r ODAY, for the first time, there is available both the money and the program with which to make a beginning toward providing the full spectrum of health services which all of us in public health have so long envisioned for the chronically ill and the aged in our population. For the first time we have within our grasp a means to employ more fully the health knowledge we have gained through research to provide direct services to people. I refer, of course, to the Community Health Services and Facilities Act of 1961 (Public Law 87-395), an act which Secretary Ribicoff has called "one of the most important advances in the history of Federal health legislation." I think that no one in public health would disagree with the Secretary's estimate of this legislation. We know only too well the tremendous size of the chronic disease problem, especially among our older people. We know, in fact, that the mo!st pressing ichallenge facing public health is to relieve the increasing burden imposed by chronic disease and disability upon millions of lives and upon the strength and security of our nation. On February 9, 1961, President Kennedy, in his special health message to Congress, expressed a concern for this problem when he said: "The health of our nation is a key to its future-to its economic vitality, to the morale and efficiency of its citizens, to our success in achieving our own goals and demonstrating to others the benefits of a free society." The President also said that the ability of an individual to afford adequate health care is to no avail if the necessary community facilities and services for providing such care are not available. The Community Health Services and Facilities Act of 1961 resulted directly from the Administration's awareness that facilities and services are not available in most communities to provide good quality, comprehensive health care outside the hospital. The President and the Congress have done their part-now it is up to all of us in public health and the people in every community to make use of this legislation. Briefly, the act provides: 1. An expanded program of ma,tching grants to assist States in building up he,alth services for the chronically ill. 2. A new program of special project grants to conduct studies, experiments, and demonstrations for developing new or improved methods of providing out-of-hospital community health services, particularly for the chronically ill and the aged. 3. An appropriation authorization increase which would double the annual Hill-Burton grant funds available for construction of nonprofit nursing homes, allowing 5,500 nursing home beds to be built each year, compared with 2,980 beds under the previous ceiling. 4. A broadened grant program for research and demonstrations to improve the design and function of hospitals and related health and medical facilities. The act also provides increas,ed appropriation Dr. Knott is chief, Division of Chronic Diseases, Public Health Service. This article is based on an address before the annual meeting of the National Council on the Aging, New York City, October 9, 1961.