of the supply division is to collaborate with the controller to see that money earmarked for supplies is divided among major commands in the most equitable manner possible. And in addition to all this, the supply division has the responsibility of assuring that stock fund money is provided to the medical branch offices of the Army Stock Fund. All right, now that's the heart. The Defense Personnel Support Center of the Defense Supply Agency has the overall responsibility. Its directorate of medical materiel supplies the wholesale stock. And the supply division of OTSG supervises policies and procedures for the Army. There are two other smaller organizations which are important to the supply system. One of these is the Army Medical Service Materiel Technical Committee. The technical committee is primarily concerned with approving actions pertaining to medical materiel used by personnel in field type units. The recommendations of the technical committee are passed along to the Defense Medical Materiel Board, composed of the Surgeon General of each of the military departments, plus representatives of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Health and Medical, and the Defense Supply Agency. This board provides advice and assistance on the professional technical aspects of medical materiel. The Defense Medical Materiel Board also carries out studies of complaints, coordinates with other government public health agencies, and considers medical supply problems of a technical nature. Now, when you add all these organizations together, you get an overall system that works like this. The Defense Personnel Support Center of DSA, through its Directorate of Medical Materiel, makes available the bulk of medical, dental, and veterinary supplies found in the Federal Supply Catalog at the depot level within CONUS. The Supply Division of OTSG supervises policies and procedures for the Army itself. And in requesting the addition, modification, or deletion in wholesale medical supply system items, the Defense Medical Materiel Board works closely with the Defense Personnel Support Center. And if the item is for use in field-type medical units, it is approved by the Army Medical Service Materiel Technical Committee as well. Here is a chart showing those organizational relationships. Because the medical supply activity for the entire Army is such a big job, one other organization is required. The U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, or USAMA, has a primary mission of providing liaison between the Supply Division of OTSG and the Defense Personnel Support Center. Not only does USAMA provide a direct channel between the Supply Division and DPSC, but it affects routine coordination between DPSC and many other Army organizations. In addition, the USAMA publishes vital information concerning suspensions and disposal of drugs, the availability of special supplies, and many other items. USAMA also carries out an extensive customer service program. A second major mission of the Army Medical Materiel Agency is general limited war mobilization planning. Using demand data, USAMA personnel plan future operations, maintain up-to-date files on authorized allowances, and provide worldwide consumption rates needed for other planning activities. The agency's other major missions include the management of the pre-positioned War Reserve Army stock, which must be available to supply specific military and medical forces already in existence. To equip hospitals and medical units activated in the event of a large-scale war, planning for the introduction of new items into the Army Medical Supply System, as well as regulating and controlling critical items. Right now that we have spent some time on the basic organization of the medical supply system, let's take a look at a typical supply problem and see how these various organizations work together in the administration of medical supply. This is a sterilizer, which used to be a field-type item, but there were numerous complaints about it. Generally speaking, it wasn't suitable for field use. It was too heavy, too fragile, and too difficult to maintain. A new item was needed. Now, naturally there are many ways a new standard item may enter the system, but the one you're about to see is typical of the procedures for adoption for the field-type item. In this case, staff members of OTSG noticed that over a period of time they had received complaints about this particular item of equipment. The result? The supply division initiated action for the development of an improved sterilizer and forwarded this requirement to the Combat Development Command for consideration. After approval by the Chief of Research and Development of the Army, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command developed under contract with a commercial concern, a new sterilizer. This sterilizer was subjected to both engineering and service tests. Engineering tests were primarily concerned with the ability of the new equipment to withstand the wear and tear of field use. One test, for instance, consisted of subjecting the unit to a 51-inch drop and then making sure it was still in working condition. Service tests, as the name implies, consisted of having personnel use the new item in the field to see that it was satisfactory. When the new sterilizer was approved by the Army Medical Service Materiel Technical Committee, detailed information concerning the item was processed to the Defense Medical Materiel Board for coordination with the Navy and Air Force. The Defense Medical Materiel Board type-classified the item and passed the essential characteristics data to the Directorate of Medical Materiel. And studies began to determine the present and future needs for the new sterilizer in all three services. The new sterilizer is now a standard item and stock listed in the Federal Catalog. There are many other ways in which a new item can be adopted as standard in the medical supply system. For example, any individual can recommend to the Defense Medical Materiel Board the adoption of a new commercially available item for use at fixed medical facilities. In each case, the Surgeon General's position on such proposals is based on due consideration of both professional and logistical aspects. Every recommendation is considered because the medical service must be up to date and must always maintain flexibility and the capacity to move forward in the field of medicine. Up to date, a very important concept. There are innumerable ways in which the medical service is working to keep up to date. This is the medical unit self-contained transportable. The must military field hospital developed by the Army Medical Service in coordination with other Army organizations and industrial concerns. Lightweight, completely mobile. It is highly reliable, efficient, and provides a controlled environment for all-weather operation. The set up time for a typical must field element to be ready for operation is about 30 minutes and each element is designed to contain its own supplies for at least the first 24 hours of operation. Depending on the number of individual elements provided, a must field hospital may contain emergency treatment elements, surgery, X-ray lab, pharmacy, central materiel service, pre- and post-operative areas, wards, and other facilities associated with hospital operation in the field. This is the utility element, which provides power, air heating and cooling, water heating and pumping, plus air pressure for inflatable must elements. One utility element can support from four to seven must shelter type elements. An expandable element is a rigid panel unit which opens up into a room 12 by 18 feet with a 7 foot 3 inch ceiling. It is employed for surgery and for technical hospital activities such as X-ray or pharmacy. The typical inflatable element can be erected to have a floor area of 20 by 52 feet. Additional sections can be added to provide more work space. It contains an airlock and all necessary equipment for erection and operation. Utility, expandable and inflatable elements may be combined in different groupings as the situation requires. The must not only replaces canvas tentage and other equipment which was difficult to handle and maintain, and in which patients were often too cold and winter and too hot in the summer, but brings fixed hospital type equipment to the field in a controlled environment to reduce death and disease. It is part of the modern army's efforts to constantly improve its capabilities. There's one other activity of the medical service we'd like to show you. Each year the army fabricates more than 1 million pairs of eyeglasses at Army Optical Laboratories worldwide. Army Medical Service Optical Laboratories supply eyeglasses to the army, the Navy and the Air Force. The army fabricates single vision lens, bifocal and trifocal spectacles, insert for protective masks, safety glasses and aircrew spectacles. Army military personnel are trained for the Optician Career Field at the Optical Laboratory at Fitzsimmons General Hospital. The medical supply system provides a complete stock of quality medical material to the medical service. Nothing less is acceptable. Today in part one of this two part film series, you have seen the organization and administration of the medical supply system and have seen some of its capabilities. In part two you will see the supply system in action at Conus and overseas installations. An entire system devoted to assuring that the best medical supplies are provided medical personnel whenever and wherever needed.