Journal 121114

Vol. 26 No. 48 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ December 11, 2014

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class

BrandonWilliams-Church

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer andBernard S. Little

WRNMMC Public Affairsstaff writer

Dec. 5 was a special day foreight Sailors onboard NavalSupport Activity Bethesda.These Sailors representingthe culinary specialist, gun-ner’s mate and master-at-arms ratings were amongthe most recent class to be‘frocked’ to third and secondclass petty officers during aceremony in the Building 17atrium.

Making rank in the Navy isproving to become more dif-ficult by the exam cycle, butthese individuals kept theirheads to the ground and wereselected to advance to thenext rank.

For some, it was their firsttime taking the exam to ad-vance and they aced it, butfor others this would prove tobe their last time being ableto take the exam to advancebecause of reaching high yeartenure (HYT). To those indi-viduals who had reached HYT,not advancing would meanbeing administratively forcedout of the Navy.

Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class(GM3) Hyler Statam was for-tunate enough to advance tothird class on his first attempttaking the exam.

“It means a lot to me mak-ing it first time up because Iwas surprised to see my nameon that list,” said Statam. “Idon’t regret any decisions Imade coming into the Navy.Now that I have that position,I want to take on more collat-eral duties. ”

Hailing from Pensacola,Fla., Statam explained his ap-proach to the exam was break-ing out his ‘gunner’s mate’sbible’ even before the bibliog-

raphy for the GM3 test wasreleased.

“It still hasn’t really sunkin yet,” said Statam. “To me itlooks weird when I look in themirror and see those ‘crows’ onmy collar.”

For Culinary Specialist 2ndClass Jonathan Richardson,the fate of his career in theNavy was hanging in the bal-ance on this exam since reach-ing HYT.

Self-described as a horribletest taker, but an extremelyhard worker, Richardson knewit was’do or die,’ but didn’tcrack under the pressure.

“I’ve been a third class forso long, I was ready to becomea second class petty officer,”said Richardson. “It makes mefeel really good about myself.I believe some people can getfrocked too early, and those

people can lose their careers.You can be given that positionof authority but you may notbe ready for it. For me, thethings that I wanted to fightfor, I am in a position whereI can pull on that rope. I maynot win, but I have that pullnow.”

From the small town of An-derson County, Tenn., growingup, Richardson always had anitch to be in the armed serviceas an adult.

“I grew up in a time of goodcartoons, the early 90s,” saidRichardson. “We had G.I. Joe,Popeye, you know, some car-toons that showed aspects ofthe military. Seeing that, eversince I was a kid, I alwayswanted to be in the service, Ithought I would end up in theArmy because I came from alandlocked town. But, I can

honestly say I am living mydream.”

To reach that next rank,the Navy’s core values and aheavy dose of motivation wasthe common thread among the‘frockees.’

“My goal is to make seniorchief,” said Richardson. “At mylast command, I helped with aretirement ceremony and thesenior chief retiring wantedthe senior chief anchor on hiscake. We didn’t have a pictureof the anchor and had only 12hours to complete the cake. So,I bought the cap anchor piecefrom the uniform shop andtook it to the cake shop wherethey were able to pull it off. Iwent to give the senior chiefthat anchor piece and told him‘this saved the day.’ He told meto keep it because ‘I was goingto be wearing that one day.’ I

keep that anchor piece in mytruck. That is my motivation.When I feel like I am aboutto fail I look at that anchor. Ipulled it off when people saidit couldn’t be done.”

Naval Support Activ-ity Bethesda was not the onlycommand which had Sail-ors reach the next rank. Thebase’s largest tenant commandWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center, frocked nearly90 Sailors before a standing-room-only crowd in MemorialAuditorium on Dec. 4.

“This is a big day for theSailors who will walk acrossthe stage, and it’s a big day fortheir families,” said Brig. Gen.Jeffrey B. Clark, WRNMMCdirector. “This is a family af-fair, [and] what we do is a

NSAB, WRNMMC Frock Sailors to Next Rank

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brandon Williams-Church

Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Jasmin Castro-Roach gets her new collar devices pinned on her by her daughterBrooklyn, 3, during the Naval Support Activity Bethesda frocking ceremony Dec. 5 in the Building 17 atrium.

See FROCK page 10

2 Thursday, December 11, 2014 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, theDepartment of Defense, or the Departmentof 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: Ron InmanPublic Affairs Office: 301-295-1803

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2Ashante Hammons

MC1 Christopher KruckeSarah MarshallKatrina SkinnerSharon Renee Taylor

Managing Editor MC2BrandonWilliams-ChurchWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

NSABethesdaFleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727NSAB Emergency Information Line 301-295-6246

NSAB 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

Navy Medical Corps Town HallRear Adm. Raquel Bono, Navy

Medical Corps chief, will provideadvice on Navy Medicine promo-tions and Fitness Report writing toall Navy Medical Corps officers andtheir supervisors of all services dur-ing a town hall on Monday at noon inthe Walter Reed Bethesda MemorialAuditorium.

Commissary TourTheNutritionServicesDepartment

will host a commissary tour onWednesday beginning at 9:15 a.m.Shuttle pickup is at 8:05 a.m. outsideof the America Bldg. To RSVP or formore information, call 301-400-1975.

Menorah LightingThe Walter Reed Bethesda me-

norah lighting is scheduled forTuesday at 4:30 p.m. in the Bldg.10 quarterdeck (lobby).

Social Network Do’s and Dont’sOnly establish and maintain con-

nections with people you know andtrust. Review your connections of-ten. Assume that anyone can seeany information about your activi-ties, personal life or professionallife that you post and share. Ensurethat your family takes similar pre-cautions with their accounts; theirprivacy and sharing settings can ex-pose your personal data. Avoid post-ing or tagging images of you or yourfamily that clearly show your face.Never post Smartphone photos anddon’t use your face as a profile pho-to, insead, use cartoons or avatars.use secure browser settings whenpossible and monitor your browsinghistory to ensure that you recognizeall access points.

Bethesda Notebook

Happy Holidays! ‘Tis theseason to gather for fellowship;count blessings; celebrate ourfaith traditions; spend time withfamily; support those less fortu-nate; review the past year’s ac-complishments; and resolve toimprove upon shortfalls.

On Thanksgiving more than600 of our Walter Reed BethesdaFamily gathered for fellowshipand a remarkable feast in ourGalley. Thank You to our incred-ible Nutrition Care Team!

On Dec. 3, Congressional, Military HealthSystem (MHS), and National Cancer Institute(NCI) leaders gathered to celebrate the secondanniversary of our Murtha Cancer Center. Thiscelebration closed with NCI, the UniformedServices University (USU), and Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center (WRNMMC)committing to expanding our partnership in thefight against cancer. The potential of this alli-ance is immense for all involved, especially ourpatients.

Over 1,100 of us gathered last Friday for theFirst Annual USU/WRNMMC Unity of EffortHoliday Ball — an incredible “Evening of Ele-gance.” We busted our best moves! Thank You toour superb Holiday Ball Committee!!

Our Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) isan opportunity to donate to the charities of ourchoice and to support those less fortunate. Itconcludes Monday. Sue and I donate annuallyas a significant portion of our annual giving andhope you will consider donating via CFC.

Make no mistake, 2014 was a busy year. Wehave made great strides in fiscal solvency, codingencounters, capturing workload, and transform-ing to a Multi-Service Market. Our ProsperityPlan focused on the well-being of Our People.Our Galley opened with opportunities for fel-lowship and great food at affordable prices. Weestablished a Unity of Effort with USU and nowwork in unison in critical areas: Research; Sim-ulation; Pathology; Fight Against Cancer; TBI;Leadership Development. We received innumer-able Education accolades and Research awards.We trained, drilled, and equipped for our mis-

sion to receive and care for patientsin support of our nation’s operationsin West Africa to contain Ebola.

But, we still have work to do. TheSecretary of Defense directed MHSReview, revealed that our patientsconsider access to care to be militarymedicine’s biggest shortfall — an-swering the phone; timely appoint-ments; parking; finding their way totheir appointment; prompt communi-cation of test results. In essence, theysaid the care is superb but getting tothat high quality care is far too often

not patient-friendly. This is unacceptable. Wemust fix this.

The patient must be the center of all that wedo. Our ability to connect with each patient withwarmth, empathy, dignity, respect, and selflesscommitment is the foundation of high qualityhealth care. Our patients know and trust thatwe have the knowledge, experience, competence,and technical proficiency to provide safe, effec-tive medical care, but we must go beyond that.The Patient Experience must be extraordinaryfor every patient every time — high qualityhealth care begins with patient-friendly access.

This month, after several weeks of gatheringinput, passionate discussion, and talking withpatients and staff, we are introducing our newStrategic Plan and Icon — the ExtraordinaryPatient Experience is the centerpiece of all thatwe do. I ask that each of us think about how thisapplies to us individually, within your section,and our hospital. We need your input — pleasesee our intranet banner.

We indeed have much to be proud of. We kickoff the New Year resolved to put the patient inthe center of all that we do and set the standardin patient friendly access to all that we are privi-leged to serve

Please have a safe and blessed holiday season.Please be as proud of who we are, what we do,and most importantly, how we do it, as I am toserve with you. May God Bless.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey B. Clark, MC, USADirector, Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center

Director’s Column


The Journal Thursday, December 11, 2014 3

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 1st Class (AW)

Chris KruckeWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

Dr. Inge Guen, an AmericanRed Cross (ARC) volunteer atWalter Reed Bethesda (WRB),was recently awarded the 2014National Capital Region (NCR)Outstanding Volunteer Award(OVA) during the ARC Saluteto Service Gala in Washington,D.C.

Guen, a clinical psychologist,is leader of the ARC’s CreativeArts Program of the Services tothe Armed Forces unit at theWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRNMMC).She received the OutstandingVolunteer Award during theARC Oct. 18 gala, alongsideother honorees including the21st Secretary of the ArmyJohn M. McHugh; 43rd ArmySurgeon General Lt. Gen. Pa-tricia D. Horoho; and educator,former scientific researcherand politician Dr. CharleneDrew Jarvis, daughter of Dr.Charles Drew, who pioneeredknowledge about blood storageand plasma still in use today by

the ARC. The ARC collects ap-proximately six million units ofblood annually through its sitesthroughout the country.

Guen is the first recipientof the Outstanding VolunteerAward by the ARC in the NCR.

To earn the award, “the indi-vidual must have consistentlysupported the vision and mis-sion of the ARC,” according tothe selection committee. “Ad-ditionally, the nominee’s workmust have impacted other vol-

unteers and inspired others tovolunteer for the ARC. The hon-oree’s work should be inspiring,courageous, unusual or innova-tive.”

“She more than deserves thisrecognition,” said Marin Rey-nes, senior station manager ofthe Red Cross chapter at WRB.Reynes stated Guen volunteersmultiple days every week, and“is incredibly reliable.”

She added Guen “often talksabout the importance of volun-teers bringing a ray of sunshineand a smile to patients andfamilies. Her energy and posi-tive attitude is contagious, andshe is well known throughout[WRNMMC] for it.”

Guen has volunteered withthe ARC for the past sevenyears and, for the last fouryears, has led the creative artsprogram in which she and oth-ers work with wounded war-riors recovering from injuriesand preparing for the future.

“Seeing the injuries they havesustained, I am in awe of theresilience they display,” Guensaid. “I saw the need to help ourservice men and women whoreturned from the wars in Iraqand Afghanistan and face enor-

mous challenges,” she continued.“I wanted to be at their side tobring comfort and hope.”

In addition to leading thecreative arts program, Guenalso volunteers with the ARCcomfort cart at the medicalcenter. Red Cross volunteerstake the comfort carts, stockedwith toiletries and other items,to all inpatient wards. Reynessaid the volunteers not onlydeliver the items, but bring asmile, encouragement and sup-port to wounded warriors andtheir families.

“[What] I want to instill inthem is a positive attitude fromthe moment they see me,” Guensaid. “The cart has become avery powerful instrument forme personally to bring peace,to bring hope,” she added.

The Red Cross volunteersaid she’s inspired seeing howwounded warriors meet theirchallenges and recover. “Ourown problems in life seem to beso insignificant compared withwhat they face.

“I found out there is no otherpopulation of patients with thislevel of courage, this level ofdignity and this level of resil-ience,” Guen said.”

Red Cross Awards WRB Volunteer With Top Honors

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Dr. Inge Guen (left) and Maryann Dubner displaysome of the artwork made by Walter Reed Bethesda(WRB) patients who participate in the Creative ArtsProgram of the Services to the Armed Forces at themedical center, during the 11th Annual Cancer ArtShow in October at WRB. Guen was recently namedthe 2014 National Capital Region (NCR) OutstandingVolunteer.

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class

BrandonWilliams-Church

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

“Caregiving is about makingsomeone’s life easier,” said USOWarrior and Family Center Di-rector Pam Horton and a localcaregiver at Naval Support Ac-tivity Bethesda (NSAB). “A lotof the [service members] are go-ing through difficult times for awhole host of different reasons.It’s about being able to try andmake a difference in their lives,lifting their spirits a little bitand being a morale booster.”

For the many patients, pa-trons and guests who have hadan experience with a caregiver,this sentiment bears honestand true words.

To give these caregivers theacknowledgement they deserve,TheWarrior Transition Brigade(WTB) held its first CaregiverAppreciation Ceremony Dec. 5at the USO Warrior and Fam-ily Center onboard NSAB, hon-oring more than 30 recipients.

Brigade Surgeon Col. Greg-ory Winn, guest speaker for

the event, began the ceremonyby saying a few words of whatcaregiving means for the WTB.

“Although exhausted theyhave become fierce advocatesfor the care and healing oftheir soldier,” said Winn. “Butthis is not what bothers them.They are committed to gettingtheir soldier through the fight,no failed mission, but struggle

with the guilty thoughts of thesoldier’s time not spent withtheir children and other fam-ily. Doing both is physically notpossible, but somehow they putthose thoughts away and con-tinue to drive on, even whenthere seems to be no light atthe end of the tunnel. As timegoes on, our caregivers sacrificeeverything to ensure their sol-

dier receives the best care pos-sible. They don’t do it for rec-ognition or notoriety; they do itout of love and commitment fortheir soldier. They would do itregardless of the circumstance.If you talk with a caregiver,they will always shy out of thelight and put the attentionback on the soldier. Truthfully,what our caregivers do is amaz-ing. To simplify, the WarriorTransition Brigade would failits mission if it were not for ourheroic caregivers, they are oursafety net. We may see a sol-dier a few hours a day, but theyspend 24/7 with that soldier.We have numerous examples ofour caregivers who save livesafter hours. If you ask a cadremember of the WTB to describewhat he thinks a caregiveris, he will say heroic, brave,strong, proud, reliable, selfless,giving, enduring, resilient, en-ergetic, patient, compassionateand simply amazing.”

For the caregivers, beingsuch means more than simplyproviding attention to the sol-dier in need. It’s a privilegeand an honor to be able to letthe service members know thatpeople still care for and rec-

ognize the sacrifices they aremaking and to help make a dif-ference for them, said Horton.

“Whatever the service mem-ber needs, we try to get that forthem,” said Ted Nettles betterknown as “Papa Bear” of thePatriot Guard Organizationand fellow recipient of recog-nition. “We keep doing whatwe do for the service membersbecause seeing what a wonder-ful country we live in, and howwonderful the men and womenwho serve this country are, isthe reason we are alive and canbreathe the nice air. To see thesmile on their faces makes it allcomplete.”

“For me it’s about being ableto see a change and that youare making a real difference,”said Horton. “To see somebodysmile when they come to meand say ‘hey, I’m having a bet-ter day now,’ and noticing thatyou are really making a change.It doesn’t have to be somethingbig all the time. Sometimes it’sthe little things that make thedifference, like rememberingsomeone’s name, asking themif they are doing okay or tellingthem happy birthday.”

WTB Holds First Caregivers Appreciation Ceremony

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brandon Williams-Church

Caregiver Pamela Horton, USO Warrior and FamilyCenter director (middle) receives the Commander’sAward for Public Service during the Warrior Transi-tion Brigade’s first Caregivers Appreciation Ceremo-ny Dec. 5 at the USO Warrior and Family Center.



By Sarah MarshallWRNMMC Public

Affairs staff writer

To recognize its manyachievements, while fur-thering its collaborationwith the Uniformed Ser-vices University of theHealth Sciences (USU)and the National CancerInstitute (NCI), WalterReed Bethesda’s John P.Murtha Cancer Center(MCC) held its second an-niversary ceremony onDec. 3.Named for the late U.S.

Pennsylvania congress-man who was a lifelongsupporter of America’sarmed forces, the MCCis the only Departmentof Defense (DOD) Centerof Excellence for Can-cer Care in the MilitaryHealth System. It has 16main elements which in-clude Hematology Oncol-ogy, Center for ProstateDisease Research, Gy-necological (GYN) Can-cer Center of Excellence,Breast Care and (CBCP)Imaging Center, Surgi-cal Oncology, RadiationOncology, Dermatology,Thoracic Oncology, andPediatric Hematology andOncology, among others.“The remarkable men

and women of our MurthaCancer Center surroundand embrace each patientand family with expertise,

healing, caring and hope,”explained Walter ReedBethesda Director Brig.Gen. Jeffrey B. Clark.Patients are at the

center of CongressmanMurtha’s commitment toensuring the nation’s he-

roes receive the highestquality, compassionatecancer care, Clark said.Patients are also at thecenter of the medical cen-ter’s collaboration withthe NCI, led by Dr. Har-old Varmus, and USU, ledby Dr. Charles L. Rice.During the ceremony,

Congressional leaders,medical center staff, pa-tients and their familieswatched as Brig. Gen.Clark, Dr. Varmus and Dr.Rice, signed a “Unity ofEffort” document, whichClark said will furthertheir alliance and visionof quality cancer care.MCC Director Col.

Craig Shriver explainedthis unique signing willalso continue fosteringtheir world class exper-tise and capabilities intoa deeper, more expansive,senior-leader endorsedand mutually beneficialrelationship.“[The Unity of Effort]

fulfills a promise to thenation, increases capa-

bilities of all withoutincreasing costs to any,further supports our mil-itary’s readiness, and as-sures all of our patientsthat the best cancer pro-gram anywhere is thecancer program here, atthe John P. Murtha Can-cer Center,” Shriver said.USU president Dr.

Charles L. Rice expressedhis pride in the Universi-ty’s alliance with WalterReed Bethesda and theNCI.“The Cancer Center

brings together superbclinicians, physicians,nurses, pharmacists, psy-chologists ... research-ers, molecular biologists,pharmacologists, bio-chemists, radiation biolo-gists, and so many more,to address the unan-swered questions of can-cers of all types, and thusprovides the next gen-eration hope, that manycancers can be prevented,and those that cannot beprevented, at least not

yet, can be successfullytreated,” Rice said.NCI Director Dr. Var-

mus echoed similar sen-timents. He explainedthe NCI was established77 years ago, but thereis still a long way to goin cancer treatment. Oneway to make progress,though, is to forge alli-ances, such as theirs withUSU and WRB’s MCC, hesaid.“With the creation of

the Murtha Cancer Cen-ter, there are [increased]opportunities for researchin cancer care,” Varmussaid. He looks forward tothese opportunities andtheir continued collabo-ration, he said.During the ceremony,

the MCC also recognizedits many achievements,such as its Breast CareCenter becoming the firstin the DOD to achieve fullaccreditation. The MCCalso started a lung cancerscreening program with aspecial focus on veteransin higher risk categoriesbecause of their militaryservice.“We’ve published re-

sults from treatment oflung cancer here in theMCC that show a 15percent improvement insurvival for lung cancertreatment at MCC, com-pared to other civiliancenters,” Shriver said.Women with breast

cancer also have abouta 20 percent higher sur-

vival if treated at MCC,compared to civilian data,he said.Addit ional ly, the

MCC’s biobanking opera-tion is at the forefront ofidentifying genetic pro-tein changes, targets forcancer treatment, andunderstanding cancer,Shriver said. Throughthe biobanking operation,researchers can obtainhuman tissue specimensfrom properly consentedpatients. The operationhas been accredited bythe College of AmericanPathologists, making itthe only one in the entiremilitary health care sys-tem to achieve such certi-fication and one of only 26in the nation, he said.“We need to have these

resources available forthe family members, ben-eficiaries, retirees andveterans,” Shriver said.“We feel strongly that bypartnering with the worldclass organizations of theNational Cancer Insti-tute, and with the Uni-formed Services Univer-sity, which is America’smedical school, produc-ing phenomenal physi-cians, providing trainingplatforms and havingtremendous researchersof their own, in the ba-sic sciences and cancerfields … there really isno limit to what we cando as three federal orga-nizations.”

Murtha Cancer Center Celebrates 2nd Anniversary, Enhances Collaboration With USU, NCI

Photo by Katrina Skinner

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (right) hugs Joyce Murtha, thewidow of the late U.S. Congressman John P. Murtha (D - Penn.), af-ter whom the only Department of Defense Center of Excellence forCancer Care at Walter Reed Bethesda is named. Pelosi served withMurtha in Congress and spoke at Walter Reed Bethesda Dec. 3.

Photo by Beverli Alford

Col. Craig Shriver delivers remarks during aceremony Dec. 3, commemorating the sec-ond anniversary of Walter Reed Bethesda’sJohn P. Murtha Cancer Center.

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

visit www.dcmilitary.com.



By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

“I need for us all to find a way toown this, and help make it easier forour patients to come on board,” wasthe primary message Rear Adm. (Dr.)Raquel C. Bono delivered to WalterReed Bethesda (WRB) staff members,Nov. 20, during her first quarterlytown hall meeting for fiscal year 2015.

Bono, director of the National Capi-tal Region Medical Directorate (NCR-MD), used the town hall to reempha-size the importance of the region’smarket business plan and initiatives,as she has done during previous townhalls. She encouraged WRB staff totake ownership of the plan, and lookfor ways within their scope of responsi-bilities, to bring beneficiaries back intothe Military Health System (MHS) andreceive their care at NCR-MD militarytreatment facilities (MTFs).

“We need to concentrate on what wehave control over,” Bono said. “Our firstinterface with our patients, whetherit’s over the phone or at the front desk,we need to make sure we’re doing ev-erything possible to convey the impres-sion we want [our beneficiaries] here.We’re creating a relationship with ourpatients so they will entrust us to helpthem find a way to their health andwell-being. That starts with our veryfirst encounter with them.

“We offer the best care, and I wantour patients to have access to the bestcare,” Bono continued. “They deservethe best care, and it is our honor toserve them.”

The admiral added that because theMHS already covers the care of ben-eficiaries in its MTFs, when beneficia-ries go outside of the network for theircare, the Department of Defense’s(DoD) health care system pays againfor that care.

In addition to decreasing deferralsand bringing beneficiaries into theMHS network, Bono discussed othermarket business plan initiatives andprojects during the town hall. Thoseinclude implementing standardizedinternal referral management pro-cesses; improving population health byimplementing Patient-Centered Medi-cal Home (PCMH); optimizing surgicaland operating room utilization; andimplementing and sustaining patientsafety and quality measures.

Bono said she’s seen “tremendoussigns of synergy” in the efforts to ac-complish the market business plan andinitiatives within the NCR-MD. Sherecognized orthopedics and OB/GYN(obstetrics and gynecology) for theirmanagement of deferrals and creating

better access within the MTFs for ben-eficiaries. She explained this is beingdone in a number of ways, includingclinic staff members scheduling ap-pointments, and use of the IntegratedReferral Management and AppointingCenter (IRMAC), which patients cancall at 1-855-227-6331 to schedule ap-pointments at MTFs in the NCR-MD.

Bono added leaders within the mili-tary and Congress are looking closelyat numbers for resourcing the MHSand MTFs. “They are looking at the ac-tual number of patients coming here,and funding of the network,” she said.She explained leaders are asking thequestion, “If the budget is appropriatefor the number of patients being seenwithin the market, and determining if‘right-sizing’ is necessary.”

The patient-centered medical home(PCMH) concept is also designed toimprove care, offer enhanced access,increase primary care and cost man-agement, Bono explained. PCMH looksto allow for better coordination of care;improved communication among medi-cal team members and beneficiaries;focus on preventive care and chroniccare management; and empower activepatient participation.

Bono stated market MTF leadershipis “engaged and committed to ensur-ing our initiatives come to fruition. Weare already beginning to see improve-ments in many areas. It really doesstart with each and every one of youto determine how you can contributeto making it easier for our patients tocome on board,” she added.

Focusing on many of the samethemes as Bono, Rear Adm. Terry J.Moulton hosted his first town hall atWRNMMC on Dec. 2. Moulton is com-mander of Navy Medicine East, anddirector of the Enhanced TidewaterMulti-Service Market Office and Chief,Medical Service Corps.

“You guys are setting the stage for

us,” Moulton said to WRNMMC staffmembers. He explained the joint oper-ations within WRNMMC and the NCR-MD are an example of how militaryhealth care will be delivered through-out the MHS. “We’re really learningto work together, and that was the in-tent [in establishing] the multi-servicemarkets.”

He added the tenets for Navy Medi-

cine East and Naval Medical CenterPortsmouth are similar to those of theNCR-MD initiatives: establishing andcontinuing a culture of safety; align-ment with the Navy surgeon gener-al’s priorities of readiness, value andjointness; implementing Medical HomePort aligned with PCMH and OR utili-zation; and understanding cost of care.

Moulton explained while warriorcare remains a top priority for theDoD,military medicine is also enter-ing into a phase in health care deliverywith greater focus on better access forbeneficiaries, improved coordinationof care throughout the system, andenhanced preventive health and spe-cialty care.

“Keep up the great work,” Moultonsaid to the WRNMMC staff. “You arealready working hard and doing itvery well. Keep the mindset up thatit is about the market, and how do wemake the market successful [not justWRNMMC]. The key to our successin the future will be how well we canmove personnel assets around withinthe market [to better serve our benefi-ciaries].”

Bono: ‘Bring Our Patients Back On Board’Multi-Service Market Leaders Focused on Beneficiaries, Access, Cost

Navy official photo

Rear Adm. Terry MoultonNavy official photo

Rear Adm. Raquel Bono


1042854

6 Thursday, December 11, 2014 The Journal The Journal

By Mass Communication Specialist 2ndClass (SW/AW/IDW) Ashanté Hammons,

NSAB staff writer

A new year approaches, and so does a new schoolyear with new opportunities. Naval Support ActivityBethesda’s (NSAB) Navy College Office hosts threemilitary-friendly schools onsite in Bldg 17: CentralTexas College (CTC), University of Maryland Uni-versity College (UMUC) and Southern Illinois Uni-versity (SIU). All three will start their spring se-mester in January 2015. Eligible students can usetuition assistance (TA), scholarships, the GI Bill andPell grants to cover their costs for tuition, fees, andbooks at these military-friendly schools. “A militarycareer is a good thing to have; however, it is just asimportant to get your education,” says retired 1st Sgt.Johnnie Haynes, site registrar for CTC at Navy Col-lege. “Knowledge is power. Get the education if youwant the opportunity to succeed.”

Central Texas CollegeCTC, based out of Killeen, Texas, and has education

sites all over the world. The two local sites, Joint BaseAnacostia and Bolling in Washington, DC and the onehere, CTC-Bethesda, offer students two-year Associ-ate of Arts and Science degrees in General Studies,Business, Criminal Justice and Child Development.Classes are offered Monday through Friday from lateafternoon until the evening, and on weekends from 9a.m. to 3 p.m. CTC’s spring semester starts Jan. 12.

“Our General Studies program is really popular,”said Dr. Arlena Chaney, PhD, CTC site coordinator atNavy College. “Nursing and physician assistant pro-grams are becoming popular as well. So we have a lotof students enrolling in our various science courses.”

Science courses include Anatomy & Physiology, Sci-ence, Psychology, Biology, Microbiology, Nutrition andDiet Therapy I, Physics and Pre-calculus, Psychologyand Sociology. CTC maintains a high retention rateamong students and has “a strong [group] of scholarsthat teach here on base with lots of experience andexpertise,” said Chaney.

Haynes, a CTC graduate, explained that CTC cur-rently has open enrollment, meaning students canapply for admission to the school. Admission is free.

“Active duty members can receive up to 45 credithours toward their degree based on their military ex-perience,” explained Haynes. “He or she will need tobring in their SMART transcript for an evaluationthat can take four to six weeks. That way, he or shedoes not repeat any courses.”

Once you are enrolled, Chaney explained studentsreceive “EagleMail,” the CTC email account servicefor students that provides them EagleMail access tocertain tools, such as software, needed for classwork.

Haynes emphasized the importance of senior en-listed leaders supporting subordinates’ educationalgoal He also encouraged the chain of command, aswell as subordinates to know about the resourcesthey have available to further their education.

“It is also important for Soldiers [Sailors, Marines,Airmen, Coast Guardsmen] to take the initiativeto further their education,” stated Haynes. “Familymembers, as well as dependents, can take advantageof the military opportunities that it offers when itcomes to education.”

“CTC has many veterans who are enjoying takingclasses, on-base and online; we certify their classesthrough the Department of Veterans Affairs, to en-sure our veterans receive their hard-earned educa-tion benefits,” commented Chaney.

For more information about CTC, visit www.ctcd.edu. Contact Site Registrar Johnnie L. Haynes, Jr.at 301-654-7755 and Site Coordinator Dr. ArlenaChaney, [email protected].

University of Maryland University College(UMUC)

UMUC, a global university offering four-year de-grees up to graduate degrees, has 20 locations in theDC metropolitan area and offers courses online. Regis-tration for UMUC’s spring semester is now open, withclasses starting Jan.12. To register for online classes,prospective students can go online at any time, stopby Navy College or any UMUC site to register for on-site classes. Registration ends four days before sessionstart date for online classes, and for hybrid classes, theday before the session start date.

Session start dates for January vary, depending oncourse format. For example, UMUC offers a variety ofcourses in cybersecurity and business at NSAB.

If prospective students have been out of school forquite some time, Aaliyah El-Amin, military educationcoordinator at UMUC, encourages them to take ad-vantage of the university’s free course offered everysemester.

“It helps students develop their learning plan,” ex-plained El-Amin. “They can look into what they wantto do while they are in school, to set up for their fu-ture.”

UMUC offers hybrid classes, in which students at-tend at least one on-site class and the rest of the class-es can be taken online. Courses are eight weeks andstudents should expect to spend seven to 10 hours perweek studying, according to El-Amin.

“Dedication to one’s studies is important in theclassroom, online, as well as outside of the classroom,”said El-Amin. “It is more than just showing up andlistening to lectures. We want you to be prepared forclass and to be successful.”

According to El-Amin, UMUC has national testingcenters in the local area which accept many of theDANTES and CLEP exams. Like CTC, UMUC offers anevaluation of a service member’s SMART transcript.

“We do offer up to 45 hours of transfer credits foran associate’s degree and up to 90 credit hours for abachelor’s degree,” said El-Amin. “Many of our servicemembers have attended multiple colleges; so we do atentative evaluation. We can do that evaluation righthere onsite. As soon as a student comes in inquiringabout public safety or cybersecurity, we do a tentativeevaluation. We review their joint service transcriptand that gives them an idea of how to get started withthe first semester until we receive official documenta-tion. It takes about four to six weeks to get an officialevaluation complete.”

Although admission to UMUC is not free, the uni-versity hosts frequent open houses in the local area.Prospective students can attend these and the $50 ap-plication fee will be waived.

According to El-Amin, UMUC also hosts webinarsfor military students every second Wednesday of themonth.

For more information about UMUC, visit www.

umuc.edu or contact Aaliyah El-Amin at [email protected].

Southern Illinois UniversityCarbonale, Ill.-based SIU’s educational offerings

range from certificates to Ph.Ds. NSAB’s onsite loca-tion offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health CareManagement. The university also features a businessprogram accredited by the Association to Advance Col-legiate Schools of Business, available online. Registra-tion for its spring semester is currently underway.

“If you’re interested in running a clinic, nurs-ing home, or hospital facility management, this is agreat first step,” said Glynis Pierre-Louis, site liaisonat SIU. “We’d hope that you want to continue on withyour graduate degree. You can walk into a supervisoryposition at a healthcare facility. We provide a greatoverview of the industry and we include classes on theAffordable Care Act, along with current trends in theindustry. We try to keep students abreast of what’scurrently going on.”

Pierre-Louis stated that SIU students interestedin taking seated courses can attend CTC or UMUC,where they can “tailor their list of offers for our stu-dents so that the classes our students need are avail-able through them.” Students can complete their de-gree with the seated classes in four semesters (fall,spring, summer, and fall). As for the online option, stu-dents are looking at completing their degrees in five tosix semesters, according to Pierre-Louis.

“We have two terms per semester,” explained Pierre-Louis. “We offer courses in seated classes here andthey are every other weekend on Saturday and Sun-day. Half of our classes are taught by SIU professorsthat fly here to teach. The other format we offer … isonline, where they can take all of their major class-work.”

As part of the admission process, Pierre-Louis

guides students and prospective students through ev-ery step.

“We do an unofficial evaluation,” said Pierre-Louis.“We repeat them once a year, or even more frequently[if] warranted [by] some special reason. We can enrollmilitary students with unofficial copies and/or mili-tary transcripts. Then they have the rest of the se-mester to turn in their official copies of transcripts.”

SIU has a capstone option for students who havecompleted their associate’s degree in health-relatedfields. According to Pierre-Louis, this program is alittle less stringent.

“It’s still 120 semester hours to graduate but youget some leeway because we know that some of thecourse requirements are different,” explained Pierre-Louis. “This option can save a person nine semesterhours of very specific courses. They can use it for gen-eral electives that save time.”

According to Pierre-Louis, SIU is a Servicemem-bers Opportunity College, known as a SOC school.

“[Previously,) service members would go to allthese places and attend all these classes and have200 credits with no degree,” said Pierre-Louis. “Thatwould happen because catalogs would change and youcan’t expect these people to stay in school steadily orfinish in four years. That’s rare because it’s not theirfirst job. SOC allows them to enter into an agreementwith SIU as to what will be required for their degreeand it gives them seven years instead of four to com-plete their degree with SIU. And that’s to completetheir major coursework.”

For more information about SIU, please visit www.siu.edu. If interested in SIU, please contact GlynisPierre-Louis at [email protected]. Your application fee forthe spring semester will be waived when you applyto SIU on Dec. 17 if you submit your unofficial tran-scripts between now and then.

New Year, New GoalsPursue Your Education with Colleges at NSAB

Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ashanté Hammons

Dr. Arlena Chaney Central Texas College (CTC) site coordinator at Naval Support Activ-ity Bethesda, advises future student Hameed Akeebadu with tuition assistance and classregistration forms for the upcoming spring semester. CTC offers two local sites: one hereat Bethesda and the other at Joint Base Anacostia and Bolling in Washington, DC. CTC’sspring semester starts Jan. 12.

Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Colleen Dibble, assigned to Naval Support Activity Bethesda Se-curity, looks at University of Oklahoma website for graduate courses for next semester [atNavy College].

Thursday, December 11, 2014 7

Get Your Education!


By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

Recognized for his workin infectious disease preven-tion for U.S. service members,Col. Peter Weina, departmentchief of research programs atWalter Reed Bethesda (WRB),recently received the 2014 Ma-jor Jonathan Letterman Medi-cal Excellence Award from theNational Museum of Civil WarMedicine.Weina received the award

during a recent ceremony inBethesda, Md. The NationalMuseum of Civil War Medicineannually presents the awardto an individual whom theydetermined have led innova-tive efforts in improving out-comes for patients with cata-strophic injuries or developingnew medical technologies toassist Armed Forces membersor severely wounded civilians.Weina was nominated for

the Letterman award by re-tired Army Col. AlexanderStojadinovic, currently themedical director for the BonSecours Cancer Institute inRichmond, Va. Stojadinovicwas the Combat Wound Ini-tiative director before passing

that torch to Weina in January2013.In nominating Weina for

the Letterman award, Stoja-dinovic stated, “I have knownColonel Weina for my entiremilitary medical career. [He]has dedicated his entire ca-reer to advancing militarymedicine. His dedication, pas-sion, and concerted efforts toimproving the treatment ofinfectious diseases affectingour troops have enhanced thehealth and quality of life forboth our military and civilianhealth care beneficiaries.”Stojadinovic went on to

make note of Weina’s effortsin the areas of malaria andleishmaniasis. He said Weinahas “sought to modernize andadvance the treatment” ofmalaria, which proves a chal-lenge for deployed militarypersonnel to certain regionsaround the globe and remainsendemic in various regions ofSub-Saharan Africa and theMiddle East.”

Concerning leishmania,Stojadinovic noted Weina de-termined this could pose athreat to deployed troops dur-ing Operation Iraqi Freedom1, and established active sur-veillance to “seek, identify, di-agnosis, and treat hundreds ofcases of leishmaniasis that ul-timately had minimal impacton combat operations during acritical period in the openingaspects of the war in Iraq.”A Wisconsin native, Weina

said he was inspired to pur-sue medicine by his mother, anurse for 40 years.“I have been drawn to the

sciences and to medicine mostof my life,” he added. “I be-came fascinated with para-sites early in my military ca-reer, while still a private atFort Hood, Texas.”Weina also explained his

decision to join the militarywas a legacy he inheritedfrom generations of his familymembers who did the same.“I quickly learned to love

the military and the opportu-nities that being in the mili-tary gave me. I was able toget an education, to make acontribution to something big-ger than myself, and feel ev-ery day like I was not ‘going towork’, but doing what I loved,”said the colonel.With more than 38 years in

the military, the colonel ex-plained he would like contin-ue to move research forwardat WRB and contribute to im-proving the care to beneficia-ries, “who deserve the best wecan give them.”The National Museum of

Civil War Medicine’s MajorJonathan Letterman Awardwas established to celebrateLetterman’s work as medicaldirector of the Army of thePotomac. He is credited withestablishing a more systemicuse of surgeons and supplieson the battlefield during theCivil War.

Research Department Chief Earns Medical Excellence Award

Civil War Medicine Museum Recognizes Walter Reed Bethesda Colonel

U.S. Army official photo

Col. Peter Weina



In the coming months, theNavy will honor thousands ofSailors and Navy civilians withSailor, Junior Sailor, Bluejacketand Civilian of the Year honors.

Through a new program, theNavy Office of Community Out-reach (NAVCO) stands ready tohelp commands throughout theNavy share these stories witheach honoree’s home town me-dia.

NAVCO has developed anddeployed a new hometown me-dia outreach program to sharecontent with media acrossAmerica. In 2014, using cre-ative procedures and leverag-ing an industry-standard me-dia access suite, nearly 4,200stories and photos have beenplaced in Sailors’ hometownmedia across the country, witha cumulative audience of near-ly 73 million -- almost a quarterof the U.S. population.

Commands can take advan-tage of this service by simplysubmitting Sailor of the Yearand similar stories and pho-tos, which are likely beingproduced for internal mediaalready, to NAVCO via email

at [email protected]. Besure to include hometown cit-ies and states, and NAVCO willshare the stories with the fea-

tured Sailors’ hometown mediaacross the country. NAVCO willalso provide each participatingcommand a media feedback re-

port with links to all coverage.“We’ve all seen the commer-

cial featuring the big red ‘Easy’button,” said Cmdr. James

Stockman, NAVCO director.“Think of the NAVCO MediaOutreach program as your ownpersonal ‘Easy’ button for get-ting your best Sailors and Navycivilians recognized in theirhometown media.”

NAVCO’s hometown mediaoutreach program helps tell theNavy story through the eyes ofindividual Sailors or Navy ci-vilians by leveraging the tiesthey have to their home townsacross the country. No otherfactor creates more marketabil-ity when highlighting personalachievements than a commu-nity’s local tie with a Sailor orNavy civilian. The program isone of many NAVCO employsto increase Americans’ under-standing of the Navy, its peopleand its importance to nationalsecurity and prosperity. An an-cillary but no less significantbenefit is the positive impact onthe morale of the participatingSailors and Navy civilians.

For any questions, pleasecontact Glenn Sircy at (901-874-5806) or [email protected].

New Program Offers Hometown Media Recognition for Sailors and Civilians of the Year

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Corey T. Jones

Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, greets and congrat-ulates Ship’s Serviceman Seaman Idaresit Udofia, the Bluejacket of the Yearaboard the guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53).


1042698


family affair. Said another way, there isno greater patriot than the family of anAmerican service member,” he added.

“It is good for us to gather, and todaywe gather for the frocking ceremony of[our] Sailors,” the general continued.“Promotion is recognition of potentialto serve in the next rank,” Clark said.The general stated he spoke with thoseSailors frocked before the ceremony,and explained his and WRNMMC Com-mand Master Chief Tyrone Willis’ ex-pectations of them.

“Each will lead. Each will be a rolemodel of our core values. Each will takecare of those they are privileged to lead.And each will keep those we are privi-leged to serve — our patients — at thecenter of all that we do. Command Mas-ter Chief Willis and I expect and willhave nothing less.”

Eighty-six Sailors were frocked tofirst, second and third class petty offi-cers in their rates during the ceremony.In addition to being proficient in theirjobs and hard work, key to their pro-motions was successfully studying fortheir advancement exams. Those newly-promoted Sailors explained they under-stand the significance of their achieve-ment and new responsibilities.

“Words cannot describe the feelings I

have about being promoted,” said Hos-pital Corpsman 1st Class (HM1) AnnieA. Martin. “I am truly happy and hum-bled for being promoted to petty officerfirst class. My reasons for these feelingsare because if it wasn’t for my faith inGod and the help of my shipmates, Iwould not be the person and leader Iam today.”

The new first class petty officer add-ed, “My responsibilities now that I havebeen promoted continue to be takingcare of my Sailors, Soldiers and Airmenwhile supporting the command mission,vision and guiding principles, but alsonot forgetting to take care of myselfand my daughter while upholding theNavy core values.”

Information Systems TechnicianSecond Class (IT2) Daniel L. Warshawshared similar sentiments about hispromotion.

“I feel grateful to be selected for therank of IT2; it brings the culminationof hard work full circle, and I can rec-ognize that the way I conduct myself iskeeping with what the Navy is lookingfor in future leaders,” Warshaw said. “Ihave worked hard taking on a lot of re-sponsibilities, dedicating numerous off-duty hours, and now it all has paid off,”he added.

“My new responsibilities as a secondclass petty officer are to set the examplefor and lead those under me to be thebest they can be led, and the best I amable to lead them,” Warshaw said.

FROCKContinued from pg. 1


1043199T6619020

Rockville


1038048

2014 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 Sport Utility


Documents

Journal 121114