my @program_array = $XMLref->{Response}->[0]->{Program};

##</code><code>##

my @program_array = @{ $XMLref->{Response}[0]{Program} };
my $program_aref = $XMLref->{Response}[0]{Program};

##</code><code>##

if( ref( $XMLref->{Response}[0]{Program}[0] ) ) {
    my $program_arrayref = $XMLref->{Response}[0]{Program};

    #  Walk through the programs
    foreach my $programs_href ( @{ $program_arrayref } ) {
        my $status_aref = $programs_href->{Status};
        my $one_program_name = $programs_href->{NAME};

        #  Walk through the statuses within each program
        foreach my $status_href ( @{ $status_aref } ) {
            my $hold_desc = $status_href->{StatusDesc}[0];
            my $hold_start = $status_href->{StatusDate}[0];
            my $hold_end = $status_href->{StatusEndDate}[0];
            # a lot of other processing here

            print join( ':', $one_program_name, $hold_desc,
                             $hold_start, $hold_end ), "\n";
        }
    }
}

##</code><code>##

Balance:nl1 has been published:04/20/05:
Balance:mas has been published:04/20/05:04/26/06
Breathe:nl1 has been published:04/20/05:
Breathe:mas has been published:04/20/05:04/26/06