navy-marine corps medical news (june 2011)

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A Public Affairs Publication of the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery June 2011 MEDNEWS Items of Interest: June marks “Navy Medicine’s Partnerships in Health Diplo- macy.” These partnerships translate into a host of new medical advance- ments in areas like disease prevention, wounded warrior care, and TBI treat- ment. They allow Navy Medicine to provide hope, comfort, and care to others in need while building trust and cooperation and strengthen relation- ships with a broader coalition of coun- tries for mutual benefit. Navy Weeks 2011 Navy Medicine will be participat- ing in Navy Week cities: Chatta- nooga (June 16-17), Chicago (June 28-30), Los Angeles (July 28-30), and San Antonio (TBD). For more information on Navy Weeks go to www.NavyWeek.org The National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) will mark its one-year anniversary June 24. Find us on Facebook. U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, follow us on Twitter @ Navy Medicine, read our publi- cations on Issuu, check out our photos on Flickr, and watch our videos on YouTube. Did You Know… Navy Medicine’s partner- ships extend to countries such as Botswana, Djibouti, Egypt, Vietnam, and Peru where Navy Medicine houses research labs and works di- rectly with host nation mili- tary medical counterparts. A. Bitoni, chief of staff for integration and transition, National Naval Medical Center. "Together, the Navy and Army medical team developed an intricate movement plan that we tested today with good results." "The lessons learned will help ensure we get it right when we move the actual patients this August," Bitoni explained. "It will ensure that we provide a seamless transition for our wounded warriors and their families." During the exercise, 12 simulated patients were transported via ambulance from WRAMC in northeastern Wash- ington, D.C., to National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in Bethesda, Md. Montgomery County Police and Metropolitan Police Departments participated in the exercise to ease the movements through the public roads BETHESDA, Md. - The National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed Army Medical Center conducted an inpatient movement rehearsal exercise June 12, 2011, to test all aspects of the inpatient move that is scheduled to occur in August. The patient move from Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), to Bethesda is a key milestone in the Base Realignment Commission (BRAC) mandated consolidation of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army flagship medical centers in the National Capital Region. "Planning for today's drill had been ongoing for the past nine months and included more than 100 medical and logistics experts from National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed Army Military Center," said Navy Capt. David See RELOCATION, Page 3 By U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs Patient relocation exercise tests plan for seamless move to joint medical center Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jonathen E. Davis TUMACO, Colombia - Lt. Cecilia Mendoza, left, and Rev. Juan Garcia, a Roman Catholic priest from the Colombia navy, visit a patient during a tour of the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), June 4. Comfort is deployed as part of Continuing Promise 2011, a five-month humanitarian assistance mission to the Caribbean, Central and South America.

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Navy Marine Corps Medical News is a monthly newsletter published by the Bureau of Navy Medicine & Surgery. Find us on Facebook. U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, and follow us on Twitter @ Navy Medicine.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Navy-Marine Corps Medical News (June 2011)

A Public Affairs Publication of the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

June 2011

MEDNEWS Items of Interest:

June marks “Navy Medicine’sPartnerships in Health Diplo-macy.” These partnerships translateinto a host of new medical advance-ments in areas like disease prevention,wounded warrior care, and TBI treat-ment. They allow Navy Medicine toprovide hope, comfort, and care toothers in need while building trust andcooperation and strengthen relation-ships with a broader coalition of coun-tries for mutual benefit.

Navy Weeks 2011Navy Medicine will be participat-ing in Navy Week cities: Chatta-nooga (June 16-17), Chicago (June28-30), Los Angeles (July 28-30),and San Antonio (TBD). For moreinformation on Navy Weeks go towww.NavyWeek.org

The National Intrepid Center ofExcellence (NICoE) will mark itsone-year anniversary June 24.

Find us on Facebook. U.S. NavyBureau of Medicine andSurgery, follow us on Twitter @Navy Medicine, read our publi-cations on Issuu, check out ourphotos on Flickr, and watch ourvideos on YouTube.

Did You Know…Navy Medicine’s partner-ships extend to countriessuch as Botswana, Djibouti,Egypt, Vietnam, and Peruwhere Navy Medicine housesresearch labs and works di-rectly with host nation mili-tary medical counterparts.

A. Bitoni, chief of staff for integrationand transition, National Naval MedicalCenter. "Together, the Navy and Armymedical team developed an intricatemovement plan that we tested todaywith good results."

"The lessons learned will help ensurewe get it right when we move the actualpatients this August," Bitoni explained."It will ensure that we provide aseamless transition for our woundedwarriors and their families."

During the exercise, 12 simulatedpatients were transported via ambulancefrom WRAMC in northeastern Wash-ington, D.C., to National Naval MedicalCenter (NNMC) in Bethesda, Md.

Montgomery County Police andMetropolitan Police Departmentsparticipated in the exercise to ease themovements through the public roads

BETHESDA, Md. - The National NavalMedical Center and Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center conducted an inpatientmovement rehearsal exercise June12, 2011, to test all aspects of theinpatient move that is scheduled tooccur in August.

The patient move from Walter ReedArmy Medical Center (WRAMC), toBethesda is a key milestone in the BaseRealignment Commission (BRAC)mandated consolidation of the U.S.Navy and U.S. Army flagship medicalcenters in the National Capital Region.

"Planning for today's drill had beenongoing for the past nine months andincluded more than 100 medical andlogistics experts from National NavalMedical Center and Walter Reed ArmyMilitary Center," said Navy Capt. David See RELOCATION, Page 3

By U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and SurgeryPublic Affairs

Patient relocation exercise tests plan forseamless move to joint medical center

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jonathen E. Davis

TUMACO, Colombia - Lt. Cecilia Mendoza, left, and Rev. Juan Garcia, a Roman Catholic priestfrom the Colombia navy, visit a patient during a tour of the Military Sealift Command hospitalship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), June 4. Comfort is deployed as part of Continuing Promise 2011, afive-month humanitarian assistance mission to the Caribbean, Central and South America.

Page 2: Navy-Marine Corps Medical News (June 2011)

June 2011 Page 2SURGEON GENERAL’S CORNER

Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

Vice Adm. Adam M. Robinson, Jr.U.S. Navy Surgeon General

Capt. Cappy SurettePublic Affairs Officer

Shoshona Pilip-FloreaDeputy Public Affairs Officer

Valerie A. KremerMEDNEWS Managing Editor

Public Affairs OfficePhone: 202-762-3160

Fax: 202-762-1705

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery2300 E Street NW

Washington, DC 20372-5300

The 2011 National Military Strategystates that “our military power is mosteffective when employed in supportand in concert with other elements ofpower as part of whole-of-nationapproaches to foreign policy.” NavyMedicine plays a vital role in supportof this strategic mission. After respond-ing to two tsunamis in six years, twoearthquakes in Pakistan and Haiti,and a hurricane in the Gulf Coast, wehave proven the necessity of a robustexpeditionary military medical forceto bring hope and stability to placesand people in dire need, which ulti-mately leads to more peace, security,and prosperity in the broader world.Japan is but the latest reminder of theimportance of our ability to partnerwith others to provide medicalsurge capabilities.

Medicine is a common languagethat all countries understand. Whereverwe can provide hope, comfort, andcare to others in need, and whereverwe can partner with other allied nationsthrough military medical partnerships,it behooves us to do so; to build trustand cooperation, and strengthen ourrelationships with a broader coalitionof countries for our mutual benefit,and simply put, it is the right thing todo. These partnerships are translating

Navy Medicine’s Partnerships in Health Diplomacy

into a host of new medical advance-ments in areas like disease prevention,wounded warrior care, and TBI treat-ment. Embracing joint, interagency,whole-of-nation, multi-national, andpublic/private partnerships is where wemust go if we are to truly have a endur-ing impact on global health issues.USNS Comfort is finishing a deploy-ment to South/Central America, andthe Caribbean in support of ContinuingPromise 2011 and USNS Mercy re-turned from their Pacific Partnershipmission last August after caring forover 210,000 citizens from 13 countries.Our partnerships include also extend tocountries such as Botswana, Djibouti,Egypt, Vietnam, and Peru where wehouse research labs and work directlywith our host nation military medicalcounterparts. These partnerships

provide needed resources and diplo-matic tools for the interagency todevelop their own initiatives withforeign governments. Our engagementprograms include partnerships inundersea and aerospace medicine,vaccine and infectious disease research,environmental health and toxicology,and surgical and reconstructive re-search, including regenerative medicine.Our forward presence overseas enablesus to provide preparedness regardingpotential threats – infectious, toxicand environmental – existent onsix continents.

Our partnerships also extend tocountries such as Botswana, Djibouti,Egypt, Vietnam, and Peru where wehouse research and development labsand work directly with our host nationmilitary medical counterparts. Ourthree overseas laboratory commands

Vice Adm. Adam M. Robinson, Jr.,

U.S. Navy Surgeon General

“Embracing joint, inter-agency, whole-of-nation,multi-national, and public/private partnerships iswhere we must go if we areto truly have a enduringimpact on global healthissues.”

and their subordinate detachmentsand field activities have enabled us toprovide needed resources and diplo-matic tools for the interagency todevelop their own initiatives withforeign governments. Our method ofproviding “shoulder to shoulder”medical science, infectious disease andhealth hazard support to host nationgovernments has been repeatedly citedas their best practice model for buildingmore trust, cooperation, and collabora-tion with us. To that end, we have heldextensive international engagementsand development relationships inAfrica, South America and SoutheastAsia-Pacific for over 66 years.

These broad activities representonly a fraction of what Navy Medicineprovides in support of our nation’snational security, diplomatic, anddevelopment missions. They highlightour enhanced and enlarged globalfootprint of health diplomacy. Thesepartnerships should serve as a modelto grow and sustain our own capacityas well as the capacity of interagencyprograms for the future. As globalhealth diplomats and ambassadors,we are part of our nation’s and ourNavy’s “global force for good.” Thankyou for everything you do and thankyou for your service. It is my honor andprivilege to represent you as yourSurgeon General.

Page 3: Navy-Marine Corps Medical News (June 2011)

June 2011 Page 3

without the interruption of trafficsignals. The rehearsal was scheduled forSunday to minimize travel time,mitigate adverse impact on the localcommunities and ensure uninterruptedpatient care at both medical centers.

The ambulances, which carriedmedical staff posing as woundedwarriors to add a sense of realism to theexercise, were directed to one of tworeceiving sites upon arrival at NNMC.NNMC staff reviewed the simulatedpatients' status and provided them withidentification bands before transportingthem directly to their designated unit.

The goal was to move patientsfrom different units and transport themapproximately every three to five min-utes.

RELOCATIONFrom Page 1

"The reason for alternating betweenunits is an attempt to prevent both thesending and receiving units from beingovertaxed at any one time," said Bitoni."The majority of patients will be movedindividually by ambulance. Dependingon the acuity and special needs of eachpatient, some may be accompanied by anurse and/or a provider."

The movement plan includesguidance for patient families who will beable to travel via shuttle from WRAMCto NNMC, or use reserved parking onthe NNMC campus if they opt to usetheir personal vehicles.

"The relocation of WRAMCinpatients to the NNMC campus is animportant milestone in the BRAC time-line," said Navy Capt. Mike Malanoski,commanding officer, Naval SupportActivity Bethesda. "While this event will

be an tremendous undertaking, ourNavy and Army staffs are well preparedto ensure that we leave no woundedwarrior of family member behind dur-ing this unprecedented consolidation oftwo flagship medical centers."

"Today's exercise will help us be evenmore prepared to ensure we provide themost seamless transition for ourwounded warriors and continued worldclass care and support for them for yearsto come," he said.

The 2005 Base Realignment andClosure recommendations, released May13, 2005, require realigning and movingstaff and resources at WRAMC tomodern health-care facilities nowunder construction at NNMC and FortBelvoir, Va., by Sept. 15, 2011.The recommendations became law Nov.9, 2005.

First mobile MRI systems to be sent to Afghanistan theaterBy U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs

FORT DETRICK, Md. - Naval Medical Logistics Command(NMLC) announced the award of a contract for two mobileMagnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems to Philips Health-care June 7, to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of traumaticbrain injury of wounded warriors in Afghanistan.

The Navy has been working closely with the Army and AirForce to field an unprecedented MRI capability for deployedforces as part of the overall comprehensive approach todiagnosing and treating concussive injuries.

The procurement of the MRI systems has been a jointinitiative between NMLC's technical and operational partnersincluding: Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, U.S. Army MedicalMaterial Agency, Chief of Mobility Command, the VeteransAdministration, and the Army's Rapid Equipping Force.

While there is no clinical requirement for MRI systems inbattlefield trauma care, they will be informative and may lead tocutting-edge discoveries in the diagnosis, treatment andenhanced follow-up care for wounded personnel withTraumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).

"The acquisition of an MRI system for use in a combattheater is something new and provides some interestingchallenges but it's amazing to see those challenges being over-come so quickly," said James B. Poindexter, commanding officerof NMLC. "This is a complex and unprecedented acquisitionissue and our team is working hard to field this equipment assoon as possible while ensuring it will do the job we intend itto do, taking care of our men and women in uniform close tothe battlefield."

According to Poindexter, the MRI systems destined forAfghanistan are unlike anything commercially available. Theunits need to be self-contained, requiring that they be designed

from the ground up to account for the many unique andchallenging working environments that will be encountered incombat theater such as vast temperature differences, fine blow-ing sand and power issues. They must also meet size and weightrequirements to be capable of being airlifted into theater.

"We are taking prudent measures to ensure successfuldeployment of this important equipment by late summer," saidPoindexter. "We continue to aggressively address every elementinvolved including engineering, logistical and technical issues."

The contract to build the MRI systems was awarded toPhilips after a competitive, best value acquisition process.

"We are honored to help improve access to care by bringingadvanced medical technologies to Afghanistan as part of ourlongstanding efforts to support soldiers and veterans," said JoeRobinson, senior vice president, Government and EnterpriseSolutions, Philips Healthcare.

Photo by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Seth Rossman

BETHESDA, Md., - Civilian technician, Jose Araujo watches as apatient goes through a Magnetic Resonance Imaging, (MRI) machineat the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

Page 4: Navy-Marine Corps Medical News (June 2011)

June 2011 Page 4

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Vice Adm. Adam M. Robinson, Navy SurgeonGeneral, speaks to scientists about traumatic brain injury at the 8thAnnual World Congress on Brain, Spinal Cord Mapping and ImageGuided Therapy, June 8.

Photo by Capt. Cappy Surette, Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery7 Surgery Public Affairs

Navy Surgeon General discusses advances in TBI treatmentsBy U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - The top medical officer for the U.S.Navy and Marine Corps discussed military medical researchadvancements in the areas of traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress at the 8th Annual World Congress on Brain,Spinal Cord Mapping & Image Guided Therapy, June 8.

The annual medical conference is a multi-disciplinary forumdesigned to facilitate cross-disciplinary sharing of technologicaland medical advances and scientific discovery.

During his keynote address, Navy Surgeon GeneralVice Adm. Adam M. Robinson Jr, stated that military medicaladvancements coupled with enhanced medical training andtrauma experience during ten years of war have led to a97 percent survival rate for coalition casualties; the lowestmortality rate amongst trauma victims coming out of any warin history.

"When Sailors and Marines in the fight are hurt, we apply allof our training and resources to provide rapid evacuation andcare, and this is done in partnership with our sister services,"said Robinson. "If a warrior can arrive with life in him or her,there is a good chance we can keep them alive. This is a hugeadvancement since the days of Vietnam and even Desert Storm."

Due to the nature of wounds in Iraq and Afghanistan,Robinson made traumatic brain injury and psychological healthtreatment his top research priority to best support both opera-tional forces and home-based families during his tenure as NavySurgeon General and Chief of the Navy Bureau of Medicineand Surgery.

"Our focused research has yielded tremendous results in com-bat casualty care in mild to severe TBI and post traumatic stress,as well as areas like wound management, wound repair andreconstruction, extremity and internal hemorrhage control andphantom limb pain in amputees," said Robinson.

Robinson told the audience that a key element of healing

wounded warriors in body, mind, and spirit starts with carenear the point of injury such as the Navy's Concussion Restora-tion Care Center located at Camp Leatherneck in Kandahar,Afghanistan, the first of its kind facility that brings concussionspecialists to the front lines.

Since opening, the center has seen hundreds of personneland the Navy has since expanded its capability to include firstever Navy neurologist assigned to Kandahar to help supportthis mission.

"Many of our wounded warriors are walking, talking, andleading productive lives today because of the research and medi-cal advancements we have worked on together, and becauseof our transition/reintegration and resiliency programs we havecreated for them and their families," said Robinson. "The worldclass care we provide today is a direct result of the razor sharpfocus we have placed on translational research advancementsfor our wounded warriors."

TUMACO, Colombia - Hospital Corpsman2nd Class Antonio Carranza, from SantaAna, Calif., conducts a subject matterexpert exchange on CPR procedureswith Colombian marines at Escuela MaxSeidel during a Continuing Promise 2011community service project, June 6. Con-tinuing Promise is a five-month humani-tarian assistance mission to the Carib-bean, Central and South America.

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Page 5: Navy-Marine Corps Medical News (June 2011)

June 2011 Page 5

World’s undersea med specialists train during Bold Monarch

HOS SHOOTING STAR, at Sea - Undersea medical profession-als from the U.S., France, Israel, Australia, Singapore, Canadaand England trained together in the Mediterranean Sea duringthe NATO exercise Bold Monarch 2011, May 31, the world’slargest submarine rescue exercise.

This 12-day exercise supports interoperability betweensubmarines and submarine rescue units world-wide. For theU.S. element participating, Tuesday focused on being able torespond to medical emergencies on submarines.

“Exercises like this are vital to test our systems by ensuringour training and equipment are ready to perform during areal-world submarine rescue,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Gertner,Deep Submergence Unit (DSU) Submarine Escape and RescueMedical Officer

He organized an intermediate level mass casualty drill in-cluding many illnesses commonly faced during a submarinecollision or other accident. In this scenario, the submarine hada damaged hull, which increased the pressure of the boat. Thiscould cause multiple types of injuries, the symptoms of whichcan take days to develop.

“The big challenge is to triage and treat without a transferunder pressure system or hyperbaric chamber,” said Cmdr. Dr.Yoav Yanir, Israeli Naval Medical Institute Commanding

Officer. “This type of exercise is valuable in working togetherthrough a language barrier, as well as protocol and routinebarrier. It shows how important a pre-briefing is, and that dis-cussion needs to continue throughout the course of treatment.”

Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Katt Whittenberger,Expeditionary Combat Camera

See UNDERSEA, Page 6

MEDITERRANEAN SEA - Medical personnel from various countries discussproper medical treatment for an unconscious victim during a medicalexercise on board HOS Shooting Star as part of Bold Monarch 2011, May31. Participants and observers from more than 25 countries take part inNATO exercise Bold Monarch 2011, the world’s largest submarine rescueexercise.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ricardo J. Reyes

Navy Medicine continues medical partnership with LaosBy U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and SurgeryPublic Affairs

VIENTIANE, Laos. U.S. Naval MedicalResearch Unit Two - Pacific (NAMRU-2) and the Lao Ministry of Health andNational Center for Laboratory andEpidemiology (NCLE) signed a Letterof Intent June 7, aimed at strengtheningthe country’s laboratory diagnosticcapabilities.

"We are excited to continue buildingour global healthcare partnerships andespecially to expand on the long-standing collaboration we share withLaos," said U.S. Pacific CommandSurgeon Rear Adm. Michael H. Mittel-man. "It is through these efforts thattogether we can help maintain stabilityand security in the region throughhealth engagement and continue tocontribute to the health and security forpeople all over the world."

The existing partnership wasexpanded to support the diagnostic ca-pabilities for the identification of human

and zoonotic pathogens, technical ex-changes, and electronic disease outbreakdetection and reporting capabilities.

The letter extends NAMRU-2’scollaboration with the Laos for the nextfive years and was signed by the Chief ofCabinet of the Ministry of PublicHealth, Dr. Nao Boutta and theNAMRU-2 Commanding Officer, NavyCapt. Gail L. Hathaway.

The planned activities between NCLEand NAMRU-2 build upon more thanfifteen years of successful collaborationbetween these two organizations, datingback to 1994.

“NAMRU-2 has played an importantrole in strengthening laboratorycapabilities and communication infra-structure to support infectious diseaseoutbreak surveillance and responsecapabilities and reporting,” according toa statement released last week by the U.SEmbassy in Laos.

NAMRU-2 and NCLE intend to con-tinue cooperation to strengthen infec-tious disease surveillance and laboratory

capacity in the Lao People’s DemocraticRepublic in the interest of national andregional public health.Under the Letter of Intent, NAMRU-2will provide technical consultation,material support, and technology trans-fers on mutually agreed terms, andtraining assistance in the conduct ofepidemiological research studies andelectronic disease surveillance and re-porting systems, to include the EarlyWarning Outbreak Recognition System.

This cooperation is part of a growingcomprehensive partnership between theU.S. and Laos to address public healthrequirements and capacity developmentin the health sector in Laos.

Navy Medicine is a global healthcarenetwork of 63,000 Navy Medical person-nel around the world who provide highquality health care to more than onemillion eligible beneficiaries. NavyMedicine personnel deploy with Sailorsand Marines worldwide, providing criti-cal mission support aboard ship, in theair, under the sea and on the battlefield.

Page 6: Navy-Marine Corps Medical News (June 2011)

June 2011 Page 6

Got News? If you’d like to submit an article or have an idea for one,contact MEDNEWS at 202-762-3160, fax 202-762-1705 or [email protected].

Navy Surgeon General honors Hospital Corps’ 113th birthday

By U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and SurgeryPublic Affairs

WASHINGTON - The Navy SurgeonGeneral sent a message to the NavyHospital Corps in celebration of itsbirthday, June 15.

“Today we celebrate the 113thBirthday of our Hospital Corps.,” saidVice Adm. Adam M. Robinson, Jr.,Navy surgeon general and chief, Bureauof Medicine and Surgery. “HospitalCorpsmen deploy with Sailors andMarines worldwide, in wartime andin peacetime. From Khe Sanh to Kanda-har, Iwo Jima to the Chosin Reservoir,the Hospital Corps has always been inthe fight and on the battlefield.”

With the Spanish-American Warlooming, Congress passed a bill author-izing establishment of the U.S. NavyHospital Corps, signed into law byPresident William McKinley on June 15,1898. Since then, our Services haveoften heard the call “Corpsman Up!” acall which has been answered in everymajor battle since the Corps’founding,according to Robinson.

Robinson acknowledged the NavyHospital Corps’dual mission at homeand abroad— providing the same qualityof care to service members and theirfamilies in military treatment facilities athome as well as overseas.

“It is no accident that the Navy andMarine Corps is experiencing the lowestbattle mortality and non-battle injuryrates in the history of armed conflict,”said Robinson. “This is due in largepart to our exceptional Corpsmen andtheir training.”

Today, more than 20,000 active dutyand Reserve Navy Hospital Corpsmen

serve with both the Navy and theMarine Corps throughout the world.The Hospital Corps is the largest ratingin the Navy and the most decorated inthe U.S. Twenty naval ships alone havebeen named after Hospital Corpsmen.Their personal sacrifices and valor inpeace and combat, have earned them aprominent place in the proud history ofthe U.S. Navy, according to Robinson.

“It is their honor, courage, andcommitment that we honor today,” saidRobinson. “As the Hospital CorpsmenPledge states, “the care of the sick andinjured… is a privilege and a sacredtrust.” Today we honor and celebratethat sacred trust to ensure our Nationhas a medically ready, fit, and fightingforce; and that those who’ve servedour Nation, along with their families,can always count on the HospitalCorps to help provide quality andcompassionate patient and family –centered health care.”

Robinson oversees a global health-care network of 63,000 Navy Medicalpersonnel around the world whoprovide high quality health care tomore than one million eligible benefici-aries. Navy Medicine personnel deploywith Sailors and Marines worldwide,providing critical mission supportaboard ship, in the air, under the seaand on the battlefield.

UNDERSEAFrom Page 5

More than 2,000 personnel and 20 ships have gathered off thecoast of Spain, bringing with them rescue forces equipped witha range of sophisticated debris clearance, diver assisted gear andsubmarine rescue systems (SRS) for this exercise. With morethan 40 nations operating submarines, the compatibilitybetween assets and standardization of procedures in submarinerescue is exceedingly important.

“In the unlikely event of an emergency, we can work with ourallies to respond appropriately, and having a standardized scripthelps cut through the language barrier. Exercises like this gives

us a way to interact with militaries we may not normally inter-act with since we’re primarily a humanitarian unit,” saidCommander Deep Submergence Unit Cmdr. David Lemly,who brought his almost 50/50 mix of active and reserve Sailors,as well as their one-of-a-kind equipment, from their home portof San Diego to Spain for this exercise.

Bold Monarch will culminate with a 48-hour scenario involv-ing the rescue of more than 150 personnel from multiple ships.Aircraft from Italy will deliver divers from the Italy, Russia,and the United Kingdom via parachutes to provide firstresponse. The medical professionals will respond to multiplemass casualty scenarios. Rescue systems from multiple countrieswill recover trapped sailors.

Photo by Paul Dillard, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs

WASHINGTON - FORCE Laura Martinez, theoldest member of the Hospital Corps, andHospital Corpsman 2nd Class Christopher P.Stills, the youngest member of the Corps cutthe cake for the Hospital Corps 113th birthdayheld at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

Page 7: Navy-Marine Corps Medical News (June 2011)

See ENTOMOLOGIST, Page 8

June 2011 Page 7

LAE, Papua New Guinea – After 13 days of working with localmedical, dental, and engineering professionals in Papua NewGuinea, Pacific Partnership 2011 concluded its mission and gotunderway aboard amphibious transport dock ship USS Cleve-land (LPD 7).

Cmdr. Michael Smith, operations department head forNavy Environmental Preventive Medicine Unit 5 (NEPMU-5)in San Diego, directed medical care for 11,000 Papua NewGuineans. NEPMU-5 is a subordinate activity of the Navy andMarine Corps Public Health Center and Navy MedicineSupport Command.

"The Papua New Guinea mission was designed to provide asmuch basic health care as possible," said Smith, who wasdeployed as the director of medical operations for Pacific Part-nership. "We worked with the Papua New Guineans to engagein meaningful, on-the-job, subject matter expert exchanges thatare sustainable after we depart."

Medical personnel working with Pacific Partnershiproutinely treated over 1,000 patients a day. The team dispensedover 9,000 prescriptions and provided people with over 6,000pairs of glasses.

"We have a very good group," Smith said. “All of thecountries participating in the mission, from the U.S. and Aus-tralia to Spain and France, gelled together very well and

achieved the peak of efficiency."Smith further explained how the culture of interoperability

contributed to the success of the medical mission. While themajority of the participants are military, regardless of what

Navy entomologist directs care for 11,000 Papua New GuineansBy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class R. David Valdez, Pacific Part-nership 2011 Public Affairs

Royal Australian Navy photo by Leading Seaman Imagery Specialist Helen Frank

LAE, Papua New Guinea - Lt. Arthur Kalfus, a dentist embarked aboardthe amphibious transport dock ship USS Cleveland (LPD 7), checks ababy's teeth at Huas Clare Crisis Centre for Children during a PacificPartnership 2011 community service project, May 21.

Naval School San Diego holds disestablishment ceremonyBy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class(SW) Arthur N. De La Cruz, Navy MedicineSupport Command

SAN DIEGO - The Naval School ofHealth Sciences San Diego officiallymarked the end of over 80 years oftraining Hospital Corpsmen in SanDiego during a May 25 disestablishmentceremony held at the school houseon the Naval Medical Center San Diegocampus.

NSHS San Diego will relocate to FortSam Houston, Texas, and become partof the Tri-service Medical Educationand Training Campus (METC) as partof the 2005 Base Closure and Realign-ment Commission (BRAC) initiative.The consolidation of Navy, Army andAir Force medical enlisted training is thelargest consolidation of service trainingin Department of Defense (DOD) his-tory, making METC world’s largest mili-tary medical education and traininginstitution.

“Today marks the end of an era, so

we pause to recognize the rich legacy ofyour past, reflect on your accomplish-ments, and highlight your future legacyat METC in Fort Sam Houston, Texas,”said Rear Adm. Eleanor Valentin, com-mander of Navy Medicine SupportCommand and the ceremony keynotespeaker. “Each of you will leave a legacyin the form of the Hospital Corpsmenyou have trained. Your legacy is andwill be training those who ensure themedical readiness of the greatest navalforce in the world.”

Navy enlisted medical training his-tory in San Diego began in 1928 whenthe West Coast Hospital Corps Schoolmoved from Naval Training Station SanFrancisco to San Diego in 1928. Theschool was closed from 1932-1935 andsince has resided in several locations.Advanced classes were taught at Hospi-tal Corps School until the school’sevolved mission resulted in the formalrecognition of the Naval School ofHealth Sciences on July 1, 1974.

SAN DIEGO - Sailors and civilians bow theirheads as Capt. Robert McClanahan, chaplainat Naval Medical Center San Diego, reads theBenediction during the disestablishment cere-mony for the Naval School of Health Sciences,San Diego, May 25.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anastasia Puscian

Page 8: Navy-Marine Corps Medical News (June 2011)

Page 9

Conference heralds Navy Medicine, Smithsonian partnershipBy Paul R. Dillard, Navy Bureau of Medicine andSurgery Public Affairs

To keep up with NavyMedicine news and dailyupdates follow us on...

June 2011

WASHINGTON - Navy Medicine co-sponsored a conference on pastoral carein communities of health with theSmithsonian Institution Office ofSponsored Projects at the NationalMuseum of American History in Wash-ington, D.C., June 14.

The topic of the conference includedthe importance of pastoral care andacademic theology to healthcare leader-ship and healthcare institutions.The conference was part of a broaderseries of collaborative ethics educationconferences first initiated by the NavyMedicine Institute and the SmithsonianInstitution in 2008. The annual seriesis only one of many efforts under themajor scope of activities coveredby a 2011 memorandum of understand-ing between Navy Medicine andthe Smithsonian.

"This agreement links the NavyMedicine Institute with the outstandingacademic depth, opportunities andvisions that are part of the ongoing giftof the Smithsonian," said Dr. EdwardGabriele, special assistant to the NavySurgeon General for Ethics and Profes-sional Integrity and deputy vice chancel-lor, Navy Medicine Institute.

The developing partnership betweenNavy Medicine and the Smithsonian led

to the publication of the Journal ofHealthcare, Science and the Humanities.The journal is a scholarly forum for aca-demic and professional discussions andanalyses regarding healthcare, medicine,the health sciences, research, and themedical humanities.

Some of the other achievements andsuccesses made possible by the memo-

randum of understanding include theacquisition of preservation technologiesand exhibit possibilities for Navy Medi-cine historical collections, as well asgrants and contracting potentials.Two new developments under thepartnership include the establishment ofthe new Abraham Lincoln Center for theStudy and Service of Wounded WarriorCare and the International Partnershipfor Global Health, said Gabriele.

"The International Partnership forGlobal Health is a program for estab-lishing new partnerships around the

world for educational and researchopportunities in support of Humanitar-ian Assistance," said Gabriele. "TheAbraham Lincoln Center would be anew concept in development to assistwork already being done by the Navy,Army and Air Force, as well as the VAand Health and Human Services by pro-moting public-private partnerships."Creating public-private partnerships isrecognized today is of utmost value byfederal, academic, and private sectorexecutives. Educators in particularrealize this since it demonstrates a clear"buy in" and thereby promotes the high-est rate of cultural success in education,explained Gabriele.

"The growing relationship betweenthe Smithsonian and Navy Medicine issomething that I'm delighted to seehappen," said Scott Robinson, director,Office of Sponsored Projects Smith-sonian Institution. "It bodes wellfor future collaboration in a variety ofareas including research, outreach andpublic programs."

The next conference presented byNavy Medicine and the Smithsonian willbe held Sept. 7, at the National HistoryMuseum and is entitled "In Service ofthe Public Trust: Re-imagining Leader-ship in a Post-9/11 World."Conference admission is free and opento all, but space is limited and registra-tion beforehand is recommended.

“This agreement links theNavy Medicine Institute withthe outstanding academicdepth, opportunities andvisions that are part of theongoing gift of the Smith-sonian.” - Dr. Edward Gabriele, Special

Assistant to the Navy Surgeon General forEthics and Professional Integrity.

nation they come from, the non-governmental organizations(NGOs) working as a part of the Pacific Partnership team arejust as important as their military counterparts.

"Project Hope, World Vets, and the other NGOs are a greatasset, and they bring something different to the table," Smithcontinued. "They don't accept anything as impossible."

Smith also spoke about the expertise of the AustralianDefense Force, which has been a part of the PP 11 mission sincethe planning stages of the deployment.

"The Australians know this area," he said. "They know the dis-eases, the people, and the cultures. They have a lot of enthusiasmfor this mission. I think it's kind of like our Army counterpartshere. They are a little outside of their comfort zone, but they endup thriving in an unfamiliar environment like a U.S. Navy ship."

The Pacific Partnership medical, dental, and veterinary team,together with the engineering team, worked together in a varietyof locations, completing three main engineering projects, treat-ing 124 animals, delivering 45 pallets of donated goods, and fin-ishing 10 community service projects conducted in and aroundLae. The engineering team was made up of U.S. Navy Seabeesand Australian Sappers, and worked with Papua New Guineanengineers.

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