Vol. 25
No. 13
www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/
April 4, 2013
Women of Faith: Female Chaplains Minister to Military, Families By Sharon Renee Taylor WRNMMC Journal staff writer
Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor
Five female chaplains serve Walter Reed National Military Medical Center: from left, Rabbi Risa Weinstein, the medical center’s first female rabbi; Navy Chaplain (Lt.) Valerie Eichelberger; Navy Chaplain (Lt.) Kimberly Cain; Army Chaplain (Maj.) Denise Hagler and Army Chaplain (Capt.) Pratima Dharm, who is the U.S. military’s first Hindu chaplain.
Five female chaplains serve Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). Forty years after the U.S. military commissioned its first female chaplain (Rev. Dianna Pohlman Bell by the Navy in July 1973), each of the five women chaplains have a shared experience as the “first” in her own right. The diverse group includes the medical center’s first female rabbi and the military’s first Hindu chaplain, who is also one of two female Army chaplains, who work alongside two Navy chaplains. “Just last week I was in the commissary in Little Creek, Va., and a lady at the [checkout] told me I was the first female chaplain she
has ever seen,” explained Navy Chaplain (Lt.) Valerie Eichelberger, who was ordained as a minister with the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1995. The command chaplain for Naval Support Activity Bethesda ministers to outpatient wounded warriors and their families who live in Tranquility Hall at Walter Reed Bethesda. Eichelberger’s “Daily Words of Inspiration” appear in the medical center’s postmaster e-mails. With 20 years as a military chaplain, Army Chaplain (Maj.) Denise Hagler said her assignment at WRNMMC is the first time she’s ever worked with so many female chaplains. “We can support one another,” Hagler said. The camaraderie and special bond
See CHAPLAIN page 8
TBI Awareness Month: Walter Reed Bethesda Furthers Research By Sarah Marshall WRNMMC Journal staff writer Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in a twopart series as part of Brain Injury Awareness Month. Be sure www.dcmilitary.com/ section/news11 to see the story in its entirety. To further understand and enhance treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI), Walter Reed Bethesda continues making strides in research. A TBI can occur when an external force on the body causes some structure or physiologic change to the brain, according to Louis French, chief of Traumatic Brain Injury Service, Department of Rehabilitation,
at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). “The way we typically see that, is through some change in level of alertness or consciousness,” French said. At WRNMMC, service members with mild brain injuries are often seen in the context of other injuries they may have endured on the battlefield, he explained, adding that explosions are the most common cause of brain injury in the population served at WRNMMC. Upon arriving at WRNMMC from combat, each patient is screened for TBI, he said. As service members go through the evacuation process, they
are also assessed in theater, allowing many opportunities to capture those injuries, French added. To determine severity, providers evaluate loss of consciousness after the traumatic injury. Loss of consciousness for less than an hour is generally considered a mild TBI, while loss of consciousness for a week is severe, and anywhere in between may be diagnosed as a moderate TBI, French explained. The more severe the brain injury, the longer providers may expect symptoms to last as well as the more significant the impairments of functioning. In addition to measuring consciousness, a TBI can be
file photo
At Walter Reed Bethesda and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, providers are using state-of-theart equipment, such as the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN), pictured above. It uses a motion platform with an embedded treadmill, 180-degree projection screen and customized virtual environments, to improve a patient’s balance and See BRAIN page 10 multi-tasking in the real world.
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Bethesda Notebook
Commander’s Column The month of April is designated as National Sexual Assault Aw a r e n e s s M o n t h (SAAM). The Department of Defense theme is: “It’s time to talk.” Preventing sexual assault is everyone’s duty. Sexual assault reverberates throughout a command and beyond, impacting mission readiness by harming the life of the victim, and degrading the military’s ability to work effectively as a team. It is the responsibility of everyone to protect one another from sexual assault. Sexual assault is widely believed to be one of the most under-reported crimes in our military and nation. We must take all allegations of sexual assault seriously, insist on thorough investigations and ensure victims are safe from retaliation or re-victimization. There are currently several events scheduled during the month of April to support SAAM. These include forums, i n f o r m a t i o n b o o t h s, n e w s events, runs/walks/sports and training events. Take the opportunity to further educate yourself about Sexual Assault Prevention and Response programs, emphasize a culture where sexual assault is not
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-
The Hindu Festival of Holi today
The Hindu Festival of Holi will be celebrated today at noon in the chapel in Building 8, first floor. The observance will be followed by food and fellowship. Everyone is invited to attend. For more information, call the Department of Pastoral Care at 301-295-1510.
Holocaust Museum Trip
In honor of this year’s Holocaust Days of Remembrance, the Bethesda Multicultural Committee, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, are offering an opportunity for members of the Walter Reed Bethesda community to tour the museum on Wednesday. Buses depart from the America Building at approximately 9 a.m., and return around 2 p.m. For more information or to reserve a place on the trip, contact Sgt. 1st Class Jason Zielske at 301-400-3542, or jason.zielske@ med.navy.mil.
Research, Innovation Week
tolerated and reiterate that an attack on a Walter Reed National Military Medical Center tenant is an attack against us all. A calendar of events has been put together and will be advertised via the postmaster. Creating a culture of respect requires that we all see ourselves as part of the solution. Together we can eliminate the reprehensible crime of sexual assault from our military. Let’s work together in eliminating sexual assaults ... What You Do Matters!
April 16-22 will be observed as Research and Innovation Week at Walter Reed Bethesda. The observance will include a recognizing medical research heroes event on April 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the America Building lobby; a poster exhibit and competition on April 17 and 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Building 9 (near The Wedge); a symposium on April 19 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Clark Auditorium (Building 10); and a collaborate and connect summit on April 22 from 8 a.m. to noon in Clark Auditorium. All events are open to everyone. For more information, call Deb Murphy at 301-295-8231, or email Deborah.a.murphy.ctr@ health.mil.
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.
Commander sends, Rear Adm. Alton L. Stocks MC, USN 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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443-854-5167
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703-901-6730
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Doctors Recognized for Research at National Meeting of Allergists, Immunologists By Bernard S. Little WRNMMC Journal staff writer World-renowned for its healthcare delivery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) is also where the majority of health-care professionals for the Department of Defense train in the National Capital Consortium (NCC) for Graduate Medical Education (GME). “We’re very proud of that, and it’s not just numbers, it’s quality,” said Rear Adm. (Dr.) Alton L. Stocks, WRNMMC commander, during recent town hall briefings at the Nation’s Medical Center. That quality in GME was recently showcased when two fellows in the NCC allergy-immunology program were recognized for their research during the 2013 annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) in San Antonio, Texas. The annual meeting showcases new research and other developments in the areas of allergy, asthma and immunology are discussed, according to Army Col. (Dr.) Michael R. Nelson, deputy commander for education, training and research at WRNMMC and an AAAAI fellow. Annually, approximately 7,000 allergists/immunologists, related physicians, allied health professionals and industry representatives attend the AAAAI meeting. “The AAAAI is the premier academic specialty society for allergist-immunologist in the United States and internationally,” Nelson added. “WRNMMC is recognized nationally for fellow and faculty leaderships with a long track record of [the former] Walter Reed Army Medical Center, [former] National Naval Medical Center, and WRNMMC fellow and staff service as organization leaders.” At this year’s AAAAI meeting, held Feb. 22-26, Navy Lt. (Dr.) Taylor Banks, an allergy fellow in the NCC allergy-immunology program at WRNMMC, earned first place in the Military Allergy-Immunology Assembly research competition, and Army Capt. Wayne Wolveton earned second place in the same tri-service contest. Banks’ research project, “A Variable Compass: Practice Parameters and Strength of Recommendation Data,” explored evidence underlying the documents guiding practice for allergy/ immunology, or practice parameters. Wolveton researched “Hymenoptera Venom Hypersensitivity Evaluation (HVHE Heavy),” exploring reactions to insect (bees, wasps, hornets, ants and sawflies) stings and venom allergy. According to allergists/immunologists, accurate diagnosis of venom allergy is important because patients with venom allergy are candidates for venom immunotherapy treatment,
which can reduce the risk of recurrent severe reactions. “Lt. Banks’ study focuses on the quality of practice parameter recommendations from a variety of specialties and inspires us all to conduct additional high quality studies that will raise the level of evidence leading to best clinical practices,” Nelson explained. “The NCC allergy-immunology program at WRNMMC has been a tour de force,” the colonel added, who described the research competition as “fierce.” “The research competition at the AAAAI is the only forum for triservice research competition in the military health-care system. Judges include worldwide military and civilian specialists. Fellows compete in two categories - research and case presentations. Only two research category awards were provided this year, and both were earned by WRNMMC NCC allergy-immunology fellowship graduates - Lt. Banks and Capt. Wolverton. They are representative of our entire cohort of fellowship trainees - hardworking, high achieving and dedicated to advancing the science and practice of allergy-immunology.” Also during the AAAAI meeting, the First Annual 5K Run/Walk Race for Allergy and Asthma Research took place, and Banks, a former college cross country and indoor/outdoor track runner, placed first in the 5K run. “I began running seriously in high school, and I still run about five days a week,” Banks said. “Running provides the opportunity to retreat into myself, really taking stock of all that is going on, a time to reflect on just about anything and everything. I also like the sensation of pushing myself physically, letting stress melt away as I rack up a few miles.” Banks, who initially received his medical training in pediatrics, said his interest in medicine was sparked by a love of “the meeting of science with the clinic, applying our growing knowledge of the body to helping people. “Every day I am convinced I made the right choices, both in pursuing a medical career in the Navy and in seeking further training in allergy/immunology,” Banks continued. “I have had a tremendous experience as an allergy/immunology fellow. It has met and exceeded all of my expectations. The opportunities to work with and help patients, often with complex diseases, are very rewarding, and I am very excited to be at the cutting edge of new research and treatments as they are applied to address these disease processes.” “Graduates of WRNMMC GME programs are highly coveted and represent the next generation of leaders in their specialty on a national level,” Nelson concluded.
Courtesy photo
Navy Lt. (Dr.) Taylor Banks, an allergy fellow in the National Capital Consium allergy-immunology program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, recently earned first place in the Military Allergy-Immunology Assembly research competition at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in San Antonio, Texas.
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NMPDC Recognized for 2012 Community Service Excellence By LCDR B.M. Dennis Navy Medicine Professional Development Center Public Affairs The Navy Medicine Professional Development Center (NMPDC) was recognized on by Naval District Washington at a ceremony held in Memorial Auditorium recently. M s. O l i v i a H u n t e r, NDW’s Regional Community Service Program Coordinator presented the Health, Safety & Fitness and the Envirnmental Stewardship awards to Commanding Officer, Capt. Lee L. Cornforth. The command’s Community Relations Program is led by Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Elizabeth Patterson and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Arnel Galapir who coordinate activites and partnered with the local community. One example is NMPDC’s partnership with the Special Olympics which serve more than 600,000 youth partici-
pants in grades K through twelve. These activities led to NMPDC’s selection as the winner of the NDW Health, Safety and Fitness Award for a medium shore activity. Patterson stated that, “NMPDC provides more than a 1,000 volunteer hours of support and the Community Relations program encourages the health and fitness of individuals with special needs in the community.” NMPDC also partnered with the Rock Creek Conservancy and the Alice Ferguson Foundation to apply environmental values into the military mission in order to improve quality of life, strengthen community relations and preserve valuable natural resources. More than 400 volunteer hours led to NMPDC’s selection as Honorable Mention for the NDW Environmental Stewardship Flagship Award for a medium shore activity. Captain Cornforth was joined on stage by Patterson and Galapir as Ms. Hunter
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(Left to Right) Capt. Lee L. Cornforth, Navy Medicine Professional Development Center (NMPDC) Commanding Officer, Ms. Olivia Hunter, NDW regional community service program manager presents the 2012 Community Service Program Awards to NMPDC’s Community Relations Coordinators, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Elizabeth Patterson and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Arnel Galapir. congratulated all the volunteers that participated and supported the local community. “NMPDC has made an outstanding contribution and has made a difference in the lives of those whom they have provided services,” said Hunter. NMPDC was one of five
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Navy commands that competed for the USS Bainbridge Award for Overall Excellence. The NMPDC has also garnered Honorable Mention recognition for Navy-wide Environmental Stewardship Flagship Award for a medium shore activity.
Navy Medicine Professional Development Center is the cornerstone of Navy Medicine’s professional development training and education mission. NMPDC provides vision, oversight, and execution for Navy Medicine’s continuum of learning, preparing personnel for increased responsibilities as military and professional leaders, and provides oversight for Navy Medicine staff education and training program functions. NMPDC is part of the Navy Medicine team, a global healthcare network of 63,000 Navy medical personnel around the world who provide high-quality health care to more than one million eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ship, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield. For more information about NMPDC, visit: http://www.med. n a v y. m i l / s i t e s / n a v m e d mpte/Pages/default.aspx.
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Holi: The Festival of Colors By Chaplain (CPT) Pratima Dharm
The Hindu festival of colors: Holi will be celebrated at Walter Reed Bethesda today. ‘Holi’ comes from the word ‘hola’, meaning to offer oblation or prayer to the Almighty as thanksgiving for a good harvest. Holi also celebrates the arrival of Spring: the season of hope and joy. This festival is vibrantly celebrated by throwing colored powder and colored water at each other. The colors are traditionally made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs found commonly in the Indian subcontinent. Wet colors are made with flowers of Palash which produces yellow colored water; believed to be medicinal especially after the winter season. On the eve of Holi,
Hindus observe the burning of Holika (the name means: the one who has conquered death over fire or one who cannot die in a fire.) This is accomplished through bonfires lit in memory of the miraculous escape of young Prahlad whom the Demoness Holika, sister of King Hiranyakashipu, carried into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad lived due to his pure devotion to God. Holi is celebrated every year to remind people that those who love God shall be saved and they who torture the devotee of God shall be reduced to ashes a la the mythical character Holika. A symbolic fire is lit each year in memory of the victory of good over evil. Hindus say prayers in praise of God and take this opportunity to give up feelings of ill will towards others
into the sacred fire. Then the first play of colored water begins in the community. Dancing, music and general mischievousness are integral to the festivities capturing the theme of love between Lord Krishna (incarnation of God within the Hindu tradition) and his female devotees: the Gopikas. For most Indian Americans this festival can be an emotional, spiritual as well as a cultural expression of traditions rooted in the ancient Vedas and the Puranas (sacred Indian scriptures). As we celebrate Holi by using varied colors it helps us to eradicate the inequalities present in our society and become equals even if it is for a few days. Indeed the message of unity amidst diversity is truly exemplified in the colors of Holi.
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Photo by Chan Wai Yew
Malaysia Hindu devotees enjoy the Holi Festival at Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Kuala Lumpur. Holi is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus. Holi is also known as Festival of Colors. It is primarily observed in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and countries with large Indic diaspora populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United Kingdom, United States, Mauritius, and Fiji.
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Annual Brain Awareness Week Program Gets Students Using Their Brains By Melissa Brachfeld Public Affairs Specialist National Museum of Health and Medicine At the National Museum of Health and Medicine’s (NMHM) 14th annual Brain Awareness Week (BAW) students were encouraged to not only use their brains for learning, but to also hold real brain specimens and, in some cases, experience firsthand how their brains react to certain stimuli. The event, which was held for the first time at the Museum’s new location in Silver Spring, was attended by approximately 600 students from more than a dozen different schools around the Washington, D.C., area. NMHM’s Brain Awareness Week is presented each year in conjunction with the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. NMHM’s Brain Awareness Week activities took place over March 11-15. Students learned about the brain by rotating through hands-on activity stations, which were managed by the Museum’s Partners in Education representing the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, Howard University College of Medicine and Rutgers University. Activities ranged from learning about the weak electric field an elephant nose fish produces from scientists representing the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program to trying on a pair of “fatal
Photos courtesy of NMHM
Representatives from the Audiology and Speech Language Pathology Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center teach students about how the ears process noise. This activity took place dur- Archie Fobbs, collections manager for the National ing Brain Awareness Week at the National Museum Museum of Health and Medicine’s (NMHM) Neuroof Health and Medicine. anatomical Collection, teaches students about trauvision goggles,” which mim- Ph.D. students from the matic brain injuries during Brain Awareness Week at icked the effects of being un- Uniformed Services Univer- the NMHM. der the influence of alcohol, at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s station. The week started with a visit from the Society for Neuroscience (SFN). Dr. Alicia Torres, senior director of communications and public affairs for SFN, presented the Museum with two signed proclamations from Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent C. Gray declaring it Brain Awareness Week. At its activity station,
sity of the Health Sciences taught students about neurons by asking them to construct models out of craft materials. Eric Prager, who’s participated in BAW at NMHM for four years, said he always enjoys taking part. “I come back [each year] because I want to help provide children with opportunities that I did not have for myself growing up,” he said. “We did not have BAW or events to study the brain. I want to be able to give back to the community,
and help educate the public about why it is so important to study the brain and its mechanisms.” Andrea Schierkolk, NMHM public programs manager and BAW coordinator, said she is pleased with the outcome of the event. “Engaging interactions between middle school students and neuroscientists resulted in many unforgettable memories,” she said, “My hope is that programs like Brain Awareness Week
will inspire a new generation of neuroscientists who will take on challenges like traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress.” National Brain Awareness Week programs were first established by the Dana Alliance in 1996 in an annual effort to raise public awareness about the brain and brain science. In 2000, Dana joined forces with NMHM to develop a program designed especially for middle school students.
Volunteers Needed For WRB Cycling Team Cross-Country Race By Bernard S. Little WRNMMC Journal staff writer Eight wounded warriors receiving outpatient care at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) will attempt to cycle their way across America in June, and volunteers from the WRNMMC staff are being sought to help them in their efforts. Cmdr. Ann Williams of the Orthopedic Surgery Department at WRNMMC, and Cmdr. Bobbi Dittrich, of the Warrior Family Coordina-
tion Cell (WFCC), are directors of the Walter Reed Bethesda (WRB) cycling program and are coordinating the hospital’s initiative in the cross-country challenge. “We have a team consisting of eight WRB cycling program participants for the race,” Williams explained. “We are looking for WRB staff members, with approval from their chain of command, to be crew for the race, [such as] drivers and support personnel such as cooks, physical and massage therapists, etc.” The c r o s s - c o u n t r y,
3,000-miles bicycle race, called Race Across America (RAAM), begins in Oceanside, Calif., on June 15, and finishes in Annapolis, Md., eight to nine days later, according to organizers for the event. The race course takes cyclists across 12 states, and passes through 88 counties and 350 communities. “[The] extraordinary journey will test the utmost limits of [participants’] physical endurance, mental resilience and commitment,” RAAM officials add. This year’s RAAM will be the 32nd edi-
See CYCLING page 9
Photo by Cmdr. Ann Williams
Tim Brown participates in the Detroit Marathon last year. Brown will be part of the Walter Reed Bethesda team attempting to make a cross-country bicycle ride in June. Volunteers are needed to support the team.
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NSAB MWR Holds Black Ops 2 Tournament By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John K. Hamilton NSAB Public Affairs staff writer Staff and service members from Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) put their skills to the test in the NSAB Morale, Welfare and Recreation’s (MWR) first ever, “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2” video game tournament. “The purpose of the tournament was to get all the single service members and wounded warriors an opportunity to come out and have a good evening of fun and recreation,” said Edward McLean, recreation specialist for MWR. “We noticed a lot of the patrons that come in here like to play the “Call of Duty” [video] games. Seeing them play those games, we thought it would be great for us to do a tournament and give people an opportunity to do a Friday night game night.” Participants in the tournament had the opportunity to enjoy a meal catered by the Warrior Café, which consisted of chicken wings and vegetable quesadillas made special for Passover. Howev-
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John K. Hamilton
Staff and service members from Naval Support Activity Bethesda compete against one another in free-for-all matches during the Black Ops 2 tournament held at the Warrior Café. er, competition was the main course for the night as more than 20 competitors battled for first, second, and third place prizes which included a computerized tablet, iPod Nano and portable DVD player, respectively. McLean said the turnout for the event was great, especially for it being the first tournament of its kind at
NSAB. He felt that it was such a success that he believes the tournaments will be bigger and better each time from now on. “This is the first time we did an event like this,” said McLean. “We wanted to just do a trial run and see what the benefit from that would be. We have a lot of gamers here on base and we have
a lot of sports fans as well, so hopefully in the near future we will do a lot of other sports tournaments like: “Madden” tournaments, “NBA 2K” tournaments, NASCAR tournaments and probably another “Call of Duty” tournament. Tournament rules included free-for-all where the top three players advanced to
the next round. After several rounds of competition first, second and third place winners were crowned, with the number one spot being taken by Lance Cpl. Kyle Moser, who was using the tournament as a reason to get out of his room and whose strategy was just to have fun. “It gets the guys together,” said Moser. “I know for myself, I’m the type of person that likes being by myself or just me and my wife. So it gets me out of the room and I can talk with other Marines and other people in the military. I know some guys that are having it difficult here, so [tournaments like this] help them.” MWR is just getting geared up with the Black Ops 2 tournament, but has a host of activities and attractions coming up in the very near future. “Spring is coming up, which is peak season for us. We have a lot of different trips coming up, such as: Six Flags, Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens, Cedar Point and racing trips as well,” said McLean. “You can check in with myself,
See BLACK OPS page 9
Nurses Don Orange Vests for a “Sterile Cockpit” By Army Staff Sgt. Bryon E. Reiger Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Nurses on the fourth floor inpatient medical and surgical wards at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center can thank Manny Santiago for their orange vests. Santiago, a clinical nurse specialist, implemented a concept he calls, “sterile cockpit” on the fourth floor wards, to decrease nurses from being distracted when caring for patients. As a search and rescue corpsman before he became a nurse, Santiago observed flight mechanics at work. While mechanics made critical repairs in the aircraft cockpit, they would wear orange vests. “Everybody else knew to leave them alone.
This gave the mechanics an environment free of distraction and reduced errors,” Santiago explained, adding he thought this would be a good practice for nurses working in the hospital. Citing a 2008 study on Nurses.com conducted at Kaiser South San Francisco Medical Center, Santiago explained nurses who wore similar vests during medication administration, resulted in a 47 percent reduction in medication errors. In the last two months since he implemented his “sterile cockpit” endeavor, Santiago said the wards have noted a drop in errors on patient safety reports. Santiago said he has seen a range of reactions regarding the vests, but he wants people to understand, “we are professionals who are doing this to protect patient
Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Bryon Reiger
Manny Santiago observes as Chrisensia Kombe and Pamela Belloir pull medication. safety.” When patients and staff understand the concept, they are much more receptive to it, he explained. Chrisensia Kombe, a 4 Center nurse, said she was not happy with the vests, how-
ever; admits they do remind her and other nurses to follow procedure while administering medications. “You have this bright orange thing to remind you to slow down and take it step by step.”
The next step is to refine the sterile cockpit concept by placing emphasis on a checklist for medication administration, Santiago said. “Whenever a nurse gives medications, it is like [he or] she is piloting a plane. Pilots use checklists. The checklist eliminates human error,” he said. The clinical nurse specialist has created a checklist for nurses to fill out every time medications are administered. He hopes that combined with the vest, this checklist will further reduce errors, and plans to transition away from the vest towards something less conspicuous, like a sash. Whatever happens, Santiago said he will continue to focus on reducing medication administration errors.
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CHAPLAIN Continued from 1 the Reformed Church of America minister shared with her female counterparts showed recently, when the five assembled together for a photograph. The veteran of three deployments to Iraq said people are still surprised to meet a female chaplain. “Mostly retirees,” Hagler said, and explained their curiosity draws them to her. “Overall, they realize that you’re just as good,” she said. Special requests for female chaplains are not uncommon to Hagler or her colleagues, especially in matters involving personal crisis. “And not just women but men too, of all ethnicities,” explained Navy Chaplain (Lt.) Kimberly Cain, an elder in the Church of God In Christ ordained since 1995. Cain said, “It has been my personal experience, being requested as a female chaplain, when a service member has experienced a significant trauma or some type of assault or battery, their immediate need is for comfort care and safety. If you think about it, mothers are
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The Journal usually the first to offer care and comfort. In my experience, it has nothing to do with personal theology - it’s about comfort.” She added it’s not uncommon to be the only female chaplain on an assignment. “At my first assignment, Mt. Fuji, Japan, there were only six females on that base, including me. I was the only chaplain.” Army Chaplain (Capt.) Pratima Dharm, the military’s first Hindu chaplain, called her assignment as the only female chaplain of the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga., “very lonely.” She said she faced her most dangerous mission as a military chaplain when she deployed to Iraq from 2007 to 2008. Dharm traveled in Black Hawk helicopters and armored vehicles on battlefield circulation. “Being shot at while trying to provide ministry to my Soldiers and the locals was the toughest part of my job,” she explained. She said her daily challenge is to be accepted as a good chaplain, “not simply a female chaplain.” Working with four other female chaplains at WRNMMC was nothing new for Rabbi Risa Weinstein, a civilian hospital chaplain who
serves as the medical center’s first female rabbi. The mother of a 4-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter worked alongside six female chaplains as she trained to become a hospital chaplain. “It was helpful to watch the other women as they balanced their lives as students, wives and mothers, along with their chaplaincy work - I learned from watching them,” Weinstein said. The female rabbi explained parents request her to serve as a role model for their daughters. “I think they want [their children] to see a female with a strong connection to their religion and faith in a position of leadership.” Two months after Rev. Pohlman Bell became the U.S. military’s and Navy’s first female chaplain in July 1973, the Air Force commissioned its first female chaplain on Sept. 27, 1973, Rev. Lorraine K. Potter. She eventually rose to serve as chief of chaplains nearly 30 years later, and retired as a major general. On July 8, 1974, the Army commissioned its first woman chaplain, Rev. Alice M. Henderson. Navy chaplains serve the Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Lt. j.g. Christine Miller became the first female chaplain assigned to
the Marine Corps in 1976. Even though Pohlman Bell is credited as the first female chaplain commissioned in the U.S. military, the retired Presbyterian minister said every individual female chaplain is a pioneer in her own way. “Every woman chaplain is going to be the first woman chaplain that somebody sees, and somebody works with, and so it’s not all over yet, it’s still a new, new thing,” she said. The services reported their most recent statistics for overall active duty chaplains and numbers of female chaplains for March 2013. According to the Navy Chief of Chaplains Office, more than 800 active duty chaplains serve in the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard; 60 of those active duty chaplains are female. The Army Chaplain Corps counts a total of 1,700 active duty chaplains, with 68 of those female. The Air Force Chief of Chaplains Office counted 472 total active duty chaplains in their branch, 27 of those female. Visit us on our WRNMMC Facebook page for more photos of our chaplains at work.
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CYCLING Continued from 6 tion of the race which brings competitors from all over the world. “Most people race RAAM simply to have fun and challenge themselves,” officials said. Williams, who began the cycling program at the former National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in 2010, said this will be the first time the WRB cycling program participates in RAAM. She explained the cycling program at WRB, helps foster recovery, resiliency, symptom relief and self-esteem, and is open to service members in treatment for combat wounds or any other injuries and conditions. “It offers physical activity, increased health and well-being, and fosters a sense of accomplishment and it’s very therapeutic,” she said. The cycling program offers adaptive bikes for service members, including hand cycles, recum-
Thursday, April 4, 2013 bents and upright bikes, to maximize who can participate, Williams added. Williams said during RAAM cyclists ride continuously day and night, therefore; a strong support crew of volunteers is needed to follow riders. The support crew handles all of the logistics — food, fluids, navigation, clothing changes, medical needs, bike repairs, etc. — so that racers can focus on racing. Williams said the commitment for volunteers would be for approximately 12 days, beginning on or near June 10, before the race begins. The race is 24/7, so [participants and volunteers] need to know it can be grueling,” Williams added. For more information about the event or the WRB cycling program, email ann.williams.mil@ health.mil.
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Derrick Tanner, John Rauckhorst, check in the MWR Happenings book or just come to the Building 11 Liberty Zone and we will be able to assist you with that. “I hope that people continue to come out and support our program. We’re here to support them and give them the best service we can.”
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BRAIN Continued from 1 identified by a number of symptoms, such as headaches, memory loss, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, light sensitivity and seizures. In urgent conditions, an individual may not be able to recognize people, or have weakness in their limbs, slurred speech, double vision, or have a declining neurological exam. At Walter Reed Bethesda, an important aspect of care is furthering research, and providers at WRNMMC are working diligently to do just that, he explained. Providers have been able to document what they’ve seen, ensuring future care givers benefit from what they have learned. Providers and researchers have been able to capture and use clinical data for research, gathering information on thousands of individuals, French said. To understand what fac-
The Journal tors predict a good outcome, a 15-year natural history study has been ongoing for about a year, he said. The study will involve following patients over a long period of time, bringing them back for comprehensive evaluations. The Brain Fitness Center at WRNMMC is also conducting research using computer-based brain training programs to exercise the brain in a gamelike format, French added. To improve understanding of computer-based cognitive rehabilitation outcomes, the center is open to any service member struggling with their thinking skills, and is located in the Amputee Center in the America Building. “We’re constantly enrolling people in those studies,” he said. Finding the best forms of treatment, WRNMMC is also partnered with a number of agencies in research, such as the National Institutes of Health, Uniformed Services University of the
Health Sciences, and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), French said. The NICoE, an extension of WRNMMC located onboard Naval Support Activity Bethesda, is dedicated to treatment, research and education for service members with complex forms of mild traumatic brain injury and psychological health conditions. Director Dr. James Kelly noted one of their significant findings related to TBI, of late, has been sleep disturbance. Each patient treated at NICoE, undergoes an overnight sleep study in one the center’s two sleep labs, set up similar to a hospital room, he said. “The majority of our patients have some version of a sleep disturbance, some of which is neurological or pulmonary, [such as] obstructive sleep apnea. Some of it is just poorly regulated sleep,” Kelly explained. “In order to heal, we know you need restorative deep
sleep, and people who don’t get that have persistent symptoms from concussion or PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).” With these findings, providers are better able to target an individual’s sleep problem, in order to treat it, and ensure a better overall recovery. “That’s made a huge difference,” the neurologist said. “If you don’t start with those simple, bodily, physiological things, you get nowhere.” At the NICoE and WRNMMC, providers are using state-of-the-art equipment, such as the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN), which uses a motion platform with an embedded treadmill, 180-degree projection screen and customized virtual environments, used to improve a patient’s balance and multi-tasking in the real world. Kelly also noted the success at the center of excellence has led to nine sat-
ellite NICoEs being built around the country. This summer, two are expected to open: one at Fort Belvoir, Va., and another at Camp Lejeune, N.C. These satellites will be on a smaller scale of the NICoE - about a third of the size, Kelly said. They will extend the care currently provided at the NICoE, and treatment from these centers will be transmitted back to the NICoE, aiding its ongoing research efforts, thus improving diagnosis and treatment. While Kelly believes patients will succeed in their treatment at the satellite level, they may continue to be referred to the NICoE in Bethesda, when necessary. “We’ll make sure everyone gets assessed carefully and pointed in the right direction,” added French. He wants people to know, a TBI doesn’t have to mean a lifelong concern. “We have a lot we’re doing. It’s exciting. We’re very fortunate we have a lot of resources here.”
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