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                                                                                                  Public Health Service
       0                                                                                          National Institutes of Health
                   DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES                                          National Library of Medicine


                                                                                                  Memorandum

    Date         July 18, 1991
    From         Acting Assistant Director for Planning and Evaluation


    Subject      RMP: References in Bunting RML History


    To           Director, NLM





                 You asked me to check Alison Bunting's history of the RML program for references to
                 coordination between the RMIs and the RMP and AHEC.

                 There are several statements that confirm the existence of an intent to coordinate RML
                 activities with the RMP, although no details are provided.

                 These excerpts are marked in the attached copy:

                 P.2 2nd Column: describes President's Commission report

                 P.8 2nd Column: "Of particular concern was the interrelationship between the RMLP
                 and the Regional Medical Programs (RMP), a separate federal program which had also
                 resulted from the President's Commission Report. The purpose of the RMP was "...to
                 make the latest advances in medical knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment of heart
                 disease, cancer, and stroke available to physicians for the treatment of their patients all
                 over the nation. To accomplish their mission, the RMPs planned extensive continuing
                 education programs for health professionals and the lay public. A logical aspect of such
                 continuing education programs was the provision of health in              rmation; it was evi ent
                 that coordination between the two programs was essential."

                 P-15(bottom)-P.16 Ist Column: "Interactions between the RML network and other
                 health-related programs were of considerable concern to NLM. Most particularly, there
                 was interest in establishing close working relationships with Regional Medical Program
                 (RMP) offices, so that programs and services of the RMLs and RMPs would be
                 complementary. NLM worked at the national level to coordinate services and each RML
                 attempted to do the same in its respective region."

                 P.20 lst Colunm: "More effective liaison with the RMP should be established."

                 P.31(bottom) Ist Column: "NLM and the RMLs maintained close working relationships
                 with RMPs through 1973, when all funding for RMP projects ceased."

                 P.31-32(AHECs): "The newly emerging Area Health Education Centers (AHECs), which
                 were charged with the provision of training and continuing education of health
                 professionals in underserved areas of the United States, provided a new arena for
                 cooperation. NLM and the Bureau of Health Manpower, which administered the AHEC
                 program, undertook a project to inventory AHEC library projects throughout the country
                 and identify AHEC information resource needs. The study revealed that AHEC activities __ __







              resulted              informationneeds,butthatlibilr  nkiam                       ere
                                                      _  @.     _I ky@
                     -nc                              s. NLM EMP staff therefore initiated
              discussions with appropriate AHEC funding agencies to delineate responsibilities for
              program funding, and to coordinate information services activities. In some AHECs
              extensive library programs were undertaken, supplementing the RML network's efforts
              to develop and facilitate access to health information sources for health professionals."
              Footnote #59 (P.50) refers to the David Kefauver 1970 article in the MLA Bulletin on
              coordination of the RMIs and RMP.

              I hope that this is helpful.





                                                             Susan P. Buyer



              cc: Elliot R. Siegel
                  John Parascandola
                  Lois Ann Colaianni