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In February, 1982, Chest published an article concerning a new and innovative unit at Bethesda Medical Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. This unit is an Inpatient Service kr patients with chronic respiratory problems who cannot be maintained in a home setting. We have found, however, that with rehabilitation, education and appropriate support services, many of our patients could be discharged. MedEquip, a private, innovative medical equipment company in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, in close cooperation with our staff and pulmonary physicians at other hospitals, has provided an excellent home ventilator care service ftr patients who would otherwise require intensive hospital care. Table 1 indicates the current ages, diagnoses, months on home ventilator care and rehospitalizations for each ofi4 patients. It is striking to me that only two of the patients required rehospitalization. A number of these patients have been on the ventilator for close to a year. It is apparent that this company has provided a service to patients in the Minnesota region that the public sector is not yet willing or able to provide. Home care will, to quote Allen Goldberg, provide a”betterlife for ventilator dependent people.”