Vol. 25
No. 11
www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/
March 21, 2013
Orientation Tour Helps Officers, Nurses Acclimate to Command By Bernard S. Little WRNMMC Journal staff writer To foster professional development and team building, 43 nurses and junior officers from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) were one of the last groups to tour the hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) in Baltimore, before the ship set sail for its new home port in Norfolk, Va. The Comfort provides an afloat, mobile, acute surgical medical facility to the U.S. military to support expeditionary warfare. The ship also provides full hospital services to support U.S. disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide. Nurses from WRNMMC’s Clinical Nurse Transition Program (CNTP), and members of the Junior Officer Council (JOC) who toured the ship, described it as “a unique and great learning opportunity” to see an environment in which they could one day work. “As a Soldier, it is not often that I get to see how the Navy operates, especially when out to sea,” said 2nd Lt. Melinda Beyerl, a nurse in the CNTP. “I found the tour to be informative and I loved hearing about what life is like while aboard ship, as well as the different missions and capabilities of the USNS Comfort. It was very interesting to me how much individuals are responsible for, especially when the ship is docked.” Army 1st Lt. Rory Walton, of the JOC, agreed. “This vessel has history with the Navy, which is neat for Army folks to see and be a part of. Its recent deployment to Haiti [to provide humanitarian support following the 2010 magnitude
7.0 earthquake], and its ‘always ready’ operating status made it a rare chance to experience a new operating environment and logistics. Seeing a hospital vessel was a great learning opportunity, particularly since many of our officers deal with medicine and hospital care.” Staff and nurses of the 25-week CNTP who participated in the Comfort tour agreed. CNTP is for new nurses with less than six months experience. It focuses on developing their physical assessment skills, providing clinical rotations with assigned preceptors, and monthly didactic seminars with an officer professional development component, explained Army Maj. Janell Pulido, one of two deputy directors for the program. CNTP bridges the nurses’ baccalaureate education and civilian experience with their military nursing practice, added Navy Lt. Maricar Aberin, co-deputy director for CNTP. “I believe this is an excellent program focused on orienting new graduate registered nurses with minimal clinical experience to the profession of nursing and the U.S. military,” Pulido said. “Our program is structured to provide new nurses with a support system, an integral piece to ensuring their smooth transition as new military nurse corps officers. CNTP also facilitates the development of critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills through clinical experiences, classroom instruction, and other unique learning and officer professional development opportunities.” Ensign Aline Marques, who has been in the Navy five months and will be assigned to WRNMMC’s hematology/oncology unit once she completes CNTP, agreed.
Nurses and junior officers from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center were one of the last groups to tour the hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) in Baltimore, before the ship set sail for its new home port in Norfolk, Va. in February. “Being in the CNTP has really helped make my transition to the work environment much easier and less stressful,” she said. “It has helped by providing us with clinical experience, classroom lectures and seminars on a variety of topics related to our work environment and to military culture.” “I enjoyed the program because it provided me with a diverse understanding of the different nursing opportunities at the command,” said Ensign Kyle Waite, who recently completed CNTP and works in the post-operative care unit at WRNMMC. 2nd Lt. Tara Connolly said she appreciates going through CNTP, which she completes in June with 13 other new registered nurses, because of the camaraderie. “It provides a level of comfort and support when being new and becoming oriented to a new command.” Connolly, who will be assigned to WRNMMC’s 4
See TRANSITION page 8
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2nd Lt. Tara Connolly and 2nd Lt. Francesca Levine are in the Clinical Nurse Transition Program (CNTP) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. CNTP is for new nurses with less than six months experience, and focuses on developing their physical assessment skills, providing clinical rotations with assigned preceptors, and monthly didactic seminars with an officer professional development component.
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Thursday, March 21, 2013
The Journal
Bethesda Notebook
Chaplain’s Corner The Jewish holiday of Passover, also called Pesach, commemorates the Israelites journey from Egyptian slavery to freedom. During more than 200 years of slavery, the Egyptian Pharaoh brutalized the Israelites, forcing them to build giant storehouses of grain and ordering all male Israelite babies to be drowned in the Nile River. With God’s help, Moses confronted Pharaoh and demanded freedom for the Israelites. God brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians until the Israelites gained their freedom. The Israelites left Egypt in such a hurry that they did not have time to fully bake their bread. Instead, they ate unleavened bread, called matzah. Therefore, Jews eat matzah in place of bread during Passover. As Jews mark the Israelite’s journey from slavery to freedom, they are reminded of the importance of fighting for freedom in the world today. At the Passover Seder, Jews say, “In every generation it is incumbent upon a man to see himself as if he had come forth from Egypt.” When we imagine ourselves as slaves, we feel empathy with all oppressed peoples. This empathy moves us to work to bring others to freedom. In doing so, we follow the call of the prophet Isaiah to “loosen the chains of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free.” Remembering Jewish slavery also serves a spiritual purpose. Prior to Passover, Jews do a deep cleaning of their homes, disposing of foods that have risen such as bread, cakes and pastas. In addition to this physical cleaning, Jews should also undergo a spiritual cleansing. Passover is a
Published by offset every Thursday by Comprint Military Publications, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Navy, under exclusive written contract with the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. This commercial enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the military services. Contents of The Journal are not necessarily the official views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or the Department of Navy. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense or Comprint, Inc., of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without re-
Women’s History Month
The U.S. Army Band “Downrange” performs today at 11:30 a.m. in Walter Reed Bethesda’s America Building atrium in celebration of Women’s History Month. For more information, call Sgt. 1st Class Jason Zielske at 301-4003542, or Chief Hospital Corpsman Oluyinka Adefisan at 301-295-6482.
time to clean out our own storehouses of anger and resentment and to commit ourselves to introspection, honesty and humility. On the first two evenings of Passover, Jews hold a Seder, a special ordered meal that recounts the Exodus story. At the meal is a Seder plate with five special foods: maror, charoset, a shank bone, a roasted egg and parsley. Maror are bitter herbs that represent the bitterness of slavery. Charoset, a mixture of apples, nuts, and wine, symbolize the mortar and bricks used to build Pharaoh’s storehouses. The shank bone and egg are reminiscent of ancient sacrifices Jews once offered to God. The parsley symbolizes springtime. Additionally, Jews dip parsley in salt water to mark the tears of slavery. During the Seder, Jews spill drops of wine to remember the plagues God brought upon the Egyptians. We spill the wine to show that the fact that others suffered in our fight for freedom diminishes our joy. Even our enemies are God’s children. Although it may be necessary to defeat them, Jewish tradition teaches that one should not rejoice in their passing. This year, Passover begins on the evening of Monday, March 25 and lasts for eight days, ending on Tuesday, April 2. I pray that this Passover season will be a time for people of all faiths and beliefs to renew their commitment to fighting for freedom around the world.
Prostate Cancer Support Group
The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) Prostate Cancer Support Group meets twice today in the River Conference Room in America Building, third floor of the America Building, adjacent to the Center for Prostate Disease Research. The day session is from 1 to 2 p.m., and the evening session is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more information about this support group, contact Vin McDonald at 703-643-2658 or vpmjam@aol.com.
Ask Your Leadership
Ask Your Leadership is a new staff communication tool for you to view and post questions and comments for official responses from the Walter Reed Bethesda command leadership. The tool is on the WRB Intranet page, click on the Town Hall/Leadership Forum icon, and then click on Ask Your Leadership.
Animal Therapy
The National Museum of Health and Medicine hosts a free program about the power on animal therapy Monday at 6 p.m. in the Silver Spring Civic Building, Fenton Room. The program will feature Warrior Canine Connection (WCC), a therapeutic service dog training program designed to naturally reduce the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) for veterans and service members. WCC is offered at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence oon base at Naval Support Activity Bethesda. The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at 1 Veterans Place in Silver Spring, Md. For more information, call 301-319-3303, or email medicalmuseum@amedd.army.mil.
Rabbi Risa Weinstein Chaplain Dept. of Pastoral Care Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
gard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron. Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Public Affairs Office, Naval Support Activity Bethesda, Md. News copy should be submitted to the Public Affairs Office, Building 11, lower level, Room 41, by noon one week preceding the desired publication date. News items are welcomed from all installation sources. Inquiries about news copy will be answered by calling 301- 295-1803. Commercial advertising should be placed with the publisher by telephoning 301-921-2800. Publisher’s advertising offices are located at 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md. 20877. Classified ads can be placed by calling 301-670-1700.
Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bethesda Commanding Officer: Capt. Frederick (Fritz) Kass Public Affairs Officer NSAB: Joseph Macri Public Affairs Office NSAB: (301) 295-1803
Journal Staff Staff Writers
Managing Editor NSAB Editor WRNMMC Editor
MASN April Beazer Sarah Marshall Sharon Renee Taylor Cat DeBinder David A. Dickinson Jeremy Johnson MC2 Nathan Parde MC2 John Hamilton Bernard Little
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Office of Media Relations 301-295-5727 Fleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087
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The Journal
Thursday, March 21, 2013
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CHRC Human Resources Prepares for a Possible Furlough By Sharon Renee Taylor WRNMMC Journal staff writer As civilian staff members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) brace themselves for the potential furlough, departments and services at Walter Reed Bethesda reach out to provide relevant updates and ways to cope. “In our continuing commitment to keep all staff updated as information develops, a library of information has been created solely for this purpose,” explained WRNMMC Chief of Staff Col. Ramona M. Fiorey. The “Potential Sequestration and Furlough Library” can be accessed by the clicking the “Town Hall and Leadership” Icon on the intranet. The online bank of furlough-related information includes frequently asked questions with answers along with a video tape of the recent town hall. Cmdr. Dwayne Buckingham, chief of the Resiliency
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Photo by Bernard S. Little
Army Col. Ramona Fiorey, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center(WRNMMC) chief of staff, briefs staff on plans for the medical center to continue to provide quality patient care while facing possible civilian furloughs next month. It’s not about a single staff member facing challenges alone, it’s “about all of us in it together,” Fiorey said. and Psychological Health Service at WRNMMC, described a collaborative effort with the Office of Organizational Development, Chaplain’s Office, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Fleet and Family Support Center, as well as
Integrated Health Services and other departments and agencies to cultivate a healthy work environment during sequestration. “Our effort will lead to the development and delivery of activities that encourage positive coping and healthy
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training,” he said. Buckingham provided what he believed to be the top three personal and professional concerns of staff members impacted by the furlough. Distress about paying bills, feeling overworked, and feeling emotionally depleted or helpless may rank high above other concerns, according to Buckingham. Emotionally, these concerns may manifest as burnout and ultimately depression, if unaddressed. “People actually start to feel burnout when they feel depleted or drained,” said Buckingham, who explained these individuals can be cynical, negative and unreceptive to constructive feedback. Stress is slightly different than burnout. “With stress, people are typically more willing to try to reduce their stress, and to deal with it,” he said. With burnout, people withdraw, and feel helpless; stress pushes you to act and respond, according to Buckingham, who said burnout
is the more severe of the two. It prolonged over time, can lead to depression. Depression affects productivity, he said, which can lead to increased absences at work, low morale and reduced productivity. Buckingham encouraged supervisors to help staff problem solve and provide information, so employees can utilize resources that will help them become more resilient. Resiliency is the ability to cope with adversity in a healthy, productive manner, he explained. In addition, it’s important to know the difference between empathy and sympathy, Buckingham said. “Sympathy is showing concern for their well-being and empathy is putting yourself in their shoes. You have to be able to empower them, not reinforce helpless feelings.” The resiliency service chief offered six practical tips to cope. Think positive. Surround
See FURLOUGH page 7
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The Journal
NMPDC Names Roman as its Junior Officer of the Year By Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class John K. Hamilton NSAB Public Affairs staff writer Navy Medicine and Professional Development Center (NMPDC) recently selected Navy Lt. Irina Roman as their 2012-2013 Junior Officer of the Year. Roman was surprised with the selection, especially after being at the command for only a year. “We have a very strong pool of junior officers at the command,” said Roman. “My command’s mission is to support professional development and health education missions that we deliver to the fleet and other commands. Thus, we have most qualified and dedicated personnel gathered from the entire Navy to execute this mission. I, honestly, didn’t believe that I could become a Junior Officer of the Year during my first year at NMPDC. In addition to that, I was little
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skeptical considering that it was just my second tour as a commissioned officer in the Navy. I am prior enlisted with 3 years of experience as a junior sailor.” Roman said planning her military career starting from her junior years, command climate and mentoring are her keys to success and the reason she won the award. “Command climate is very important; it has nourished my success in achieving my goals,” said Roman. “I knew exactly what I need to accomplish from the command’s speed mentoring sessions and from my mentors, Mr. Glenn Smith, Cmdr. David Blazes, and Cmdr. David Brett-Major. Every single junior and senior officer and Sailor in the NMPDC Command in one way or other had contributed to my personal growth that progressed to selection as a Junior Officer of the Year. So, to be honest, my selection as a Junior Officer of the Year is also the way to recognize their outstanding mentoring.” Even though Roman is
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saddled with numerous responsibilities, she has found a way to balance them and excel at the same time, but gives a lot of the credit to her mentors. “For the past year, I have worked with the Military Tropical Medicine (MTM) Course teaching parasitology and executing training missions in developing countries,” said Roman. “I have balanced teaching at the USUHS (Uniformed Services University Of the Health Sciences) with my Master’s studies, overseas missions,
and the family. I can proudly say that I have accomplished a lot. I completed my MS in Biotechnology with specialization in Biodefense and Biosecurity in December 2012. It took me almost 2 years of hard course work to complete this degree, while working time-to-time as trainer and translator in the rural places of the former Russian States of Azerbaijan and Republic of Georgia, rural villages of Paraguay, and TAD (temporary assigned duty) in the continental US with the MTM. None of this would have happened without planning from my part and guidance from my mentors.” For other service members looking to make Junior Officer of the Year, Roman suggests planning out their military career now, networking and not shying away from asking questions. Upper leadership was impressed with Roman’s record from the moment she arrived at NMPDC. My first impression of Lt. Roman was that she was a very sharp officer, well versed
in her areas of expertise,” said Glenn Smith, director of academic programs at NMPDC. “Her being so highly educated, with such a very wide breadth of experience, and being multi-lingual would go a long way in her being able to demonstrate that she would become a considerable asset to the command. “Roman made an immediate global impact through revising the laboratory portion of the MTM course curriculum, and she was responsible for the hands-on laboratory training of over 150 tri-service physicians and providers in the identification of Malaria, and other parasites of operational relevance to deploying personnel,” he added. “She set up field training sites in Paraguay that allowed the successful completion of the MTM Field mission and she additionally supported the tri-service, Air Force administered Global Medicine course by teaching laboratory topics for this deployment critical course.”
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Thursday, March 21, 2013
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NSA Bethesda Project Aims to Make More Sidewalks ADA Compliant Jeremy K. Johnson NSAB Public Affairs staff writer Naval Fa c i l i t i e s Engineering Command (NAVFAC) at Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) is in the process of making most of the installation’s sidewalks compliant with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The project, aimed at making sidewalks more accessible for those using wheelchairs or other mobility assistance technology, is being completed in stages via contractors. According to the construction manager for the current project Greg Lucas, the projects - numbering three so far - are a result of an accessibility study that was done two years ago. Billy Jaeger, design manager for the current contract, clarified that the NSA Bethesda
Photo by Jeremy K. Johnson
Sidewalk improvements, such as the work shown here on Palmer Road East at East Rixey Road, is underway to make Naval Support Activity Bethesda more accessible for wounded warriors by complying with guidelines set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accessibility Plan was finished in April 2011. “Part I of the [resulting] construction was completed in August of 2011,” he added. To be ADA compliant, the sidewalks must meet certain width requirements, and include access ramps and crosswalks.
When the project began, explained Lucas, the first focus was the area with the highest traffic and need. “The first part covered the s i d e wa l k s b e t w e e n the hospital and the wounded warrior barracks,” he said. That included Buildings 60, 61 and 62.
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Jaeger said the urgency to complete Part I was in part because of the merger between Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center. The scope of that project was determined by looking at the finances and time available to complete the work, he said. Part II, said Lucas, covers much more and is slated to cost $1.9 million. The cost includes most of the remainder of the installation. Both projects also include flashing signage and signals designed to alerts drivers to when crosswalks are being used. According to Lucas, Part II is about 50 percent completed. Once finished, future work will be done as needed through a third and possibly fourth contract, said Jaeger. According to Lucas, however, the next project is expected to cover the
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remainder of recommendations that came from the accessibility study. Lucas, who serves in the Navy Reserve as a Seabee, said he’s particularly proud to be associated with this project because of the impact it will have. “This is going to make it easier for our
wounded warriors to get around. I’m glad we’re giving attention to making these sidewalks compliant.” He noted that most installations wouldn’t go to these lengths because “they don’t have the same need
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Thursday, March 21, 2013
The Journal
DiLorenzo Clinic Welcomes New Commander By Joanna J. West DiLorenzo TRICARE Health Clinic (Pentagon) Rear Adm. Alton L. Stocks, commander, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), recently presided over the assumption of command ceremony for DiLorenzo TRICARE Health Clinic (DTHC) at the Pentagon. Army Col. Joseph S. Pina assumed command of the clinic on Feb. 26 during the ceremony in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon. DTHC is a separate command under WRNMMC, and provides health care to the Pentagon’s active duty population. In a traditional act of passing of the colors, Stocks passed the colors from Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Paul, DTHC senior enlisted advisor, to Pina. Establishing his position as commander, Pina then passed the colors back to Paul, for safekeeping. This was a momentous occasion for the DTHC family. Unique to most organizations in the military, Col. Kenneth Block served as the previous commander for
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Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Commander (WRNMMC), Rear Adm. Alton L. Stocks (right) passes the colors of the DiLorenzo TRICARE Health Clinic (DTHC) at the Pentagon to Army Col. Joseph Pina during a ceremony Feb. 26 in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes, establishing the colonel as DTHC commander. DTHC is a separate command under WRNMMC. DTHC for the last 10 years until his death in August 2012. Block actually took command in 1994, moving the clinic to its current location in 1997. He depart-
ed DTHC in 2000, and then came back in 2002 to lead the organization. During the standing-room only ceremony, red roses were presented to Cindy
Block, the colonel’s widow, as a ‘thank you’ for her continuous support of the DTHC family. She served countless hours working as a Red Cross volunteer in the clinic
and treated the staff as her extended family. Additionally, the Block family presented Victoria Hoey with flowers for her 16 years of continuous service to Col. Block and the DTHC family as the commander’s secretary. Stocks welcomed Pina and stated, “They don’t come more qualified or more ready for command.” He also said that Pina knows how to take care of Soldiers, civilians and their families. Pina praised Col. Block for building a remarkable team and transforming DTHC into a truly tri-service clinic. He thanked Cindy Block for supporting the late colonel and the DTHC family. Pina is taking command at DTHC during an exciting time, he said. Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is underway at DTHC, bringing patients better access to health care and more continuity with their assigned provider. DTHC is rolling out Relay Health that allows patients to email their providers directly and even has a brand new Facebook page. The DTHC is on Facebook at www.facebook. com/Pages/DiLorenzo-TRICARE-Health-Clinic-Pentagon/336001326509904.
Skipping Meals? It May Hurt Your Waistline 2nd Lt. Sara Brandt Dietetic Intern This morning, you wake up late. You roll out of bed in a panic and start throwing on clothes. A hairbrush barely makes it across your hair and a toothbrush across your teeth before you’re bolting to the door. Your stomach rumbles when you are about to shut the door behind you. Breakfast? “No time,” you think. “I’ll just skip it.” While breakfast is the most commonly skipped meal, skipping any meal can set you up for a day of unhealthy eating. Skipping a meal can result in eating more unhealthy snacks throughout the day or overeating at your next meal, because by that time you’re starving. Unhealthy
snacking and overeating can lead to consuming more calories than you need in a day; and the extra calories can translate into weight gain. Eating regular meals, and making healthy choices at those meals, can help you stay within your daily calorie budget and maintain your weight in the long run. Additionally, eating regular meals may help maintain weight loss. Are you ready to stop skipping meals? “Hang on,” you say. “That sounds good but sometimes I just don’t have any time to eat.” We’ve all been there; sometimes daily demands come with such rapid fire that when you finally take a break, you can’t remember the last time you ate. While there is no way to
eliminate these situations altogether, below are three tools you can use to help fit meals into a busy schedule.
2 tablespoons peanut butter on a whole wheat English muffin and 1 medium banana
Make it portable Having a meal doesn’t always mean sitting at a table and using the good plates. Sometimes a meal means eating while standing over the sink or as you’re walking out the door. But a fast meal doesn’t have to mean an unhealthy meal. Having ideas for balanced, one-handed meals can help make the easy choice also the healthy one. Luckily, there are a number of options for cooks and noncooks alike. Here are some examples: Homemade Breakfast 2 scrambled eggs and ½ cup reduced-fat cheese in a whole wheat tortilla
Lunch 1 whole wheat pita pocket stuffed with 4, 1-ounce slices of low-sodium turkey lunchmeat, ½ cup veggies and 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise 1 large celery stalk spread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter and topped with ¼ cup raisins Dinner 1 cup shredded chicken breast with ½ cup raw spinach and 2 tablespoons pesto in 1 whole wheat tortilla Grilled cheese with tomato using 2 slices whole wheat bread (with 2 teaspoons margarine for cooking),
2 slices reduced fat cheddar cheese and 3 slices tomato
Premade Breakfast Premade peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole wheat bread (find it in the frozen food aisle!) Breakfast shake Lunch Handheld soup-to-go Premade burrito (find it in the frozen food aisle!) Shopping Note: Look for products that are labeled ‘reduced sodium’, ‘light in sodium’ or ‘heart healthy’. Dinner Stuffed pocket frozen entrée with whole grain crust Panini or flatbread melt
See FOOD page 9
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Thursday, March 21, 2013
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NSAB All Hands Call Discusses Sequestration, Command Climate By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Parde NSAB Public Affairs staff writer Command leadership met with service members and civilian staff during four All Hands Calls held at Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) last week. “I look forward to these opportunities to talk and hear from you,” said NSAB Commanding Officer Frederick (Fritz) Kass. “We try to disseminate information out to you as quickly as possible and as soon as we can.” The final of the All Hands Calls, held at the Warrior Café March 16, covered topics ranging from command climate and parking to a future change of command at the installation. But, Kass began the discussion with the subject that he said is currently on everyone’s mind – sequestration. “We need to plan for the possibility that we may have some staff not reporting to work one day a week,” he said. “I am cautiously optimistic that Congress will work this out before this affects us, but if it should come here, we will scale our services appropriately. The bottom line is, we are going to see some changes, but I think most of them will be small obstacles to overcome.” Other upcoming events mentioned during the meeting included a scheduled visit from the Navy Inspector General in May and an online command climate survey. “It’s your chance to tell us what we are doing well, what we are doing not so well, and how we can improve,” said
FURLOUGH Continued from 3 yourself with positive people. Practice positive reframing to manage your attitude. When negativity creeps in, find something positive to focus on. Learn to be flexible. Remain open and be willing to adapt to situations. Surround yourself with people who are flexible. Listen and demonstrate empathy. Focus on things you can
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Parde
Naval Support Activity Bethesda Commanding Officer Capt. Frederick (Fritz) Kass discusses current and upcoming events with military and civilian staff at an All Hands Call in the Warrior Café March 15. Kass. “I want this to be a great place to work for everyone.” Peer accountability is an effective way to influence the climate around you, and can come from any rank or pay grade, he added. “Peer involvement and encouragement makes a huge difference and is really valuable,” he said. “You don’t have to be in a position of leadership to influence people around you.” Master-at-Arms Seaman
Amanda Putnam of NSAB’s Security Department attended the All Hands Call on March 15 and said it was reassuring to hear directly from the commanding officer. “I know many civilians are worried that the furlough may happen to them, so I think this Commander’s Call took a lot of worry off many people’s shoulders,” said Putnam. One thing she learned from the open discussion was
that the Navy’s tuition assistance (TA) program is currently still in place, despite the other military branches suspending their own TA programs. It was nice to hear that directly from the installation commander, she said. “I hear many messages from my leadership every day, but it’s not every day we get the privilege to get to hear the Commanding Officer,” said Putnam. Kass wrapped up the
meeting by expressing how the command is making a difference in many people’s lives each day. “The mission that this installation does, I think is terrifically important: we help people heal and maintain their health. We’re supporting people who carry that out every day. What you do matters, and is very important to me, and I recognize that day in and day out, you do it very well.”
change instead of those you cannot. Communicate and process what you feel. Reflect to gain insight. Utilize your resources and seek help. Buckingham said the resiliency program provides a variety of services for leadership and employees that offer strategies both can use to deal with sequestration-related challenges. “We’re able to come in and provide training to leadership on how to support their employees and how to talk to them about the furlough, [as well as] how to cope with it. We can also come into the unit and pro-
vide coping strategies for employees,” he explained. Email WRNMMC-Resiliency@ health.mil or call 301-4001974 to find out more about resiliency services.
according to Amanda Maher, the EAP coordinator at Walter Reed Bethesda. The EAP program is highly confidential, and provides employees with “a free place where they can go, and can address personal or performance issues with the hope that they can help restore their productivity on the job,” Maher said. EAP offers classes on stress management, managing coworker conflict and can also customize training according to specific needs. Maher recommended contractors to check with their employers, who may of-
fer something similar. Call Amanda Maher at 301-4000077 for more about EAP, or visit the WRNMMC intranet and click on the purple and yellow EAP button for a link to their webpage.
Employee Assistance Program In partnership with the resiliency program, JTFCapMed and DOD civilian employees can seek help from EAP. Working with employees, their job performance, mental health issues and anything that might affect their job performance is the specialty service provided by EAP,
Strength, together It’s not about a single staff member facing challenges alone, it’s “about all of us in it together,” Fiorey said. The chief of staff quoted Martin Luther King, Jr. during one of the town halls held Feb. 27. “‘We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.’”
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TRANSITION Continued from 1 Center ward as a medical surgical nurse working with wounded warriors once she finishes the program, described CNTP as an invaluable experience. “Since I started in December, I have worked on 4 [East] with wounded warriors for four weeks; the medical intensive care unit for a week; 5 [West] hematology/oncology for a week; 3 [Center] telemetry for a week; and 5 [Center] with geriatric and post surgical patients for a week. It is a way to help us be successful nurses.” Beyerl added, “I am very thankful for the CNTP because it has allowed me to simultaneously ease into nursing, yet also jump in with both feet. The outpatient rotations were helpful in understanding the patient flow in the hospital. I especially appreciated the day spent at the laboratory. The temporary assignment to an inpatient unit was also very beneficial to me. I spent four weeks on 5 West (hematology/ oncology) and had numerous opportunities to learn about central lines, ports, chemotherapy, blood transfusions and IV lines in general. Overall, this is a great program.” CNTP was established by Pulido, CNTP director Cynthia Goldberg, 1038035
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and former co-deputy CNTP director Lt. Cmdr. Bridgette Ferguson following the integration of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center and former National Naval Medical Center in September 2012. CNTP merged the Navy Internship Program and the Brig. Gen. (retired) Anna Mae Hayes Clinical Nurse Transition Program. More than 400 military nurses from each of the two military services have completed the programs since they were initially established several years ago, Puildo said. The JOC also supports junior officers across services at WRNMMC, Puildo added. “They support nurses, physicians, other health-care providers and specialties across all services,” she said in explaining their participation in the USNS Comfort tour with the CNTP staff and nurses. “We represent more than 1,200 officers, and our membership is currently growing as we are a new stand-up organization for this joint service base,” Walton added. He said the JOC meets monthly and any officers O-3 and below can become a member and be afforded “a unique opportunity for camaraderie, mentorship and professional development.” For more information about the JOC, contact 1st Lt. Roy Walton at rory.k.walton@health.mil.
The Journal
FOOD Continued from 6 frozen entrée Shopping Note: Look for products that have 500 calories or less per serving and 15 grams of fat or less per serving. Grab a lunch buddy If you work out with a partner you probably know this feeling: you wake up early in the morning to exercise and lay in bed for a minute, thinking of how much you don’t really want to work out. But you have someone waiting on you, so you get up and go anyway. The same can be said for making time to eat. Meeting family members, friends or coworkers to eat can help make meals a priority. Even if you walk to the dining hall with your coworkers and pick up lunch to bring back to your desk, you avoid missing lunch entirely and reduce the potential to overeat later in the day. Keep a snack stash Another way to ensure that you don’t miss a meal is to have snacks stowed away in a backpack, purse or desk drawer. But, let’s take a minute to define ‘snacks’. Cookies and cheese puffs aren’t the best choices. Keep your snacks to 200-300 calories. Aim for foods with whole grains
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Thursday, March 21, 2013 to give you energy as well as foods with protein or fiber to help keep you full. Here are some examples: 207 calories 2 single-serve bags of baby carrots (about 24) and 1 single-serve container of hummus (¼ cup) This snack contains: • Protein • Fiber 232 calories 1 ounce beef jerky, 1 reduced-fat cheese stick and a medium apple This snack contains: • Protein • Fiber 269 calories 1 single-serve package (1 ounce, 2 tablespoons) of peanut butter 1 mini cinnamon raisin multigrain bagel This snack contains: • Whole grain • Protein • Fiber Skipping meals to save time or due to hectic schedules can lead to staving off hunger pangs with high calorie snacks or overeating at other meals later in the day. However, having portable meals and healthy snacks on hand, as well as eating meals with family, friends or coworkers, can help you avoid skipping meals the next time life gets in the way.
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The Journal
FIX Continued from 5 for it that we do here,” referring to NSAB’s mission of supporting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the tenants units that in turn support wounded warriors and their families. Jaeger added that Part III, which will be awarded as a MILCON (mili-
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tary contract), is in the design stage by Washington Navy Yard. It is currently expected to be a much larger project than Part II, covering the remainder of NSAB, including paths alongside Stoney Creek, access to the bowling alley and better access to Building 50. Despite the narrow focus of this series of projects, other needs are always under consideration, said Lucas. “We’re constantly looking at what needs to be done or retrofitted,” he emphasized. “Constantly.”
The Journal
Thursday, March 21, 2013
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