Every medical officer in charge of a hospital is faced with the problem of de-hospitalization of patients of this Bureau who have reached the maximum amount of recovery afforded by hospital treatment. I believe there is not a medical officer here who is not facing this problem at the present time and who knows that patients are in hospital not actually requiring further hospital treatment but who do need further medical attention and careful medical observation to enable them to make a complete recovery. It is believed that the dispensary with its trained professional staff to render medical treatment and to provide medical follow-up and after care during that period when the patient is undergoing the final stage of his physical recovery and is making his social and vocational recovery to a life of usefulness in the community, will meet a long felt need. It is believed that the period of hospitalization can be materially shortened if the patient can be discharged directly to a well organized out-patient dispensary where his treatment will be continued and his social and industrial rehabilitation made under the careful surveillance of trained medical groups. The effects of hospitalization, prolonged after the maximum benefit has been received, are injurious to the average patient and if continued, soon makes of these patients domiciliary charges upon the Government. This is to be deplored and prevented. As soon as the dispensaries are established, this Bureau is, and will continue to place them more fully at the disposal of the hospitals for the purpose of shortening hospitalization and hastening his physical and social recovery. This is one of the most important functions of dispensary service. The Director is charged, under the law, with not only providing treatment for compensable claimants of this Bureau, but he is also charged with maintaining the physical condition of claimants who are undergoing vocational rehabilitation during the period of their training. The dispensaries have been located as far as possible to serve the greatest number of trainees and will provide medical service to take care of the so-called intercurrent diseases and accidents from which the trainee may suffer as well as furnish him treatment for diseases or disabilities connected with his service. With the increasing number of claimants availing themselves of vocational rehabilitation, the problem of medical service is one of no small import and it is believed that the dispensary furnishes the best solution of this problem.