NEW YORK, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In a special episode of "The Dr. Oz Show" airing Thursday, April 21 (check local listings for time and channel), Dr. Oz goes on a mission to uncover our military servicewomen's greatest health issues and raises the question of whether our infrastructure is doing everything to recognize and address their problems.

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Dr. Oz puts a face to the problem of female military sexual trauma as one veteran shares her story of survival and her coping mechanisms. The question of whether female soldiers respond the same ways to war as men is answered with surprising results. The show also discusses women's battle with post traumatic stress disorder and whether female soldiers respond to duress differently than men. In addition the show lends insight to our servicewomen's difficulty of re-integration into family life. For some female soldiers, returning to their roles of wives and mothers from deployment differs from the experience of male soldiers drastically.

Dr. Oz leads an open and frank conversation with an audience of 26 female veterans that includes Dr. Sonja Batten from the Department Of Veteran Affairs; Office Of Mental Health Services, Colonel Rebecca Porter, chief of the Behavioral Health Division in the Office Of The Army Of Surgeon General; Corporal Ana Alzarez, Specialist Dawn Barber, a 14-year veteran who served in Desert Storm; Victoria Givens, a former Marine Corps staff sergeant and Sergeant First Class Tara Hutchinson.

Then, Dr. Oz uncovers an alarming problem facing female veterans today: homelessness. Dr. Oz visits the Beacon House, a shelter for homeless female veterans in Long Island, New York and spends a day in the life of four homeless veterans who are fighting their way back to a normal life. Joining him on the show are United Veterans Beacon House Vice President and Specialist, Jackie Deleonardis, and Specialist Gail Barnette and Petty Officer Patty Rene, who are both homeless veterans and residents at the Beacon House who share their emotional stories of returning home from war only to find themselves living on the streets.  With nearly 13,000 estimated homeless female veterans, Dr. Oz and his guests discuss why so many have fallen through the cracks after protecting our nation and address what can be done to help them.

"As women have moved into roles traditionally occupied by men in our military such as combat, we are now beginning to understand how post traumatic stress ravages those who so bravely gave their time and their health to keep us safe.  This problem is new, and the Department of Defense should be commended for taking that first important step in dealing with its vast scope: talking about it.  These women are heroes in the truest sense and will inspire you and touch your heart," said Dr. Mehmet Oz.

ABOUT THE DR. OZ SHOW

Dr. Oz won an Emmy for outstanding informative talk show host at the 2010 Daytime Emmys. "The Dr. Oz Show" was nominated for Best Informative Talk Show.  Last year "The Dr. Oz Show" debuted with the biggest ratings in seven years in daytime television and maintained impressive ratings throughout the season. Dr. Oz has served as health expert on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" since 2004, sharing advice with viewers to help them live their best life from the inside out. Dr. Oz has co-authored six New York Times Best Sellers including "YOU: The Owner's Manual", "YOU: The Smart Patient", "YOU: On a Diet", "YOU: Staying Young", "YOU: Being Beautiful" and "YOU Having a Baby" as well as the award-winning "Healing from the Heart". He has a regular column in Esquire magazine and is a contributing editor to O, The Oprah Magazine.  He is also the host of a daily talk show on Sirius XM Radio's "Oprah Radio."  Dr. Oz is vice-chair of the Department of Surgery and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University.  He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital and performs 100 heart operations annually. His research interests include heart replacement surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, complementary medicine and health care policy. He has authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books and has received several patents.  

Cleared in over 99% of the country, "The Dr. Oz Show" is co-produced by Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and distributed by SPT.  "The Dr. Oz Show" is executive produced by Mindy Borman; Amy Chiaro is co-executive producer.  The show is filmed in front of a studio audience in Studio 6A in New York's legendary Rockefeller Center.  

ABOUT HARPO STUDIOS

Harpo Studios is the home of Harpo Productions, Inc. the most successful production company in daytime talk, producing the number one, award-winning "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and syndication's latest success, "The Dr. Oz Show," as well as having developed "Dr. Phil" and "Rachael Ray."  ZoCo Productions, LLC, an affiliate of Harpo Productions, Inc., and Sony Pictures Television co-produce "The Dr. Oz Show."  In September 2010, Harpo Studios will launch "The Nate Berkus Show."  Harpo Studios creates, develops and produces original TV programming for primetime, syndication, cable and digital platforms.  Harpo Creative Works, an award-winning team of designers, writers and producers, offers its services to media clients outside of Harpo Studios as a full-service creative agency specializing in the design and execution of on-air, print and online promotion for broadcast and cable television across a wide range of multimedia.  Harpo Print, LLC and Hearst Magazines publish the monthly "O, The Oprah Magazine" publication.  Harpo Films, Inc. produces feature films and, through an exclusive deal with HBO, scripted television programming.  Harpo Radio, Inc. produces Oprah Radio (XM channel 156, Sirius channel 195 as part of its "Best of XM" package) on SIRIUS XM Radio and content for Westwood One.  Harpo Retail manages The Oprah Store (www.theOprahStore.com), a free-standing retail venture located directly across from Harpo Studios and its companion website, and other retail and e-commerce projects.  A joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a multi-platform company that includes a cable network and the premier lifestyle website Oprah.com, will debut on January 1, 2011 in approximately 80 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers.  It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment around the world and for every platform:  broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution.  In addition to one of the industry's largest libraries of feature films and television shows, SPT boasts a current program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms.  Internationally, SPT is a leader in local language productions around the world, some of which are co-produced with local partners, and sells SPE-owned formats in approximately 70 countries.  To better serve its clients and partners worldwide, SPT maintains offices throughout the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. SPT's worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in SPE's long-range commitment to the global marketplace, with 132 channel feeds, which are available in more than 142 countries reaching more than 500 million households worldwide.  SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE's premium video website, Crackle.  Additionally, SPT owns Dutch entertainment company 2waytraffic, production company Embassy Row and Sony Movie Channel, and is a part owner of cable channel GSN, new 3D channel 3net, FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service, and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc.  SPT advertiser sales is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT's syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States.  SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

SOURCE Sony Pictures Television