journal 050715

Vol. 27 No. 17 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ May 7, 2015

By Sarah MarshallWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

In support of our nation’sveterans, Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Cen-ter (WRNMMC) launched aninitiative with three local De-partment of Veterans Affairs(VA) medical centers to con-tinue providing quality carefor those in need.

The Martinsburg, W.Va.,Baltimore, Md., and Wash-ington, D.C., VA medical cen-ters have had a long-standingHealth Resource SharingAgreement with WRNMMC,along with Fort Belvoir Com-munity Hospital, which al-lows their VA patients on ahealth care system separatefrom the Department of De-fense (DoD), to receive health-care at WRNMMC, explainedArmy Col. Rachel Armstrong,director of VA Partnerships atWRNMMC.

“These are veterans whohave served their country;Walter Reed [National Mili-tary Medical Center] has thecapacity to provide the care …and it’s the right thing to do,”Armstrong said.

Leadership at the DC VAMedical Center recognized aneed for support with their or-thopedic services, and reachedout to WRNMMC, she said.From there, the initiative blos-somed. A similar initiative wasestablished with the Martins-burg VA Medical Center. Overthe last several months, lead-ership from each of the medicalcenters spent countless hourscollaborating with clinical ser-vices and staff. In March, thefirst VA patients were seen atWRNMMC. Through this ini-tiative, VA patients, who maybe on a waiting list, will beable to receive those serviceshere at WRNMMC in a timelymanner. The hope is to con-tinue expanding the initiative

to other clinical services, shesaid, and most importantly,ensuring everything runssmoothly for the patient.

Through this initiative, VApatients can receive orthope-dic procedures at WRNMMC,such as total joint replace-ment, rotator cuff surgery, andtumor surgery for oncology pa-tients, explained Cmdr. (Dr.)David Gwinn, chief of orthope-dic surgery at WRNMMC.

The orthopedic spine sur-geon said WRNMMC will takeon about two to four ortho-pedic surgeries per week, hesaid, helping the VA reduce

any delays in seeing patients.“It’s a mutually beneficial

program. It allows the VA pa-tients to get timely care in anenvironment they are famil-iar with, and we increase ourcase volume and interactionwith the veteran community,”Gwinn said, thereby increas-ing WRNMMC readiness bykeeping residents’ and provid-ers’ skills high, as they con-tinue to stay busy practicingtheir trade.

The process begins with areferral, Armstrong explained.VA providers refer their pa-tients, as they normally would

for a specialty procedure. TheVA works with the Exter-nal Programs Referral Office(EPRO) at WRNMMC to coor-dinate appointments. EPRO isthe central hub at WRNMMCfor all coordination with theVA.

Armstrong added that thisinitiative is a wonderful op-portunity for the Departmentof Defense to share federalhealth resources with the VA.

“It has been a fabulous op-portunity,” she said.

Gwinn agreed that beinginvolved in this initiative hasbeen rewarding.

“We’ve had a great deal ofhelp from ancillary servicesin support of this initiative aswell,” he added, from InternalMedicine, screening patients,to Physical Medicine andRehabilitation, taking careof patients post-operatively.“There’s been a lot of goodcoordination with our depart-ments here that allowed thisto come into fruition.”

So far, he said, the VA pa-tients who received care atWRNMMC through this ini-tiative expressed their appre-

Initiative Enhances Care for Veterans

Photo by Sarah Marshall

Ensign Hannah Parker, a 5 Center nurse at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), chatswith 28-year Army veteran James Hall as he prepares to be discharged from WRNMCC May 1. Hall is oneof the first Veterans Affairs (VA) patients to receive care through a new initiative, aiming to assist the VA incontinuing to ensure high quality care for our nation’s veterans.

See VETERANS page 9

2 Thursday, May 7, 2015 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, aprivate firm in no way con-nected with the U.S. Navy,under exclusive written con-tract with Naval Support ActivityBethesda, Md. This commercialenterprise newspaper is an autho-rized publication for members of themilitary services. Contents of The Journalare not necessarily the official views of, norendorsed by, the U.S. Government, the De-partment of Defense, or the Department ofthe Navy. The appearance of advertising inthis publication, including inserts or supple-ments, does not constitute endorsement bythe Department of Defense or Comprint,Inc., of the products or services advertised.Everything advertised in this publicationshall be made available for purchase, useor patronage without regard to race, color,

religion, sex, national origin,age, marital status, physicalhandicap, political affiliationor any other non-merit fac-tor of the purchaser, user,or patron. Editorial contentis edited, prepared and pro-vided by the Public AffairsOffice, Naval Support Activ-

ity Bethesda, Md. News copyshould be submitted to the Pub-

lic Affairs Office, Building 17, first floor,across from PSD, by noon one week pre-ceding the desired publication date. Newsitems are welcomed from all installationsources. Inquiries about news copy will beanswered by calling 301-295-1803. Com-mercial advertising should be placed withthe publisher by calling 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed bycalling 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. David A. BitontiPublic Affairs Officer: Ronald D. InmanPublic Affairs Office: 301-295-1803

Journal StaffManaging Editor MC3 Hank GettysWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

Staff Writers MC1 Christopher KruckeAndrew DamstedtSarah MarshallKatrina SkinnerSharon Renee Taylor

NSABethesdaFleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727

NSAB Emergency Information Line 301-295-6246NSAB OmbudsmanMichelle Herrera 240-370-5421

NSAB Chaplain’s Office 301-319-4443/4706

Sexual Assault ResponseCoordinator Hotline 301-442-2053

Visit us on Facebook:Naval Support Activity Bethesda page:https://www.facebook.com/NSABethesda

Walter Reed National Medical Center page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walter-Reed-National-Military-Medical-Center/295857217111107

Uniformed Services University of the HealthSciences page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Uniformed-Services-University-of-the-Health-Sciences/96338890888?fref=ts

Greetings Team 88,Like the Sailing Directions pub-

lication that assists mariners inplanning long voyages by aidingnavigation along the way, the chiefof naval operations’ “Sailing Direc-tions” lay out a course for the Navy.The CNO Sailing Directions can beinterpreted as a user’s guide thatoutlines the Navy’s mission and theCNO’s vision, tenets, and principles.In this column I will discuss howNaval District Washington alignswith the key tenets of CNO’s Sail-ing Directions: Warfighting First,Operate Forward, and Be Ready insupporting the Fleet, Fighter, andFamily.

It is our job to ensure that we support theCNO and Navy’s primary mission of warfightingby providing sustainable facilities and respon-sible quality of life programs so that our morethan 200 mission-oriented tenet commands canfocus on their operational missions.

Warfighting FirstTwo great examples of Warfighting First

are the mission activities at Naval Air StationPatuxent River and NSA South Potomac. NASPatuxent River is the Navy’s premier-flight-testand evaluation center and remains one of themost vital Navy shore installations today. Ev-ery aircraft flown by the Navy is developed andtested at NAS Patuxent River first.

Key technological capabilities that will definethe future fleet are being designed and developedtoday at NSA South Potomac. Scientists andengineers are lending their knowledge, exper-tise, and innovation so that our nation is neveroutflanked by adversaries. NSA South Potomacsupports Warfighting First through research anddevelopment that anticipates the needs of thenext generation’s warfighter.

NSA South Potomac is the Navy’s principalproving ground for proofing and testing everymajor naval gun and all ammunitions suppliedto the fleet. Dahlgren’s Potomac River TestRange is the only over-water test range in theNavy and provides the perfect environment totest every gun that goes on a Navy ship.

Naval Support Activity Washing-ton is home to some of the Navy’slargest headquarters commands,including the Naval Sea SystemsCommand and the Naval SurfaceWarfare Center Carderock wheretesting is done for all new ships andsubmarines. In many ways Navywarfighting begins at NDW.

Operate ForwardWhen the CNO says operate

forward, he means that we have aglobal maritime mandate. We areat our best when we are out andabout and able to provide off-shoreoptions to the president. That’swhat we have been doing for more

than 230 years and that’s what we will continueto do in the future.

Did you know that there are operations abroadthat are directly supported here in this region?The unmanned air system known as Broad AreaMaritime Surveillance-Demonstrator, or BAMS-D, resides at NAS Patuxent River and supportsin the U.S. Fifth Fleet while concurrently com-pleting maintenance and test operations at NASPatuxent River. Since arrival in theater in Janu-ary 2009, BAMS-D has flown more than 15,000hours in support of global operations.

The region’s Afghanistan/Pakistan Handsprogram provides training and administrativesupport to over 100 “hands” Program person-nel typically complete six to eight months oflanguage, cultural, and combat training beforea 10- to 12-month deployment – boots on groundin Afghanistan or Pakistan.

Be ReadyReadiness is the critical link that achieves the

Navy’s purpose and ensures that Navy meets itsmandate. The Be Ready tenet is about build-ing competency, proficiency and resiliency in ourunits, the weapons systems they use to carryout the mission, as well as the individual sail-ors, Navy civilians and families that make upthe finest Navy on earth.

Great examples of this tenet can also be found

Commandant’s Column Women’s Health WeekMay 10-16 is National Women’s

Health Week, and in observance therewill be a week of health preventionand wellness events at Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center(WRNMMC). Mammogram screeningswill be offered to eligible beneficiarieson May 9 and 16 from 9 a.m. to noon.To schedule a screening, call 301-319-8502. Other information concerningbreast health, diabetic screenings andblood testing, as well as wellness/pub-lic health information, will be availablein the America Bldg. lobby throughoutthe week.

Military Spouse Appreciation DayFriday, May 8 is Military Spouse

Appreciation Day. President RonaldReagan declared the day by presi-dential proclamation in 1984 in orderto recognize the profound commit-ment, sacrifice and support that mil-itary spouses give in support of ourArmed Forces. Naval Support ActivityBethesda’s Fleet and Family SupportCenter will host an appreciation eventat the Navy Exchange from 10 a.m. to2 p.m. Come join us!

WRNMMC Leadership AcademyThe next Leadership Academy at

WRNMMC is May 18-22 in Bldg. 5,Heroes Zone, Rm. 4028. Registrationends May 13 and can be accomplishedat http://tinyurl.com/WRNMMC-LSA-RBCT. Class size is limited to 28. Anyonein a middle manager role or aspiring toa middle manager role is encouragedto attend the academy. Some of thetopics to be covered include leadershipand development, quality improvement,personnel management, 21st CenturyHealthcare, The Patient Experience andmore.

Bethesda Notebook

Rear Adm.Markham K. Rich

Commandant, NavalDistrict Washington

See COMMANDANT page 9

The Journal Thursday, May 7, 2015 3

By Sarah MarshallWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

The Navy’s Bureau of Medi-cine and Surgery (BUMED)Visual Information (VI) Direc-torate, located at Walter ReedNational Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC), earnedbragging rights once again, re-cently bringing home severalprestigious awards, including2014 Production of the Year fortheir suicide prevention train-ing video.

The Commandant of theDefense Information Schoolannounced the winners of theDepartment of Defense’s (DOD)2014 Visual Information Pro-duction Awards (VIPA) March31.

The VI Directorate won fourawards, including Production of

the Year for their film, “EverySailor, Every Day.” The film iscurrently being used Navy-widefor suicide prevention training,and a wider release is expectedsoon. It will also be submittedto the International DefenseVI Awards competition, to takeplace in Rome later this year,during which they will repre-sent the entire U.S. DOD VIcommunity.

Additionally, the VI Director-ate took first place in the Train-ing and Education category fortheir suicide prevention video,produced by Emre Tufekcuio-glu, director/scriptwriter anddirector of photography. In thesame category, they took thirdfor their video “ChikungunyaAwareness,” produced by NickStowers. In the Recruitment

BUMED Visual Information Department Directorate Receives DoD Award

Photo Courtesy of Visual Information Directorate

Visual Information staff members created a 18-minute short film “Every SailorEvery Day.” It was filmed on location at Walter Reed National Military MedicalCenter and Naval Support Activity Bethesda with 12 actors and more than 60extras, spanning 14 filming days with more than 20 crew members.

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

With a focus on perfectingpatient care, providers andstaff from the National Capi-tal Region Medical Directorate(NCR MD) met for the Inaugu-ral NCR MD Quality Confer-ence April 23 at Fort Myer, Va.

Rear Adm. (Dr.) RaquelBono, NCR MD director, host-ed the day-long conference,which was attended by morethan 100 physicians, nurses,administrators and otherstaff members from militarytreatment facilities (MTFs)throughout the region. “Nomatter what you do [in theNCR MD], you’re a caregiv-er,” Bono said. “If you’re theperson answering the phone,you’re a caregiver. If you’rethe one helping to show ourpatients where they need togo [within our MTFs], you’re acaregiver. If you’re the personwho’s helping to run our data,you’re a caregiver. If you’rethe person helping us to fig-ure out our funding, you’re acaregiver.”

As the largest componentof the Defense Health Agency(DHA), the NCR MD exercisesauthority, direction, and con-

trol over Walter Reed Nation-al Military Medical Center,Fort Belvoir Community Hos-pital, and their subordinateclinics; DiLorenzo TRICAREHealth Clinic, Tri-ServiceDental Clinic, Fairfax HealthCenter, and Dumfries HealthCenter and the Joint Pathol-ogy Center (JPC).

The NCR MD also exer-cises enhanced Multi-ServiceMarket authorities over theseDHA facilities and NavalHealth Clinic Quantico and itssubordinate Washington NavyYard Branch Health Clinic;Naval Health Clinic Annapo-lis, Kimbrough AmbulatoryCare Center and its subor-dinate Andrew Rader ArmyHealth Clinic and Fort Mc-

Nair Army Health Clinic; andMalcolm Grow Medical Clinicand Surgery Center (779thMedical Group), and its subor-dinate Pentagon Flight Clinic;and Bolling Clinic (579th Med-ical Group).

Air Force Lt. Gen. (Dr.)Douglas Robb, DHA director,challenged conference attend-ees to commit themselves tohelping establish a “MilitaryHealth System aggregate” byreducing variation in care, im-proving patient safety, quality,health information technology,clinical decision making andoutcomes.

“It’s important we do betterthan what we currently are,”Robb said. “The golden rule ofmedicine is to treat every pa-tient exactly how you wouldwant your son or daughtertreated.”

The MHS is tasked with“making ourselves the organi-zation we want to be, the orga-nization we’re proud to be in,the organization we want ourhusbands and wives, our sonsand daughters, and our moth-ers and fathers to be seen in.The NCR MD is going to leadby example,” the general add-ed.

A patient panel at the eventencouraged caregivers to bet-ter include beneficiaries in

their health care decision-making processes. The panelconsisted of a retired Armycolonel, a NCR MD patient,and a retired Air Force lieu-tenant colonel, who is the fa-ther of a patient.

“The most under-utilized re-source in health care is the pa-tient,” said retired Col. BrianFoley, a deputy commander forthe former Walter Reed HealthCare System and an activebeneficiary of the MHS. “Thebasis of the continuity of careand patient safety is a com-prehensive health information[system], available 24/7 to allproviders. The foundation ofquality care and patient safe-ty is a medical home and ca-pable primary care managerteam. Communication amongall the health care providers,to include input from patientsand their families, is criticalto quality care and patientsafety.”

Foley encouraged teachingbeneficiaries to use Relay-Health, which provides clini-cal connectivity to physicians,patients, hospitals and more,using innovative health infor-mation technology and in usethroughout the NCR MD.

Terri Kopanski, a breastcancer survivor, emphasizednot only the need for patients

to be included in decisions af-fecting their health care, butalso for caregivers to exhibitcompassion for those whomthey treat and to listen to theconcerns of beneficiaries. Shealso encouraged beneficiariesto be their own advocates fortheir care.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col.Sean P. Robinson explainedthat when his young son Pat-rick was diagnosed with can-cer in 2013, Robinson and hiswife became advocates for hiscare, making sure they werethere during the multi-disci-plinary rounds of caregiversand providing input to thehealth care team.

“They listened to our input,[and] we made sure that ourquestions were answered, andthat they valued our opinions,”Robinson said. “Sometimesthe decisions made were basedon our input and feedback. Asparents we really appreciatedthat – we actually had inputinto decisions that were made.That made a big difference.”

Other issues discussed dur-ing the conference includedquality measurement, designthinking methodology, endingpatient harm and relation-ship-centered care.

Perfecting Patient CareNational Capital Region Medical Directorate Hosts Quality Conference

U.S. Navy Photo

See BUMED page 8


By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

The Federal Library and Informa-tion Network (FEDLINK) recentlyrecognized Darnall Medical Library(DML) at Walter Reed National Mili-tary Medical Center (WRNMMC) as itsSmall Library of the Year.

The national award for federal li-brarianship recognizes the many in-novative ways that federal libraries,librarians and library technicians ful-fill the information demands of govern-ment, business and scholarly communi-ties and the American public.

Located in Bldg. 1, on the thirdfloor, Darnall Medical Library servesthe clinical and research needs ofWRNMMC staff and students, alongwith a number of outlying facilities inthe National Capital Region includingthe White House and Pentagon clin-ics. The medical center has 68 gradu-ate medical education programs, withapproximately 750 trainees, and anadditional 250 students who cyclethrough various nursing subspecialtyprograms each year. More than one-third of the research conducted in theMilitary Health System takes place atWRNMMC.

“This is a tremendous accomplish-

ment and a tribute to strong leader-ship,” said Army Col. (Dr.) Michael R.Nelson, director for Education, Train-ing and Research at WRNMMC.

Library Director Kimberly D. Adamsand eight library staffers accepted thelibrary of the year award in a Libraryof Congress ceremony May 5. The DMLwas recognized for dedicated library

leadership in support of quality patientcare and health education.

“Ms. Adams, congratulations to youand your team! This is a huge tributeand acknowledgement of all that youdo for our patients and our people,”wrote WRNMMC Director Brig. Gen.(Dr.) Jeffrey B. Clark, in a memo toleadership.

Through a clinical librarian pro-gram, improved research portals andhigh-visibility marketing strategies,the library increased its online profileby more than 250 percent. By embed-ding a clinical library into the inpa-tient internal medicine and pediatricsteams, the library gave providers therapid ability to identify obscure druginteractions, radiologic procedures andother up-to-date guidelines. With thecombination of medical teaching andonline medication resource sites, li-brarians organized and presented anarray of electronic resources into cus-tomized web portals with the latestdata and information.

“A lot of people didn’t know we ex-isted,” said Adams, who explained thatthe library launched an extensive mar-keting campaign to raise the profile ofthe library. The medical librarian pro-vided 30 department briefs throughoutthe medical center, as well as both theWhite House Clinic and the DilorenzoTricare Health Clinic(LT)http://www.dthc.capmed.mil/(GT) at the Pentagon.

“The Darnall Medical Library hastransformed itself from a repositoryof information into an indispensablepartner in the application of informa-tion to clinical pediatrics,” explainedNavy Cmdr. (Dr.) Gregory H. Gorman,program director, National CapitalConsortium Pediatric Residency.

In an effort to provide library pa-trons with a consistent and seamlessonline search experience regardless ofthe point of access, Adams abandonedthe old information technology plat-form and initiated an upgrade that al-lows users to use a new remote access

system from anywhere on any device,including smartphones and tablets. “Sothe whole library is right on your pador your phone, at your convenience,”the library director explained.

The new website also enables the li-brary to build specialty portals, a kindof “mini library” within each specialty,like pediatrics or oncology, for easyaccess of their favorite resources likejournals and eBooks. The collectionfor each portal is selected in direct col-laboration with the leaders of the med-ical and nursing specialties.

“It’s been a great collection develop-ment tool, helping us to get things theyreally want,” Adams said.

Downloads from individual journalsubscriptions increased 70 percent,while database article downloads andeBook views increased 445 percent.After the upgrade, searches increased242 percent.

In addition to developing specialtyportals, the medical library addedClinical Librarian Sarah Cantrell tothe staff in November 2013. Cantrellintroduced an embedded clinical ser-vice, spending a few days a week with aclinical team such as Internal Medicineor Pediatrics. While with them, she an-swers questions that may come up dur-ing rounds, provides follow-up informa-tion, and shows providers how to findinformation if she’s not available.

The clinical librarian’s interactionis the primary reason for the library’s133 percent increase in literaturesearch requests from fiscal year 2013to fiscal year 2014, according to Adams.Cantrell teaches and provides informa-tion directly at the point of care—at thetime when decisions are being madeabout patient care, or when residents,interns, and physicians need additionalinformation that will help them under-stand all the nuances of their patient’sfull case.

“Her presence on clinical rounding

Darnall Medical Library Named Library of the Year

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher Krucke

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) senior officials and Darnall Medical Li-brary staff members cut the ribbon to re-dedicate the library in February following renovations in thefacility located in Bldg. 1, third floor. The library recently was named Small Library of the Year by theFederal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK).

See LIBRARY page 91050069


The Selective Reenlistment Bonusplan has been updated. Here are sixthings Sailors should know about thenew plan.

1. NAVADMIN 106/15 contains theupdated SRB eligibility and awardlevel. Go read it at www.npc.navy.milto see if you are eligible for a reenlist-ment bonus.

2. The increased award levels areeffective immediately and decreasedlevels are effective 30 days from therelease of the NAVADMIN.

3. Changes to award levels from theSRB plan released last April include: 26award level increases, 25 reductions, 15skills added, and five skills eliminated.An additional two skills were removed,but there is no loss of eligibility for Sail-ors since these skills were rolled intoanother existing SRB skill.

4. SRB provides incentives to Sail-ors with critical skills and experience

to stay Navy. It rewards Sailors whoattain special training in skills mostneeded in the fleet, and helps meetcritical skill reenlistment benchmarksand enhance Navy’s ability to size,shape and stabilize manning. Awardlevels are adjusted as reenlistmentrequirements for specific ratings andskill sets are met.

5. Sailors eligible for a SRB reen-listment are encouraged to work withtheir command career counselors,command master chiefs, and chain ofcommand to discuss timing of reenlist-ment and procedures well before theirEAOS.

6. SRB policy can be found at http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/ca-reer/enlistedcareeradmin/pages/srb.aspx

For more news from Chief of NavalPersonnel, visit www.navy.mil/cnp orwww.navy.mil/local/cnp/.

Navy Selective ReenlistmentBonus 2015 Update

For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,

visit www.dcmilitary.com.

1051014 1051069


NSA Bethesda: From the DeckplatesWhat Does it Mean to be a Mother Serving in the Military?

It’s hard. It’s difficult.I’ve been in the Navyfor 18 years so whenyou have a childwhen you’re seniorand you’ve been do-ing it a little bit lon-ger it’s easier thanwhen you’re youngerand somebody’s ex-pecting you to showup at 7:30.

- Chief Petty OfficerHaneefah McMillian

Being a mom isamazing. Being aworking mom in themilitary - its defi-nitely different and alittle hard.

- Staff Sgt. GabrielaQuiroz

Being an active dutymom, I found it chal-lenging at first … Ihave to find my bal-ance. I feel I’m get-ting better, but itstill gets hard some-times. Being a momis great.

- Chief Hospital Corps-man Erly Umayam

Sacrifice. Priorities.And rememberingwhich order to putthem in so that youcan satisfy both.

- Hospital Corpsman1st Class Kendra Gibbs

It’s rewarding that Ihave that profession-al satisfaction andthat Dylan sees meworking, but it’s alsochallenging whenI have to go awayfrom him ... That’sone thing I will sayabout military kids,is they’re definitelyresilient.

- Maj. Deanna Sheets

It’s kind of difficult;the balance - being aSoldier comes first,but to me being aparent comes first,so it’s just hard tobalance the two, butit’s rewarding to seehow happy he is tosee me.

- Spc. Ricquita Miller

By Capt. MichaelNoyes

OutpatientNutrition Services

Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC) OutpatientNutrition Services (ONS)is venturing into new pa-tient care territory by ex-panding its services intothe realm of telenutrition.

Telenutrition is a revo-lutionary new way forpatients to interact withtheir registered dietitian(RD) over video-telecon-ference technology.

To enhance the patientexperience, telenutri-tion offers patients easeof access to RDs with-out having to travel toWRNMMC. Simply, pa-tients only need to travelto their nearest medicaltreatment facility (MTF),and then they will beconnected to their RD atWalter Reed Bethesda.This saves the patientboth money and time,which has been shownto enhance patient satis-faction ratings. Also, thishelps WRNMMC savemoney and maximize pro-ductive time for their RDsby reducing their require-ment to travel to satellite

clinics or hospitals. Tele-nutrition also allow ben-eficiaries more regular,frequent access to theirRD, which can improvepatient compliance andoutcomes.

Currently, telenutri-tion is only available for

bariatric surgery patientsat Fort Belvoir Commu-nity Hospital (FBCH), butplans are to expand theservice throughout theNational Capital Region(NCR). The service is setto expand its operationsto Fort Detrick (Md.), Fort

Meade (Md.), and Dum-fries Health Clinic (Va.)by the summer.

In addition, WRNMMCOutpatient NutritionServices is working withother MTFs (LandstuhlArmy Medical Center,San Antonio Military

Medical Center, 65thMedical Brigade, and Tri-pler Army Medical Cen-ter) across the Depart-ment of Defense (DOD)to develop a telenutritionpackage that will allowfor a standardized imple-mentation for services at

all facilities throughoutthe DOD.

For more informa-tion about telenutritionservices at WRNMMCand in the NCR, contactCapt. Michael Noyes atmichael [email protected] or 301-400-1975.

‘Telenutrition’ Looks to Improve Habits of Beneficiaries

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) Outpatient Nutrition Services (ONS) is venturinginto new patient care territory by expanding its services into the realm of telenutrition, a new way for patients tointeract with their registered dietitian (RD) over video-teleconference technology.


‘Fairy Tales Come Alive’Hosted by NSAB’s Child Development Centers

Photos by Andrew Damstedt

Children marched, danced and sang popular songs related to fairy tales at the Child Development Centers’ (CDCs) culmination celebra-tion for the Month of the Military Child at a performance April 30 in front of their parents and other audience members. The CDCs’theme was ‘Fairy Tales Come Alive,’ where the toddlers and preschool-age children spent the month doing various activities related tofairy tales.


category, VI took first for “AviationMedicine – Wings for the Doc,” a videoproduced by Sherry White-Royal, dep-uty of video project management.

“I’m really proud of our staff, theycontinue to do tremendous work atthe highest level possible,” said JackLewin, VI director. “Being recognizedby the DOD, in competition with theentire DOD VI community, is an out-standing accomplishment.”

Competing against every compo-nent across the DOD – Navy, Air Force,Army and Marines – the VI Director-ate attributed their recent accomplish-ments to their hard work and excep-tional talents, said Tufekcuioglu. Thisis the second time the team has wonProduction of the Year, and they’vetaken first and second place across theboard in past competitions, he said.They’ve been to the Rome Internation-al Film Festival, where they’ve won inthe past as well.

Tufekcuioglu emphasized that agreat amount of effort went into the18-minute film.

“We spent about two months onlogistics to ensure we would have aneffective shooting schedule,” he said.“We had 17 crew members, 12 actorsand over 60 extras on set.”

The film was shot over the span of14 days at WRNMMC and Naval Sup-port Activity Bethesda, he continued.The story follows leadership as theydeal with a suicide, and discuss whatthey can do to prevent such a tragedyfrom happening again on their watch.

It was challenging to move so manypeople from location to location, hesaid, but the crew worked very hardand spent long days to meet their goal.

“Our team strives to be competitivewhen it comes to video and film pro-duction,” Tufekcuioglu said. “We workvery hard on advancing ourselves.”

Keeping up with the latest trendsin film production, the team conductsweekly production and post-produc-tion classes in-house, covering everytopic from how to direct actors on set,to special effects, editing tricks andsound design, he explained.

“Our industry is always pushing thelimits, and we make sure we keep upwith the latest trends in film produc-tion,” Tufekcuioglu said. “With all thegreat work our staff puts out all thetime, our combined talents made thisone exceptional,” he said, referring tothe suicide prevention video.

Entries were judged by a panel ofmilitary and media organizations, ex-perts in the field of media production,video communication, instructionaldesign and educational technology, heexplained.

When they learned they won Pro-duction of the Year, Tufekcuioglu said,“The entire team was ecstatic. Weknew the competition was stiff, but Ithink everybody, in the back of theirminds, was saying, ‘We got it thisyear.’”

The director also noted the teamrecognized the importance of thisproject, and the message they soughtto convey – preventing suicide in themilitary.

“This project is an incredibly power-ful and important topic, and our en-tire team realized this,” he said. “Ev-erybody on the crew went above andbeyond to make sure this film cameout the way it did. While winning anaward is great in itself, if it can savethe life of just one [service member],that would be the greatest achieve-ment we have ever accomplished.”

BUMEDContinued from pg. 3

From Naval PersonnelCommand Public Affairs

You can help prevent alcohol abuseand the associated consequences bychoosing to drink responsibly everytime you choose to drink. Here’s whatyou need to know:

- Plan ahead for a safe ride home- Don’t try to keep up with others- Know your limit, before you get

thereLast month the Navy also support-

ed Sexual Assault Awareness Month.Approximately half of all sexual as-saults involve alcohol consumption byperpetrator, victim, or both, accordingto the National Institute of AlcoholAbuse and Alcoholism.

Being an active bystander is oneway you can prevent alcohol abuse andsexual assault. If you recognize a po-tentially negative situation, you havethe power to speak up and intervene

before an incident occurs. Protect yourfellow shipmates and help them keepwhat they’ve earned.

This month the Navy will be launch-ing its annual survey in recognition ofthe two-year anniversary of the “KeepWhat You’ve Earned” campaign. Theanonymous survey asks you about anychanges you’ve noticed in the drinkinghabits of your peers and shipmatesand your awareness of alcohol abuseprevention efforts like the Keep WhatYou’ve Earned campaign.

Stay tuned for the launch of thesurvey in the coming weeks. For moreinformation on how you can encourageresponsible drinking, visit www.nadap.navy.mil.

For more resources on sexual as-sault prevention, visit the Sexual As-sault Awareness Prevention MonthWebpage: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/21st_Century_Sailor/sapr/Pages/SAAPM.aspx

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ciation, and spoke highly of the care they received.Among those patients, James Hall described his ex-perience as “outstanding,” having received a totalleft knee replacement. The retired Army lieutenantcolonel said the staff at all levels were “highly moti-vated,” throughout his entire stay.

“What a team they really are,” he said. “By far,this has been the best hospital I’ve ever seen in mylife … I appreciate it so much.”

The veteran, who served in the military from 1961to 1989 as both enlisted and as an officer, said hewill go on to receive physical therapy closer to homeat a medical center in Woodstock, Va. As he pre-pared to discharge from the hospital May 1, he saidhe hopes to return back to work soon, running hisllama farm in the Shenandoah Valley.

Hall also spoke highly of the orthopedic surgeons,including Dr. Gwinn, who also helped Hall’s daugh-ter find a place to stay at the Navy Lodge on NavalSupport Activity Bethesda, home of WRNMMC, soshe could be there for her father after the procedure.

“He’s just wonderful,” Hall said. “It was a greatexperience.”

VETERANSContinued from pg. 1

teams holds us accountable to practicing evidence-based medicine and has more than once appropri-ately re-tailored my team’s approach to a clinicalproblem,” explained Navy Lt. (Dr.) Charles Groomes,a WRNMMC pediatrician.

Cantrell also teaches quarterly workshops, andworks closely with a clinical nurse scientist whoteaches an evidence-based practice course for nurs-es, which includes discussion of resources an helpfulsearch tips Pediatrician Army Capt. (Dr.) TimothyFlynn said he was doubtful that their medical teamswould have time to interact in person with the librar-ian if the clinical librarian didn’t come to them.

When patrons do have time to visit the library, theywill find changes there, too.

A physical library renovation removed old studycarrel desks and incorporated new couches along witha 55-inch flat screen television, incorporating more ofa lounging area. “It gets away from the idea of librar-ies being a repository for books,” Adams said.

“Our goal is to make accessing information as easyand convenient as possible for our patrons. Thereis still a place for the physical library: whether it’sa place to study, use the computers, [or] a place forpeople to meet,” she said.

The DML maintains a collection of 5,500 print vol-umes, 7,500 eJournals and 1,900 eBooks covering thescope of current evidence-based medical, nursing, andallied health literature. The library also maintainsPubMed citations of WRNMMC authors each month.In March, a total 41 citations appeared in publicationssuch as Plastic Reconstructive Surgery and the Jour-nal of General Internal Medicine.

Although the DML is a medical library that doesnot provide recreational titles, the library is open toeveryone, according to Adams, including patients andtheir family members, staffers, or anyone with a CACcard. Individuals only need a library card, which canbe obtained at the library, if they want to check out abook. The library is staffed Monday through Fridayfrom 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Individuals needing materi-als after that time can gain access via the commandduty office.

LIBRARYContinued from pg. 4

at every NDW installation. NSA Bethesda facilitatesexcellence in patient care, training and education forcurrent and future leaders in military medicine forall military services and critical research that chartsthe course of military medicine.

Being ready also means preparing the leaders oftomorrow, which is being done every day at NSA An-napolis. By providing world-class services, a safeworking environment, quality of life, emergencymanagement, fire protection, air and port operations,human resources and advanced training facilitiesthe U.S. Naval Academy leadership can focus on itsmission of developing midshipmen morally, mentallyand physically, and equipping them to become the

Navy’s future leaders.At Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling all five military

service branches are represented as well as a civilianworkforce of nearly 1,400. The diversity of Joint &interagency missions supported at JBAB and work-ing together to achieve a common goal, exemplifies“Be Ready.”

Whether you are an air traffic controller at NASPatuxent River, a management analyst at NDWheadquarters, or a childcare worker at NSA Annapo-lis, the CNOs Sailing Directions are relevant for youand should be a guide in every decision you makeand every action you take. As you do your job tryto think about how what you do fits into the biggerpicture of the CNO tenets: Warfighting First, Oper-ate Forward, and Be Ready. Our contributions to thefleet, family, fighter are how we achieve the CNO’svision.

Thank you for what you do and your professional-ism. You are doing a great job Team 88!

COMMANDANTContinued from pg. 2

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By MC1(AW) Chris KruckeWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

Researchers and caretakers recentlylogged in for real-time interaction dur-ing the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)Educational Forum held online, livefrom the Clark Auditorium at WalterReed National Military Medical Center(WRNMMC) via Defense Connect On-line.

The educational forum was designedto review best practices in the assess-ment and treatment of TBI. Topics in-cluded the Military Health System TBIPathway of Care, key research studiesand findings that will contribute to thebody of TBI knowledge and prevention.

Multidisciplinary health care pro-viders in military treatment facilities,complex polytrauma facilities and com-munity-based Veterans Affairs (VA) fa-cilities participated in this discussionof evidence-based practice and currentresearch.

“We need to continue to expand ourunderstanding of TBI recovery, long termconsequences, effects of rehabilitation ef-forts, and the best ways to manage co-morbid conditions in an effort to improvecare for individuals who have sustainedTBI,” said Dr. Joel Scholten, associatechief of staff for Rehabilitation Services

for the VA Medical Center, Washington,D.C., who served as keynote speaker.

Scholten, who had a close familymember experience a severe head injury,said he was drawn to the field of physi-cal medicine and rehabilitation duringmedical school because he was able to as-sist impaired individuals to achieve their

maximum level of independence.Scholten said every service member

and veteran is unique; therefore, everyindividual who sustains a TBI will haveunique symptoms and need an individu-alized approach to their rehab plan.

“Education, counseling, support andexercise are some of the most importantrecommendations/interventions thatTBI specialists can promote for their pa-tients,” he said. “Medications are rarelythe answer for TBI symptoms.”

Scholten said the DOD and VA havedevoted significant time and assets toproviding TBI care for service membersand veterans, and that “there is an ex-ceptional level of dedication and commit-ment from leadership and frontline staffto provide outstanding care, promoteunderstanding of TBI, and continue toadvance TBI research.”

According to the Defense and Veter-ans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), morethan 18,500 service members sustaineda TBI in the first nine months of 2014.Final data for the year has not yet beenreported.

“Something I find powerful that wasdiscussed during this event is that over80 percent of diagnosed TBI’s in the mili-tary are diagnosed in a non-combat set-ting,” said Heather Kopf, Regional Edu-cation Coordinator, National IntrepidCenter of Excellence (NICoE).

According to Koph, the majority ofthese TBIs are classified as mild andtend to have a quick recovery rate. Sheadded that this population is recoveringat a more local level of care, such as theirunits, bases, clinics, etc.

WRNMMC can see several hundredservice members a year, who tend tohave more complications and co-occur-ring conditions.

“This statistic always resonates withme,” Koph said, “showcasing just howimportant it is to educate people in pre-vention methods and the importance ofseeking care in the case of a possible con-cussion.”

Koph said there are a number of rea-sons why she got into TBI education.

With the combination of her backgroundin psychology and having sustained anumber of mild TBIs herself, she saidshe became very passionate about edu-cating others and helping them under-stand their injury.

“I’ve found that when you educatethose affected by TBI, including families,they tend to feel more in control of theinjury,” said Koph “This education is soimportant in the recovery process.”

This year’s forum also included theDVBIC webinar. Army Maj. Pamela A.DiPatrizio, chief of the Office of Educa-tion Outreach explained that the webi-nar helps reach worldwide audiences,allowing communication between largenumbers of people regardless of theirlocation.

The DVBIC offers monthly educa-tional webinar presentations, providingan opportunity for health-care providersto share their experiences and expertiseabout TBIs with other providers andstakeholders.

“The health care community reapsbenefits as they look to DVBIC as thetrusted resource for TBI information,”said DiPatrizio. “Webinars allow theproviders, community and customers tohear DVBIC talk about what we do best -taking care of our service members, theirfamilies and veterans. It makes us morehuman by enabling them to communi-cate directly with a real person, and notjust viewing a website.”

“Traumatic brain injury can affectanyone and I think that’s why it’s so im-portant to keep these conversations go-ing, because anyone can sustain a TBIand we’re learning more and more everyday about the injury,” Koph said “Themore we’re involved in this discussionand are learning, the better we can carefor and treat those who have sustainedthese types of injuries.”

There are a number of educationalopportunities and resources available onthe DVBIC website at https://dvbic.dcoe.mil, or by contacting Heather Koph [email protected].

Traumatic Brain Injury Educational Forum Links Best Practices, Current Research

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher Krucke

A panel of researchers and caretakers discusses best practices in the assessment and treatment oftraumatic brain injury during a recent Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Educational Forum held in ClarkAuditorium at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

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