Journal 053013

Vol. 25 No. 20 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ May 30, 2013

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Members of Roll ingThunder roared onto NavalSupport Activity BethesdaFriday to visit woundedwarriors, their families andstaff at the Nation’s Medi-cal Center.“It is support and team-

building, but also it’s anintimidation factor,” saidArmy Sgt. Lucas RobertOppelt, a wounded war-rior in recovery at WalterReed Bethesda. “You hearthe bikes and it’s a sweetsound,” said the Soldier,injured last Memorial Dayweekend by an improvisedexplosive device while serv-ing as a medic with the82nd Airborne Division.“Coming here and seeing

the bikes is pretty neat,”Oppelt added. “It’s the ca-maraderie and knowingpeople still care, especiallyfor the guys who are still in-patients. I know it felt goodwhen I was in [the medicalcenter] to have people com-ing in and thanking us forour service.” He said it’s re-ally special to have RollingThunder come during Me-morial Day. “It’s good to seepeople really know what itis about, rather than, ‘hey,we get a weekend off, wecan go party.’ It’s all aboutthe veterans and peoplewho fought for this coun-try.”Rolling Thunder mem-

ber Dave Blackmore rodehis bike from Ohio toWashington, D.C., for theannual event, somethinghe’s done for more than 10years to show his supportfor wounded warriors andto bring full accountabilityfor prisoners of war (POWs)and those missing in action

(MIA) from all U.S. wars.“We’re not a motorcycle

club, but when we do thedemonstration, we ride thebikes to raise awareness,”B lackmore exp la ined .“When you’re on the bike,and you hear somethingcoming down the roadsounding like rolling thun-der, it gets people to pay at-tention.“There are children 10

and 11 years old now, andfor all of their lives, we’vehad people in Iraq andAfghanistan,” Blackmoreadded. “We want people to

realize there’s a reason wecan live as we do - becauseof the guys here and over-seas who are doing thingsfor their name and for theirsake.”A member of Rolling

Thunder for more than 15years, Bob Lavariere servedin the Marine Corps duringVietnam, and rode his bikefrom Conway, Ark., to D.C.,for the Memorial Day Week-end event. The former Ma-rine explained why he cameto Walter Reed Bethesda tovisit wounded warriors.“I came here to thank

them for their service, andto hopefully, maybe, puta smile on their face, be-cause of what they’ve beenthrough and what they gotto look forward to in the fu-ture,” he said.Rolling Thunder’s main

event, attended by tens ofthousands of motorcyclists,occurs every Sunday beforeMemorial Day when itsmembers make a slow ridefrom the Pentagon parkinglot, across the MemorialBridge and to the VietnamVeterans Memorial.

Rolling Thunder Roars onto Walter Reed Bethesda

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Army Sgt. Lucas Robert Oppelt (right), injured by an improvised explosive device while serving as a medicwith the 82nd Airborne Division during Memorial Day weekend 2012 in Afghanistan, is thanked for his serviceand sacrifice by a member of Rolling Thunder when the group came to visit the Nation’s Medical Center onMay 24.

A stuffed Army bearcame along for the ridewhen Rolling Thunderroared onto base for Me-morial Day weekend.

2 Thursday, May 30, 2013 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, a pri-vate firm in no way connectedwith the U.S. Navy, under ex-clusive written contract with theWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center, Bethesda, Md.This commercial enterprise news-paper is an authorized publication formembers of the military services. Contentsof The Journal are not necessarily the of-ficial views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S.Government, the Department of Defense,or the Department of Navy. The appearanceof advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constituteendorsement by the Department of De-fense or Comprint, Inc., of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertisedin this publication shall be made availablefor purchase, use or patronage without re-

gard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, maritalstatus, physical handicap,political affiliation, or anyother non-merit factor of thepurchaser, user, or patron.Editorial content is edited,prepared and provided bythe Public Affairs Office, Naval

Support Activity Bethesda, Md.News copy should be submitted to

the Public Affairs Office, Building 11, lowerlevel, Room 41, 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 telephoning 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed by call-ing 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. Frederick (Fritz) Kass

Public Affairs Officer NSAB: Joseph MacriPublic Affairs Office NSAB: 301-295-1803

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2 John Hamilton

MASNApril BeazerMCSN Brandon Williams-ChurchSarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorCat DeBinderDavid A. DickinsonJeremy Johnson

Managing Editor MC2 Nathan Parde

WRNMMC Editor Bernard LittleWalter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727

Fleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087WRNMMC OmbudsmanJulie Bondar 443-854-5167

NSAB OmbudsmanJojo Lim Hector 703-901-6730

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 Health Sci-ences page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Uni-formed-Services-University-of-the-Health-Sciences/96338890888?fref=ts

I did not intendto write about the101 Critical Daysof Summer thisweek, but then thishappened;

Over the week-end a Sailor wasapprehended onbase for drivingwhile intoxicat-ed after rollingthrough a stopsign. The passen-ger in his vehicle,also a Sailor, wasunderage and hadbeen drinking as well.

We all know the inherent dan-gers of drinking and driving,but unfortunately some still doit. This column isn’t necessarilyabout drinking and driving, how-ever – at least not directly. Thisarticle is about planning ahead.

The basic premise of the 101Critical Days of Summer cam-paign is that during this time ofyear, people tend to be involvedin riskier activities. We stay out-side longer, and we indulge in ac-tivities that can often be danger-ous (extreme sports, riding mo-torcycles, driving long distances).The overall point of 101 CriticalDays of summer is not meant toget you to stop doing these activi-ties, but to get you to think abouthow to do them safely.

Frankly put, a majority of thethings the campaign covers arecommon sense. If you rememberto buy and use sunscreen, youprobably won’t get sun burnt. Ifyou plan your vacation route inadvance and schedule in breaksto rest, you are less likely to fallasleep at the wheel and crash.

If you do a quickcheck of the play-ing field for ob-structions, wearthe right safetygear and evaluateyour own physicallimits before youplay a sport, you’reless likely to in-jure yourself. And,if you’re going todrink alcohol, hav-ing a transporta-tion plan, such ashiring a taxi or us-ing a designated

driver might just save your lifeand the lives of others.

I would like to end on thisnote. A majority of individualsinvolved in reckless activitiesare selfish in their actions andregrettably forget about howthey indirectly and sometimes di-rectly affect others around themand in their lives. Their fami-lies, friends, shipmates, and evenstrangers unfortunately have tocarry the burden of their actionswhen things go south.

I know this all too well as myfather killed himself drinkingand driving when I was only an8-year-old boy. His irresponsibleactions and failure to plan affect-ed mine and my mother’s lives formany years to come, and in somerespects even to this day. Thissummer, lets all do things right;if not for ourselves, then for theloved ones in our lives.

Chief Master-at-ArmsMarty McQuaggeNaval Support ActivityBethesdaSenior Enlisted Leader

Leadership Perspective JEM Accepting New MembersToday at 2 p.m. Naval Support Activity

Bethesda (NSAB) is hosting a Junior EnlistedMess (JEM) meeting for NSAB Sailors E-4 andbelow. This meeting will be held in Building11, 2nd floor, Room 204. The leadership willdiscuss plans for volunteer work, fundrais-ing ideas, T-shirts, etc. New members are en-couraged to attend to see what JEM is allabout. For more information, contact ReligiousProgram Specialist 3rd Class John Leitzingerat 301-319-2118.

Prostate Cancer Speaker ProgramThe Walter Reed Bethesda Prostate Cancer

Support Group’s Quarterly Speaker Programmeets today at 7 p.m. in the America Building,River Conference Room (next to the ProstateCenter), 3rd floor. The speaker is CatherineGray, Continence Nurse for the Urology Clinic.Her topic is “Urinary Incontinence.” The pro-gram can also be viewed at Fort BelvoirCommunity Hospital via video-teleconference inthe Oaks Pavilion, 1st floor, Room 332. Spousesand partners are invited. For men attendingthe Walter Reed program without a militaryID, please call the Prostate Center at 301-319-2900 for base access. For more information, con-tact Col. (Ret) Jane Hudak at 301-319-2918 [email protected] or Vin McDonald at703-643-2658 or [email protected].

Resiliency WeekWalter Reed Bethesda will host Resiliency

Week June 17-21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Topicsdiscussed during the event include: Resiliencyand Psychological Health Service; AddictionTreatment Services; Integrated HealthServices and Outpatient Clinical NutritionServices; Resiliency and Psychological HealthService Physical; Resiliency and PsychologicalHealth Services activities and Fleet andFamily Support Center services; EmployeeAssistance Program and Preventive Medicine;Pastoral and Reiki services; and a staff talentshow. For more information, call Army Lt. Col.Brett J. Schneider at 301-295-8737.

Bethesda Notebook

The Journal Thursday, May 30, 2013 3

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Journal staff writer

The Walter Reed Bethesda com-munity celebrated Asian Americanand Pacific Islander (AAPI) HeritageMonth with dancing, music, food andfun during a program in the AmericaBuilding atrium on May 16.

“The theme for this year’s eventis ‘Building Leadership: Embrac-ing Cultural Values and Inclusion.’AAPIs represent over 30 countriesand ethnic groups that speak morethan 100 different languages,” saidSgt. 1st Class Jason Zielske, EqualOpportunity advisor and chair of theBethesda Multicultural Committee.

“The month of May was chosento commemorate the immigrationof the first Japanese people to theUnited States on May 7, 1843 and tomark the anniversary of the comple-tion of the transcontinental railroadon May 10, 1869. On Oct. 5, 1978,President Jimmy Carter signed ajoint resolution designating the an-nual celebration of AAPI HeritageWeek. Twelve years later, PresidentGeorge H.W. Bush signed an exten-

sion, making the week-long celebra-tion into a month-long celebration,”Zielske added.

Souvik Ghosh began the festivi-ties playing the tabla, a percussioninstrument, similar to bongos, usedin Hindustani classical music andin popular and devotional music ofIndia. The Filipino Association ofBethesda received crowd participa-tion in their Tinikling dance, a pop-ular traditional pre-Spanish dancefrom the Philippines that involvestwo people beating, tapping andsliding bamboo poles on the groundand against each other in coordina-tion with one or more dancers whostep over and in between the polesin a dance. Colorfully dressed danc-ers from the Natananjali School ofDance then performed Bharatanaty-am, a popular form of classical dancefrom the southern part of India.Members of the Bethesda Multicul-tural Committee then served tradi-tional Indian foods, concluding thecelebration.

Army Sgt. Kevin Gatson, a wound-ed warrior in recovery at Walter ReedBethesda, said he found the program

enjoyable and entertaining. “I’d nev-er seen Indian or Filipino dance, so Ithought it was very interesting anda good performance.” He added hethinks multicultural celebrationsare necessary as well. “It’s a way youcan celebrate being proud of whereyou’re from and let other people see,‘This is my culture and I want toshare it with you.’ It’s a good thingfor confidence and feeling good aboutwhere you’re from and your culture.”

“I like to learn about differentcultures and not confine myself to

what I’m used to seeing, in addition,my grandfather is from India,” ex-plained Army Sgt. Marcus Norwoodabout why he attended the program,which he described as “awesome.”

“With this mass installation, di-versity is critical,” said Tyrone Boyd,a Walter Reed Bethesda civilianemployee and native of the VirginIslands. “With diversity, you havedifferent perspectives of work andgetting along with people, and that’simportant to me. Diversity in theworkplace is great.”

Asian American, Pacific Islander Heritage Celebrated

The Filipino Association of Bethesda performs a Tinikling dance, apopular traditional pre-Spanish dance from the Philippines.

Photos by Bernard S. Little

Dancers from the Natananjali School of Dance perform aBharatanatyam, a popular form of classical dance from the south-ern part of India, during a program in the America Building atriumcelebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Monthrecently. 1038434


By Melissa BrachfeldNational Museum of Health

and Medicine

For a third year, the NationalMuseum of Health and Medicine(NMHM) is proud to announce thatit is participating in the Blue StarMuseums summer initiative.

The program offers free admis-sion to museums for all active-dutymilitary service members, includ-ing Army, Navy, Air Force, CoastGuard, Marines, National Guardand Reserve members, and up tofive family members from Memo-rial Day (May 27, 2013) throughLabor Day (Sept. 2, 2013).

Blue Star Museums, firstlaunched in the summer of 2010to show appreciation to those whoserve and their families, is a part-nership among the National En-dowment for the Arts (NEA), BlueStar Families, the Department ofDefense and museums across thecountry. Blue Star Families is anonprofit organization that sup-ports, connects and empowers mili-tary families.

“Blue Star Museums is a col-laboration between the arts andmilitary communities,” said NEA

Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa.“Our work with Blue Star Fami-lies and with more than 1,800 mu-seums ensures that we can reachout to military families and thankthem for their service and sacri-fice.”

NMHM is celebrating its 151stanniversary at its home in SilverSpring, with exhibits that focuson advances in military medicine,the Civil War, the brain, anatomyand pathology, forensic identifica-tion and much more. This summer,NMHM will have a number of pro-grams that will cover topics suchas the Civil War, sports and anato-my, reconstructive plastic surgeryin World War I, and “quack medi-cine.”

For more information aboutBlue Star Museums and a full listof participating museums, visithttp://www.nea.gov/national/bluestarmuseums/index2013.php.

The National Museum of Healthand Medicine, located at 2500 Lin-den Lane in Silver Spring, MD, isopen every day from 10 a.m. to 5:30p.m. (except Dec. 25). For more in-formation, call 301-319-3300 orvisit http://www.medicalmuseum.mil.

NMHM Shows Appreciation for Active-Duty Service Members and their Families

Photo courtesy of NMHM

National Museum of Health and Medicine docent Lisa Weed showsa visitor an anesthesia inhalation device pioneered during the CivilWar. Visitors will see artifacts like this and more during the CivilWar Discovery Cart program, happening June 14, June 28, July 12,July 26, Aug. 9 and Aug. 23, from 1-2 p.m. This is just one of themany programs the museum will hold while participating in BlueStar Museums this summer.

1038437 1038438


By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Using a mix of humor andadvice, motivational speak-er Jody Urquhart encour-aged members of the Wal-ter Reed Bethesda staff tothink safety while working,and have fun while doing so,at a series of one-hour man-datory training sessionson May 22 at Walter ReedBethesda.The safety training kicked

off Walter Reed Bethesda’sobservance of the 101 Criti-cal Days of Summer, theperiod between the Memo-rial Day weekend and La-bor Day Monday when ac-cidents tend to increase be-cause of more outdoor andrecreational activities. Safe-ty official stress people in-crease their vigilance whenswimming, boating, driving,participating in activitiesin the sun and heat, grillingand cooking out, bicycling,jogging and working outand motorcycling.

Urquhart acknowledgedthe Walter Reed Bethesdastaff has gone through “alot of change and that with

change comes uncertain-ty and stress. Along withstress comes a lack of focus,and errors, mistakes and ac-

cidents can occur. Safety isa serious business, and theability to take care of your-self makes a difference.

“There is no better wayfor you to decrease stressthan through humor, play,fun and laughter,” Urqu-hart added, saying “fiveminutes of a good sustainedbelly laugh provides thesame kind of cardiovascularbenefits as 20 minutes ona treadmill. So I go to thegym and watch people onthe treadmill.”She added every time a

person smiles or laughs, thestress levels of that persondecrease making him or hermore focused and produc-tive. “Every time you laughyou increase endorphinsin your blood stream giv-ing you a boost of energy tomake you feel good. Second-ly, it decreases stress hor-mones. Thirdly, it decreasesmuscle tension and breaksyour stress cycle. Fourthly,you increase oxygen levelsto the front part of yourbrain making you instantly

more focused and produc-tive.”Urquhart said there are

certain things we do inwhich we do not want to bedistracted.“As professionals in the

health care field, you are in-volved and engaged in help-ing and supporting woundedwarriors and their familymembers during some of themost important and memo-rable moments of their en-tire lives, which makes yourwork incredibly rewardingand meaningful,” she contin-ued. “Let your purpose guideyou, and then let humor sus-tain you.”She urged theWalter Reed

Bethesda staff “to engage inplay” during the 101 Criti-cal Days of Summer to helpdecrease their overall stresslevels in order to becomemore focused and produc-tive, but to do so with safetyparamount.For more summer safety

advice, go to https://safety.army.mil/, or www.safety-center.navy.mil.

Speaker Uses Humor to Urge Safety, Having Fun


Motivational speaker Jody Urquhart encourages Wal-ter Reed Bethesda staff to engage in safe play duringthe 101 Critical Days of Summer to help decreasetheir overall stress levels in order to become morefocused and productive, at mandatory safety briefingson May 22.

1038432 1036185


By Helen HocknellSpecial for The Journal

June 4 through 7 marksthe 71st anniversary of theBattle of Midway, a dra-matic turning point in theU.S. fight against the Impe-rial Japanese Navy in thePacific and one of the moststoried chapters in U.S.Navy history.

While the events at Mid-way have become engrainedin the Navy culture, few areaware of the important roleNavy Medicine played inthe battle.

“The stories of these doc-tors and hospital corpsmenwho tended to the wound-ed, while under attack andbeing ordered to abandonship, is a great testament tothe dedication of the Navymedical Department,” saidNavy Medical Historian JanHerman, producer of theNavy-produced film, “BattleStation Sickbay.” It tellsthe story of the physiciansand hospital corpsmen whoserved at sea during WorldWar II in the Pacific.

While making the docu-mentary, Herman had thechance to interview hos-pital corpsmen and physi-cians who were onboardships involved in the Battleof Midway.

In the film, Lt. (Dr.) Jo-seph P. Pollard, a physicianstationed on the USS Yor-ktown (CV-5), recalled thedevastation dealt to theaircraft carrier by bombsand underwater torpedoesduring the battle. Onebomb fell right outside Pol-lard’s station, striking close

to anti-aircraft gun mountsmanned by about 40 men,20 of whom were killed in-stantly.

“The rest were casual-ties of one sort or another,”said Pollard. “It was bed-lam. People came in so fast,they just swarmed in,” herecalled. Pollard said manyof the wounded had limbsblown off and requiredtourniquets to stop thebleeding.

“There was a terrificnoise, the ship shuddered,the deck came up underme, and it couldn’t havebeen anything but a tor-pedo,” remembered Pollard.“And I’m lying there andI’m saying to myself, ‘Boy,that’s one torpedo; we cantake that one, but I hope wedon’t get any more.’ By thetime I got that through mymind, here comes anotherone, and the ship began tolist.”

Eventually, “Pollard end-ed up in the (water),” saidHerman.

Many lives were lost,and ultimately, the USSYorktown, which had un-dergone hasty repairs afterheavy damage during theBattle of Coral Sea, wassunk. However, the battlewas a decisive win for theU.S. that put the Japaneseon the defensive for the re-mainder of the war.

The Battle of Midway be-gan when American codebreakers determined thatthe Japanese were target-ing Midway, a tiny atollused primarily for refuel-ing, in an attempt to extendtheir defensive perimeter.On June 3, six months after

the attack on Pearl Harbor,a U.S. PBY “Catalina” fly-ing boat spotted Japanesecarriers about 700 milesfrom Midway, allowing theU.S. to launch an ambushon the Japanese that wouldturn the tide of the war.

“It was their first ma-jor defeat in World War II.Midway signaled the Jap-

anese had gone as far asthey were going to go,” saidHerman. The battle costthe Japanese four aircraftcarriers, a heavy cruiser,hundreds of aircraft andthousands of lives. “They’dnever recover from the loss-es they sustained.”

To learn more about theBattle of Midway and Navy

history, please visit: www.history.navy.mil/index.html. If you are interestedin viewing “Navy Medicineat War: Battle Station Sick-bay,” the video is availablefor checkout at the NavalSupport Activity BethesdaPublic Affairs office, Build-ing 11, Room 216, or bycalling 301-295-1803.

Remembering the Battle of Midway on its Anniversary

Oil tanks burn at Midway after the Japanese attack,June 4, 1942.

Onboard USS Yorktown after the ship was hit by dive bombers.

The ruins of a bombed ship at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on June 5, 1942.



Focusing on the theme “Em-bracing the Principle of Justice inHealthcare,” Walter Reed Bethesdahosted its 2nd Annual HealthcareEthics Symposium May 14-16.“In recognition of the 50th anniver-

sary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s‘I Have a Dream’ speech, the focus ofour symposium this year [was] guid-ed by a reflection on how the conceptof justice influences and defines ourpractices in health care,” explainedArmy Capt. (Dr.) Robert J. Walter,chair of the Walter Reed BethesdaEthics Committee, and director ofthe National Capital Area RegionalHealthcare Ethics Consortium.Dr. Rueben C. Warren, director of

the National Center for Bioethicsin Research and Health Care andprofessor of Bioethics at TuskegeeUniversity, called King a health careadvocate. Quoting the famed civilrights leader, Warren stating, “Of all

the forms of inequality, injustice inhealth care is the most shocking andinhumane.”Nearly 300 health care practitio-

ners, including social workers, psychi-atrists, nurses, bioethicists and phy-sicians, attended the three-day sym-posium, according to Chaplain (Maj.)Stephen Pratel Sr., chaplain clinicalethicist forWalter Reed Bethesda andproject officer for the event. “We’re ex-cited about where we are taking eth-ics at this institution.We come from agreat tradition, both here at Bethesdaand the oldWalter Reed, of ethical re-flection and instruction,” the chaplaincontinued, adding “Justice is an es-sential aspect of health care.”“Ethics, for me, is literally having

a reverence for life,” Pratel added.“That is what [the symposium] isabout – having a deeper reverencefor life, and to be inspired in areasof ethical behavior and health care.”He explained this entails health carepractitioners possessing a commit-ment for “justice, fairness and equal-

ity in all we do.” The military “setsthe pace and tone for the world” indoing this, and Walter Reed Bethes-da is “the flagship for military medi-cine,” he said.In the delivery of patient care, one’s

training, morale, values and integrityare important, explained Army Col.Ramona Fiorey, Walter Reed Bethes-da chief of staff, in welcoming at-tendees to the symposium. She addedfor patient-centered care, it’s vital toreach an understanding of the “com-plex and emotional situations” whichcan occur to assist patients and theirfamilies with arriving at “the best de-cision, the right decision.”“Wounded warrior care is not just

about the medical needs; it is thecare of the whole total person,” saidDr. Edward Gabriele, Navy MedicineEthics and Integrity executive direc-tor. “When we care for our woundedwarriors, our heroes, we’re caringnot just for them as individuals, butwe’re also caring for their familiesand their local communities. Thirdly,

the question comes up how does oursense of wounded warrior care moveme, the ordinary citizen, to care morefor a world that Dr. King pointed outto us in his own day, as wounded bythe horrific tragedies of racism, sex-ism, prejudice and discriminationagainst so many people.”“Public health requires that we

strive to be our best self in the doc-tor’s office, in the hospital, in theresearch laboratory, in the publichealth setting, whether it be in theprivate or public setting, whetherin be in the military or civil service,we’re required to be our best self,”Warren said. “Do the right thing asyou do things right.”Dr. Judith M. Feder, professor of

public policy at Georgetown Univer-sity, concluded the symposium witha discussion of the Affordable CareAct, saying, “We all would be betteroff with a quality health care systembenefitting everyone, [and] gettingrid of the injustice of treating somepeople and not all.”

Ethics Symposium Focuses on Justice in Healthcare

By Jeremy K. JohnsonNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

According to the National Ocean-ographic and Atmospheric Adminis-tration (NOAA), the 2013 hurricaneseason begins tomorrow and earlymodels indicate an “active to ex-tremely active” season.The NOAA web site reads: “For

the six-month hurricane season …NOAA’s Atlantic Hurricane SeasonOutlook says there is a 70 percentlikelihood of 13 to 20 named storms(winds of 39 mph or higher), of whichseven to 11 could become hurricanes(winds of 74 mph or higher), includ-ing three to six major hurricanes(Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mphor higher).”Naval Support Activity Bethes-

da’s (NSAB) Emergency ManagerRon Kunz said readiness is critical,especially for those who are taskedwith supporting operations on in-stallations like NSAB. “People needto prep now,” he advised. “It is im-perative that everyone be ready. Themore educated they are, the moreready they are. When an event doesoccur, that will minimize their stressand anxiety.”Kunz said an emergency plan

should include practical approachesfor solving a variety of problems,from having enough to food and wa-ter to knowing what to do with a petif the need to evacuate should arise.“There were people who didn’t evac-uate down in Louisiana [during Hur-

ricane Katrina] because they didn’twant to leave their pets behind, butthe shelters were taking pets. Thatdoesn’t have to happen. There are

resources to help families plan forthis.”One of those, he said, is ready.

navy.mil operated by Command-

er, Navy Installations Command(CNIC). The site includes informa-

Hurricane Season is Here: How to Prepare

U.S. Navy file photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Gabriel Bevan

A working party assigned to Naval Submarine School in Groton, Conn. places sandbags around thepower plant at Naval Submarine Base New London Oct. 28, 2012 in preparation for the storm surgeexpected from Hurricane Sandy. The 2013 hurricane season begins June 1 and lasts six months.

See HURRICANE page 9


By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Journal staff writer

Amazing, compassionate, commit-ted — patients, their family mem-bers and staff members at WalterReed National Military MedicalCenter used these words to describethe three nurses honored in a DAI-SY Award Ceremony held in Memo-rial Auditorium, May 8.The ceremony marked the one-

year anniversary of the specialsalute that celebrates nurses whoprovide exceptional patient care atthe medical center. Since 2012, Wal-ter Reed Bethesda has recognizedthe outstanding care provided bynearly 300 nurses nominated forthe special honor, and selected morethan 15 to receive a DAISY Award.Selected from a group of more

than 50 outstanding nurses nomi-nated for top honors, Ida Hopkins,Navy Ensign Megan Willingham,and Ana Irizarry received recogni-tion as “extraordinary” nurses dur-ing the quarterly held ceremony.Hopkins, a registered nurse in theGastroenterology Clinic, receivedrecognition as the DAISY AwardSelectee for February; Willingham,a registered nurse on 5-Center, se-

lected for March, and Irizarry, aregistered nurse in the EmergencyDepartment, received the honor forApril.

A patient, who is also a regis-tered nurse, nominated Hopkins forthe award. She met Hopkins whenshe came to Walter Reed Bethesdafor a routine diagnostic procedure,and cited her compassion, advocacy,commitment, professionalism, ex-ceptional care and work as a teamplayer.“Her clinical skill and compas-

sionate care exemplify the kind ofnurse that our patients, their fami-lies, and our staff recognize as anoutstanding role model,” the pa-tient wrote.The patient who nominated Will-

ingham for the DAISY Award bat-tled hoarseness to read her nomi-nation in person at the ceremony.“I had throat surgery, neck surgery– unable to talk for 90 days sincemy surgery. Miraculously, throughthe work of this special nurse andall the diligence to get me throughit, as of last Friday, I can talk,” thepatient explained.Noted for her excellent clinical

skills and bedside manner, Will-ingham’s passion for nursing, “wastruly outstanding,” according toher nomination. Nearing the endof a 30-year career in the Army, thepatient explained childbirth washer only hospitalization, and shewas uneasy about her impendingsurgery until she met Willingham.“From the first moment, she wasable to instill a sense of trust, reas-surance and encouragement.”Perhaps the most moving tribute

of the ceremony was presented by

the family of a former Walter ReedBethesda patient, coincidentallynamed, Daisy. Army Lt. Col. JoseTorres supported his wife Wendy asshe read the couple’s DAISY awardnomination for Irizarry, both fight-ing tears.Despite the brief period of time

Wendy’s mother spent in the Emer-gency Department, Irizarry con-tinued to check in on her mom andtheir family when Daisy was admit-ted as an inpatient. Irizarry’s fre-quent visits, soothing conversation,and “extra attention” to ensure hermother was comfortable as possiblesomehow eased Daisy’s excruciat-ing pain, and reassured Wendy hermother was in very good hands, sheexplained.“Ana’s [Irizarry] true devotion

to her profession provided comfort,hope and faith,” said the grievingdaughter, who explained the nursehas become a member of their fam-ily.Bonnie and Mark Barnes served

as keynote speakers for the anni-versary ceremony at WRNMMC.The couple created the DAISYAward (an acronym for Disease At-tacking the Immune System) andthe DAISY Foundation 13 yearsago, to express their gratitude forthe exceptional care they receivedfrom the nurses who helped theirfamily during the eight-week hospi-talization of their son Patrick. The33-year-old succumbed to the auto-immune disease, Idiopathic Throm-bocytopenia Purpura in 1999.The two spoke about the extraor-

dinary compassion and excellencein clinical care the exceptionalnurses provide that were honoredat the ceremony.

“On top of all that great clinicalexcellence is the way you delivercare: with a kindness, a compas-sion, and a sensitivity, not only toyour patient, but to all their fam-ily. And with family-centered carehere, I’m so sure that your patientsand family, don’t look at you as justthe patient’s nurse, they see you asthe whole family’s nurse becausethat’s how we felt about Pat’s nurs-es — they were our nurses,” Bonnieexplained. “We are so proud to beable to be here for Nurses’ Week, tocelebrate your fantastic nominees,and think about what you’re doingevery day.”Her husband Mark told the audi-

ence, “You are heroes; every one ofyou in this room is a hero. What youdo each day for your patients eachday in their eyes makes you a hero.”He called nurses, a “sacred treasureof this country.”

Walter Reed Bethesda Honors Nurses

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

From left, Ida Hopkins, Navy Ensign Megan Willingham, and AnaIrizarry received recognition as “extraordinary” nurses at WalterReed National Military Medical Center during a quarterly DAISYAward ceremony held this month.

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

visit www.dcmilitary.com.1038436


tion on hurricanes including what they are, howthey can impact an area, how to prepare usingthe Conditions of Readiness Checklist, and howto respond afterward.

In a statement released May 23, NOAA ActingAdministrator Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D. noted re-cent disasters are perfect examples of hurricanescausing damage in unexpected ways. “As we sawfirst-hand with Sandy,” she said, “it’s importantto remember that tropical storm and hurricaneimpacts are not limited to the coastline. Strongwinds, torrential rain, flooding, and tornadoesoften threaten inland areas far from where thestorm first makes landfall.”

At NSAB, new systems are being installed orconsidered to boost the overall preparedness ofthe installation, though Kunz says they won’t beactivated until later this year.

The most immediate of these will be GiantVoice, a public address system that will reachevery corner of the base with speakers that faceinward from the fence line. CNIC mandated Gi-ant Voice at all Navy installations as a direct re-sult of the shooting incident at Fort Hood, Texasin 2009. The NSAB system is scheduled to golive this fall.

Another alert system being explored is Ever-bridge, a commercial system that allows alertsto reach pagers and cell phones whether they’repersonal or government issued. Kunz said thesystem is ideal because it can be set up to pri-oritize who is called and in what order. “It canalso be set so that it goes through a series ofnumbers for a person until they pick up and ac-knowledge, ensuring the alert gets delivered nomatter what phone number they use,” he added.

In the meantime, Kunz said personnel atNSAB and its tenant commands can expectemergency notifications to continue coming inthe form of email and announcements by rep-resentatives of the NSAB Emergency Manage-ment Working Group.

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Civilian employees at WalterReed Bethesda will begin receivingfurlough letters within the next twoweeks, Rear Adm. Alton L. Stocksannounced during town hall meet-ings at the medical center last week.The Walter Reed Bethesda com-

mander explained to staff, the 11-day furlough affecting most federalcivilian employees here, begins withthe pay period starting July 7, andwill be one day per week throughthe end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30.Originally, Department of De-

fense civilians faced a possible 22-day furlough, but because of effortsto deal with the budget shortfall,that included a deficit at WalterReed Bethesda, those furlough dayswere cut in half. Those efforts in-cluded a reduction in staff travel,overtime, compensatory time andcontracts. Walter Reed BethesdaChief of Staff, Army Col. RamonaFiorey, acknowledged any non-paidinvoluntary days off for staff, “is avery sensitive and emotional issue”affecting civilian employees individ-ually, and Walter Reed Bethesda asan organization.

“We knew this was possible, but itis still hard to accept,” Fiorey statedin an email to all staff members ear-lier this month. “I hear from leadersand managers who are concernedabout how their staffs are doing. Ialso hear concerns from staff mem-bers about the welfare of their lead-ers and managers. The genuinecare happening daily not only forour patients, but for each other, isheartening, as is your perseverance.

Every one of you is valued and ap-preciated for your dedication to themission of this hospital.”The position description (PD)

classification review of federal ci-vilian jobs at both Walter ReedBethesda and the Joint Task ForceNational Capital Region MedicalCommand (JTF CapMed), was an-other topic of discussion during thetown hall. The process involved thereview of approximately 4,000 ci-vilian positions to ensure every jobdescription across the JTF CapMedwas properly classified with the ap-propriate series and grade.Stephanie Rainey, Civilian Hu-

man Resources Center (CHRC) di-rector, explained the objective wasto have PDs standardize or “gener-ic,” so they could be implementedregion-wide to easier fill positionsat various military treatment facili-ties within JTF CapMed.Sandy Lehman, deputy director

of CHRC, added that after the re-view, which was completed earlierthis year, the majority of positionactions are going to be reassign-ments. She explained reassignmentis a change of an employee from oneposition to another without promo-tion or change to lower grade, levelor band.In discussing information tech-

nology (IT) improvements at WalterReed Bethesda, Navy Lt. WilliamWalders, chief information officer,said reliability of the medical cen-ter’s network has been increasedbecause of recent system upgrades.He added IT customer service hourshave also increased, with the ser-vice center now open from 7 a.m.until 11 p.m. weekdays, and from 7

a.m. to 3 p.m., on weekends. Also, oncall support is available 24 hours at301-295-6300 or 301-295-2664.Wireless service has also been

installed in all patient clinical ar-eas in the medical center, and cellphone reception has been upgradedat locations on base where it waspreviously not available, the Navylieutenant added.Walders said in October, there

were approximately 4,500 out-standing IT trouble tickets, andthat number has been reduced tonow a little more than 200. “That’spretty significant. We fixed our pro-cesses and focused on some areas ofimprovement. We took a lot of feed-back from staff on customer serviceand how we can better do business,”he explained, crediting the “hercule-an effort” of the IT operational teamwith the improvements.“Our goal is to get [trouble tick-

ets] to zero, and answer [servicetickets] within five days,” Walderssaid.Following Walders, Chief Hospi-

tal Corpsman Derek Eaton encour-aged full staff participation in theCommand Climate Survey, current-ly underway and running throughJune 10. The survey, focusing onequal opportunity, morale and or-ganizational effectiveness at WalterReed Bethesda, can be completed onany workspace computer via the in-tranet. Responses are confidential,he said. “Last year, we had about 31percent of the command staff par-ticipate; hopefully, we get more thanthat for this survey. You’ve heard,‘What You Do Matters,’ well whatyou say matters [in the CommandClimate Survey],” the chief added.

Furlough, Position Descriptions Top Town Hall Discussion


Cynthia Hilsinger asks Wal-ter Reed Bethesda leadershipa question during a town hallmeeting last week in MemorialAuditorium.

103618910361891036189


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Journal 053013