The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

ship and capabilities of State health
agencies; and that support of health ser-
vices provided people in their communities
should be broadened and
made more flexible."
The goal of comprehensive health
planning is to assure the highest level
of health attainable for everey person.
The objectivse are:
1. To increse the capacity of continu-
ing, comprehensive planning for health,
and
2. To redirect the focus of grant programs
to revitalize State and local
health efforts and to focus on the de-
livery of services to people.
The Act amends and replaces Section
314 of the Public Health Service Act.
In brief, the new provisions encompass
three major areas— planning, health services
and manpower.
Under planning, the Act provides
formula grants for comprehensive State
health planning, calls for a State health
planning agency, calls for a State health
planning council and authorizes $2.5
million for 1967 and $5.0 million for
1968. Project grants for areawide plan-
ning will support comprehensive, met-
ropolitan area or other local planning,
and will replace areawide facility plan-
ning grants authorized under Section
318, and will make available $5.0 mil-
lion for 1967 and $7.5 million for
1968. Project grants for training, stud-
ies and demonstrations will support the
necessary training related to compre-
hensive health planning. There will be
available $1.5 million for 1967 and
$2.5 million for 1968.
Under health services, there are
formula grants for public health ser-
vices to be distributed on a mathe-
matical basis to the States with no ear-
marking for categorical programs. This
will be a block grant. A total of $62.5
million has been provided for 1968,
and local and volunteer agencies may
participate. Project grants for health ser-
vices development must meet health
needs of limited geographic scope or of
special regional or national significance.
They may stimulate new programs or
enable studies, demonstrations or train-
ing to develop new methods, etc. There
will be $62.5 million available for
1968 and grants may be made to any
public or voluntary agency.
Under manpower, the Act encourages
interchange of personnel with the States
and authorizes exchange between
States or local agencies and the Federal
Government. It also provides for con-
ferences with State planning agencies
and with State health authorities to review
regulations governing formula
grants. Authority is provided to furnish
personnel, etc., in lieu of cash under all
grant programs.
October, 1967 THE HEALTH BULLETIN
There is no doubt that in combining
"health" with "planning". Congress has
brought together two of the most visi-
ble, dynamic and controversial areas of
society. In view of the fact that health
has become a politically potent issue in
national. State and local campaigns, did
Congress make a mistake by enacting
such legislation? In my opinion, it did
not. Is there genuine need for compre-
hensive health planning? Definitely yes
—in my opinion. In our brief efforts at
the State level, we have already discov-
ered that there are at least forty-two
agencies, organizations, commissions,
committees and other administrative
units in State Government with some
health responsibilities.
A recent paper on health planning
pointed out that our health system had
problems. "Japan has just passed the
United States in reduction of infant
mortality. Two hundred health profes-
sionals struggle for their piece of the
patient. Thirty or forty planning endeav-
ors exist in a State, each trying to im-
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