Perez says "poorly worded" email, not poor service

VA Says E-mail Was “Poorly Worded”
Veterans Affairs Psychologist Claims E-mail Appearing to Encourage VA Staff To Misdiagnose PTSD Was Out Of Context

June 4, 2008
CBS) This story was written by CBS News producer Pia Malbran for cbsnews.com.

A Veterans Affairs psychologist claims an e-mail, in which she appears to encourage VA staff to misdiagnose post traumatic stress disorder, has been taken out-of-context.

“I sent an e-mail to my staff on March 20 to stress the importance of an accurate diagnosis,” Norma J. Perez told the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Wednesday during a hearing in Washington, DC.

Perez’s internal e-mail was leaked to the media last month by two veteran watchdog groups. As the coordinator of the PTSD clinic at a VA hospital in Texas, Perez sent a message titled “Suggestion” to her mental health staff. She wrote: “given that we are having more and more compensation seeking veterans, I'd like to suggest you refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out. Consider a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder…”

Lawmakers are concerned that Perez appeared to be more interested in the cost of treatment rather than the appropriate diagnosis. A veteran diagnosed with adjustment disorder will not receive as much compensation as one diagnosed with PTSD.

“Any suggestion that we would not diagnose a condition, any condition is unacceptable,” said Dr. Michael Kussman, the VA's Under Secretary for Health, who testified alongside Perez.

Perez told the Committee that there is “no relationship whatsoever” between the VA’s disability process and the treatment clinics. As to why she mentioned “compensation” in her e-mail, Perez said she just wanted to emphasize consistent diagnoses.
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Pure Bull!
In her e-mail, Perez cited a growing number of veterans seeking compensation when she suggested her staff "refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out" and consider a lesser diagnosis of adjustment disorder. "Additionally, we really don't ... have time to do the extensive testing that should be done to determine PTSD," Perez wrote.

http://woundedtimes.blogspot.com/2008/06/norma-perez-to-ptsd-veterans-no-time.html