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PUBLIC LAW 93-640-JAN. 4, 1975
[88 STAT.
health problems and other severe physical disabilities in persons of all ages with the disease,.particularly children and adolescents. (3) The annual cost of arthritis to the national economy in 1970, from medical care expenses and lost wages, was $9,200,000,000, and number of workdays lost in that year totaled over 14,500,000. (4) Uncontrolled arthritis significantly decreases the quality of life and has a major negative economic, social, and psychological impact on the families of its victims and society generally. (5) Athletic and other types of joint injuries involving trauma can lead to arthritis. (6) The development of advanced methods of diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and quality trained health professionals in arthritis deserves the highest national priority. (7) There is a critical shortage of medical facilities and properly trained health professionals and allied health professionals in the United States for arthritis research, prevention, treatment, care, and rehabilitation programs. (8) The citizens of the United States should have a full understanding of the nature of the human, social, and economic impact of arthritis and should be encouraged to seek early diagnosis and treatment to prevent or mitigate physical disability resulting from arthritis. (9) There is great potential for making major advances against arthritis in the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism, and Digestive Diseases, in concert with other institutes of the National Institutes of Health. N A T I O N A L COMMISSION ON A R T H R I T I S; A R T H R I T I S
PLAN
42 USC^28Tc"i' ^^^' ^.' ^^\ "^'^^ Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (herenote. " inafter in this section referred to as the "Secretary"), after consulting with the Director of the National Institutes of Health, shall, within sixty days of the date of the enactment of this section, establish a National Commission on Arthritis and Related Musculoskeletal Diseases (hereinafter in this section referred to as the (Commission"'). Membership. ^|^^ rpj^g Commission shall be composed of eighteen members as follows: (1) Six members appointed by the Secretary who are scientists, physicians, or other health professionals not in the employment of the Federal Government, who represent the various specialties and disciplines involving arthritis and related musculoskeletal diseases (hereinafter in this section collectively referred to as
"arthritis"), and of whom at least two are practicing clinical rheumatologists, at least one is an orthopedic sur-geon, and at least one is an allied health professional. (2) Four members appointed by the Secretary from the general public, of whom at least two suffer from arthritis. (3) One member appointed by the Secretary, from members of the National Arthritis, Metabolism, Digestive Disease Advisory Council, whose primary interest is in the field of rheumatology. (4) The Director of the National Institutes of Health or his designee, the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism, and Digestive Diseases oi' his designee, the Directors, or their designees, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institute of General Medical Science, the Associate Director for Arthritis and Related Musculoskeletal Diseases of such Institute, and the chief medical officer of the Veterans' Administration and the Secretary of Defense or their designees, each of whom shall serve as ex officio, nonvoting members.
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