the science of medicine. For almost a center, this small State in which
we live has enjoyed a national and an international reputation for the
outstanding quality of its medicine and its medical institutions. It is
not only the names of such internationally-renowned institutions as
Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland of which we speak,
but it is also the many smaller institutions such as this Children's
Hospital that has built this excellent reputation.

Some time ago, in connection with the observance of National
Hospital Week, I spoke on the subject of the hospital as a community
partnership—a partnership of the State, medical profession, voluntary
hospitals and the leadership of the community. I believe that the
reputation which we enjoy is due, in large part, to the development
of this partnership in health care—this partnership which involves
physicians, lawmakers, hospital trustees, businessmen, administrators
and community leaders.

Over the years we have established in Maryland a system of volun-
tary hospitals, such as this, supplemented by the State's own system of
public hospitals. The State, for its part, operates a system of hospitals
for the care of long-term illnesses, including chronic diseases, mental
illness and tuberculosis. In addition, it maintains, as a part of the
University of Maryland, the University Hospital which renders a
community service at the same time it serves as a teaching hospital for
medical students of the University.

In recent years the medical experts have coined a term, "progressive
care, " of patients, by which they mean the classification of patients
as to hospital requirements rather than as to diagnosis. Under this
practice, the non-profit community hospitals offer short-term care for
the acutely ill. If after the acute stage is passed the patients still needs
rehabilitative services, he is transferred to one of the State's chronic
disease hospitals. And finally, if the patient is in a condition that
requires continuing nursing care, but not necessarily hospitalization,
he may be transferred to a nursing home.

The nursing home situation created a bottle-neck in the system of
progressive care a few years ago, and the State government has worked
continuously during the past few years to relieve this condition. Legis-
lation was adopted to provide State and federal matching funds to
finance two-thirds of the cost of building and equipping nursing homes
operated by non-profit corporations and public bodies. This has
greatly relieved the situation.

In the budget which I submitted for next year, and which the

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