Vol. 25 No. 28 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ July 25, 2013 Scarlett Paquette, 2, paints on an easel during a morning activ- ity at Austin’s Playroom in Building 62 at Naval Support Activity Bethesda Tuesday. Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Parde Lily Oppelt, 11 months, answers a toy phone call in the infant care room at Austin’s Playroom Bethesda. By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Parde NSAB Public Affairs staff writer Austin’s Playroom, dedicated for family members of wounded warriors at Naval Sup- port Activity Bethesda (NSAB), offers a safe place of growth and learning for children during the warrior’s re- covery process. Located in Building 62 (Tranquility Hall), the 2,000 sq. ft. play- room was the largest in a chain of 22 playrooms and the first to be built by the Mario Lemieux Foundation on a mili- tary base. The play- room opened its doors, Sept. 7, 2011, said Jamila Aziz, child and youth program director at NSAB. “Our mission is to ac- commodate the needs and make life easier for the wounded war- rior families here,” said Aziz. “We are here to support their healing and transition.” Austin’s Playroom is available for children of wounded warriors from 6 weeks to 12 years old and has a separate infant room for chil- dren from 6 weeks to 17 months old. Staff members are qualified Child Youth Program assistants who teach the Creative Curricu- lum, which has been adopted by all Child Development Centers within the Department of Defense, said Aziz. “We heard the con- cern of the parents – that they want a structured learning environment for their children to be avail- able full-time, so we purchased the Creative Curriculum,” she said. “It’s based on obser- vation and the child’s individual needs. For example, when the chil- dren are doing dramat- ic play and housekeep- ing [exercises] together, they are learning how to socialize; they pick up language, how to get along with each other, and how to be creative in creating the rooms for the model [house].” Dramatic play is just one of many growth areas, or ‘centers,’ that children may access during the day, said Aziz. “We have several cen- ters: dramatic, build- ing blocks, reading, manipulative, sand art and a music/listening center. All these areas are there to develop the skills in each individ- ual child, focusing on their social, emotional, cognitive and physical growth.” A wounded warrior’s limited mobility can present many chal- lenges throughout the course of their day, so having a local daycare facility gives them one less thing to worry about, said Aziz. “Austin’s Room is the perfect solution,” she said. “[Families] can come from their living quarters and drop off their child within the same building and go on with their business. It just makes life much easier for them.” Tamara Tapper, a wounded warrior spouse, said she and her husband have been with the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Walter Reed Bethesda since November 2011, and have had their son Austin’s Playroom: A Place for Families Brielle Longyhore, 3, drops a red rubber ball to test if it will bounce during a morning ex- periment in Austin’s Playroom. See PLAY page 4
Transcript
Vol. 25 No. 28 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ July 25, 2013
Scarlett Paquette, 2, paints on an easel during a morning activ-ity at Austin’s Playroom in Building 62 at Naval Support ActivityBethesda Tuesday.
Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Parde
Lily Oppelt, 11 months, answers a toy phone call in the infant careroom at Austin’s Playroom Bethesda.
By MassCommunication
Specialist 2nd ClassNathan Parde
NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer
Austin’s Playroom,dedicated for familymembers of woundedwarriors at Naval Sup-port Activity Bethesda(NSAB), offers a safeplace of growth andlearning for childrenduring the warrior’s re-covery process.Located in Building
62 (Tranquility Hall),the 2,000 sq. ft. play-room was the largest ina chain of 22 playroomsand the first to be builtby the Mario LemieuxFoundation on a mili-tary base. The play-room opened its doors,Sept. 7, 2011, saidJamila Aziz, child andyouth program directorat NSAB.
“Our mission is to ac-commodate the needsand make life easierfor the wounded war-rior families here,” saidAziz. “We are here tosupport their healingand transition.”Austin’s Playroom is
available for children ofwounded warriors from6 weeks to 12 yearsold and has a separateinfant room for chil-dren from 6 weeks to17 months old. Staffmembers are qualifiedChild Youth Programassistants who teachthe Creative Curricu-lum, which has beenadopted by all ChildDevelopment Centerswithin the Departmentof Defense, said Aziz.“We heard the con-
cern of the parents– that they want astructured learningenvironment for theirchildren to be avail-able full-time, so we
purchased the CreativeCurriculum,” she said.“It’s based on obser-vation and the child’sindividual needs. Forexample, when the chil-dren are doing dramat-ic play and housekeep-ing [exercises] together,they are learning howto socialize; they pickup language, how to getalong with each other,and how to be creativein creating the roomsfor the model [house].”Dramatic play is just
one of many growthareas, or ‘centers,’ thatchildren may accessduring the day, saidAziz.“We have several cen-
ters: dramatic, build-ing blocks, reading,manipulative, sand artand a music/listeningcenter. All these areasare there to develop theskills in each individ-ual child, focusing ontheir social, emotional,
cognitive and physicalgrowth.”A wounded warrior’s
limited mobility canpresent many chal-lenges throughout thecourse of their day, sohaving a local daycarefacility gives them oneless thing to worryabout, said Aziz.“Austin’s Room is the
perfect solution,” shesaid. “[Families] cancome from their livingquarters and drop offtheir child within thesame building and goon with their business.It just makes life mucheasier for them.”Tamara Tapper,
a wounded warriorspouse, said she andher husband have beenwith the WoundedWarrior Battalion atWalter Reed Bethesdasince November 2011,and have had their son
Austin’s Playroom: A Place for Families
Brielle Longyhore, 3, drops a red rubber ballto test if it will bounce during a morning ex-periment in Austin’s Playroom.See PLAY page 4
2 Thursday, July 25, 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
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
Navy Medicine NCA DisestablishmentA ceremony for the disestablishment of Navy
Medicine National Capital Area is Wednesday at10 a.m. in Memorial Auditorium. For more infor-mation, contact Chief Hospital Corpsman SteveCurran at 301-295-4966, or [email protected].
Nutrition for Cancer Prevention, SurvivalDr. Neal Barnard, clinical researcher and one of
America’s leading advocates for health and nutri-tion, will be the guest speaker at the Walter ReedBethesda Prostate Cancer Support Group’s quar-terly meeting on Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. in the AmericaBuilding, second floor, Rm. 2525. Barnard will dis-cuss “Nutrition for Cancer Prevention and Surviv-al.” For men wanting to attend the program with-out a military ID, call the Prostate Cancer Centerat 301-319-2900, 48 hours in advance of the pro-gram for base access. For more information, con-tact retired Col. Jane Hudak at 301-319-2918 [email protected] or Vin McDonald at703-643-2658 or [email protected].
Wounded Warriors Town HallA joint town hall meeting for recovering war-
riors and their families with commanders of JointTask Force National Capital Region Medical Com-mand 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.
DiLorenzo Clinic PharmacyThe DiLorenzo TRICARE Health Clinic-Penta-
gon (DTHC) is closed daily from noon to 1 p.m.Patients may process their prescriptions online byvisiting the Walter Reed National Military Medi-cal Center pharmacy refill page, or calling 1-800-377-1723 (refills for all Army and Navy sites,press 2 for Army, 3 for Virginia, and 5 for the Pen-tagon Clinic options); 240-857-7978 (11th MedicalGroup, Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.); 240-857-4893(Malcolm Grow Medical Clinic, Andrews Air ForceBase, Md.); 703-697-1188 (Flight Medicine Clinic,Pentagon, D.C.). For more information, visit www.dthc.capmed.mil, or the DTHC facebook page.
Bethesda NotebookFor eight years,NavyMed-
icine National Capital Area(NCA) has ensured a seam-less integration throughBaseRealignment and Closure(BRAC), representing theNavy component to the JointTask Force – Capital Medi-cal Region (JTF CapMed),and serving as a conduit ofinformation for the Bureauof Medicine and Surgery(BUMED). Next week, onJuly 31, we will bid the NCAteam farewell, and show ourappreciation for their tireless efforts, asthey disestablish during a ceremony in theMemorial Auditorium at 10 a.m.
InAugust 2005,NCAwas established asone of three regional headquarters forNavyMedicine, serving alongsideNavyMedicineWest, which oversees Naval Health Clinicson the West Coast, Eastern Pacific, NavyMedicine East and overseeing clinics inEurope. Through BRAC and integrationbetween the former Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center (WRAMC) and NationalNaval Medical Center (NNMC), the NCAbecame smaller, with fewer clinics andcommands in its region, including WalterReedBethesda and thehospital shipUSNSComfort. To ensure efficiency within NavyMedicine, the NCA will now disestablishand align under NavyMedicine East.
Over the next few months, you’ll likelysee NCA staff still working in the tower, asthey make this transition and to continuesupporting the mission of Navy Medicine.Some may eventually realign under NavyMedicine Headquarters, BUMED, whileothers may join us here at Walter ReedBethesda. I’m confident the support theyprovide in their future endeavors will be ofgreat value, given all they’ve accomplished.
For years, NCA coordinated activitiesand supported requests from commands,to include the formerNNMC,NavalHealthClinic Quantico, Naval Health Clinic An-napolis and Naval Health Clinic PatuxentRiver. They facilitated decision-makingthroughout theBRACprocess by providinga regional and Navy Medicine perspective.Their subject matter experts were also in-
volved at the working grouplevel, providing commit-tees with the most accuratedata on which to base deci-sions, through integration.In addition, NCA’s facilitiesteam spent countless hours,diligently involved in plan-ning and executing the ex-pansions and renovationsonboard NNMC, necessaryto accommodate the integra-tion.
Throughout integration,NCA also ensured Naval
components, such as staffing and pro-grams,fit into an integrated health system.They’ve interfaced with Naval Support Ac-tivity Bethesda (NSAB), NNMC,WRAMC,Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (FBCH)andJTFCapMed,helping the counterpartsto understand one another’s processes.They have indeed been “Movers and Shak-ers,” paving the way ahead for the Nation’sMedical Center.
After we officially opened our doorsnearly two years ago, as the Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center, NCAcontinued to provide unwavering support.They ensured naval components were be-ingmet both here and at FBCH,such as fit-ness reports, training, additional duty paysand operation requirements, meanwhile,overseeing their outlying clinics, Quan-tico, Annapolis and Patuxent River. It’sno wonder they’ve been awarded the “BlueH” award, presented annually by the NavySurgeon General to recognize outstandingNavy andMarine Corps organizations.
We cannot thank enough the NCA lead-ership and staff for their unmatched exper-tise and commitment to excellence. Theyhave truly helpedmake it possible for us tocall ourselves the Nation’s Medical Center.Please join in attending the ceremony nextweek, wishing them fair winds and follow-ing seas!
Commander sendsRear Adm. Alton L. StocksMC, USNWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center
Commander’s Column
By SharonRenee Taylor
WRNMMC Journalstaff writer
A lump formed in histhroat, and tears welledin the eyes of Army Col.(Dr.) Jeremiah Stubbsone Tuesday eveningin June, as he sat athome with his eyesglued to the television.With pride, he watchedhis wife Deidra singher solo part with theAmerican MilitarySpouses Choir on theNBC television show,‘America’s Got Talent.’“It was a rush,” said
Stubbs, the servicechief of the Occupation-al Health Clinic at Wal-ter Reed National ReedMilitary Medical Cen-ter (WRNMMC). “I wasso excited … I felt sohappy for her, and shereally loves doing this.”He explained, “my wifehas performed in largevenues before.” Deidrasang at the MontroseJazz Festival in Swit-zerland, and the 1992Olympics in Barcelona.“She has pictures of
her [with record pro-ducer] Quincy Jones[as well as songwrit-ing/recording artists]Ashford and Simpson,”Stubbs said. Deidraonce shared the stage
with Gladys Knight andsang background forCeline Dion. “Becauseshe married a soldierit kind of moved heraround a lot. She didn’thave opportunities, andwe were raising twosmall children. It wasgreat to see her per-forming for the country,for us, and to be affili-ated with a [choir thatis] doing something forservice members. It wasvery exciting,” he said.“I was proud of all thewomen who sang in thegroup.”Deidra performs with
the American MilitarySpouses Choir, orga-nized by a nonprofit or-ganization in the Wash-ington, D.C., metropoli-tan area that providesmusic therapy pro-grams which focus onservice-related condi-tions such as post trau-matic stress disorderand traumatic braininjury to help wound-ed active-duty servicemembers and veteransrecover with music.“I feel quite fortunate
and extremely proud tobe a part of this amaz-ing choir,” Deidra said.“From the moment Ijoined, I’ve always felta connection. This is anexciting and motivatedgroup and I’m blessed
to be a part of it.”Victor Hurtado of the
Center for AmericanMilitary Music Oppor-tunities said about ayear ago the choir au-ditioned hundreds ofspouses of active dutyservice members, seek-ing to give them a voiceand represent all mili-tary services — Army,Navy, Marine Corps, AirForce and Coast Guard.About 60 percent of thechoir members are lo-cated in D.C., Marylandor Virginia, with othersbased along the EastCoast, Hurtado said.
“I think it’s been re-ally good for all of us.A lot of these womenare professional mu-sic teachers or voiceteachers. They’ve beentrained professionallyin musical instrumentsas well as voice andsinging.“We always say that
we represent all mili-tary spouses becauseI think there a lotof spouses sitting athome, who don’t realizethat they can still fol-low their dreams,” shesaid. “This is showingthem in some way. Noteveryone sings. It’s big-ger than just us. We’resending a message.”Deidra said her fel-
low choir members are
very supportive to oneanother. She said theyall work together — nomatter what their roleis in a number — anyone of them can singlead.Thirty-six of the 50
women that form thechoir appeared at theChicago audition ofAmerica’s Got Talentwhich aired on televi-sion June 18, accord-ing to Hurtado. Thechoir edged out morethan 35,000 acts fromaround the country,selected as one of theapproximately 400chosen to perform be-fore judges. Their sec-ond appearance on theshow, taped in Las Ve-gas, aired on televisionJuly 16. Stubbs and hisWRNMMC colleaguesplan to tune in for the
choir’s third appear-ance on the show, a liveperformance at RadioCity Music Hall, tenta-tively scheduled for thefirst week in August ac-cording to a spokesper-son for the NBC show.He said his wife and
other military spouseshave sacrificed a greatdeal.“To be married to a
military person, youdo sacrifice a lot,” ex-plained Stubbs, whomoved to eight differ-ent duty stations in hismore than 20 years inthe Army. The physi-cian deployed to Koso-vo in 2001, and Iraq in2005.“We are blessed. I
have come home —made it home healthy— from all of my de-ployments and the
times that I’ve beenoverseas,” Stubbs ex-plained.He said that mili-
tary life hasn’t been ashard for his family asit has been for some ofhis fellow service mem-bers who didn’t make ithome. “Yes, [Deidra] hassacrificed. Many timesI’ve been away fromhome, and I felt secureand safe where I waslocated, but she wouldalways have to wonder.And she has friendswho have lost familymembers, and she’s wit-nessed this. She’s madea lot of sacrifices. You’reessentially runningthe family by yourselfwhen your spouse isa military person anddeployed. She’s given a
By Sarah MarshallWRNMMC Journal
staff writer
One of Walter ReedBethesda’s own, Dr.Robert Wah, was re-cently named presi-dent-elect of the Ameri-can Medical Association(AMA), a position thatwill allow him to advo-cate for physicians andpatients nationwide.Before Wah was
elected in June by ap-proximately 525 doctorsfrom across the coun-try, Wah said he had tocomplete roughly 30 in-terviews with AMA of-ficials, within 48 hours,and participate in an
hour-long debate in frontof approximately 2,000health care profession-als.As president-elect, hewill serve for a year, thenwill be inaugurated andserve as AMA presidentfor a year, beginning in2014.“Because the AMA is
the largest physicianorganization in thecountry, many peopleview that [role as presi-dent] as speaking onbehalf of patients andphysicians,” Wah said.“It’s a great honor to beselected by your peersin this important posi-tion. It’s an amazingtime in health care,[and] it’s an amazingtime to be in a leader-ship position like this.”
An obstetrician/gyne-cologist (OB/GYN) anda reproductive endocri-nologist, Wah served inthe Navy Medical Corpsfor 23 years, retiringin 2006 as a captain.During his military ca-reer, he completed hisresidency at the formerNational Naval MedicalCenter (NNMC) and hisfellowship at HarvardMedical School. He wasthen stationed at Na-val Medical Center SanDiego, where he alsoserved as vice chairmanof OB/GYN, and ran thereproductive endocri-nology division, whichstarted the first in vitrofertilization programfor the military on theWest Coast.
In 2001, Wah workedfor the Office of theSecretary of Defense asthe associate chief in-formation officer of theMilitary Health Sys-tem. That year, he alsobegan seeing patientsand teaching fellows,residents and medicalstudents at NNMC, aswell at the former Wal-ter Reed Army Medi-cal Center (WRAMC),before the two facili-ties integrated to formWalter Reed Bethesda.He continues to seepatients and teach atWalter Reed Bethesdaas well as the NationalInstitutes of Health(NIH).From 2005 to 2006,
Wah was appointed the
first deputy national co-ordinator in the Officeof the National Coordi-nator for Health Infor-mation Technology, U.S.Department of Health
and Human Services,working to advancethe electronic medicalrecords and connectAmericans to a nation-wide health informa-tion network. In 2006,after retiring from themilitary, he became thechief medical officer ofone of the largest in-formation technologycompanies in the world,providing a clinical per-spective on informationtechnology projects,tools and solutions.“I’ve had a lot of
great opportunities. Ireally enjoyed my mili-tary career and mytime since I got out of
The Journal Thursday, July 25, 2013 3
Walter Reed Bethesda’s Dr. Wah Named President-Elect of AMA
Courtesy photo
Dr. Robert Wah
NBC courtesy photo
The American Military Spouses Choir will perform live at RadioCity Music Hall on the NBC Television show, ‘America’s Got Tal-ent,’ in August. Deidra Stubbs is front, second from left.
Spouse Sings Melodies of Sacrifice
See AMA page 10
This Military Spouse’s Got Talent
See TALENT page 8
01040029 01040031
4 Thursday, July 25, 2013 The Journal
enrolled in Austin’sPlayroom for manymonths now.
“This facility hasbeen an incredible re-source for my husbandand me,” said Tapper.“With all the stressfulmedical and adminis-trative appointmentsthat we have had todeal with, having a safe,warm and happy envi-ronment to place ourfour-year-old, Roman,has been a huge relief.”
She added that Romanenjoys the time he spendsat Austin’s Playroom.
“My son loves attend-ing this facility. Thestaff has proven timeand time again to beprofessional, respectfuland friendly. I owe Aus-tin’s Playroom so muchfor allowing me to as-sist my husband in hismany challenges.”
Austin’s Playroom isopen 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.daily. For more infor-mation or to enroll achild, contact Tina Cole,wounded warrior liai-son, at 301-295-1060.
PLAYContinued from 1
Peyton Bodle, 2, jumps on a hopscotch padthat features the numbers one through 10,while staff and other children watch.
Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Parde
Wyatt Seals, 1, places toys at the top of aslide while Child Youth Program AssistantFrancine Gruskin, an infant care specialist,watches and encourages him.
01040297
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The Journal Thursday, July 25, 2013 5
Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor
Joint Staff SurgeonArmy Maj. Gen.(Dr.) Nadja Y. West(right) visited Wal-ter Reed NationalMil itary MedicalCenter (WRNMMC)July 18. As the JointStaff Surgeon, sheserves as the chiefmedical advisor tothe Chairman of theJoint Chiefs of Staff,providing advice tothe Chairman, theJoint Staff and theCombatant Com-manders. West wasthe first Army offi-cer to join the lead-ership team at theformer National Na-val Medical Center(NNMC), where sheserved as NNMC’sDeputy Commanderfor Integration be-fore NNMC integrat-ed with the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center to formWRNMMC. Retired Army Col. Paul F. Pasquina (left), chairmanof physical medicine and rehabilitation at Walter Reed Bethesda,explains the technology used in a prosthetic limb, to West, duringher visit to the prosthetic lab at the medical center.
Joint Staff Surgeon Visits WRNMMC
By MassCommunication
Specialist 3rd ClassBrandon Williams-
Church NSABPublic Affairs
staff writer
“At Naval Air Sta-tion Sigonella, Italy, aSailor and his wife werehaving a domestic prob-lem,” said CommandOmbudsman MichelleHererra. “The master-at-arms called the om-budsman to come talk tothe wife to provide herwith resources and helpwhile they dealt withthe Sailor and his issueswhile the ombudsmandealt with the wife andthe child’s issues.”NSAB has two work-
ers that serve as thecommand ombudsmenfor Sailors and theirfamilies, Hererra andJojo Hector.Helping Sailors deal
with problems on thehomefront is one ex-ample of how the om-budsmen assigned toher respective commandassists Sailors and theirfamilies.
The ombudsmen as-signed to Naval Sup-port Activity Bethesda(NSAB) aim to providethe services establishedby Admiral Zumwaltmany years ago.According to Naval In-
struction OPNAVINST1750.1g, the Navy intro-duced the ombudsmanprogram Sept. 14, 1970by order of the Chief ofNaval Operations Ad-miral Elmo Zumwalt.Every command per De-partment of Defense di-rective 3216.02 appointsan ombudsman to assistthe command’s mission.OPNAVINST states
that, “the ombudsmanprogram is a Navywideprogram established toimprove mission readi-ness through improvedfamily readiness. Astrong command om-budsman program, bothashore and afloat, willhelp ensure that fami-lies have the informa-tion necessary to meetthe challenges of a mili-tary lifestyle … the om-budsman program helpscommanders and com-manding officers have abetter understanding of
the welfare of the com-mand’s families. It alsoassists commands andtheir families to be bet-ter prepared to meetemergency situations.”At NSAB things are
a little different thanother commands saidHererra.“Ombudsmen serve
as a source of emergencyin crisis information.Wecan provide them withresources that they need
such as anything to dealwith Fleet and FamilySupport Center (FFSC)if they need someone totalk to. If they are hav-ing matters at home orat work, we can guidethem with those con-cerns. We can also talkto the chain of com-mand, keeping it confi-dential about whom theSailor was, but address-ing the issues with thecommanding officer and
the higher ups. Ombuds-men are knowledgeablein all programs thatFFSC offers, chaplainssupport and other sup-port agencies to be ableto keep family membersinformed of availableresources. The ombuds-man has the authorityto request and receivesupport from FFSC.”‘My job is to sup-
port the families of themilitary and to inform
the commanding officerof any problems thata Navy family mighthave,” said Hector.The command om-
budsman is a volunteerwho is a spouse of an ac-tive duty or selected re-serve commandmember.“Many mil i tary
spouses can identify be-ing a command ombuds-man as the single mosteffective way of learn-ing about the Navy andunderstanding the chal-lenges of their spouseschosen career,” saidHererra. “Some even de-scribe their experienceas extremely satisfyingand often choose to takeon the role again at theirspouse’s next command.It is one way the Navycan take care of its own.”“The ombudsman is a
very important positionfor each command,” saidHector. “Any spouse whohas the drive and inde-pendent spirit to spendall of their extra timegiving back to the Navyfamily is ideal for theposition.”
By Master-at-ArmsSeaman AprilBeazer NSABPublic Affairs
staff writer
Stages of Healingheld a “Furlough Fun”humor workshop atWalter Reed Bethesda(WRB) July 17.Micah Sickel, Behav-
ioral Health Psychia-trist at WRB, hosts allof the Stages of Healingevents throughout theyear. “Finding clean hu-mor is hard and this isan alternative to bring-ing an outside perform-er. I thought well, whynot make performersout of our staff,” saidSickel. “Humor is sucha great skill to have,both on a personal andprofessional level. It isa way to dispel conflict.This humor workshopis something that peo-
ple can take home touse in their daily livesas well as back to theirclinics to use with pa-tients and co-workers.”The Stages of Heal-
ing is not just for pa-tients.“The purpose of the
Stages of Healing isthe idea that we allneed healing,” Sickelmentions. “One of themisconceptions of theStages of Healing isthat we are only cater-ing to those individualswho are wounded or ill.Certainly we do want toattract those individu-als to our performancesand to our workshops,but in order to get thosepeople better as well asour outpatients to dobetter and feel better,we need to take careof the providers andfamily members. Weare part of the circle of
healing.”Furlough has been
very tough on everyone,said Sickel. This is whythe “Furlough Fun”workshop was created.“As the theme says
Furlough Fun, obvi-ously the furlough isnot fun,” said Sickel.“It is a major strain onthose individuals thatare in the civilian work-force that are being fur-loughed, as well as con-tractors and active dutymembers who are notbeing furloughed. Theyare bearing the brunt ofthe furlough itself whentheir civilian colleaguesare not in the buildingdoing their jobs. Thepurpose of the work-shop is to really look atsome of the craziness ofthe furlough. “Participants in “Fur-
lough Fun” activitieswere interactive and
had a lot to say aboutthe negative impactfurlough has had on ev-eryone.Jarred Silberman,
Navy Strategic SystemsProgram Associate In-ternational Council,attended the activityin hopes of “trying tomake light out of thesituation.” Silbermansaid, “Humor is always
good. It is relating withothers and trying tolook on the bright sideof things.”The workshop was a
great place to learn andto find humor in badsituations. Sickel said,“In the exercises we did[last week], we lookedat the outrageousnessof some of the aspectsof the furlough as well
as the major impactsit’s having on all of theindividuals here andturned them on theirheads to try to findsome irony, some hu-mor in them.” Silber-man believes the work-shop is “a good place toair our frustrations andour feelings — knowingthat you are not alone.”
6 Thursday, July 25, 2013 The Journal
Photo by Master-at-Arms Seaman April Beazer
Participants in the Furlough Fun Humor Workshop discuss ways tomake light of furlough issues in the workplace.
Using Humor to Cope With Furlough Stress
NSAB Ombudsmen Help Sailors and Their Families
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Hamilton
The command ombudsman is a volunteer who helps service mem-bers and their families within times of need.
By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Journal
staff writer
Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRNMMC) contin-ues to support health care-relatedresearch. Army Lt. Col. Molly Klote,chief of the Department of ResearchPrograms (DRP) at the militarytreatment facility, led the discus-sion at a Research Town Hall heldin Memorial Auditorium, July 11.
“Our goal is to promote research,”said Klote, who added that com-munication between investigators,departments and others involved inthe process, is key. DRP utilizes Re-search Town Hall meetings, monthly“Reach Outs” to clinicians, monthlybrown bag roundtable sessions,and biannual research summits,“to get the word out, about things
that are happening and things thatare changing. We are evolving,” shesaid.
Klote provided an overview of re-search at WRNMMC, discussed cur-rent challenges the program faces,outlined new initiatives and offereda view of what lies ahead. She ex-plained DRP reviews, administersand oversees the conduct of morethan 900 active research protocols.Some of the protocols involve multi-sites, and include both civilian aswell as military facilities.
Research conducted at WRNMMCrepresents more than a third of allactive research protocols acrossthe Military Health System, ac-cording to Klote. To meet the chal-lenges of a robust research pro-gram, WRNMMC has made effortsto make the protocol review and ap-proval process more efficient, moreproductive, more transparent and
more accessible with improvementsand enhancements to its ScientificReview Committee and Institution-al Review Board (IRB).
To support researchers and theirteams, DRP continues to utilizetheir Outreach Program. This pro-gram enables researchers to meetwith a statistician, molecular bi-ologist, reviewers and other subjectmatter experts prior to writing andsubmitting research proposals.
“What it does is assist research-ers in crafting productive and ap-propriate protocols, to help peopledesign protocols that match theneeds of our service members andbeneficiaries,” explained DeborahMurphy, Academic Research Educa-tion Coordinator for DRP.
The department also holdsmonthly Research Roundtables,
The Journal Thursday, July 25, 2013 7
Photo story by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Hamilton
A group of fire fighters from the Montgomery County Pipes and Drums Band (MCFFP&D) perform traditional Irish and Scottish musicaround the Healing Fountain in front of Building 62 on board Naval Support Activity Bethesda recently. Organized in 2004, the MCFFP&Dis a non-profit organization comprised of public safety members who work within Montgomery County, Md. Their purpose is to displaythe true valor and prestige of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service not only through excellence in music, but also throughpride in themselves, their organization and the community in which they serve.
Montgomery County Fire Fighters Pipes and Drums Band
Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor
Army Lt. Col. Molly Klote, chiefof the Department of ResearchPrograms at Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Center,leads the discussion at a Re-search Town Hall held in Memo-rial Auditorium, July 11.
WRNMMC Forges Ahead to Promote Research
See RESEARCH page 10
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8 Thursday, July 25, 2013 The Journal
lot,” Stubbs said abouthis wife who is a stay-at-home mom to theirtwo sons, Jeremy, 16,and Jalen, 12.Now that their sons
are older, Deidra vol-unteers with the RedCross, sometimesworks as a substituteteacher, and partici-pates in all the thingsa multi-tasking motherwould do, Stubbs said.“On a day-to-day basis,she works harder thanI do.”“In order to be with
me, and for us to be ser-vice members and raisea family, I think thatshe, to a large degree,put her singing talentsand career on hold be-cause she wasn’t goingto any studios … shewould sing in churchchoirs at different dutystations but that wasn’talways consistent,” thecolonel said.For the last several
years, both Stubbs andhis wife each sing onchoirs at their local
church, Reid TempleAME Church in SilverSpring, Md. He said hiswife provides stabilityfor their family.“That’s well under-
stood. I think that thefamily is held togetherby the [non-military]spouse, because, Ithink that anyone willtell you … when you’rean active duty servicemember, it calls foravailability and prepa-rations to move at anytime. Because of whatwe do, as an active duty
member we wouldn’tbe able to … I wouldn’tbe able to do this, withany level of success, if Iwere trying to raise mychildren by myself. Andjust trying to do all theday-to-day things ofrunning a household,would not be possible,and I think it’s safe tosay for most of us, tobe in the military, isa family affair – to beactive duty in the mili-tary, the entire familyis engaged.”
Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor
Deidra Stubbs is shown with her husband,Army Col. Jeremy Stubbs, service chief of theOccupational Health Clinic at Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center.
TALENTContinued from 3
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The Journal Thursday, July 25, 2013 9
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brown bag lunch meetings wherea diverse group of research teammembers can meet each other, dis-cuss challenges and learn aboutimproved submission and oversightprocesses. Mary Kelleher, chief, Re-search Oversight and ComplianceOffice/Human Protection Adminis-trator, hosted a roundtable forumat the medical center last week. Re-searchers filled every chair in thepacked session on July 16, as Kelle-her answered questions and walkedthe group through the completionprocess for an electronic researchform.This year, DRP added a third sup-
port initiative, a four-hour “ReachOut” session, held each month,where the program offers on-de-mand help with questions aboutIRBNet, a web-based tool thathelps researchers and administra-tive offices manage protocol sub-mission, modification and trackingprocesses. DRP team members pro-vide personal, one-on-one, on-sitesupport to help clinicians and otherresearchers with ongoing protocolsand planned study proposals.
The addition of department-lev-el Scientific Review Committees(SRC) is paving the way ahead forWRNMMC research. Klote said in-dividual departments are develop-ing their own SRCs. Added to theresearch program’s own centralSRC, this means that proposals canbe rigorously reviewed by peers andcolleagues prior to submission forIRB approval — speeding up the re-view process, as well as enhancingthe aims and objectives of researchitself. “Ensuring that researchquestions apply directly to improv-ing our care and treatment of ourservice members and beneficiaries,”Murphy said.In April, DRP held its Spring
Research Summit, attended by re-searchers throughout the NationalCapitol Region. A second summit atWRNMMC is planned for late Oc-tober.
10 Thursday, July 25, 2013 The Journal
Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor
Right: Students participate ina biology short course held inApril at the state-of-the-art bio-medical laboratory at WalterReed National Military MedicalCenter. The laboratory supportsclinical research for studies inthe disciplines of biochemistry,molecular and cell biology, alongwith immunology.
RESEARCHContinued from 7
the military,” Wah said. “I have the opportunityto have a significant influence on the projects andsolutions we deploy in health information tech-nology around the world.”Army Col. (Dr.) Joseph Gobern, chief of the De-
partment of Obstetrics and Gynecology at WalterReed Bethesda, believes Wah’s election as AMApresident-elect highlights the quality of provid-ers and staff affiliated with the Nation’s MedicalCenter.“We are very proud of how Dr. Wah’s clinical
and administrative expertise that contributedduring a very successful military career, hastranslated into making an impact on health caredelivery in the United States today and into thefuture,” Gobern said.He went on to note Wah’s compassion for and
understanding of his patients and colleagues, ofall medical specialties.“He brings a unique talent in the area of medi-
cal informatics with great potential to improvethe quality and reduce the cost of health care,”Gobern said. “He is the best qualified person Iknow for those challenges facing physicians andthe nation today … He is a mentor to many of ourphysicians, both junior and senior. We wish himthe very best and support him whole-heartedly inthis huge new undertaking.”
AMAContinued from 3
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