38 U.S.C. § 7313 — Advisory committees: affiliated institu-

Page 1175 TITLE 38—VETERANS’ BENEFITS § 7313 to the Regional Director of the Veterans Inte- grated Services Network, and to the National Quality Management Officer, regarding the dis- charge of the responsibilities and duties of the officer under this section. (3) The quality management officer for a Vet- erans Integrated Services Network shall— (A) direct the quality management office in the Network; and (B) coordinate, monitor, and oversee the quality management programs and activities of the Administration medical facilities in the Network in order to ensure the thorough and uniform discharge of quality management re- quirements under such programs and activi- ties throughout such facilities. (c) QUALITY MANAGEMENT OFFICERS FOR MED- ICAL FACILITIES.—(1) The director of each Vet- erans Health Administration medical facility shall appoint a quality management officer for that facility. (2) The quality management officer for a facil- ity shall report directly to the director of the fa- cility, and to the quality management officer of the Veterans Integrated Services Network in which the facility is located, regarding the dis- charge of the responsibilities and duties of the quality management officer under this section. (3) The quality management officer for a facil- ity shall be responsible for designing, dissemi- nating, and implementing quality management programs and activities for the facility that meet the requirements established by the Na- tional Quality Management Officer under sub- section (a). (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. (2) There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D) of subsection (a)(3), $25,000,000 for the two-year period of fiscal years beginning after the date of the enactment of this section. (Added Pub. L. 111–163, title V, § 505(a)(1), May 5, 2010, 124 Stat. 1158.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The date of the enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (d)(2), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 111–163, which was approved May 5, 2010. § 7312. Special medical advisory group (a) The Secretary shall establish an advisory committee to be known as the special medical advisory group. The advisory group shall advise the Secretary, through the Under Secretary for Health, and the Under Secretary for Health di- rectly, relative to the care and treatment of dis- abled veterans and other matters pertinent to the Administration. (b) Members of the special medical advisory group shall be appointed by the Secretary upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health. The special medical advisory group shall be composed of— (1) members of the medical, dental, podiatric, optometric, and allied scientific professions; (2) other individuals considered by the Under Secretary for Health to have experience perti- nent to the mission of the Administration; and (3) a disabled veteran. (c) The special medical advisory group shall meet on a regular basis as prescribed by the Sec- retary. The number, terms of service, pay, and allowances of members of the advisory group shall be prescribed in accordance with existing law and regulations. (d) Not later than February 1 of each year, the special medical advisory group shall submit to the Secretary and the Congress a report on the activities of the advisory group during the pre- ceding fiscal year. No report shall be required under this subsection after December 31, 2004. (Added Pub. L. 102–40, title IV, § 401(a)(3), May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 215; amended Pub. L. 102–405, title III, § 302(c)(1), Oct. 9, 1992, 106 Stat. 1984; Pub. L. 103–446, title XII, § 1201(e)(20), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4686; Pub. L. 106–419, title IV, § 403(c)(5), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1864.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2000—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 106–419 inserted at end ‘‘No report shall be required under this subsection after De- cember 31, 2004.’’ 1994—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–446 substituted ‘‘the ac- tivities of the advisory group’’ for ‘‘the advisory groups activities’’. 1992—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 102–405 substituted ‘‘Under Secretary for Health’’ for ‘‘Chief Medical Direc- tor’’ wherever appearing. § 7313. Advisory committees: affiliated institu- tions (a) In each case where the Secretary has a con- tract or agreement with any school, institution of higher learning, medical center, hospital, or other public or nonprofit agency, institution, or organization for the training or education of health personnel, the Secretary shall establish an advisory committee to advise the Secretary and the Under Secretary for Health with respect to policy matters arising in connection with, and the operation of, the program with respect to which it was appointed. Such a committee may be a dean’s committee, a medical advisory committee, or the like. (b) Any such advisory committee may be es- tablished on an institution-wide, multi-discipli- nary basis or on a regional basis whenever estab- lishment on such a basis is found to be feasible. (c) Members of each such advisory committee shall be appointed by the Secretary and shall in- clude personnel of the Department (including appropriate representation from the full-time staff) and of the entity with which the Secretary has entered into the contract or agreement. The number of members, and terms of members, of each advisory committee shall be prescribed by the Secretary. (d) The Secretary shall require that the Chief of the Nursing Service (or the designee of the Chief) at each Department health-care facility be included in the membership of each policy- making committee at that facility. Such com- mittees include: (1) committees relating to mat- ters such as budget, education, position manage- Page 1176 TITLE 38—VETERANS’ BENEFITS § 7314 ment, clinical executive issues, planning, and re- source allocation, and (2) the dean’s committee or other advisory committee established under subsection (a). (Added Pub. L. 102–40, title IV, § 401(a)(3), May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 216; amended Pub. L. 102–405, title III, § 302(c)(1), Oct. 9, 1992, 106 Stat. 1984.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–405 substituted ‘‘Under Secretary for Health’’ for ‘‘Chief Medical Director’’. § 7314. Geriatric research, education, and clinical centers (a) The Secretary, upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health and pursuant to the provisions of this section, shall designate not more than 25 Department health-care facili- ties as the locations for centers of geriatric re- search, education, and clinical activities and (subject to the appropriation of sufficient funds for such purpose) shall establish and operate such centers at such locations in accordance with this section. (b) In designating locations for centers under subsection (a), the Secretary, upon the rec- ommendation of the Under Secretary for Health, shall— (1) designate each Department health-care facility that as of August 26, 1980, was oper- ating a geriatric research, education, and clin- ical center unless (on the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health) the Secretary determines that such facility does not meet the requirements of subsection (c) or has not demonstrated effectiveness in carrying out the established purposes of such center or the pur- poses of title III of the Veterans’ Administra- tion Health-Care Amendments of 1980 (Public Law 96–330; 94 Stat. 1048) or the potential to carry out such purposes effectively in the rea- sonably foreseeable future; and (2) assure appropriate geographic distribu- tion of such facilities. (c) The Secretary may not designate a health- care facility as a location for a center under subsection (a) unless the peer review panel es- tablished under subsection (d) has determined under that subsection that the proposal sub- mitted by such facility as a location for a new center under subsection (a) is among those pro- posals which have met the highest competitive standards of scientific and clinical merit, and the Secretary (upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health) determines that the facility has (or may reasonably be anticipated to develop) each of the following: (1) An arrangement with an accredited med- ical school which provides education and training in geriatrics and with which such fa- cility is affiliated under which residents re- ceive education and training in geriatrics through regular rotation through such center and through nursing home, extended care, or domiciliary units of such facility so as to pro- vide such residents with training in the diag- nosis and treatment of chronic diseases of older individuals, including cardiopulmonary conditions, senile dementia, and neurological disorders. (2) An arrangement under which nursing or allied health personnel receive training and education in geriatrics through regular rota- tion through nursing home, extended care, or domiciliary units of such facility. (3) The ability to attract the participation of scientists who are capable of ingenuity and creativity in health-care research efforts. (4) A policymaking advisory committee composed of appropriate health-care and re- search representatives of the facility and of the affiliated school or schools to advise the directors of such facility and such center on policy matters pertaining to the activities of such center during the period of the operation of such center. (5) The capability to conduct effectively evaluations of the activities of such center. (d)(1) In order to provide advice to assist the Secretary and the Under Secretary for Health in carrying out their responsibilities under this section, the Assistant Under Secretary for Health described in section 7306(b)(3) of this title shall establish a panel to assess the scientific and clinical merit of proposals that are sub- mitted to the Secretary for the establishment of new centers under this section. (2) The membership of the panel shall consist of experts in the fields of geriatric and geronto- logical research, education, and clinical care. Members of the panel shall serve as consultants to the Department for a period of no longer than six months. (3) The panel shall review each proposal sub- mitted to the panel by the Assistant Under Sec- retary and shall submit its views on the relative scientific and clinical merit of each such pro- posal to the Assistant Under Secretary. (4) The panel shall not be subject to chapter 10 of title 5. (e) Before providing funds for the operation of any such center at a health-care facility other than a health-care facility designated under sub- section (b)(1), the Secretary shall assure that the center at each facility designated under such subsection is receiving adequate funding to enable such center to function effectively in the areas of geriatric research, education, and clin- ical activities. (f) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the support of the research and education activities of the centers established pursuant to subsection (a). The Under Secretary for Health shall allocate to such centers from other funds appropriated gen- erally for the Department medical services ac- count and medical and prosthetics research ac- count, as appropriate, such amounts as the Under Secretary for Health determines appro- priate. (g) Activities of clinical and scientific inves- tigation at each center established under sub- section (a) shall be eligible to compete for the award of funding from funds appropriated for the Department medical and prosthetics re- search account and shall receive priority in the award of funding from such account insofar as funds are awarded to projects for research in geriatrics and gerontology.