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Sunday, February 12, 2012

Expanded review looking into why Madigan closed PTSD program

The program started in 2003 and stopped in 2010 according to this article. It seems as if a program like this would work since they were about treating the whole soldier and their families.

The program offered classes on stress management, group and individual counseling, yoga and other relaxation techniques. At the end of the day, patients would return to their barracks or homes. Later in the program's development, evening sessions were added for patients and spouses.

Expanded review looking into why Madigan closed PTSD program
The Army surgeon general will look into the closure of an intensive treatment program for soldiers with PTSD at Madigan Army Medical Center as part of an investigation into psychiatric care and diagnosis at the military hospital.

By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter

The Army surgeon general is looking into why Madigan Army Medical Center closed an intensive treatment program to help soldiers cope with post-traumatic-stress disorder (PTSD).

At a congressional hearing last Wednesday, the Army surgeon general, Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, said the review was included in an ongoing investigation of PTSD diagnoses at Madigan.

A PTSD rating can qualify a soldier leaving the Army for medical retirement, which brings considerable financial benefits. At the Wednesday hearing of a U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee, Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Bremerton, expressed concerns the intensive treatment program at Madigan ran into trouble because its staff diagnosed too many patients with PTSD.

Horoho, responding to Dicks, said the program has not gone away but was merged with other behavioral-health programs at Madigan, according to a transcript of the hearing.

"Having said that ... we are going to investigate to make sure that's actually true, and that we're providing the best possible care to our service members," Horoho testified.
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