42 U.S.C. § 285d–6 — Multipurpose arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases centers

(a) Development, modernization, and operation: After consulting the Institute's advisory council, the Director must fund the development, modernization, and running (including staffing and other operating costs, like patient-care costs needed for research) of new and existing arthritis and musculoskeletal disease centers. Here, "modernization" means altering, remodeling, improving, expanding, and repairing existing buildings and equipping them to work as these centers. (b) Duties and functions: Each funded center must: (1) (A) use one institution's facilities, or a consortium of institutions, and (B) meet the Secretary's qualifications; and (2) conduct — (A) basic and clinical research into the causes, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control, treatment, and rehabilitation for arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases and their complications, including research on implantable biomaterials and orthopedic procedures; (B) training programs for physicians, scientists, and other health professionals; (C) information and continuing education programs for professionals treating these patients; and (D) public information programs (i) about the importance of early detection, prompt treatment, and following a treatment plan, and (ii) to discourage unapproved, ineffective methods, drugs, and devices. A center may use its funding to pay stipends for health professionals in the training programs described in (2)(B). (c) Optional programs: A center may also run programs to (1) test how well new methods of detection, referral, and diagnosis work for at-risk people; (2) share research and screening results, and standardize patient data and recordkeeping; and (3) build community referral services connecting patients to treatment centers. (d) Geographical distribution: The Director must, as much as practical, spread these centers out fairly across the country, giving special weight to centers suited to children affected by arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases. (e) Period of support: Support for a center lasts up to five years at a time, and can be extended for more five-year periods if a peer-review group reviews the center's work and recommends the extension. (f) Treatment and rehabilitation of children: By October 1, 1993, the Director had to open a multipurpose center focused on researching the causes, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control, and treatment of — and rehabilitation for — children with arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases.