CHAIRMAN BUYER CALLS FOR ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS &
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF PTSD

Full Committee Held Hearing on PTSD  

Washington, D.C.— Opening with the tragic story of an Army captain's suicide, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a hearing today to assess how effectively the Department of Veterans Affairs identifies veterans at risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Chairman Steve Buyer (R-IN) asked widow, Stefanie Pelkey of Spring, Texas, to share her family's story in an effort to focus the hearing on what must be done for those soldiers returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  

Mrs. Pelkey, herself a veteran, lost her husband, Army Capt. Michael Pelkey, who had served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, to a self-inflicted gunshot wound in November 2004.  He was diagnosed with PTSD a week before his death.  

Speaking of the psychological trauma Michael experienced, Pelkey said, “My husband died of wounds sustained in battle. That is the bottom line. The war does not end when they come home.” 

“The wounds of wartime service are not always as visible as those caused by bullet or shrapnel.  Wounds to mind and spirit, however, are just as serious and demand every bit as much care and attention,” Buyer said.   

“We have, since the days when it was called ‘shell shock’, learned much about PTSD,” said Buyer, who identified access to care as a problem for returning servicemembers.  “We have much more to learn so that we can accurately diagnose it and effectively treat it.  Congress must ensure VA has the resources to do both.”   

As part of his overall commitment to a seamless transition for veterans, Chairman Buyer supported the President’s increased funding of $100 million for mental health services in the VA fiscal year 2006 budget. The fiscal year 2006 budget proposal includes more than $2.2 billion for enhanced mental health services, including increased PTSD treatment.   

The Committee plans follow-on hearings to ensure that VA is accurately identifying veterans at risk of experiencing PTSD, and to assess the quality of PTSD treatment. 

Testimony was provided by:

Panel 1:  Mrs. Stefanie Pelkey of Spring, Texas, US Army Veteran 

Panel 2:  Col. Charles W. Hoge, M.D., Chief of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, Division of Neurosciences, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, US Army 

Lt. Col. Charles C. Engle, Jr., M.D., MPH, Chief, DoD Deployment Health Clinical CenterWalter Reed Army Medical Center, US Army 

Matthew J. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Director of National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA 

Alfonso R. Batres, Ph.D., MSSW; Chief, Office of Readjustment Counseling, VA 

Terence M. Keane, Ph.D., President of the Association of VA Psychologist Leaders, VA Boston Health Care System 

Panel 3: Michael E. Kilpatrick, M.D., Deputy Director, Deployment Health Support Directorate, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense

Brig. Gen. Michael J. Kussman, M.D., MS, MACP, (U.S. Army Ret) Deputy Under Secretary for Health, VHA 

Mark Shelhorse, M.D., Deputy Chief Patient Care Services Officer for Mental Health, VA