Hospital Axes Clinic for Soldiers - Star Headline Story False

Keepitsimple · November 17, 2010

The Star continues to outdo itself with lazy journalism and partisan politics. Fresh off their embarrassing crusade against mayor-elect Rob Ford, the Star's lead story (Monday Page 1 - above the fold) Raged "Hospital axes clinic for soldiers" and "Critics call on Ottawa to save mental health service for Petawawa troops". Trouble is, the story was false and in fact, there was very much a Good News story to be told, one which appeared the next day in a side column on Page 3. Why was the original story false? - well, it claimed that the Pembroke Hospital had a mental care program that looked after 400 soldiers every year....but buried at the end of the follow up article was this factoid:

In addition to civilian patients, the program has also treated a handful of soldiers as well — about five a year, not 400 as some media reports claimed on the weekend.

Some media reports? As far as I know, it was only the Star. Not much of a retraction, is it? But it's much worse than that. Lets get back to those critics who had a lot to say at the behest of the Star in the Front Page story:

Ottawa needs to step in to prevent the shutdown of a hospital mental health counselling service used by hundreds of soldiers a year at the home base to which many troops return from Afghanistan, opposition critics say.
“This is another example where our veterans are being overlooked,” said Liberal veterans affairs critic Kirsty Duncan on Sunday. “There must be a plan to address their needs. If the hospital is unable to provide the services that they’ve come to depend on the federal government must find a solution or ensure alternatives are in place.”

Pembroke Regional Hospital says it can no longer afford the adult outpatient service that provided counselling for anger, stress, depression and relationship problems to more than 400 soldiers a year from Canadian Forces Base Petawawa.

NDP defence critic Jack Harris and Liberal Senator Colin Kenny said the federal government should pay for the hospital program itself if that’s what it takes to keep it running.
‘What needs to happen is the feds need to step up to it right away and make sure that there is no break in service,” Kenny said, “and then if they want to have a squabble with Queen’s Park later on, have at it.”

‘I’m surprised to hear Ottawa is not working more closely with the Pembroke hospital to make sure the financial resources are there,” said Harris, noting CFB Petawawa is a large base that many soldiers come back to from Afghanistan. He said there appears to be an overall lack of resources and understanding on the part of the federal government when it comes to dealing with mental health issues facing returning troops.

So there you have it - the Feds being blasted by the Star. You'd think that the "journalist" would have asked the Hospital how many veterans were actually treated through their program. How about getting a response from Camp Petawawa - which came Monday afternoon and swerved as the basis for the follow-up story. It's pretty obvious that this naive reporter was fed a few "facts", didn't do their homework, and the Star's editors were only too happy to jump on yet another opportunity to slag the Conservative government.

Now - here's the good news story - and since it ALSO appeared in the Star, it's probably even BETTER than it sounds:

Military base to open new clinic to help soldiers
November 15, 2010

OTTAWA—One of Canada’s biggest military bases is getting a new centre to help treat soldiers suffering post-traumatic stress disorders and other mental health issues.

The new “operational trauma and stress support centre” is due to open in the coming months at CFB Petawawa, said Commodore Hans Jung, commander of the Canadian Forces health services group and the military surgeon general.

In fact, many of the services are already being provided to assist soldiers on the busy base, which has seen repeated deployments to Afghanistan.

“We’re really ramping up,” Jung said of the 32-member clinic, which will offer services as varied as counselling in psychiatry, psychology and social work.

“They have the full capability,” Jung said.

The move comes as the hospital in neighbouring Pembroke reorganizes its mental health treatment programs. Pembroke Regional Hospital is doing away with some adult counselling, a small “legacy” program that has since been replaced by other resources at the hospital and in the community, said Pierre Noel, president and chief executive officer of the facility.

In addition to civilian patients, the program has also treated a handful of soldiers as well — about five a year, not 400 as some media reports claimed on the weekend.

“Very few soldiers have made use of that program,” Noel said. “There is very comprehensive and robust mental health services to the military up on base Petawawa.”

Jung insisted that any soldiers needing help will not be left in the lurch.

“There are very few military patients who get their mental health care in Pembroke because we have expanded our mental health capacity in Petawawa,” Jung said.

“There really is not any significant impact to military patients,” Jung said in an interview Monday.

The new centre at Petawawa will join centres already up and running in major military bases such as Edmonton, Gagetown and Valcartier.

Original Front Page Story: http://www.healthzone.ca/health/mindmood/mentalhealth/article/890744--troops-who-sought-counselling-at-hospital-near-cfb-petawawa-must-look-elsewhere

Follow-up Page 3 Sidebar: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/afghanmission/article/891262--military-base-to-open-new-clinic-to-help-soldiers

Final Note: funny how the original Front Page story has ended up in the Star's "Health Zone" while the follow up story is still in the News section. As a result, the only way to find the electronic version of the original story was through the Star's "advanced search". Very clever.....they KNOW they're in trouble.

Edited November 17, 2010 by Keepitsimple

M.Dancer · November 17, 2010

Final Note: funny how the original Front Page story has ended up in the Star's "Health Zone" while the follow up story is still in the News section. As a result, the only way to find the electronic version of the original story was through the Star's "advanced search". Very clever.....they KNOW they're in trouble.

I will be the last one to defend the Star....

But to be fair, all health stories end up in Health Zone and I would suspect that the follow up will be there in a day or so too...it's where they archive the health stories.

PIK · November 17, 2010

And for the people that are going to say what about the 5 soldiers in pembroke that won't have any place to go, well pembroke is maybe 1/2 hour from the base.