Army investigates preferential PTSD treatment - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Army investigates preferential PTSD treatment

The Army is investigating its behavioral health facilities in Europe, including those at the renowned Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, to determine whether some soldiers receive preferential treatment after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The office of Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho is reviewing whether personnel with PTSD who are able to return to duty had better access to care and were offered a wider array of treatments than those with PTSD who are likely headed for medical discharge.

The review comes on the heels of an Army investigation at Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington state to determine whether a team of physicians — known as forensic psychiatrists — improperly overturned PTSD diagnoses after examining case files of least 14 soldiers.

The review at Landstuhl and 16 facilities in Belgium, Germany and Italy began after “concerns were expressed about a perceived difference in treatment options” at Landstuhl, said Army Medical Command spokeswoman Maria Tolleson.

“Our primary goal is to provide the best care possible for those who serve our country and their family members,” Tolleson said. “As part of that commitment, we consistently review our programs to ensure they meet the needs of our beneficiaries and we strive to listen to those whom we serve.”

Horoho, who became Army surgeon general in December, told the House Appropriations Committee’s defense panel Feb. 8 that she is investigating Madigan as well as the European behavioral health departments to ensure standards of soldier care.

“So, I am looking at the entire spectrum … I am looking at this very, very hard. We take it seriously,” Horoho said.

Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., whose district includes Madigan, said he worries that the alleged problems show an Army obsessed with its bottom line.

“The Army has a long history here about being more concerned about money, frankly, than the soldiers. … You’ve got to get this straightened out,” he told Horoho.

Army officials said late last year that the service faces a readiness crisis as it deals with an impending drawdown. Of its more than 600,000 active and mobilized forces, nearly 15 percent are considered non-deployable.

In November, 47,000 soldiers were unfit for duty because of wounds, injuries or illnesses; 23,000 were on limited duty, many for mental health concerns; and more than 18,000 were being processed for medical discharge through the integrated disability evaluation system, according to Army data.

A 2008 report from Rand Corp. estimated that the societal costs of PTSD and major depression from two years after deployment range from $6,000 to $25,000 per service member.

In 2011, Landstuhl’s behavioral health clinics saw 4,173 active-duty patients and 1,284 family members, not counting those seeking assistance for substance abuse.

Not all were Army soldiers; the facility provides care for service members from all branches evacuated from the Middle East.

In 2011, 1,049 service members were evacuated to Landstuhl from combat theaters for a primary psychiatric diagnosis; in 2010, 1,326 troops were evacuated for a primary psychiatric diagnosis; and in 2009, that figure was 1,263.

The Army said it will complete its investigations into the Europe facilities by the end of March.

An Air Force spokesman said that service was not aware of similar concerns among airmen regarding disparate treatment for PTSD between those remaining in uniform and those separating.

The Air Force, as with the other services, screens all personnel for PTSD if they are separating and have served in a combat zone.

Navy Bureau of Medicine spokesman Capt. Cappy Surette said neither the Navy nor Marine Corps have received complaints from service members regarding the process of identification or medical separation for PTSD.