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PTSD CARE AT FORT CARSON UNDER FIRE AGAIN --
A veterans advocacy group that claims the
military isn't
doing enough to help soldiers with mental
health
problems plans to bring several congressional
staff members to Fort Carson in mid-May.
Background on Fort Carson problems
here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/07/nf07/nfMAR07/nf032707-6.htm
Story here...
http://www.gazette.com/
onset?id=21800&db=
&pub=&template=article.html
Story below:
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Post PTSD care again under fire
Congressional staff to visit; soldier dies
By CARY LEIDER VOGRIN THE GAZETTE
A veterans advocacy group that claims the military isn’t doing enough to
help soldiers with mental-health problems plans to bring several
congressional staff members to Fort Carson in mid-May.
Members of Veterans for America and a spokeswoman from Missouri Sen. Kit
Bond’s office said Monday they doubt the Army is adequately meeting
soldiers’ needs, despite earlier visits to the post.
“We keep hearing from soldiers that there are problems, and the cases
just don’t stop coming,” said Steve Robinson of Veterans for America.
Robinson and fellow activist Andrew Pogany announced the impending visit
via teleconference on the same day a Fort Carson soldier they’d met with
last week was found dead in his home.
The El Paso County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy will be conducted
today to determine how the soldier, 40-year-old Staff Sgt. Mark Waltz,
died. Pogany and a family friend said there was no evidence of foul
play.
“I just know that this soldier reported to us and to me that he was
having severe medical issues, that his medical needs were not being
met,” said Pogany, a former Fort Carson soldier.
A Fort Carson spokesman confirmed a soldier had died Monday but would
not provide details. “The death is currently under investigation,” 1st
Lt. Gregory Dorman said.
Pogany and Robinson said Waltz suffered post-traumatic stress disorder,
a traumatic brain injury and back pain and was interested in speaking
with congressional staff members during their two-day visit set for May
14-15.
“He wanted to tell the Senate how he was being treated,” Robinson said.
Holly Smith, a friend of the Waltz family, said the soldier’s wife,
Renea, thinks her husband was let down by the military and that he
“slipped through the cracks.”
Smith said Waltz sought help for his back pain and PTSD. She said he was
on “a lot” of medications for depression and pain. She said he fell
asleep on the couch Sunday night after playing video games and his wife
found him Monday morning.
Waltz came home from his second Iraq tour last October. Smith said she
thinks Waltz was going to be medically discharged from the Army. She
declined to discuss his mental-health issues other than to confirm he
suffered PTSD.
The visit by congressional staffers will again put Fort Carson in the
national spotlight for its mental-health programs. Bond, a Republican
from Missouri, and eight other U.S. senators also have requested that
the Government Accountability Office — a congressional watchdog agency —
further examine programs and treatment for PTSD and traumatic brain
injuries.
Pogany said he continues to hear from soldiers who say the medical
system is not working. “This past weekend, over the past 72 hours, I’ve
picked up eight new cases, eight brand-new cases,” he said, referring to
soldiers at Fort Carson.
“And they want to talk to someone that not only cares but can assist
them in getting the proper and appropriate health care that they require
in order to recover from their wartime injuries.”
Mental health has been a key issue at Fort Carson and at other U.S.
posts. Nearly 600 Fort Carson soldiers were diagnosed with PTSD last
year, up from 102 cases in 2003, when soldiers began returning from
their first Middle East tours.
“The problem exists at pretty much every installation I’ve been to,”
Robinson said. “The demand for services is exceeding the ability of
providers to do the right thing.”
He and Pogany added that although there are some excellent health care
providers at Fort Carson, others are repeatedly cited by soldiers as not
doing their job.
Fort Carson spokesman Lt. Col. David Johnson said the post welcomes
further assessment of its programs.
“We’re pretty confident in our behavioral health program, and we welcome
the scrutiny,” Johnson said. “I think what the scrutiny does for us is
it teaches us.
“It’s another opportunity to show our internal workings and let folks
see how we treat and care for our soldiers and families. And if there’s
something we’re not doing right or there’s a way we could do it better,
we’re all ears.”
Six Senate offices have confirmed they will send representatives on the
trip this month, with more expected to confirm, said Jason Forrester,
director of policy for Veterans for America. Among those senators who
signed the letter calling for the GAO investigation are Tom Harkin of
Iowa, Patty Murray of Washington and Barack Obama of Illinois, all
Democrats.
Shana Marchio, communications director for Bond, who also signed the
letter, said many questions remain about PTSD despite a January visit to
Fort Carson and a request to the Office of the Surgeon General for a
report on the issue.
The office subsequently responded it was not able to report back on
medical records, despite having permission from soldiers, Marchio said.
“We were not satisfied with the response we got from the Office of the
Surgeon General,” she said. “This (May) trip, along with the GAO report
request, is following up on these efforts to make sure — we want to
ensure our soldiers are being properly cared for when they return home.”
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Larry Scott --
