By Ryan HunterNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

2nd Lt. Wells Weymouth andEnsign John Hunt were onthe scene at the Sam’s Club inBethesda when a car barreledthrough the front of the storeJuly 24.

While picking up supplies fortheir classes at the UniformedServices University of HealthSciences (USU), Weymouthand Hunt heard “a huge explo-sion,” said Hunt. “We turned andthere’s a car running throughSam’s Club at 20-30 miles perhour. There were some screams.Wells and I took it upon our-selves and ran over to see whatwas going on.”

Montgomery County authori-ties still aren’t certain why Sub-inoy Mazumdar, 77, lost controlof his vehicle and slammed intothe front fire escape, part of abrick wall and a food court areaof the store. One victim, SheilaR. Orellana, 31, was struck inthe parking lot after movingher two children out of the wayof the vehicle. Mazumdar wasnot injured and Orellana suf-fered only minor injuries, how-ever three others were injuredinside of the store, includingDimas M. Chavez, 76, who suf-fered severe leg trauma.

“The guy’s leg was almostsevered completely off. It wasbleeding profusely,” said Hunt.

What Hunt and Weymouthdid next may have saved

Chavez’s life.Having completed their first

year of military medical schoolat USU, the two were trainedin emergency medical proce-dures in high stress battlefieldenvironments. They had justpurchased hot dogs to use in aclass later that day as props forwound cleaning practice, min-utes before seeing Chavez.

“We started applying directpressure to one of the wounds. Itwas the first thing we learned todo with our classes,” explainedHunt. “We kept pressure on ituntil it stopped bleeding.”

While tending to Chavez,Weymouth and Hunt assessedand aided other injured shop-

Vol. 25 No. 29 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ August 1, 2013

Photo provided by USU Public Affairs

Ensign John Hunt, left, and 2nd Lt. WellsWeymouth.

USU Students Save Man’s Life After Car Crash In Sam’s Club

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Approximately 30 fel-lows from medical trainingprograms at Walter ReedNational Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC), Wash-ington Hospital Center,George Washington Univer-sity, Georgetown University,and University of Marylandrecently completed a three-week block of instruction,with hands-on training inWRNMMC’s simulationtraining center (SIM).

Participants in the D.C.Baltimore Pulmonary/Criti-cal Care Fellows SummerEducation Block, a joint ed-ucational venture betweenthe programs, completed thetraining on July 9, but notbefore sharpening their skillsin the state-of-the-art SIM.

The location of the medi-cal training for the first-yearfellows is spread among theparticipating institutions,explained Maj. (Dr.) ChadCryer, assistant chief of De-

partment of Simulation atWRNMMC. “It’s designed toprovide fellows with a solidknowledge base and initialprocedural skills set fromwhich to start their clinicaltraining.”

The SIM gives fellowshands on training in airwaymanagement, chest tube in-sertions, bronchoscopy andhemoptysis management,as well as management ofintra-aortic balloon pumps.

“The [SIM] hosted a two-day critical care ultrasoundcourse for the same groupof learners,” Cryer added.He explained the trainingfocused on critical care ul-trasonography for shock,trauma, cardiac and lungimaging, and proceduressuch as thoracentesis, cen-tral venous catheter place-ment, and diagnosing deepvenous thrombosis. “All ofthese make [providers] moreeffective caregivers for ourcritically ill patients,” themajor said.

“Simulation training is es-sential for improving both

clinical and technical skills,particularly those that focuson life threatening situa-tions,” said Army Capt. (Dr.)Patrick Smith, a critical carefellow who completed thetraining. “The education thatwe received during the re-cent D.C. Baltimore Pulmo-nary/Critical Care MedicineSummer Education Blockwas exceptional in achievingthis objective, and provided asolid foundation that will beadded upon during the nextthree years at WRNMMC.”

Navy Lt. (Dr.) NikunjBhatt, also a critical care fel-low at WRNMMC, agreed.

“I thought it was a greatexperience that helped de-velop strong foundationsand key skill sets for theupcoming three years inpulmonary and critical caremedicine,” Bhatt said. “Thereadings, simulations, andexam were challenging andthought-provoking, givingus a glimpse of our futurecareers. It was also great to

Simulation Center Enhances Medical Education throughout Region

Photo by Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Simulation Training Center

Cmdr. (Dr.) Anthony Nations of the pulmonary/critical care departments demonstrates inser-tion of a small chest tube on a training man-nequin in the Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center Simulation Training Center.See SIMULATION page 7

See STUDENTS page 10

2 Thursday, August 1, 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) KassPublic Affairs Officer NSAB: Joseph MacriPublic Affairs Office NSAB: 301-295-1803

Journal Staff

Staff Writers MC2 John HamiltonMC3BrandonWilliams-ChurchMASNApril BeazerSarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorCat DeBinderRyan Hunter

Managing Editor MC2 Nathan Parde

WRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727Fleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

WRNMMC OmbudsmanJulie Bondar 443-854-5167NSAB OmbudsmanJojo Lim Hector 703-901-6730Michelle Herrera 240-370-5421

SARC 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/Uni-formed-Services-University-of-the-Health-Sciences/96338890888?fref=ts

Nutrition for Cancer Prevention, SurvivalDr. Neal Barnard, clinical researcher and

one of America’s leading advocates for healthand nutrition, will be the guest speaker at theWalter Reed Bethesda Prostate Cancer SupportGroup’s quarterly meeting today at 7 p.m. in theAmerica Building, second floor, Rm. 2525. Bar-nard will discuss “Nutrition for Cancer Preven-tion and Survival.” For those wanting to attendthe program without a military ID, call the Pros-tate Cancer Center at 301-319-2900 for base ac-cess. For more information, contact retired Col.Jane Hudak at 301-319-2918 or jane.li.hudak.ctr@health.mil or Vin McDonald at 703-643-2658 or vpmjam@aol.com.

Wounded Warriors Town HallA joint town hall meeting for recovering war-

riors and their families with commanders ofJoint Task Force National Capital Region, Med-ical and Naval Support Activity Bethesda willbe Aug. 8 in Building 62’s Warrior Café at 2:30p.m. The commanders will discuss informationand hear any concerns warriors and their familymembers may wish to discuss.

DAISY Award CeremonyThe next quarterly DAISY ceremony will be

held Aug. 15 at 10 a.m. in Memorial Auditorium.For more information, call Christina Fergusonat 301-319-4148, or Joan Loepker-Duncan 301-319-4617.

Pharmacy HoursThe Walter Reed National Military Medical

Center (WRNMMC) Pharmacies are no longeropen on Saturdays. The Arrowhead Pharmacy’shours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7p.m., and the America Pharmacy’s hours areMonday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. TheDrive-thru Refill Pickup Point is open Mondaythrough Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Pharmacywill continue to provide 24/7 support for theEmergency Room and for all hospitalized pa-tients. For questions about Pharmacy Services,call the Pharmacy Call Center at 301-295-2123.

Bethesda Notebook“The Best Is

Yet To Come”This is a phrase

that many peo-ple have heardthroughout mes-sages preachedon television andother venues.However, thequestions is howmany people be-lieve in what thisphrase says?I believe it re-

quires us to havea positive attitude in our livesin order to see this happen.Life has many challenges butwe can have the fortitude toovercome the circumstancesthat enter our lives. I realizeit is not always easy to over-come and excel but it is pos-sible. Having a positive at-titude directs our thoughts,feelings, and actions in a posi-tive manner. It also allows usto be “happy,” meaning, we canbe assured even in the midst ofchaos that God is with us andwill remain with us as we walkthrough the valleys of doubtand despair.Most religions throughout

history have held the beliefthat there is something be-yond this life, that the best isyet to come. Our frail bodieswill not always be well but ourspiritual health can maintainus. Our minds may not alwaysbe sound but our spiritualhealth can sustain us and be

the resource thatenables us to beat peace evenwhen chaos is allaround us.In the song

“The Best IsYet To Come” asinger by thename of DonaldLawrence wrotethese words.“Hold on my

brother don’tgive upHold on my

sister just look upThere is a master plan in

store for youIf you just make it throughGod’s gonna really blow your

mindHe’s gonna make it worth

your timeFor all of the trouble you’ve

been throughThe best seems double just

for youThe best is yet to comeThe best is yet to come.”The best is yet to come for

you. There are challenges, con-cerns, and problems that wemust face but we can face themwith a positive attitude today,knowing that the best is yet tocome because our strength isin God.

Chaplain (Maj.)Denise A. HaglerStaff Chaplain ClinicianWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center

Chaplain’s Corner

By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

There are approximately119,000 individuals await-ing a life-saving organtransplant, according to theU.S. Department of Healthand Human Services (HHS).In the U.S., 18 people dieevery day due to the lack ofavailable organs for trans-plant as the wait list contin-ues to grow.People of all ages, races

and ethnicities can save andenhance lives by donatingtheir organs, eyes and tis-sues, according to the HHS.Observed during the firstweek of August, NationalMinority Donor AwarenessWeek calls attention to theurgent need for registeredorgan, eye and tissues do-nors from minority popula-tions.National Minority Donor

Awareness Week is a timeto thank organ, eye, andtissue donors from all back-grounds — for the lives theyhave saved, according to Lt.Col. (Dr.) Shane Ottman,chief of the transplant ser-vice at Walter Reed Nation-al Military Medical Center(WRNMMC).“Every 11 minutes, an-

other name is added to thenational transplant waitinglist,” explained John Ogden,the public affairs and com-munity education manager

for the Washington Region-al Transplant Consortium(WRTC).The organ most desper-

ately needed is kidneys, Og-den said. 96,806 individualsneed kidney transplants butonly 45 percent of adultshave registered as organ,eye and tissue donors, hesaid. One donor can save upto eight lives and enhancethe lives of many more.“Organ donation is most

desperately needed amongAfrican Americans — whilethey make up roughly 12percent of the United Statespopulation, African Ameri-cans make up nearly 30 per-cent of the national waitinglist for a transplant,” Ogdensaid.According to the Organ

Procurement and Trans-plantation Network, 35,212African Americans wait on akidney transplant list while

21,745 waiting are Hispanic/Latino; 7,939 Asian; 1,215American Indian/AlaskaNative; 585 Pacific Islanderand 560 multiracial.“We obviously need more

donors in general and needto encourage all groups todonate,” Ottman said.According to HHS, Afri-

can Americans, Asian Amer-icans and Pacific Islanders,as well as Hispanics/Latinosare three times more likely

than Caucasians to sufferfrom end-stage renal (kid-ney) disease, often as the re-sult of high blood pressureand other conditions thatcan damage the kidneys.There are several myths

that prevent individualsfrom donating organs to oth-ers. Mistrust of doctors andnurses is “the biggest myththat we face,” Ogden ex-

The Journal Thursday, August 1, 2013 3

Courtesy photo

From left, living donor Sonja Gomez, her father Rev. Lorin Rhaney, and his wife Rev. Donna J. Rhaney, share amoment in 2009 after surgeons transplanted her kidney in her dad, a retired Marine sergeant major. Gomezencourages other minorities to consider live organ donation.

August 1 Marks Start of National Minority Donor Awareness Week

See DONOR page 8

By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces

Press Service

Defense Secretary ChuckHagel and Navy Adm. JamesWinnefeld remembered theKorean War as the first timethe world united under thebanner of the United Na-tions to stand up to aggres-sion and support the rule oflaw.The men spoke Saturday

at a ceremony in Washing-ton D.C., marking the 60thanniversary of the armisticeending active combat on theKorean peninsula.More than 1.7 million

Americans served in Koreaduring the 1950-1953 war.

A total of 36,574 Americanswere killed.“We stood with our fellow

citizens of the world, eventhough they lived on theother side of it,” Hagel saidduring the ceremony. “Andwe did not do it alone.”Today, one of America’s

closest allies is the Republicof Korea. All told, 22 coun-tries fought aggression un-der the banner of the UnitedNations.“The Korean War teach-

es us an important lesson– that alliances and inter-national institutions areextensions of our influence,not constraints on our pow-er,” Hagel said. “And theyare critical to our long-termvision of peace and stability,

especially in the Asia-Pacif-ic.”The American, Korean

and allied sacrifices werenot in vain. The war in Ko-rea began an unprecedentedera of growth, security andprosperity in Asia, and thatwas made possible by Amer-ica’s leadership, Hagel said.“To sustain this security

and prosperity in the 21stcentury, the United States isstrengthening its economic,diplomatic, cultural, andsecurity ties with countriesthroughout Asia,” Hagelsaid.But the bedrock alliance

remains Korea. The Unit-ed States still maintains28,500 U.S. service membersin South Korea. “Just as

veterans of the Korean Warheld the line from Pusan toPanmunjom, so too do thesecurrent-day defenders standready to help guard freedom– and to promote peace andprosperity on the KoreanPeninsula and throughoutEast Asia,” the secretarysaid.Winnefeld, vice chairman

of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,said the anniversary honorsthe legacy of the millions ofAmerican service memberswho served in the KoreanWar.“For many of us it’s per-

sonal – a parent, a brother, arelative, a friend who servedfar from our shores,” theadmiral said. “And I’m noexception – my own father,

as a young Navy ensign,served with honor alongsidethe more than 36,000 heroicAmericans who gave the lastfull measure of devotion tothis war.”The sacrifice of those

Americans cemented theU.S.-Republic of Korea alli-ance, and serves as an inspi-ration to the newest genera-tion to defend the peninsula.All allied forces in SouthKorea know the motto Kat-chi Kapshida, or “We Go To-gether,” Winnefeld said. “Forthem, for every warrior whoserved before them, and forthose who are serving todayin harm’s way, we will al-ways remember,” he said.

Hagel, Winnefeld Honor Korean War Vets, Those Still Serving There

01040484

4 Thursday, August 1, 2013 The Journal

By Sarah MarshallWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Master Sgt. MichaelTrost was in SouthEastern Afghanistan inFebruary 2012 as partof the Army Civil Af-fairs, when he was shotfive times by a machinegun, leaving him witha severed sciatic nerve,and not to mentionwhat he describes asthe “most horrific pain.”

“It felt like someonewas taking a sledgehammer and justsmashing my rightfoot,” Trost said, ex-plaining the chronicpain that developedlater on in his recovery.“I would have this hor-rible sciatic nerve painthat would put me onthe floor … It would lit-erally drive me almostinsane. It’s electric, fi-ery, relentless pain.”

Since his injury, theactive duty Soldierwith more than 30years of service underhis belt, has gained agreater sense of nor-malcy, which he largelyattributes to an emerg-ing technology used atWalter Reed Bethesda,known as spinal cordstimulation.

The technology useselectrical signaling,similar to that of apacemaker, explainedMaj. (Dr.) DavidJamison, an anesthesi-ologist at Walter ReedBethesda. Smaller thanthe size of a businesscard, the stimulator issurgically implanted inthe patient’s back. Thinwires, or leads, stemfrom the device, andare threaded throughthe spine, much likean epidural, Jamisonsaid. The device is thenprogrammed wirelesslyand controlled exter-nally to send electricalpulses through the spi-nal cord, emitting sig-nals to the brain thatcancel out the pain sig-nals, he said.

Though spinal cord

stimulation has beenused by doctors na-tionwide for about thelast three decades, ithas proven beneficialto those returning fromcombat with chronicpain since the warsin Afghanistan andIraq, Jamison said. Heestimates about fiveservice members un-dergo the surgery eachmonth, and he hopes tospread the word aboutthe technology, as itcontinues to developand allow woundedwarriors to regain theirquality of life.

For Trost, spinalcord stimulation meantbeing off pain medica-tions, being better ableto walk, and take apain-free car ride. Thevibrations would trig-ger his sciatic nervepain, he said.

Trost noted the prog-ress he’s made since hearrived at Walter ReedBethesda after beinginjured last year. Hav-ing also lost his rightthumb and forefinger,the master sergeantwho now lives in Ten-nessee, said he did nothave use of his rightleg, from the knee downto his toe. Later on inhis healing process,after re-learning howto walk, he began toexperience excruciat-

ing pain caused by thesevered sciatic nerve,the largest nerve in thebody that runs from thespinal cord to the feet.He was on methadonefor several months, butthat did not completelytake away the pain,he said. His doctorssuggested spinal cordstimulation, and he de-cided to give it a try.

“It improved thequality of my life. Ittook away about 95percent of the sciaticnerve pain,” Trost said.

The procedure hasalso been known tohelp improve bloodflow, Jamison added,especially for thosewith circulatory condi-tions, as it dilates bloodvessels in the process ofstimulating nerves. Ad-ditionally, the devicecan be removed yearslater, if necessary, withminimal scarring andwithout leaving be-hind any hardware orscrews, he added.

Patients also havethe option to test thespinal cord stimulatorfirst, before opting tohave it surgically im-planted, Jamison not-ed. They first undergoa four to five day trialperiod, with the device

Spinal Cord StimulationGives Vets Quality of Life

Courtesy photo

Sgt. Timmothy Garrigus, left and Cpt. DavidChristopher, right, check out a walking stickpresented to Master Sgt. Mike Trost (cen-ter) during a team build for the Trost Familyon June 9, 2012 at his home in Tennessee.

See SPINAL page 8

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By Ryan HunterNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Although deer aremore active duringtheir fall mating sea-son, full grown buckscan be seen near Wal-ter Reed National Mili-tary Medical Centerall year round, pos-ing a serious threatto drivers. “You’ll seethem mostly over bythe Fisher Houses,the child care center,behind the universityand in the main fieldsout front,” explainedNaval Support ActivityBethesda Safety Man-ager Jim Gantz.

The following are afew useful tips to avoidvehicular collision andminimize damage withthe furry residents ofthe base.

1. Drive cautiously.The best thing you cando to avoid a collisionwith an animal is tofollow the rules of the

road, said Gantz. Obey-ing the posted speedlimits, wearing a seat-belt and driving with-out distraction greatlyreduce your risk of col-lision and injury in anysituation. Gantz added,“Most people on the in-stallation are drivingslow and safe enoughthat they can react, butit’s when you’re goingat highway speeds thata deer can come at youso fast that you don’thave time to react.”

2. Understand deerbehavior. Accordingto the University ofNorth Carolina’s High-way Safety ResearchCenter, deer rarelytravel alone. Whengoing from one placeto another, they usu-ally walk in groups ofthree or more in singlefile lines and frequentwooded areas or fieldswhere they are harderto see. These factorsmake it nearly impos-sible to determine the

number of deer in agroup at first glance. Ifa single deer passes onthe road in front of youit’s best to assume oth-ers are following evenif they’re out of sight.

3. Approach deercautiously. If you seea deer standing by theside of the road it prob-ably isn’t waiting foryou to drive past. Deermove impulsively andmay dart in front ofyour car at the last mo-ment. The InsuranceInstitute for HighwaySafety (IIHS) recom-mends slowing to acontrolled stop andwaiting for animals tomove out of the way.

4. Do not veer away.According to Anne Mc-Cart, the senior vicepresident for researchat IIHS, “A majorityof the people killed [incollisions involvinglarge animals] weren’tkilled by contact withthe animal.” Swervingsuddenly and errati-

cally to avoid hittinga deer could result ina collision with a treeor other vehicle whichgreatly increases yourchances of injury.

5. Avoid coming intocontact with injured

animals in the road.“[A deer] doesn’t knowthat a person comingout of their car is try-ing to help. They justsee an attack,” saidGantz. “Stay awayfrom them.” If you see

an animal injured ordead on the road, calla security dispatch op-erator at 295-1426. Ifyou or someone else isinjured by an animal,call emergency serviceson base at 777 or 911.

The Journal Thursday, August 1, 2013 5

Photo by Jeremy K. Johnson

A young doe nibbles on the bushes in the courtyard at theUniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Five Safety Tips to Avoid Animal Collisions

From Naval Historyand HeritageCommand

The National Mu-seum of the UnitedStates Navy, Cold WarGallery and DisplayShip Barry will be ac-cessible through a newgate open to the publicstarting Aug. 1.For the month of

August, Naval Historyand Heritage Com-mand along with thesupport of Naval Dis-trict Washington, willoffer free public ac-cess via the AnacostiaRiverwalk Trail to thenewly opened Cold WarGallery, the NationalMuseum of the U.S.Navy and Display ShipBarry.The only day the mu-

seums will not be openis on Mondays, due tothe furlough restric-tions.Until this point, it

has been a challengefor visitors to accessthese national trea-sures due to securityrequirements. Howev-er, a special agreement

was reached to make afamily-friendly optionfor museum goers, lo-cated within a 15-min-ute walk of the Nation-als Park.“We are very excited

about the possibility ofintroducing even moreof our neighbors to therich history of the U.S.Navy,” said Capt. JerryHendrix, the director ofthe Naval History andHeritage Command,which is responsiblefor the U.S. Navy’s mu-seums.“There is something

for everyone, fromyoung children to oursenior veterans.”Signs placed along

the Riverwalk willdirect visitors to theWashington Navy Yardgate located near theCold War Gallery. Alladult visitors are re-quired to present photoidentification to enter.With the exception ofMondays, the museumsand display ship willbe open to visitors 9a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdaysand 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. onweekends.

Located at the Wash-ington Navy Yard, theNational Museum ofthe U.S. Navy displaysart and artifacts fromthe Revolutionary War,Antarctic explora-tion, World War I andWorld War II, as wellas submarine innova-tions. Visitors will en-joy peering through asubmarine periscope,learning about deepsea exploration anddiving, and maneuver-ing WWII-era artifacts.The Cold War Gallery,opened in October, dis-plays a large subma-rine section, includinga view of living andworking conditions,artifacts from Viet-nam POWs, displaysfrom the Korean War,as well as an interac-tive exhibit called the“Lion’s Den.”Display Ship Barry

is one of only three re-maining Forrest Sher-man class destroyers.Barry is the third shipto bear the name of theillustrious Revolution-ary War naval hero,Commodore John Bar-

ry. The ship supportedthe 1958 Marine andArmy airborne unitlanding in Beirut, Leb-anon. In 1962, she wasa member of the taskforce that quarantinedCuba during the CubanMissile Crisis in re-sponse to evidence thatSoviet missiles hadbeen installed on theisland. In 1979, Barryjoined the Middle EastForce for Persian Gulfservice during the verytense period that ac-companied the IranianRevolution. In 1981-1982 Barry made herfinal deployment inthat area. USS Barrywas decommissioned in1982 and arrived at theWashington Navy Yardin 1983.For more informa-

tion, visit the NationalMuseum of the UnitedStates Navy website atwww.history.navy.mil/branches/org8-1.htm.For more news from

Naval History andHeritage Command,visit www.navy.mil/lo-cal/navhist/.

By MassCommunication

Specialist 2nd ClassJohn K. Hamilton

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

Just a short drivefrom Naval SupportActivity Bethesda reststhe National Museumof Health and Medicine(NMHM), a Depart-ment of Defense mu-seum that is dedicatedto the preservation andcare of the nation’s in-volvement and interestin military medicine,from the time of theCivil War to the pres-ent day.“Our mission is to

inspire an interestand understanding inthe history of generalAmerican medicine butwith a very special fo-cus on American mili-tary medicine,” saidTim Clarke, deputydirector of communica-

tions at NMHM. “Ourhope is to convince ourvisitors that medicineis important to the mil-itary and that militarymedicine is importantto the nation.”Situated next to the

Forest Glen Annex inits new home at 2500Linden Lane, SilverSpring, Md., since themerger of Walter ReedArmy Medical Center(WRMAC) and the Na-tional Naval MedicalCenter, the museumcontinues to serve thepatient and caregiverpopulation of WalterReed National MilitaryMedical Center, as itdid in the past.“We were fortunate

in our previous loca-tion to be on the cam-pus with WRMAC in itsprevious incarnationand had a very activeand dynamic relation-ship with the researchand clinical staff there

who worked with themuseum so we couldcollect objects and addthem to the collection,”

said Clarke. “We alsohad an active and dy-namic relationshipwith the patient and

caregiver population,so that we could offerprograms and exhib-its specific to that au-

dience while we werestill on the old campus.

6 Thursday, August 1, 2013 The Journal

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John K. Hamilton

The Brooks family enjoys a self-guided tour of the National Museum of Health andMedicine, taking their time as they walk through the four exhibition halls Monday.

Museum Bridges Gap between Medicine of the Past and Medicine of the Future

See MUSEUM page 10

Official U.S. Navy file photo

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Mi-chael D. Stevens visits the Naval History andHeritage Command (NHHC) at the Wash-ington Navy Yard for a guided tour withCapt. Henry J. Hendrix, director of NHHC.Stevens toured the National Museum of theUnited States Navy, the museum’s ColdWar Gallery Annex and the Historic SmallArms and Ordnance Vault.

Navy Gives Public Summer Access to Naval Museums

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 3rd Class

Brandon Williams-ChurchNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

It is well known that the MoraleWelfare and Recreation (MWR) divi-sion’s Information Tickets and Trav-el (ITT) office makes their primaryprofit selling discounted movie tick-ets, sporting events and amusementpark admissions.What ITT is lesser known for is

providing discounted military ratesfor travel packages, cruise vacationsand hotel and car rentals.“We do worldwide services,” said

Recreation Specialist Sahara Henry.“Depending on where you want togo for travel, we can send you. If youhave a general idea of when you wantto go or a certain destination we canwork with you and work out specificsso we can get you the best deal. Wealways try to get you a military dis-count if it is available, but even if it’snot at that rate we can book it.”These services provided through

ITT are not just prohibited to activeduty military either.“We can work with civilians and

contractors, but a lot of the militarydiscounts are strictly for active dutyor retired military,” said Henry. “Ifthey have any other discounts likefor the American Automobile Asso-ciation (AAA) or the American Asso-ciation of Retired Persons (AARP),we can always get those discountsfor them as well.”ITT is also a great resource for

getting the family ready for a vaca-tion to exotic destinations.“In terms of travel, all we do is

leisure trips,” said Alecia Pityk,ITT manager. “It’s all custom-fittedto the customers. We don’t have setdates and trips that you can signup for. It’s whatever the customerwants, so we try to work for themand accommodate their needs. For

travel packages, you do have to de-part from the U.S. Vacation packag-es for international travel consist ofa flight with a hotel, but if it’s withinthe U.S. we can either do flight anda hotel or flight and a car. The pack-ages have to be round trip.”If the family needs to get away

from the rigors of work or school ITThas cruise packages as well.“For cruising, we deal with all of

the major [travel providers], suchas Royal Caribbean, Carnival andDisney,” said Henry. “They all offermilitary discounts. It depends on thesailing and whether or not they of-fer the discounts so we try to workwith their dates and find one thatdoes offer a discount. Our cruises

are primarily to the Bahamas andCaribbean because of our location,but we can also do South America,Europe and Hawaiian destinations.We do a lot of cruises, so no matterwhere you want to go we can find thecruise for you.”ITT also gets discounted rates

for car rentals through The HertzCorporation for the rental by itself,said Henry. Patrons get a discountedrate of 15 percent with no upfrontcharges. If you want to rent a car asa part of a packaged deal with eitherhotel or air, there are other rentalcompany options like with DollarCar Rentals or most other leasingcompanies at the airports.

ITT lists some of these services

in the MWR Happenings Newsletterdistributed every month.For those families looking for the

perfect place to relax and enjoy somefree time, just stop by the ITT officeand look at the possibilities, saidPityk. These services are available allthe time and ITT will be happy to helpyou get to your dream destination.Henry added, “we work in a

stressful environment and takingthat time for yourself is important.”For more information on vacation

packages and car rental discounts,contact the ITT office at 301-2950434 or visit http://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/ndw/installations/nsa_bethesda/ffr/things_to_do/tickets_travel_and_tours.html.

The Journal Thursday, August 1, 2013 7

work with the other programs inthe D.C.-Baltimore area and to visittheir respective institutions,” thelieutenant added.“Simulation has a rich military

heritage, initially beginning in avia-tion and subsequently extending tomedicine,” explained Lt. Col. (Dr.)Jeffrey Mikita, chief of the Depart-ment of Simulation at WRNMMC.“Medical simulation is a diverse,but specialized form of educationand training targeted at optimizinghealth-care delivery. Its use for pa-tient safety and education programsis recognized as a ‘best practice’ by

numerous health-care organiza-tions and is mandated in the spe-cialty training of many health-careproviders. The National CapitalArea has been a leader in medicalsimulation for more than a decade,and WRNMMC is well situated toadvance this tradition.”Walter Reed Bethesda leadership

cut the ribbon on its simulation cen-ter in January, opening the morethan 5,000-square-foot facility inBuilding 3, fourth floor. The centermoves training away from the pa-tient population while retaining allof the technology and protocols ofreal operating and exam rooms.In addition to the eight exam

rooms, three conference rooms, askills laboratory, and fully-outfit-ted OR, ER/ICU, the SIM houses astate-of-the-art audio-visual system

and numerous task training instru-ments.The wireless, high-fidelity patient

simulators, or mannequins, are the“stars” of the SIM, having the capa-bility to speak, blink, sweat, bleed,suffer heartaches, stop breathingand give birth.In addition to the medical fellows,

younger future health-care provid-ers have also gained clinical experi-ence using the SIM. High school stu-dents interested in medical careers,participants in Thomas Edison HighSchool of Technology’s Medical Ca-reers program, were able to becomefamiliar with medical technology us-ing the SIM to develop clinical andOR skills.Mikita explained the SIM has also

helped stand up a number of dif-ferent medical programs at Walter

Reed Bethesda with staff memberstraining in the center.Army Col. (Dr.) Michael Nel-

son, deputy commander for Edu-cation, Training and Research atWRNMMC, said those individualswho will most benefit from the SIM,are “our beloved beneficiaries andpatients,” as health care providersgain confidence and a firm founda-tion in surgical techniques, hand-to-eye coordination, repetitive skillsexercises, bedside manner and otherclinical skills, before they pick up ascalpel to operate or examine a realpatient.To schedule a training session in

the SIM, email Bonnie Teague atbonnie.j.teague.ctr@health.mil, orMark John Wyn at mark.j.wyn.civ@health.mil.

SIMULATIONContinued from 1

Information, Tickets and Travel Sells More Than Just Tickets

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brandon Williams-Church

Patrons of Morale, Welfare and Recreation enjoy some free time in the Information Tickets and Traveloffice located in Building 2 near Main Street at Walter Reed Bethesda.

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8 Thursday, August 1, 2013 The Journal

plained. Those who don’t donatesometimes believe doctors willlet them die on the table to taketheir organs, he said. “Doctorsand nurses are first and foremosttrying to save your life,” said thecommunity education manager.Ottman agreed.

“Our goal is to help as manypeople as possible and increasingthe donor pool would be one wayto do this,” the transplant sur-geon said.

Another organ donation mythis tied to the subject of religion,said retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Lo-rin Rhaney, 65, a licensed minis-ter and kidney transplant recipi-ent, who is African American.

“They believe if you give anorgan, you can’t get into heavenbecause you’re not going whole,and of course that’s not true,”said Rhaney. “Donating an organcan be a blessing to someone elsebut also to yourself, in the factthat you’ve given something thatwill give life, or prolong the lifeof someone else who’s not as for-tunate. Education is the key tothat. We need to make the oppor-tunity to get out and talk to one

another and get the true story oforgan donation to all people, butespecially minorities.”

Diagnosed with renal cancer,doctors removed Rhaney’s leftkidney. With his remaining kid-ney operating below 3 percent,the retired Marine underwent di-alysis three times a week for fourhours a day for about a year. Heneeded a transplant. His daugh-ter, Sonja Gomez, 43, the motherof two in Colorado, called her dadand offered him one of hers.

“Initially I felt overwhelmedbecause it is a sacrifice but italso made me feel really loved,”Rhaney said.

In September 2009, transplantsurgeons at the former Wal-ter Reed Army Medical Center(WRAMC) performed the donor-recipient surgeries.

“The transplant kidney isworking beautifully, no issues,”he said. “We named our kidneys,S1 and S2. Hers is S1, mine is S2.I must’ve thanked her 8 milliontimes, and I still do.”

Gomez said she was gratefulfor the opportunity to help herdad. Twelve years earlier, aftera move from California in 1997,she registered to become an or-gan donor when she renewed herdriver’s license.

With a multi-racial heritageof French, Irish, English, African

American and Sioux Indian, Go-mez encourages other minoritiesto consider live organ donation.

“We push the [idea] of dona-tion when we die, but we nevertalk about live donors,” Gomezsaid. “There are so many peoplethat need a kidney, and we canfunction off of one kidney. We canfunction off a certain percentageof our kidney and be a healthyperson.”

She said her dad wouldn’t haveeven thought to ask one of hischildren to donate. “I didn’t givehim a chance … I just came outand said, ‘Let me do it.’” Gomezsaid doctors ran many tests todetermine she would be able todonate a kidney to her father.

Her recommendation to indi-viduals in need of an organ dona-tion: ask your relatives, ask yourfriends, ask everyone you knowto register to become an organdonor.

Ogden said you can registerto become an organ donor whenyou renew your driver’s license,or online through a state regis-try. Go to www.organdonor.gov tofind one. If you’re interested inhelping with minority outreachefforts in the District of Colum-bia, Md. or Va., contact WRTC at703-641-0100.

DONORContinued from 3

temporarily sutured to the skin and se-cured with a bandage. During this time,he said they can take into account wheth-er their pain decreases, and if it improvestheir overall function – whether they canwalk farther, sleep better, and stand forlonger periods of time.

“Those are important things,” Jamisonsaid. “If it goes well, we schedule them adate to go into the Operating Room.”

After James Allen opted for the surgeryat Walter Reed Bethesda in 2011, he saidhis chronic back pain significantly im-proved and he was able to decrease hispain narcotics, allowing him to be lessgroggy throughout the day.

The former commissioned intelligenceofficer, who retired in October 2011 aftermore than 21 years in the Navy, said hesuffered chronic back pain due to periph-eral nerve sheath tumors, which growwithin or up against nerves. In April2013, he received a newer model of thespinal cord stimulator, he said, which hasoffered even greater pain relief over alarger area of his back.

“This stimulator has helped consider-ably … I would definitely recommend itto anybody who has constant back pain,”Allen said. “The difference is incredible.”

SPINALContinued from 4

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10 Thursday, August 1, 2013 The Journal

That hasn’t changed too much even today. Wemarket and promote our programs to the patientand caregiver population at the newWalter Reedand have seen folks make that short drive overhere from Bethesda, either to tour our exhibits,participate in our special programs or have theirchildren attend our kid-only events. So it wasa great relationship in the past and it is still agreat relationship today.”Throughout the museum you will find exhibits

that compare historic medical advances to morecontemporary medical advances – a veritableroad map to how medical science has evolved tothis day. One artifact of note is an Xbox 360 thatis on display fromWalter Reed, which showcaseshow modern technology is used to treat patientswith traumatic brain injury (TBI).“We have a fantastic exhibit on TBI, which is

a very important issue for the military and animportant exhibit for everybody actually,” saidClarke. “It’s an exhibit where we try to let peopleget some understanding about what’s going onwith the brain when it has any type of brain in-jury – what it looks like when it’s injured andvarious types of injuries and the steps that aregone through to diagnose, treat and rehabilitatea brain that’s suffered a TBI. [Another] exhibiton advances in military medicine gives the visi-tor a chance to understand the advances in re-

habilitation of soldiers, the protection of the ser-vice member in the field, the surgical repair andfacial reconstruction. We also have an exhibit onthe recent conflict – the war in Iraq – an Airforcehospital that was in place there from 2003 to2007. We actually collected the floor of the trau-ma bay where the worst wounded were treated.”There is a lot to learn, see and do at the mu-

seum through interactive computer models, selfguided tours and group tours guided by the pro-fessional staff at the museum.“This is an interesting museum, we really

have something for everybody,” said Clarke.“The visitor here has a couple of opportunities[to learn from] some interactive [computer mod-els]. There is an interactive [terminal] that al-lows you to scan through the human body andidentify skeletal and anatomical parts and as-sociate those with the right terms – a teachingtool. There is also an interactive [terminal] thatallows the public to get a sense of what is noton display. The Museum’s collection is 25 millionobjects, so we want to give the people that visit aglimpse of those things we can’t currently find ahome for in our exhibits and displays.“Most of the museum’s exhibits are self guided

tours. We encourage all of our visitors to spendas much time as they like interacting with theexhibits that are on display. Groups can make atour reservation in advance and can get a coupleof different group tour options – one on forensicsanother on the human body. Those are tours thatcan be put together for young persons or personsof any age.”Matthew Brooks, a first time visitor to the

museum, said his experience there was really

good and he was fascinated by all the specimensthat were on display. He also learned a lot.“I learned [the museum] started during the

Civil War and just looking around I found outthey had flying ICU’s (intensive care units),which is pretty neat,” said Brooks. “[One of thedisplays] also talked about patients that weresuffering from pain, how they were able to blockoff the nerve so they don’t feel pain in flight un-til they were able to get more intensive treat-ment. I didn’t know they could do that, which ispretty awesome.“For anyone interested in learning about mod-

ern medicine especially in relation to the mili-tary, this is a good place to do that.”“The visitor here will see exhibits on military

medicine, on anatomy and physiology and CivilWar medicine, but hopefully they will leave withan appreciation for what role military medicinehas played in improving the health and well-be-ing of everyone,” said Clarke. “And why it’s im-portant for the military to maintain the healthand the medical status of the active duty servicemember and their family.”The National Museum of Health and Medi-

cine is open all week long, including weekendsand holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and isclosed only on Christmas Day. For more informa-tion about the museum, upcoming exhibits or toschedule a tour, log on to the museum’s Facebookpage at www.facebook.com/MedicalMuseum.

MUSEUMContinued from 6

pers. The two student Soldiers created a make-shift tourniquet using belts and towels and per-formed mental and physical evaluations.When medical services arrived on the scene,

Weymouth and Hunt continued their emergen-cy treatment. “We got a couple of tourniquetson [Chavez] and told the paramedics what wasgoing on,” said Hunt. “In the aftermath, we allworked together as an effective team,” addedWeymouth.The two student officers credit their studies

for their actions.“We had practiced for exactly this kind of sce-

nario at USU,“ explained Waymouth. “We as-sessed the situation and our training kicked in.”According to police, Chavez was airlifted to the

Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimorefor life threatening injuries. His status has im-proved from critical to serious condition.

STUDENTSContinued from 1

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