{"id":104330,"date":"2022-01-26T08:14:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T13:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/?p=104330"},"modified":"2026-03-24T16:06:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T20:06:33","slug":"object-8-public-law-79-293","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/object-8-public-law-79-293\/","title":{"rendered":"Object 8: Public Law 79-293, The Department of Medicine And Surgery Act, 1946"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kb-image104330_855643-eb.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image104330_855643-eb .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:550px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image104330_855643-eb.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image104330_855643-eb .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image104330_855643-eb figure{max-width:550px;}.kb-image104330_855643-eb .image-is-svg, .kb-image104330_855643-eb .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image104330_855643-eb .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image104330_855643-eb\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/06\/2022012604.jpg\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"910\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/2022012604.jpg?w=577\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/2022012604.jpg?w=577\" alt=\"The first page of Public Law 79-293, The Department of Medicine and Surgery Act, 1946. (Library of Congress)\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-104336\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27577%27%20height%3D%27910%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20577%20910%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27577%27%20height%3D%27910%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/06\/2022012604.jpg?resize=190,300 190w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/06\/2022012604.jpg?resize=380,600 380w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/06\/2022012604.jpg 577w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 577px) 100vw, 577px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>The first page of Public Law 79-293, The Department of Medicine and Surgery Act, 1946. (Library of Congress)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On January 3, 1946, President Harry Truman\u00a0established\u00a0the forerunner of today\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Veterans Health Administration<\/a>\u00a0when he signed\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/public-law-79-293.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Public Law 79-293<\/a>, creating the Department of Medicine and Surgery within the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/featured-stories\/vas-birthday\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Veterans Administration<\/a>. The bill was the handiwork of three men:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/featured-stories\/omar-bradley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">General Omar Bradley<\/a>, the VA Administrator; Dr. Paul Hawley, his chief medical advisor; and Dr. Paul Magnuson, the chair of Northwestern\u00a0University\u2019s Department of Orthopedics. This landmark legislation cemented sweeping changes to Veterans\u2019 health care. The bill exempted medical personnel from the Civil Service hiring regulations, which allowed for doctors and nurses to be selected and appointed more quickly. Additionally, it linked the\u00a0Nation\u2019s medical schools to VA and\u00a0initiated\u00a0a program to construct new VA hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the bill was popular with Congress and the public, a last-minute veto push from the U.S. Civil Service Commission threatened to derail its passage. Bradley and Hawley countered the Commission\u2019s objections with their own high-pressure tactics to sway the\u00a0President. Both threatened to resign on New Year\u2019s Eve if Truman did not sign the legislation. The\u00a0President chose to side with them and ignore the commission\u2019s entreaties. When the bill became law, Dr. Hawley enthused:\u00a0\u201cWith the signature of the Medical Department Act, our objective is clear, a medical service for the Veteran that is second to none in the world.\u201d He added a promise: \u201c[W]e shall build an outstanding service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Equipped with a $500 million budget, Bradley and Hawley set out to make good on that promise and reshape VA health care services.&nbsp;&nbsp;They launched many key initiatives, including the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/100-objects\/object-43-nurse-recruiting-poster\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recruitment&nbsp;<\/a>of 4,000 full-time VA physicians, nurses, technicians, and other medical personnel. They also&nbsp;established&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/exhibits\/a-volunteers-perspective\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VA Voluntary Service<\/a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/featured-stories\/veterans-canteen-service-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Veterans Canteen Service<\/a>&nbsp;and hired the first 10 female physicians to care for women Veterans. These actions not only improved VA care and increased training opportunities for U.S. physicians but also set the stage for significant growth in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/100-objects\/object-33-the-million-veteran-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VA\u2019s medical research program<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">View&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/public-law-79-293.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Public Law 79-293<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image104330_14769e-9c.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image104330_14769e-9c .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:550px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image104330_14769e-9c.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image104330_14769e-9c .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image104330_14769e-9c figure{max-width:550px;}.kb-image104330_14769e-9c .image-is-svg, .kb-image104330_14769e-9c .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image104330_14769e-9c .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image104330_14769e-9c\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/06\/2022012605.jpg\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1048\" height=\"688\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/2022012605.jpg?resize=1024,672\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/2022012605.jpg?resize=1024,672\" alt=\"Dr. Paul Magnuson, General Omar Bradley, and Dr. Paul Hawley. (Medical Care of Veterans)\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-104338\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271048%27%20height%3D%27688%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201048%20688%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271048%27%20height%3D%27688%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/06\/2022012605.jpg?resize=300,197 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/06\/2022012605.jpg?resize=600,394 600w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/06\/2022012605.jpg?resize=768,504 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/06\/2022012605.jpg 1048w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1048px) 100vw, 1048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Dr. Paul Magnuson, General Omar Bradley, and Dr. Paul Hawley. (Medical Care of Veterans)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On January 3, 1946, President Harry Truman established the forerunner of today\u2019s Veterans Health Administration when he signed Public Law 79-293, creating the Department of Medicine and Surgery within the Veterans Administration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":117245,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[21,138,30,28,94],"class_list":["post-104330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-100-objects","tag-timeline","tag-u-s-presidents","tag-innovation","tag-veterans-administration","tag-veterans-health-administration"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/object-8-public-law-79-293\/","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Object 8: Public Law 79-293, The Department of Medicine And Surgery Act, 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