By Elaine Wilson American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2011 -White House officials released areport that unveils a new, gov-ernmentwide approach to mili-tary family support and details asweeping, interagency effortunder way to strengthen familiesand enhance their well-beingand quality of life.

President Barack Obamaannounced the results of a near-ly yearlong review of militaryfamily support today in a WhiteHouse ceremony attended by theDefense Department’s top brass,including Defense SecretaryRobert M. Gates, Navy Adm.Mike Mullen, chairman of theJoint Chiefs of Staff, servicechiefs and their spouses.

From child care to health careto spouse employment, thereport -- titled “Strengtheningour Military Families: MeetingAmerica’s Commitment” --identifies the key issues militaryfamilies face and presents pro-grams and resources govern-ment agencies plan to roll out inthe coming months to addressthem.

“This document is the commit-

ment to our military families notonly of this government, but thisnation in terms of their support,their care and their empower-ment,” Robert L. Gordon III,deputy assistant secretary ofdefense for the Pentagon’soffice of military communityand family policy, told thePentagon Channel and AmericanForces Press Service in a recentinterview.

The report outlines four keyareas that the governmentwideeffort plans to address: enhanc-ing military families’ well-beingand psychological health, devel-oping military spouse career andeducation opportunities, increas-ing child care availability andquality and ensuring excellencein military children’s educationand development.

“We’re bringing together ouragencies, our whole of govern-ment, with our whole of nationto focus on those four priorityareas,” Gordon said. “The DoDcan’t do this alone; it does takea whole-of-nation approach.”

Gordon cited counseling serv-ices as an example of the bene-fits of an interagency effort.While the Defense Departmentoffers counseling throughMilitary OneSource and within

military support centers andcommunities, “we can expandthose services and activitieswith partnership with other sortsof sectors,” he said.

The report addresses plans forexpanded counseling services indetail, which will greatly benefitmilitary families, Gordon noted.Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than2 million service members havedeployed to Iraq or Afghanistanin an unprecedented frequency,the report said, and, along withservice members, military fami-lies also are vulnerable todeployment-related stress. Thereport cited a 2010 study thatreports an 11 percent increase inoutpatient visits for behavioralhealth issues among a group of3- to 8-year-old children of mili-tary parents and an increase inbehavioral and stress disorderswhen a parent was deployed.

“We do need to pay attentionto the socio-emotional supportof our kids,” Gordon said, not-ing the impact of long parentalseparations due to deployments.He also acknowledged the addi-

tional responsibilities the spouseback home must shoulder in themilitary member’s absence.

“We have devised ways aheadas a government and ... in part-nership with the other sectors todo something about that,” hesaid.

The report also lays out newand improved programs toincrease behavioral health careservices for military families inthe coming months. TheVeterans Affairs and Defensedepartments, for example, areslated to implement a multiyearstrategy to promote early recog-nition of mental health condi-tions that includes education andcoaching for family membersand integration of mental healthservices into primary care, thereport said.

DoD officials also are workingto boost the number of mentalhealth providers and to increasequality of care. In one effort, aTRICARE military health planworking group is undertaking a

THE EXAMINER

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Did you know?...

Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital

“Serving with Pride and Professionalism”

You have the right toexpress your concerns

about patient safety and qual-ity of care.

There are several avenuesopen to you:

* Through the ICE web-site.

* Through the NavalHospital Customer CommentCards.

* The Hospital’s CustomerRelations Officer at 760-830-2475, or any of the CustomerRelations representatives inthe hospital’s clinics.

Or Directly to the JointCommission via:

E-mail atcomplaint@jointcomission.org

Fax:Office of Quality Monitoring630-792-5636

Mail:Office of Quality MonitoringThe Joint CommissionOak Renaissance BoulevardOakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nhtp/pages/default.aspx

An Award Winning Publication

Patients seen in December -- 8,960Appointment No Shows in December -- 769

One in ten patients do not show up for their appointments atthis hospital. If an appointment is no longer needed, please callso another patient can be seen.

To make an appointment call -- 760-830-2752To cancel an appointment call -- 760-830-2369

White House Unveils New Approach to Military Family Support

Tips for Safely Using Social MediaBy Dan Barber, Public Affairs OfficerRobert E. Bush Naval Hospital

Since June of 2009 Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms has beenusing Social Media to communicate to beneficiaries. This com-munications is important because we have a responsibility to

inform our customers of the services that we offer to them.It’s also nice to be able to share the accomplishments of our com-

mand and staff who provide those services.The hospital was the first command in Navy Medicine to use social

media as one of its communications channels, but with this communi-cation source comes a great deal of responsibility to make sure thatproper information is sent out because anyone in the world can accessthe information that we choose to share.

It is also important for the users of social media to be aware of thepersonal information they share. As stated previously, everyone has

Continued on page 7

Continued on page 8

Martha Hunt, MA CAMFHealth Promotions and WellnessRobert E. Bush Naval Hospital

Heart attack is a leadingkiller of both men andwomen in the United

States. A heart attack occurswhen blood flow to a section ofheart muscle becomes blocked.If the flow of blood isn’trestored quickly, the section ofheart muscle becomes damagedfrom lack of oxygen and beginsto die. Everyone should knowthe warning signs of a heartattack.

Keep this list of warning signshandy and be especially sure to

keep contact information in yourwallet. It can help save a life--maybe your own. The heartattack warning signs include:chest discomfort, uncomfortablepressure, squeezing, fullness, orpain in the center of the chestthat lasts more than a few min-utes, or goes away and comesback. Symptoms can alsoinclude discomfort in otherareas of the upper body whichmay be felt in one or both arms,the back, neck, jaw, or stomachand shortness of breath thatoften occurs with or beforechest discomfort. Other signsmay include breaking out in acold sweat, nausea, or light-

headedness.Fast Action Saves Lives... If

you or someone you are withbegins to have chest discomfort,especially with one or more ofthe other symptoms of a heartattack, call 9-1-1 right away.Don’t wait for more than a fewminutes...5 minutes at most...tocall 9-1-1. If you are havingsymptoms and cannot call 9-1-1,have someone else drive you tothe hospital right away. Neverdrive yourself, unless you haveabsolutely no other choice.

Be sure to have a heart attacksurvival plan which includesinformation to share with emer-gency personnel and hospital

staff that includes both the med-icines you are taking and medi-cines you are allergic to. Ifsymptoms stop completely inless than 5 minutes, you shouldstill call your health careprovider.

Be sure to have a list in yourwallet of your day, evening andcell phone numbers as well asthe name and phone numbers ofyour primary care provider andof your insurance policy num-bers. If you carry a cell phone,list the phone number of whoyou want contacted in case ofemergency under “ICE” -- “InCase of Emergency” - so thatmedical and rescue personnel

can contact this person easily.Another good place for thisimportant information is in a ziplock bag in the fridge. Then ifyou are unconscious, emergencyresponders can easily find theinformation they will need tosave your life.

The best way to avoid a heartattack in the first place is to: notuse tobacco, eat a proper diet,take real steps to get better sleepand reduce your stress and getplenty of exercise. It also helpsto know your other risks factorssuch as family history of heartdisease and diabetes.

For more information on quit-ting tobacco contact your pri-mary care provider or call healthpromotion and wellness at (760)830-2814, have your providerplace a referral for you to theregistered dietitian and contactthe gyms for information onpersonal trainers and exerciseplans appropriate for you.

2 -- The Examiner -- February 2011

Published by Hi-Desert Publishing, a private firm in no way connected with the Department of Defense, the UnitedStates Marine Corps, United States Navy or Naval Hospital, Twentynine Palms under exclusive written contract withthe Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command. The appearance of advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the United States MarineCorps, the United States Navy or Hi-Desert Publishing of the products or services advertised. Everything advertisedin this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor of the pur-chaser, user or patron. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, thepublisher shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. Editorial content is preparedby the Public Affairs Office, Naval Hospital, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Commanding OfficerCaptain Ann Bobeck, MSC, USN

Executive OfficerCaptain Michael Moeller, MC, USN

Command Master Chief (acting) HMCS (FMF) Rodney Ruth, USN

Public Affairs Officer/EditorDan Barber

Command OmbudsmanValatina Ruth

Care Line 830-2716Cell Phone (760) 910-2050

The Examiner welcomes your comments and suggestions concerning the publication. Deadline for submission ofarticles is the 15th of each month for the following month’s edition. Any format is welcome, however, the preferredmethod of submission is by e-mail or by computer disk.

How to reach us...Commanding Officer Naval HospitalPublic Affairs OfficeBox 788250 MAGTFTCTwentynine Palms, CA 92278-8250Com: (760) 830-2362DSN: 230-2362FAX: (760) 830-2385E-mail: dan.barber@med.navy.milHi-Desert Publishing Company56445 Twentynine Palms HighwayYucca Valley, CA 92284Com: (760) 365-3315FAX: (760) 365-8686

February Is Heart Health Month! Do You Know The Signs Of A Heart Attack?

The Four Risks You Didn’t Know About Cervical Cancer

By Shari LopatinTriWest Healthcare Alliance

You may have heard that a virus called HPV is a risk factor forcervical cancer, but did you know taking birth control pills canbe one too?

While the best way to survive cervical cancer is to catch it early byscreening regularly with a Pap test, here are four lesser-known riskfactors for this disease:

Birth Control PillsAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), using birth control pills for five years or more can increaseone’s risk for cervical cancer. However, the American Cancer Societystresses that the risk returns to normal about 10 years after the pillsare stopped.

Giving Birth to Three or More ChildrenAlthough no experts can pinpoint why this is a risk factor, the

American Cancer Society’s website explains a few theories:A. Studies have indicated hormonal changes during pregnancies

could make a woman more receptive to HPV or developing cancer. B. Pregnancies might weaken a woman’s immune system, also mak-

ing her more susceptible to HPV infection or cancer development.

HIVAccording to the CDC, having HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, or

another condition that makes it hard for the body to fight infection isa risk factor for developing cervical cancer. The American CancerSociety states that HIV also makes it more difficult for the body tofight off the HPV infection, which is a large risk factor for cervicalcancer.

Smoking“Women who smoke are about twice as likely as non-smokers to get

cervical cancer,” the American Cancer Society website says. This isbecause smoking exposes the body to cancer-causing toxins and ele-ments that affect other organs, besides the lungs.

Above all else, remember to get regular Pap tests to screen for cervi-cal cancer. They are a TRICARE-covered benefit, so take advantageof them.

For more healthy living tips and news articles, follow TriWest onFacebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/triwest,www.twitter.com/triwest.

‘...The best way to avoid a heart attack in thefirst place is to: not use tobacco, eat a proper

diet, take real steps to get better sleep andreduce your stress and get plenty of exercise...’

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2011 -Wouldn’t it be fantastic to getthe old-fashioned kind of healthcare, in which the doctor knewyou and your family and kepttrack of your medical condition,but with the additional conven-ience and access to health careinformation that modern tech-nology provides?

That’s exactly what the TRI-CARE health insurance programis striving to provide as it rollsout the new patient-centered“medical home” concept to anincreasing number of its benefi-ciaries, Navy Rear Adm.Christine S. Hunter, MC, the topTRICARE officer, toldAmerican Forces Press Service.

Civilian medicine hasembraced the medical homeconcept, which introduces ateam approach to health careand establishes a consistent,long-term relationship betweenpatients and a provider team,Hunter explained.

The TRICARE ManagementActivity began introducing the

concept last year. Already,655,000 of its 9.5 million bene-ficiaries are enrolled in the med-ical home concept. Hunter’sgoal is to increase that numberto 2 million by the end of 2011.Within the next several years,she said, she hopes to see asmany as 3 million beneficiariesin enrolled in the concept.

The Air Force was the firstservice to begin introducing theconcept through its FamilyHealth Initiative. The Navy fol-lowed with its Medical HomePort. The Army followed withits Army Home for Health pro-gram, which focused initially onwounded warriors but now hasexpanded.

In addition, 750 TRICAREnetwork providers are now certi-fied as medical homes.

In some cases, participation isvoluntary, with facilities offer-ing beneficiaries the option tojoin as medical home teams arestood up. In other cases, entiresites have transformed into med-ical homes, with all of their ben-eficiaries assigned to medicalcare teams.

Regardless of how the concept

is introduced, Hunter called it awin-win situation for everyoneinvolved.

Patients are assigned to a med-ical home team that typicallyconsists of a doctor, a physi-cian’s assistant, a nurse andmedical technicians. Together,they partner with the patient tosupport a comprehensive healthcare plan, Hunter said.

This improves the patientexperience, she added, by fixingwhat many beneficiaries call ashortcoming of TRICARE aswell as many other health careprograms: never seeing the samehealth care provider twice.

That too often put patients inthe position of having to explainand re-explain the same issue orconcerns to every new doctor,Hunter said. As a result, sheexplained, they were likely tofocus only on immediate con-cerns -- what brought them intothe doctor’s office -- instead oflong-term health maintenanceand wellness goals.

Under the medical home con-cept, every member of theprovider team has access to thebeneficiary’s medical records,

and works collaboratively withthe rest of the team to providethe best care possible, she said.

When patients visit a hospitalor clinic or call in with a ques-tion or concern, they see or talkto a member of that team -- notanother health care providerwho steps in because thepatient’s provider is unavailable.And if the patient needs to bereferred to a specialist, the teammakes the referral and tracks theresults.

Ultimately, the patient receivesbetter, comprehensive care and abetter overall health care experi-ence, Hunter said.

And because the medical homeconcept puts heavy emphasis onpreventive medicine, it helps toaddress problems before theyescalate, Hunter added. Not onlydoes this make beneficiarieshealthier, she said, it alsoreduces the need for catastroph-ic and expensive medical inter-vention.

Meanwhile, the patient-cen-tered medical home concepttakes advantage of new elec-tronic tools to further improvecommunication between patientsand their health care teams.Patients can use these technolo-gies to schedule appointments,get prescription refills or havehealth care questions answered.

And if they need to contact ahealth care provider after nor-mal duty hours, they can do sovirtually. That reduces the likeli-hood that they’ll report to theemergency room because theydon’t know where else to go,Hunter said.

The health care team, in turn,can use these technologies to

remind patients when it’s timefor a checkup, test or inocula-tion or to deliver lab results andexplain what they mean. Theyalso can use them to provideinformation and coaching tobeneficiaries working to loseweight, quit smoking or achieveother longer-term health mainte-nance or wellness goals.

Ultimately, Hunter said, themedical home concept supportswhat she calls TRICARE’s“quadruple aim.”

“We want to have readinessfor the military members andtheir families, and we want todo that through the best possiblehealth (for beneficiaries) andenhance the patient experience,”she said. “And then we want todo so at a responsible cost.”

Cost considerations make theconcept particularly attractive asDefense Secretary Robert M.Gates seeks ways to controlhealth care costs that are eatingaway an ever-increasing per-centage of the DefenseDepartment budget.

But Hunter said the best partof the patient-centered medicalhome concept is that it puts ben-eficiaries’ interests first.

“You are getting quality, youare getting a good patient expe-rience, and then the cost (ofdelivering health care) will natu-rally follow,” she said. “Ifpatients are healthy, the cost islow. ... So if you do the rightthing for the patient and then weget to health, cost will follow.”

Note: The Robert E. BushNaval Hospital has establishedit’s Primary Care Clinics in theMedical Home model.

By Mike WalbertTriWest Healthcare Alliance

Enrolling into the TRICARE WestRegion now has the feel and ease of

signing a credit card transaction at the mar-ket or department store.TriWest Healthcare Alliance, theDepartment of Defense contractor thatmanages TRICARE for the 21-state WestRegion, has rolled out electronic signaturepads to nearly all of its TRICARE ServiceCenters (TSC) at West Region offices,bringing convenience to customers.

How It WorksRather than flipping through pages offorms to sign, beneficiaries now can signtheir enrollment, allotment and drive-timewaiver forms on the electronic pad, click tosubmit and it’s done.Once the signature is submitted, the docu-ments are electronically transmitted to

TriWest’s enrollment department, wherebeneficiaries are entered into the system.Other advantages include:* If a record needs to be located, electronicforms can be found much faster than apaper form.* Electronic signature process helps reducethe amount of paper used; however, WestRegion beneficiaries can still receive aprint-out for their records.“We’re excited about this automatedprocess because it’s extremely easy for ourbeneficiaries to use,” said TriWestPresident and CEO David J. McIntyre, Jr.“We recognize the enrollment process cansometimes be complicated. By streamliningit with electronic signatures, we’re helpingto make the entire process more convenientfor our customers.”For more, follow TriWest on Facebook andTwitter: www.facebook.com/triwest andhttp://twitter.com/triwest.

The Examiner -- February 2011-- 3

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‘Medical Home’ Concept Improves Care, Controls Costs

Sign, Click, Submit -- TRICARE Enrollment Process Streamlined

4 -- The Examiner -- February 2011

Super Stars...

Lieutenant Commander Alice Moss, Pharmacist, takes the oath andis promoted to her current rank.

Lieutenant Commander Anne Jarrett, Audiologist, takes the oathand is promoted to her current rank.

Hearing Conservation Tech Training Held

In December a Hearing Conservation Technician Course was held at the Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital.The course is taught quarterly, certifying personnel to operate hearing conservation test equipment andmanage hearing conservation programs.

Students who attended the December course learned the rationale behind and significance of, the HearingConservation Program mandated by the Department of Defense, Navy, and Marine instructions. “Thismonth’s class included six, platoon level, Navy Corpsmen from the 3rd BN 7th Marines. These Corpsmenare taking back to their command the tools needed to protect their Marines’ hearing and run a very viablehearing conservation program that other units may want to emulate” said Daniel Mulvihill of the MarineCorps Air Ground Combat Center Center Safety.

There are five basic elements of a hearing conservation program: 1) identify hazardous noise, 2) reduce or eliminate noise when possible through engineering controls, 3) ensure audiometric testing of exposed personnel,4) provide hearing protection devices to exposed personnel, and 5) educate individuals about the importance of preserving good hearing and the dangers of hazardous

noise. Students who attended the week long certification course spent 2 and a half days in the classroom with

Active Duty Audiologist Lieutenant Commander Anne Jarrett and 2 and a half days at the Naval HospitalHearing Conservation Booth working with Lead Hearing Conservation Technician Andrew Wagner.“Learning about hearing and hearing loss, the physics of sound, sound measurement, and program manage-ment gives students the basic foundation needed to understand why hearing health is so vital to militaryreadiness and quality of life” said Jarrett.

As Lead Technician at the Naval Hospital, Mr. Wagner is dedicated to ensuring his students learn how toaccurately run the hearing test booth and proper instruct patients on their hearing results. “I have the phi-losophy of See One, Do One, and Teach One. I guide students through this process over and over until Ican ensure that they have what it takes to properly and accurately run the booth”, said Wagner.Occupational Health Nurse Ms. Shannon Cannon said that Mr. Wagner really takes the time to explain theresults to students and patients. His care and dedication to hearing conservation is a credit to NavalHospital Twentynine Palm. “Hearing Conservation Technicians are the heart of the program because theycan make the impact seeing the masses of people through the hearing test booth. There are only two audi-ologists on base and we only see individuals when unfortunately it is too late”, Jarrett.

Students Hospitalman Martin Fisher and Ryan Riemann commented “Now we can interpret an audiogramand can explain audiograms to medical laymen. The course has helped us understand the hearing conserva-tion program and provided us with the skills and tools needed to help our personnel retain their hearing.”

Spreading the news about hearing conservation among Marines is important because the potential forhearing loss due to hazardous noise exposure during training and deployments is real. The dangers of haz-ardous noise exposure during recreation is also real due to off the job shooting and hunting, night clubs,concerts, use of home power tools, and other noisy recreational activities. “I have seen some youngMarines coming into the military with mild permanent hearing loss due to recreational shooting withouthearing protection at a young age” said Jarrett. “There is a great misconception about wearing hearing pro-tection: can’t hear with them on, they are uncomfortable, individuals who wear them are seen as “weak,etc.” Yes, there are some hurdles to adjusting to hearing protection devices (HPDs) but there are severaldifferent approved types available. The best hearing protection is the one that is worn and worn consistent-ly and properly. It can take one gunshot to cause permanent hearing loss. You either wear the hearing pro-tection now or live with permanent hearing loss for the rest of your life. For military readiness on deploy-ments, good hearing can make a difference in a life and death situation not only for the individual’s person-nel safety but also the safety of their team members’ indicated Jarrett

The week long hearing conservation certification course provided corpsmen with valuable knowledge andskills to take back to their platoon. HM2 Manjarrez from 3/7 BAS indicated that “Although I was renewingmy certification I learned some-thing new from the class. One ofour biggest challenges withhearing conservation is a lack ofeducation and understandingabout noise exposure and hear-ing loss. The more tools we arearmed with and can teach toothers, the more we can make adifference.”

For more information onupcoming hearing conservationcertification courses, contact Lt.Cmdr. Anne Jarrett, audiologistat Robert E. Bush NavalHospital at 830-2002.

Lead Hearing ConservationTechnician Andrew Wagner teach-es students in the proper use of the

audiology booth at the NavalHospital.

Health Affairs

Dr.Jonathan Woodsontook the oath ofoffice Jan. 10, 2011

to become the next assistant sec-retary of defense for HealthAffairs and director, TRICAREManagement Activity.

Dr. Jonathan Woodson took theoath of office today to becomethe next assistant secretary ofDefense for Health Affairs anddirector, TRICAREManagement Activity. Dr.Woodson was nominated byPresident Obama in April 2010and recently confirmed by theUnited States Senate.

As assistant secretary,Woodson will administer themore than $50 billion MilitaryHealth System budget and serveas principal advisor to the secre-tary of Defense for healthissues, ensuring the effectiveexecution of the Department ofDefense medical mission. Hewill oversee the development ofmedical policies, analyses, andrecommendations to theSecretary of Defense and theundersecretary for Personneland Readiness, and issue guid-ance to DoD components onmedical matters. He will alsoserve as the principal advisor tothe undersecretary for Personneland Readiness on matters ofchemical, biological, radiologi-cal and nuclear medical defenseprograms and deployment mat-ters pertaining to force health.

In addition, as assistant secre-tary, he will co-chair the ArmedServices Biomedical Research

Evaluation and ManagementCommittee, which facilitatesoversight of DoD biomedicalresearch. He will also exerciseauthority, direction and controlover the Uniformed ServicesUniversity of the HealthSciences; the Defense Center ofExcellence for PsychologicalHealth and Traumatic BrainInjury; and the Armed ServicesBlood Program Office.

As director, TRICAREManagement Activity, Woodsonwill be responsible for manag-ing all TRICARE health andmedical resources, and supervis-ing and administering TRI-CARE medical and dental pro-grams, which serve more than9.6 million beneficiaries.

Woodson will also oversee theTRICARE budget; informationtechnology systems; contractingprocess; and direct TRICAREregional offices. In addition, hewill manage the Defense HealthProgram and the DoD UnifiedMedical Program.

Prior to his appointment,Woodson served as associatedean for diversity and multicul-tural affairs and professor ofsurgery at the Boston UniversitySchool of Medicine, and seniorattending vascular surgeon atBoston Medical Center.Woodson holds the rank ofBrigadier General in the U.S.Army Reserve, and served asassistant surgeon general forReserve Affairs, Force Structureand Mobilization in the Officeof the Surgeon General, and asdeputy commander of the ArmyReserve Medical Command.

Woodson is a graduate of the

City College of New York andthe New York University Schoolof Medicine. He received hispostgraduate medical educationat the Massachusetts GeneralHospital, Harvard MedicalSchool and completed residencytraining in internal medicine andgeneral and vascular surgery. Heis board certified in internalmedicine, general surgery, vas-cular surgery and critical caresurgery. He also holds a mas-ter’s degree in strategic studies(concentration in strategic lead-ership) from the U.S. Army WarCollege.

In 1992, he was awarded a

research fellowship at theAssociation of AmericanMedical Colleges HealthServices Research Institute. Hehas authored or coauthored anumber of publications andbook chapters on vascular trau-ma and outcomes in vascularlimb salvage surgery.

His prior military assignmentsinclude deployments to SaudiArabia (Operation DesertStorm), Kosovo, OperationEnduring Freedom andOperation Iraqi Freedom. Hehas also served as a senior trau-ma medical officer with theNational Disaster Management

System, where he responded tothe Sept. 11th attack in NewYork City. Woodson’s militaryawards and decorations includethe Legion of Merit, the BronzeStar Medal and the MeritoriousService Medal (with oak leafcluster).

In 2007, he was named one ofthe top vascular surgeons inBoston, and in 2008 was listedas one of the top surgeons in theU.S. He is the recipient of the2009 Gold Humanism inMedicine Award from theAssociation of AmericanMedical Colleges.

The Examiner -- February 2011 -- 5

Dr. Jonathan Woodson Takes Oath to Become Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs

By Karen Parrish American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2011 -The Defense Department’stransfer of more than 170,000civilian employees out of theNational Security PersonnelSystem since 2009 has beensmooth, the transition’s directorsaid today.

John H. James Jr. said much ofthe credit for the transition goesto the services.

“The components have done avery good job,” he said, addingthat his office had reviewed andapproved the transition planeach of the services submitted.

“Our guidance in the begin-ning was that we would havethe least possible impact toemployees and the least possibleimpact to mission,” he said.“The components have accom-plished that.”

Most of the employees movedout of NSPS so far havereturned to the general schedulepay system, James said. Thoseremaining in NSPS will pre-dominantly return to other per-formance management systems.

When employees transferred toNSPS originally, most of theother performance managementsystems were effectively dis-mantled, James said. Whenemployees later were required tomove back into the previoussystems when Congress abol-ished NSPS, “we needed a littlebit more time to put those backin place,” he said.

The AcquisitionDemonstration Project and theScience Technology ReinventionLaboratory DemonstrationProject are two such systems,James said, and most of theremaining NSPS defenseemployees will return to one orthe other.

“There are other, smaller per-formance management systemsthat employees will be transi-tioning to, but those are the twobig ones,” he said.

The law governing NSPS tran-sition specifically states employ-ees must return to the systemthey came from, he said.

Congress established NSPSthrough the 2004 NationalDefense Authorization Act anddirected its repeal in the 2010National Defense AuthorizationAct, which also set the timelinefor repeal completion.

“We started with approximate-ly 226,000 employees in theNSPS performance managementsystem,” James said. “We havetransitioned approximately172,000 -- right around 75 per-cent -- of the employees out ofNSPS, which was the direction(for 2010) that we got from thedeputy secretary of defense.”

During the move from NSPSback to previous positions, eachemployee’s job had to be reclas-sified, James said. Majorchanges in duties and responsi-bilities for any particular posi-tion could be reviewed by theservicing human resourcesoffice during reclassification.

“And that has, in fact,occurred,” he said. “There aresome cases where an employeeis not happy with their classifi-cation, and we published on ourwebsite the process they had togo through to appeal a classifi-cation concern.”

Communication with the workforce during the entire processhas helped to ensure a smoothtransition, the director said.

“We’ve been working veryhard to make sure we keepeveryone informed,” he said.“As we make every step, wecommunicate to the work force:“‘this is our progress towardtransition, this is when your

group will transition, and this isthe process we're going to gothrough.’”

Some employees, such asthose who were first hired underNSPS, had never worked underthe general schedule system,James said.

“We put ‘GS 101,’ a course, onour website,” James said. “Werecommended that employeeswho had never been on the gen-eral schedule, and employeeswho had been in the generalschedule system, go review it. Itwas very informative, an easyread and easily understandable.”

James said the course wasdesigned to emphasize toemployees that while NSPS wasa broad-pay-band system, thegeneral schedule system has“discrete grades with very dis-crete (pay) steps."

“There is a difference betweenthem -- there’s not a clean over-lay between the two systems,”he said.

Some employees were con-cerned that changing systemswould mean a cut in pay orposition, James said, but the lawensured no employee wouldface a pay decrease during thetransition.

“The components made this apriority,” he said. “They werevery concerned about sendingthe proper message to the workforce, that ... they wanted tomake sure the transition wassmooth, that we met the mis-sion, and that there was minimalimpact to the employees. Thecomponents were on top of thisthe whole time.”

James said 54,000 employeesremain in NSPS, and about6,000 of those will return to the

general schedule system. “We will continue to focus our

attention on transitioning theremaining employees,” Jamessaid. “We will meet the statutorydate of Jan. 1, 2012, where allemployees will be transitionedout of NSPS.”

James said his work over thepast year has been “a fascinatingexperience.”

“We will have transitioned228,000 employees out of NSPSto statutory non-NSPS perform-ance management systems,” hesaid. “That’s more employeesthan are contained in any federalagency other than theDepartment of VeteransAffairs.”

“Talking to the componentsand my staff and seeing the ded-ication it takes to do this hasbeen very rewarding,” Jamessaid.

6 -- The Examiner -- February 2011

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Director Calls Personnel System Transition 'Rewarding'

By Shari LopatinTriWest Healthcare Alliance

You know diet plays an important role in liv-ing a heart-healthy life, but do you knowwhich foods can keep your heart pumping

stronger, longer?February is American Heart Month, so we’re

offering you the top five superfoods for the heartfrom The American Dietetic Association (ADA)and the “Nutrition Action Health Letter.” They’llnot only make you feel good, but will protectagainst heart disease, the top killer of adults in theU.S.

1. Beans. Each tiny bean, according to the ADA,has a powerful combination of protein, fiber, vita-mins and minerals. Researchers have found thatdiets including beans may reduce the risk of heartdisease and certain cancers.

2. Wild salmon. The omega-3 fats in salmon canhelp reduce the risk of sudden-death heart attacks.Plus, salmon caught in the wild has less PCB con-taminants than salmon raised on a farm.

3. Mushrooms. Stocked full of antioxidants thathelp protect cells from free radicals, which canlead to cancer and sometimes heart disease, mush-rooms are a great source of potassium, copper andcertain B-vitamins.

4. Garlic and onions. Research shows these twofoods may help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, con-trol blood pressure, prevent life-threatening bloodclotting, act as antioxidants to reduce cancer risk,and even promote immunity. For the greatest bene-fit, use the actual vegetable and stay away fromonion and garlic powders. You may need to eat one

garlic clove daily to make a difference.

5. Blueberries. These fun little berries are burst-ing with antioxidants. In addition to fighting offheart disease and cancer, blueberries can also fightaging. They’re loaded with dietary fiber and vita-mins A and C.

Surprise superfood: dark chocolate!Eating heart-healthy can be a special treat, too.

The ADA reports that recent research shows com-ponents of the cocoa bean and dark chocolatecould positively impact the cardiovascular system,kidney function, brain health, immune system, dia-betes and blood pressure. In fact, dark chocolatemay help limit the build-up of plaque in arteries bylowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, raising levels ofHDL (good) cholesterol and reducing blood pres-sure.

For more heart-healthy living tips, visit TriWest’sHeart Health website atwww.triwest.com/hearthealth.

Five Superfoods to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Life’s Lesson...

The best way to keep kids at home is tomake a pleasant atmosphere, and let theair out of their tires...

And when they finally move away fromhome, make them take their beds and petswith them...

yearlong project to provide thebest possible health care for themore than 9.6 million benefici-aries beyond 2015, the reportsaid.

Additionally, the Defense andHealth and Human Services sec-retaries will jointly accelerateefforts that prevent and addresssuicide, the report said.Meanwhile, VA’s NationalSuicide Call Center will expandand enhance services to combatsuicide among veterans.

The report also outlines effortsto protect military families fromunfair financial practices, toaddress homelessness andimprove housing security, and toensure availability of substanceabuse prevention, treatment andrecovery services for veteransand military families.

Gordon also touched onemployment opportunities forspouses.

“Our spouses want to work,”he said, noting that of the rough-ly 700,000 spouses in DoD, 77percent have expressed a desireto work. “We want to createopportunities for them,” Gordonadded.

The report takes a two-tierapproach to the issue of employ-ment, Gordon said. First, thegovernment is committed toopening doors to educationalopportunities, and then on eas-ing the path to employment.

As an example, he highlightedthe Army Spouse Employment

Partnership program, which hassigned a statement of supportwith 42 Fortune 500 andFortune 100 companies. Since2003, these companies havehired more than 84,000 Armyspouses, the report said. DoDofficials plan to enhance andexpand this program to Navy,Marine and Air Force spouses,Gordon added.

“These are the kinds of oppor-tunities we are looking for,” hesaid.

In another effort, the VeteransAffairs, Labor and Defensedepartments will reform theemployment workshop portionof the Transition AssistanceProgram to include an outreachinitiative for military spouses,the report said. The workshopwill feature a hands-on, tailoredwork force readiness programfor service members and theirspouses, including employmentassistance during moves.

Other agencies will educatecorporate America on the bene-fits of hiring from within themilitary, the report said, andencourage them to hire militaryspouses.

Turning to military children,Gordon said a considerable por-tion of the review was dedicatedto looking at the need for moreabundant child care. The depart-ment has 200,000 military chil-dren in the child care system, henoted, and a shortage of about37,000 child care spaces.

“This is one area we want tofocus on,” Gordon said. “You’llsee that commitment in this doc-ument. It’s a partnership that wewant to engage with our com-munities.”

This community partnership isvital, he noted, since only about37 percent of families live onmilitary installations; theremaining 63 percent live inthousands of communitiesnationwide.

The Defense, Education,Health and Human Services andAgriculture departments areworking together to increase theavailability of child careoptions, the report said. Thismonth, new child care liaisonpositions will be establishedthrough pilot programs in 13states with identified childcareneeds. DoD also will leveragepartnerships with organizationssuch as the National Associationof Child Care Resource andReferral Agencies, the Councilon Accreditation and Zero toThree for assistance with train-ing community providers.

Additionally, DoD will contin-ue to slate construction projectsto meet the demand forincreased capacity and toreplace aging facilities, thereport said.

On education, the reportdetails efforts to ensure excel-lence in military children’s edu-cation and development. TheEducation Department, forexample, will, for the first time,favor grant applications to meetthe needs of military-connected

students, the report said, andDoD is committed to making itsschools a leader in the use ofadvanced learning technologies,including software, onlinecourses and student-written andsharable simulations.

To help to reduce the negativeimpacts of frequent relocationsand absences, DoD will pursuethe complete development of theInterstate Compact onEducational Opportunity forMilitary Children, whichaddresses mobility-related chal-lenges military children face,such as records transfer andcourse placement, the reportsaid.

To gain a complete picture ofthis groundbreaking effort,Gordon encouraged servicemembers and their families toread the full report.

“What you’ll find is how thegovernment and nation reallydefine areas where we can sup-port and care for our families,our service members," he said.“But not only that, it’s aboutempowerment. It's the fact thatour families want to be fulfilled.It's the fact that they are assetsfor the country in those 4,000-plus communities and across theworld, and how we can leveragethat as well. This documenttalks about all of these things.”

The Examiner -- February 2011 -- 7

MBTA2X8

Military Family Support...Continued from page 1

access to the information postedon the internet; Facebook andTwitter are consistently beingused as sources of content fornews stories. Reporters andbloggers are often contactingFacebook users who commenton a particular subject forquotes and interviews.

Here are some tips publishedby the Chief of NavalInformation to help protect yourprivacy:

* Don’t accept the defaultprivacy and security settings --by default the privacy settingsmake much more of your infor-mation available than you areaware.

* Choose a complex andunique password for each ofyour accounts -- make it some-thing that you can remember butthat someone else is unlikely tobe able to guess.

* Watch out for third-partyapplications -- third-party appli-cations can be very useful butoften that usefulness is at thecost of your personal informa-tion. Use third-party applica-tions wisely.

* Only accept friend requestsfrom people you know directly -- whomever you friend hastremendous access to your per-sonal information so make sureit is someone you feel comfort-able sharing that informationwith.

* Carefully read the privacypolicies and terms of service --know what you are gettingyourself into and also stayaware of any changes to the pri-vacy policies

* Be careful what you post --Posting something online is like

writing it in stone. You can goback and delete it but it is prob-ably too late as it may havebeen shared or saved by otherswho can see what you post. Sothink about what you say online.

The Department of the Navy(DoN) is now offering socialmedia training on the homepageof Navy Knowledge Online, andsoon it will also be available toDoN employees on eLearningwhich means, Navy employeescan go into eLearning, completethe training and receive a certifi-cate. The Navy considers this animportant step towards ensuringemployees know how to partici-pate professionally and safelyon the Internet.

One of the biggest concerns tothe Department of Defense inthe use of social media is pro-tecting unit safety. OperationsSecurity (OPSEC) is vitallyimportant to the mission of thearmed forces. Someone can vio-late OPSEC without even know-ing it... geotagging photographshas been available for quitesome time. JPEG formattedphotos can allow for geographi-cal information to be embeddedwithin the image and then they

can be read by photo viewers.Geotagging shows the exactlocation where a photo wastaken. Many digital cameras donot automatically add this fea-ture, but not always. Shutterbugs should always study theircamera’s or cell phone manualand understand how to turn offGPS functions to protect yourpersonnel information as well asto prevent OPSEC violations.

Geotags are automaticallyembedded in photos taken withsmartphones. A popular activityby people who deploy all overthe world is to take photos withcell phones while on liberty toshare with family back homevia social networking... somelocations are public and othersare classified. Publishing photosof classified locations can bedetrimental to mission successand are in violation of theUniformed Code of MilitaryJustice. Make sure your Geotagfunction on your camera orsmartphone are turned off.

We can’t NOT use new tech-nology because we don’t under-stand it... we have to use newtechnology with the knowledgeof how to use it professionallyand safely.

8 -- The Examiner -- February 2011

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Using Social Media...Continued from page 1

Life’s Lesson......It’s frustrating when you know all the answers, butnobody bothers to ask you the questions...

TRICARE Improves Online Communication, Access

By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2011 -- Additions to the TRICARE militaryhealth plan’s website are giving beneficiaries easier access to theirpersonal health data, more convenient appointment scheduling andbetter communication with their health care providers, the top TRI-CARE official reported.

TRICARE Online, the military health system’s patient portal,already enables users who get care at a military treatment facility toschedule appointments, track their medications, order prescriptionrefills and view and even download their personal health records,Navy Rear Adm. Christine S. Hunter told American Forces PressService.

Later this year, patients also will be able to get their laboratory andX-ray results through the portal, along with secure messaging fromtheir health care providers, Hunter said.

“You will be able to go there and it will say you have two messagesfrom your doctor,” she explained. “You will click on it, and it may bethe nurse telling you that you are overdue for something, and maybe alab result and an explanation of the findings.”

The next goal will be to expand these capabilities so beneficiariescan track what immunizations they received and when, and get a“heads up” from their health care provider when they’re due for theirnext one, she said.

In addition, health care providers will begin using the portal to getpatients to fill out forms and questionnaires at their conveniencebefore they arrive for their appointments.

TRICARE Online offers the best of both worlds, Hunter said. Ithelps to build a closer relationship between beneficiaries and theirhealth care providers while taking advantage of technology and healthcare tools to make that relationship more convenient and accessible24/7.

Beneficiaries increasingly are taking advantage of the new capabili-ty. Almost 311,500 active users have logged into the system over thepast year, officials reported, with an average of 2,800 new user regis-trations each week.

Since January 2010, beneficiaries have scheduled almost 200,000medical appointments and requested more than 61,500 prescriptionrefills through the system. During the week of Jan. 9 to 16 alone, theyscheduled almost 3,000 appointments and refilled more than 1,000prescriptions.

TRICARE officials also report increased use of the ‘blue button’ fea-ture that enables beneficiaries to access their personal health data and,if they choose, save it to a file on their computer.

Hunter said this feature is particularly helpful because it enablesbeneficiaries to download their records when they need to seek med-ical care away from their regular health care facility, and empowersthem to better partner with providers about the treatment they receive.