Army psychiatrist calls review of PTSD diagnoses 'a charade'
By ADAM ASHTON
The News Tribune
Published: March 5, 2012
In her resignation letter, Madigan Army Medical Center forensic psychiatrist Juliana Ellis-Billingsley wrote that the Army’s top behavioral health officer misled Madigan leaders about the results of an investigation into post-traumatic stress diagnoses at the hospital south of Tacoma.
Ellis-Billingsley wrote that Col. Rebecca Porter in early February told Madigan leaders that forensic psychiatrists at Walter Reed Military Medical Center had upheld the first 12 Madigan diagnoses they reviewed among a group of 14 soldiers who contested the behavioral health diagnoses they received from Madigan.
Three weeks later, Porter visited Madigan to deliver the results of the Walter Reed reviews to the soldiers themselves. They learned that Walter Reed overturned six Madigan diagnoses, deciding that those soldiers suffered from PTSD. In eight other cases, Walter Reed agreed with Madigan in diagnosing soldiers with conditions other than PTSD.
Madigan commander Col. Dallas Homas reportedly received the first news from Col. Porter at an Army medical health conference in Washington, D.C. Homas declined to comment today on Ellis-Billingsley’s letter.
Ellis-Billingsley wrote that Homas returned from Washington, D.C., and delivered what appeared to be good news to the Madigan psychiatrists.
“Each day we awaited the release of the information,” Ellis-Billingsley wrote. “Then on 18 February 2012 Col. Homas was administratively relieved and Col. (Mike) Heimall, a medical service officer, was named the interim commander. On 22 February 2012, we met with Col. Heimall and Col. (Karen) O’Brien. Col. Heimall announced that Walter Reed forensics concurred with the diagnoses on only 8 of 14 cases.
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I was a patient of Ellis-Billingsley back in January - February, 1995, having been hospitalized for a suicide attempt while under "investigation" for a supposed act of misconduct.
ReplyDeleteI refuse to address her as Doctor in this statement because I know she is something less than an ethical doctor. The first day in Madigan (5-North) she came into my room and grabbed my rank located on my collar and shook it while stating your General is going to bust you in rank. I thought "OMG", is this the type of care I am going to receive? I was already paranoid enough, not sure who to trust, and just generally scared. I felt terrified by Ellis-Billingsley. Who could I complain to about her conduct? The MEDCOM IG? Who would believe a psychiatric patient in a closed room with a "stellar" doctor assaulting a patient? She put misinformation into my psychiatric records that has never been substantiated by any other doctor or mental health professional.
In the meantime, the DOD-IG was conducting a review of an IG complaint which was later substantiated that a BG and several of his colonel cronies had engaged in ethical misconduct. They were stupid enough to put certain informtion in writing and as an NCO, I felt obligated to report it. Of course, the BG and his cronies were never punished in any way for their ethical misconduct, which in my opinion was pretty serious. I
Now, so many years later to see she has resigned is great news for the military community.
She now has the shoe on the other foot and sees that “all the investigations are a charade as the outcome has been predetermined.” If she had one ounce of personal self-worth, she would have stayed and fought the battle. Instead of continuing to milk the system, thank goodness she ran and cried like a little baby.
Luckily, I finished my military career, but ended up rated as totally and permanently disabled by the VA. Her lack of soldier care, lack of concern for my mental health, and her unbelievable misconduct by physically grabbing my uniform and shaking me remains with me to this day. How she ever reached the rank of LTC is beyond me, although I have my ideas.
It is sad to see so many years later she is (was) impacting the lives of soldiers. I can only wish my fellow soldiers the very best and to let you know the experiences I had under her care. Yes, I think the "system" is definitely flawed and only takes your personal resolve, persistance, and patience to obtain the desired outcome.
Good riddance Ellis-Billingsley for all that you did to me and other mental health soldiers.
Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/03/2051290/madigan-psychiatrists-who-made.html#storylink=cpy