Referring to General Order No. 26 and to Paragraph No. 2, which reads as follows:
“All patients now in hospitals in your District, who do not require further hospital treatment, will be given four days notice to make their personal arrangements and will then promptly be discharged from hospital. Each patient discharged under existing Regulations will be furnished transportation to his bona fide legal residence in the United States or to the place from which he was hospitalized. Notification of such discharge will be sent immediately by the Officer in Charge of the Institution caring for beneficiaries of the U. S. Veterans’ Bureau to the District Manager of the District in which the institution is located.”
In complying with these instructions and before authorizing discharge of patient of the U. S. Veterans’ Bureau from hospital, district Managers will determine:
1st. Whether the patient is in need of out-patient, dental, physiotherapy, or other treatment, or convalescent care. If so, District Managers will make the necessary arrangements to continue the treatment indicated after discharge of the patient from the hospital. 2nd. Whether the patient desires vocational training: If so, his eligibility and feasibility will be determined and arrangements made for placing him in training promptly upon his discharge from the hospital. 3rd. Necessary adjustment or readjustment of all matters pertaining to his compensation will also be completed promptly upon his discharge from the hospital.
In order to accomplish the above patients of the U. S. Veterans’ Bureau will not be discharged from hospitals until District Managers have been notified and the necessary arrangements made by them for the determining of the above factors upon which the District Managers will approve discharge and notify the hospital accordingly.
Instructions contained in this communication do not apply to the Provisions of General Order No. 27, regarding the discharge of patients for disciplinary reasons.
Very truly yours,
ROBERT U. PATTERSON,
Assistant Director,
U. S. Veterans’ Bureau.