Vol. 24 No. 36 www.bethesda.med.navy.mil September 6, 2012 By David A. Dickinson WRNMMC Journal staff writer Foresight to confront hurdles without a blueprint is a talent few possess. Retired Army Col. Chuck Scoville has that vision, which is part of the reason why he’s a finalist for a 2012 Samuel J. Heyman Serv- ice to America Medal, also known as the “Sammie.” While Scoville was still in uni- form in 2001, then-U.S. Army Sur- geon General, Lt. Gen. James B. Peake, charged him and his col- leagues with determining how to prepare military medicine to care for U.S. troops returning from war with traumatic limb loss. At the time, Scoville served as the surgeon general’s chief physical therapy con- sultant. “General Peake asked what we would do in response of going into Afghanistan and the number of am- putees we might have and how we would care for these individuals,” Scoville recalled. The answer led to the development of the Military Ad- vance Training Center (MATC) at the former Walter Reed Army Med- ical Center (WRAMC), which moved to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) when WRAMC integrated with the former National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) last summer, forming WRNMMC. “I took my sports medicine back- ground and applied that to our wounded warriors, who are tactical athletes,” explained Scoville, who now serves as chief of Amputee Pa- tient Care Service at WRNMMC. More than 1,500 injured service members have received care in the MATC, with many returning to ac- tive duty thanks to Scoville and his team. “It was Chuck’s drive and vision that really changed the paradigm for the way we rehab amputee pa- tients,” said Dave Laufer, chief of orthotics and prosthetics services at WRNMMC. “Wounded warriors are being treated now like tactical athletes as opposed to older am- Scoville Named Finalist for Prestigious Federal Award Photo by David A. Dickinson Chuck Scoville (center), chief of the Amputee Patient Care Service at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, has been nomi- nated for a 2012 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, also known as the "Sammie," a prestigious federal worker award for his development of a sports-based rehabilitation program credited with helping hundreds of combat amputees lead active lives. See SCOVILLE page 4 By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Parde NSAB Public Affairs staff writer The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) in Bethesda, Md., is a Department of Defense (DoD) research laboratory and the nation’s authority on the ef- fects of ionizing radiation. “There’s no other place in the United States that has the kind of research support and radiation source as we have,” said Air Force Col. Andrew Huff, interim director of AFRRI. “We have about 200 people here, a 90,000 square foot research facility, and a yearly budget of around $15 million. With that, we conduct all of the Department of De- fense’s research program in radia- tion biology.” AFRRI is part of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and is a tenant command at Naval Support Activity Bethesda. Congress approved the construction of the AFRRI facility on June 8, 1960, and the ground-breaking oc- curred later that year. “In the height of the Cold War, Congress thought that the Army might face tactical nuclear weapons and that it would be good to have some sort of medication that would prevent the terrible effects of ioniz- ing radiation,” said Huff. “Ionizing radiation does damage immediately to macromolecules and proteins in the body. So, more than 50 years ago, they commissioned the construction of this tri-service radiobiology re- search institute here on the grounds of what was then Naval Hospital Bethesda.” Following the breakup of the Sovi- et Union and the destruction of the Berlin wall in the late 1980s, AFRRI faced eminent budget cuts and there was an uncertainty of whether the institution would still receive fund- ing for research, said Huff. “The Cold War ended, and danger- ous but rational actors gave way to failed governments and terrorism. Nothing instills fear like ionizing ra- diation. AFRRI developed and con- tinues to develop countermeasures,” said Huff. Radiation countermeasures is the first of five program areas that AFRII research focuses on, said Huff. “The biggest and most important program area here is medications and pharmaceuticals that could be used as countermeasures, either be- fore or just after exposure to ionizing AFRRI: A Global Authority on Ionizing Radiation Photo by Dave Morse Ms. Cyndi Inal a research assis- tant at the Armed Forces Radio- biology Institute in Bethesda, Md., prepares gel plates for the cultivation of cells. See AFRII page 8
Transcript
Vol. 24 No. 36 www.bethesda.med.navy.mil September 6, 2012
By David A. DickinsonWRNMMC Journal
staff writer
Foresight to confront hurdleswithout a blueprint is a talent fewpossess. Retired Army Col. ChuckScoville has that vision, which ispart of the reason why he’s a finalistfor a 2012 Samuel J. Heyman Serv-ice to America Medal, also known asthe “Sammie.”
While Scoville was still in uni-form in 2001, then-U.S. Army Sur-geon General, Lt. Gen. James B.Peake, charged him and his col-leagues with determining how toprepare military medicine to carefor U.S. troops returning from warwith traumatic limb loss. At thetime, Scoville served as the surgeongeneral’s chief physical therapy con-sultant.
“General Peake asked what wewould do in response of going intoAfghanistan and the number of am-putees we might have and how wewould care for these individuals,”Scoville recalled. The answer led tothe development of the Military Ad-
vance Training Center (MATC) atthe former Walter Reed Army Med-ical Center (WRAMC), which movedto Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRNMMC) whenWRAMC integrated with the formerNational Naval Medical Center(NNMC) last summer, formingWRNMMC.
“I took my sports medicine back-ground and applied that to ourwounded warriors, who are tacticalathletes,” explained Scoville, whonow serves as chief of Amputee Pa-tient Care Service at WRNMMC.More than 1,500 injured servicemembers have received care in theMATC, with many returning to ac-tive duty thanks to Scoville and histeam.
“It was Chuck’s drive and visionthat really changed the paradigmfor the way we rehab amputee pa-tients,” said Dave Laufer, chief oforthotics and prosthetics servicesat WRNMMC. “Wounded warriorsare being treated now like tacticalathletes as opposed to older am-
Scoville Named Finalist for Prestigious Federal Award
Photo by David A. Dickinson
Chuck Scoville (center), chief of theAmputee Patient Care Serviceat Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, has been nomi-nated for a 2012 Samuel J.Heyman Service toAmerica Medal, alsoknown as the "Sammie," a prestigious federal worker award for hisdevelopment of a sports-based rehabilitation program creditedwith helping hundreds of combat amputees lead active lives.
See SCOVILLE page 4
By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 3rd Class
Nathan PardeNSAB Public Affairs
staff writer
The Armed Forces RadiobiologyResearch Institute (AFRRI) inBethesda, Md., is a Department ofDefense (DoD) research laboratoryand the nation’s authority on the ef-fects of ionizing radiation.
“There’s no other place in theUnited States that has the kind ofresearch support and radiationsource as we have,” said Air ForceCol.Andrew Huff, interim director ofAFRRI. “We have about 200 peoplehere, a 90,000 square foot researchfacility, and a yearly budget ofaround $15 million. With that, weconduct all of the Department of De-fense’s research program in radia-tion biology.”
AFRRI is part of the UniformedServices University of the HealthSciences, and is a tenant commandat Naval Support Activity Bethesda.Congress approved the constructionof the AFRRI facility on June 8,1960, and the ground-breaking oc-curred later that year.
“In the height of the Cold War,Congress thought that the Armymight face tactical nuclear weaponsand that it would be good to havesome sort of medication that wouldprevent the terrible effects of ioniz-ing radiation,” said Huff. “Ionizingradiation does damage immediatelyto macromolecules and proteins inthe body. So, more than 50 years ago,they commissioned the constructionof this tri-service radiobiology re-search institute here on the groundsof what was then Naval HospitalBethesda.”
Following the breakup of the Sovi-et Union and the destruction of theBerlin wall in the late 1980s, AFRRIfaced eminent budget cuts and therewas an uncertainty of whether theinstitution would still receive fund-ing for research, said Huff.
“The Cold War ended, and danger-ous but rational actors gave way tofailed governments and terrorism.Nothing instills fear like ionizing ra-diation. AFRRI developed and con-tinues to develop countermeasures,”said Huff.
Radiation countermeasures is thefirst of five program areas thatAFRII research focuses on, said Huff.
“The biggest and most importantprogram area here is medicationsand pharmaceuticals that could beused as countermeasures, either be-fore or just after exposure to ionizing
AFRRI: A Global Authority on Ionizing Radiation
Photo by Dave Morse
Ms. Cyndi Inal a research assis-tant at theArmed Forces Radio-biology Institute in Bethesda,Md., prepares gel plates for thecultivation of cells. See AFRII page 8
2 Thursday, September 6, 2012 The Journal
Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publica-tions, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, a pri-vate firm in no way connectedwith the U.S. Navy, under exclu-sive written contract with theWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center, Bethesda, Md. Thiscommercial enterprise newspaper is anauthorized publication for members of the mil-itary services. Contents of The Journal are notnecessarily the official views of, nor endorsedby, the U.S. Government, the Department ofDefense, or the Department of Navy. The ap-pearance of advertising in this publication, in-cluding inserts or supplements, does not con-stitute endorsement by the Department of De-fense or Comprint, Inc., of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertised inthis publication shall be made available forpurchase, use or patronage without regard to
race, color, religion, sex, nationalorigin, age, marital status, phys-ical handicap, political affiliation,or any other non-merit factor ofthe purchaser, user, or patron.Editorial content is edited, pre-pared and provided by the
Public Affairs Office, WalterReed National Military Medical
Center, Bethesda, Md. News copyshould be submitted to the Public Affairs Of-fice, Bldg. 1, 11th Floor, by noon one weekpreceding the desired publication date.News items are welcomed from all WRN-MMC complex sources. Inquiries aboutnews copy will be answered by calling (301)295-1803. Commercial advertising shouldbe placed with the publisher by telephoning(301) 921-2800. Publisher’s advertising of-fices are located at 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877. Classified adscan be placed by calling (301) 670-1700.
Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bethesda
Commanding Officer: Capt. Frederick (Fritz) Kass
Public Affairs Officer NSAB: Joseph MacriPublic Affairs Office NSAB: (301) 295-1803
Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2 John Hamilton
Sarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorCat DeBinderKatie BradleyHelen Hocknell
Managing Editor MC1 Ardelle Purcell
NSAB Editor MC3 Nathan PardeWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little
Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations (301) 295-5727
Fleet And Family Support Center (301) 319-4087
WRNMMC OmbudsmanJulie Bondar (443) 854-5167
NSAB OmbudsmanJojo Lim Hector (703) 901-6730
Visit us on Facebook:Naval Support Activity Bethesda page:https://www.facebook.com/NSABethesda
Walter Reed National Medical Center page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walter-Reed-National-Military-Medical-Center/295857217111107
Volunteers Needed for Day of Remembrance ProjectThis year's Joint Services “National Day of
Remembrance” project takes place Saturday from 8:30a.m. until noon at the Historic CongressionalCemetery in Washington, D.C. Military personnel,their family members and Department of Defensecivilians are needed as volunteers to help restoregrave markers, remove weeds, plant trees and per-form minor landscaping around the cemetery’s road-ways and path to the 9/11 Memorial. Volunteers willreceive T-shirts, water and lunch. Transportation willbe provided as needed, and will leave at 7:15 a.m.from the America Building patient drop-off area. Toregister for the event, email your name and phonenumber to Hospital Corpsman 1st Class ElizabethPatterson at [email protected], orcall her at 301-319-8576, or Hospital Corpsman 1stClass Arnel Galapir at 301-319-4654.
Staff Flu Shots AvailableStaff members at Walter Reed Bethesda can obtain a
free flu shot today through Monday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30p.m. in Building 7, Floor 2, adjacent to Military HealthRecords. A staff badge or Common Access Card is re-quired. For more information, contact Lt. Cmdr. NancyDelahoya at 301-295-4738 or [email protected].
Half Marathon, 5-Miler Need VolunteersVolunteers from Walter Reed Bethesda are needed to
help with the Inaugural Navy-Air Force Half Marathonand Navy 5-Miler in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 15-16.Transportation will be provided on an as needed basis,with a bus departing from the America Building at noonon Sept. 15. The event begins at 1 p.m., and will run un-til approximately 7 p.m. The bus on Sept. 16 departsfrom the base at 4:15 a.m., as the activities begin at 5a.m., and are expected to run until noon. Snacks will beprovided. Volunteers must be at least 10 years old, andeach will receive a T-shirt. Volunteers will staff waterstations and the Morale, Welfare, Recreation booth,hand out T-shirts, and assist with setting up and takingdown for the event. For more information, call HospitalCorpsman 2nd Class Michael Strong at 301-295-3936, orHospital Corpsman 1st Class Elizabeth Patterson at301-319-8576.
Bethesda NotebookBethesda NotebookCommander's ColumnCommander's ColumnIn a few days, we
will observe the11th anniversary ofone of the most infa-mous days in U.S.history – a day mostof us will never for-get.
Watching the hor-ror unfold before oureyes early that crispfall morning as thetwo planes flew intothe World TradeCenter towers, only to be followedby reports and dreadful images ofour nation’s defense headquarters,the Pentagon, under attack by athird aircraft, was an event thatwill be emblazoned in our mindsfor years to come.
If that were not enough, laterthat fateful day, we learned that afourth aircraft, possibly destinedfor our nation’s Capitol, hadcrashed into a remote field inShanksfield, Pa., because theheroic passengers onboard hadtaken matters in their own hands,and took down those who com-mandeered the plane.
Thousands of lives were lostthat tragic day 11 years ago, in-cluding many of our brothers andsisters in uniform at the Pentagon.
It’s ironic that Tuesday morningbegan beneath a bright, clear bluesky that held promise for a beau-tiful day, and yet this Tuesday willmark the 11th anniversary of theevents that occurred Sept. 11,2001.
For nearly 11 years, we havefought a war against the forces ofevil that brought those acts of ter-rorism to our shores. Our bravemen and women in uniform haveresponded heroically in this war.
Many have made the ultimatesacrifice or endured life-changinginjuries, both visible and unseen.
We care for themeach and every dayat Walter Reed Na-tional Military Med-ical Center. Theirsacrifices, as well asthe sacrifices of theirfamilies and lovedones, have kept usand our friends safeand upheld our Na-tion’s values and be-liefs in freedom anddemocracy.
The world class care that wecontinue to provide to our Nation’sheroes could not have been possi-ble without the dedication of thestaff at Walter Reed Bethesda.Your immeasurable contributionsat our Nation’s Medical Centerhave been instrumental to our suc-cess here and abroad.
Those of you in uniform – younot only bring your remarkableskills and talents here to serve thenation, but you take them withyou to serve others throughout theworld. In addition, the efforts andcontinuity of our civilians, contrac-tors, and volunteers are vital tomaintaining the home front.To allof you, your Nation is eternallygrateful.
We will never forget the tragicevents of Sept. 11, and the nationwill never forget what you do hereat its medical center, the Nation’sMedical Center. Please rememberalways that, What You Do Mat-ters. Continue to keep those whoselives have been affected by thishorrible tragedy in your thoughtsand prayers on Tuesday and in theyears to come.
Commander sends,Rear Adm. Alton L. StocksMC, USNWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center
The Journal Thursday, September 6, 2012 3Thursday, September 6, 2012 3Thursday, September 6, 2012 3
By Cat DeBinderWRNMMC Journal
staff writer
The Mother Infant CareCenter (MICC) at WalterReed Bethesda is focusedon raising awareness aboutthe benefits of breastfeed-ing for babies and newmothers.
“Breastfeeding is over-whelmingly recommendedby numerous health agen-cies as the optimal nutri-tion for infants, as well asproven health benefits formoms,” said Shannon Riley,registered nurse and boardcertified lactation consult-ant in the MICC. Informa-tion for staff and patients isavailable about the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initia-tive — a world-recognizedquality assurance programoutlining 10 steps hospitalscan take to improve breast-feeding outcomes for newmothers and babies, saidRiley.
In January 2011, U.S.Surgeon General Vice Adm.Regina Benjamin issued a
“Call to Action to SupportBreastfeeding,” which indi-cated breastfeeding pro-tects babies from infectionsand illnesses, including di-arrhea, ear infections andpneumonia. The initiativealso cited breastfed babiesare less likely to develop
asthma, and mothers them-selves who breastfeed havea decreased risk of breastand ovarian cancers.
Riley said the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics(AAP) is also a strong advo-cate for breastfeeding.
“According to a 2010 re-
search article published inPediatrics, if 90 percent ofmothers of newborns com-plied with the AAP’s recom-mendation, we could savein excess of $13.1 billion inhealth care expenses andprevent more than 911deaths in mostly newborns
annually,” Riley said.At a time when the econ-
omy is so poor and peopleeverywhere are trying tospend less, it’s comforting toknow that breastfeedingnot only has health bene-fits, but economical benefitsas well, said Eddie Horne, aregistered nurse and boardcertified lactation consult-ant in the MICC.
Horne’s views are sub-stantiated by the U.S. De-partment of Health andHuman Services Office onWomen’s Health in the pub-lication, “Why Breastfeed-ing is Important,” whichclaims that breastfeedingcan save money. The publi-cation states, “Formula andfeeding supplies can costwell over $1,500 each year,depending on how muchyour baby eats. It alsoclaims breastfed babies arealso sick less often, whichcan lower health carecosts.”
Both Riley and Horneagree that hospitals and
WRNMMC Supports National Breastfeeding Month
By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Journal
staff writer
September 13 marks the161st anniversary of Maj.Walter Reed’s birth.
Born in 1851 in Belroi,Va., to Lemuel Sutton Reed,a Methodist minister, andhis wife, Pharaba White,Reed achieved fame forleading the team that con-firmed yellow fever istransmitted by a particularmosquito.
“He was highly motivat-ed,” said retired Col. (Dr.)John R. Pierce, in the PBSdocumentary “The GreatFever,” which tells of Reed’smedical team’s efforts toeradicate yellow fever.Pierce is a medical inspec-tor for the Veterans HealthAdministration and histori-an for the Walter Reed Soci-ety. While on active duty inthe Army, he worked morethan 15 years in variousleadership positions at theformer Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center (WRAMC).
“[Maj. Walter Reed]worked most of his lifewith the idea that therewas going to be an opportu-nity for him to make a bigdifference,” said Pierce,who co-authored a bookwith Jim Writer about yel-low fever and the discover-ies made by Reed and histeam in Cuba during theearly 1900s.
Reed, the youngest of fivechildren, completed hismedical degree at the Uni-versity of Virginia in 1869,two months before heturned 18 (then the
youngest graduate in thehistory of the university'smedical school), Pierce ex-plained. Reed earned a sec-ond medical degree a yearlater at the Bellevue Hospi-tal Medical College in NewYork, and joined the U.S.Army Medical Corps in1875.
Writer described Reed as“a frontier doctor” who hadspent most of his career onthe frontier in Arizona,Kansas and Nebraska.
“He [took] a class in bac-teriology at Johns Hopkins,and it [transformed] him,[brought] him into contactwith the new science ofmedicine. He [moved] fromthis frontier doctor, workingin small Army posts, and[became] a scientist,”Writer said.
Reed joined the faculty ofGeorge Washington Univer-sity School of Medicine andthe Army Medical School inWashington, D.C. in 1893,where he was professor ofbacteriology and clinicalmicroscopy. He also did
medical research andserved as curator of theArmy Medical Museum,which later became the Na-tional Museum of Healthand Medicine, now locatedat Forest Glen in SilverSpring, Md.
He then went to Cuba in1899 to study disease inU.S. Army camps, whereyellow fever was a problemduring the Spanish-Ameri-can War. In May 1900,Army Surgeon GeneralGeorge Sternberg appoint-ed him to head the boardcharged with studying in-fectious disease in Cuba.That team would prove yel-low fever was transmittedby the common domesticmosquito, aedes aegypti,and disprove the diseasewas transmitted by thesoiled clothing and beddingof yellow fever sufferers, ar-ticles known as fomites,Pierce explained.
“The results of this re-search were quickly applied... with remarkable success,
essentially ending yellowfever’s long reign of terror,”Pierce added.
Reed returned to Wash-ington to assume other mil-itary duties, and over thecourse of the next year, hereceived recognition and ac-claim for his scientificwork, Pierce continued.
“However, in the fall of1902, he felt ill and madethe self-diagnosis of appen-dicitis. He visited his friendMaj. William C. Borden,commander of the ArmyGeneral Hospital in Wash-ington, D.C., who after a pe-riod of observation, operat-ed on Reed on Nov. 17. Bor-den was shocked to find hiscondition much worse thanexpected. Reed developedperitonitis; without antibi-otics, it was hopeless,” saidPierce.”
Reed died on Nov. 22,1902, and was buried in Ar-lington National Cemetery.He was 51.
“Borden, devastated by
161st Anniversary of Maj. Walter Reed’s Birth Nears
See REED page 9
Courtesy photo
See NURSING page 9
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4 Thursday, September 6, 2012 The Journal4 Thursday, September 6, 20124 Thursday, September 6, 2012
putees,” he added. Today, woundedwarrior care includes the servicesof multi-disciplinary teams andhigh-tech, computerized equipmentand systems.
A native of Ohio, Scoville’s train-ing in sports medicine and physicalrehabilitation began at Ohio Uni-versity, where he earned a degreein physical education. He was asubstitute teacher before joiningthe Army for what he thoughtwould be a short commitment.
“I had plans to go to Duke Uni-versity and work in sports medi-cine,” Scoville said. Those planschanged. Earning his master’s de-gree in physical education exercisephysiology through the Army/Bay-lor University Physical TherapyProgram, he then served in theArmy for 29 years, with stints as aphysical therapist in Berlin,Hawaii, the Pentagon and the U.S.Military Academy in West Point,N.Y., where he proposed and estab-lished a sports-based physical ther-apy program.
Retiring from the Army in 2003,following his assignment in theArmy surgeon general’s office, theArmy asked him to take a civilian
job to oversee the amputee careprogram at WRAMC. Scoville saidhe was honored to be considered forthe job. “It kind of evolved based onmy experience with the adminis-trative work with the surgeon gen-eral’s office,” he explained.
Scoville has watched the am-putee care program grow fromthose early years to what it has be-come today, incorporating his expe-rience in sports medicine and phys-ical rehabilitation with traditionalmedical care.
“We’ve made a lot of changeswith prosthetic devices and ad-vances with our treatment of thepain associated with limb loss
[known as phantom limb pain] andadvances in the rehabilitation,”Scoville said. “The work we are do-ing with mind interface researchare advancing on a fairly rapid ba-sis and we are getting closer to amind/machine interface. We aregetting closer to powering prosthet-ic devices so they do perform closerto what the physiological humanbody performs.”
“He gives folks new hope thatthey can function and strive for in-dependence,” said Brig. Gen.Joseph Carvalho Jr., commander ofthe Army’s Northern RegionalMedical Command. “Chuck will godown as one of the leaders in thecare of amputees.”
Scoville downplays his role, andattributes Walter Reed Bethesda’ssuccess in rehabilitation to his col-leagues and the wounded warriorsthemselves. “A lot of my job is tomake sure everyone has what theyneed, and then stay out of the way,”he said in a Washington Post inter-view. He said, “[Wounded Warriors]do things they never did before andreach more high level activitiesthan in the past.”
The Samuel J. Heyman Serviceto America Medal that Scoville is afinalist for is considered an “Oscar”of American government service.The medals have been awarded an-nually since 2002. Samuel J. Hey-
man, an American businessmanand philanthropist, founded andchaired the Washington-basedPartnership for Public Service, anonprofit, nonpartisan organiza-tion with a mission of inspiringpublic service. He died at the age of70 in 2009, but the award whichbears his name continues to annu-ally salute the accomplishments offederal employees. Honorees arechosen based on “their commitmentand innovation, in addition to theeffect of their work on addressingthe needs of the nation,” accordingto Partnership for Public Service of-ficials.
Honorees are chosen from nom-inations collected each winter, andnarrowed down to 32 finalists an-nounced mid-spring of each year.The 32 finalists are assessed, andfrom their ranks, nine awardeesare selected by early fall. Medalcategories include federal employ-ee of the year; call to service; ca-reer achievement; citizen services;homeland security; justice and lawenforcement; management excel-lence; national security and inter-national affairs; and science andenvironment. Scoville is a finalistin the national security and inter-national affairs category.
This year’s annual award cere-mony and gala will be held Sept. 13in Washington, D.C.
SCOVILLESCOVILLEContinued from 1
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1032475 1030950
The Journal Thursday, September 6, 2012 5Thursday, September 6, 2012 5Thursday, September 6, 2012 5
MWR Brings a Day of Hawaiian Fun to NSAB
Photos by Helen Hocknell
Army 2nd Lt. Nathan Davidson, a student at the Uni-formed Services University of the Health Sciences, andhis daughter, Alexandra, make new feathered friendsfrom theWilson Parrot Foundation,a nonprofit bird res-cue organization.Alexandra celebrated her 4th birthdayat the Luau.
Above: Volunteers learn tohula dance at a Luau hosted byMorale, Welfare and Recre-ation last week.
Right: Army Spc. Eric Hunter,a wounded warrior, holdsShiloh, a Moluccan Cockatoo.
10309471032047
Conveniently Located2 1/2 miles north of I-495 &Less than 3 miles to WRNMMC
6 Thursday, September 6, 2012 The Journal6 Thursday, September 6, 20126 Thursday, September 6, 2012
By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class
John K. HamiltonNSAB Public Affairs
staff writer
Naval Support Activity Bethesda’s(NSAB) Fleet and Family SupportCenter (FFSC) offers financial coun-seling to all base personnel and theirfamilies. Financial counseling can bean excellent start on your journey to-ward superb financial standing.
"Financial counseling or coachingprovides [participants] an opportuni-ty to complete a financial assessmentto see where they are from a 45,000foot view, make necessary financialadjustments, perhaps some behav-ioral changes and set themselves upfor success on their financial journeyin life," said Brian Pampuro, workand family life consultant at FFSC.
The counseling appointments arebooked in 90-minute increments.Thetime allows counselors to be thor-ough in their analysis of the counse-lee’s financial situation.
"I usually set a financial coachingappointment at a time that is mostconvenient for the individual," saidPampuro. "I want them to be relaxedand rested if possible. If the person isasking for a complete financial as-sessment, I will send them paper-work to complete prior to their ap-pointment. I try to include financialeducation tips that will help thembetter understand personal financeand have a better approach to man-aging their money each month. I liketo tell [people] when they visit our of-
fice that, ‘Today will be the first dayof the rest of your life’ in terms ofhow you look at your personal fi-nances.
Establishing a healthy balance be-tween spending and saving is thekey to sound money management.
“We encourage a 70/20/10 percentsplit of net income – 70 percent to liv-ing expenses,no more than 20 percentto debt payments and at least 10 per-cent towards savings,” he said.
Pampuro recommends creating fi-nancial goals before making any majorpurchases. A good short-term goal(shorter than five years) is creating anemergency savings account. A long-term goal is retirement savings. Headded that this type of planning is es-pecially important for married couples.
“When shopping for a house or car,you want to establish goals, completea financial assessment to determinewhat you can reasonably afford andget a pre-approved loan through
your bank or credit union,” said Pam-puro. “Most importantly, shop conser-vatively and smartly through prod-uct research, comparison and bar-gain shopping and good use of con-sumer skills. It is also important toknow and understand any legal as-pects of major purchases. It might bewise to have a legal officer reviewany contracts prior to putting pen topaper.”
Keeping a close eye on your creditreport can help you dispute any dis-crepancies that may arise and help youto feel more in control of your finances.
"At a minimum, [people] shouldcheck their credit reports annually toensure that all the information re-ported by the credit reporting agen-cies, Experian, Equifax and Tran-sUnion is correct and to make surethat there is no threat of identity theftor anyone tampering with their creditaccounts,” said Pampuro. “There is achance that everyone has some ‘falsenegative’ information on their creditreport and if a person has a commonlast name such as Smith, Jones orJohnson, there is an even greaterchance. Individuals can obtain a freecredit report annually by visitingwww.annualcreditreport.com.”
Master-at-Arms 1st Class CraigHector, NSAB career counselor anddrug screening coordinator said thecounseling session helped him gaugewhere he was in his career and avoidfinancial pitfalls.
“I learned budgeting, how to avoidbad debt and get good debt and how toavoid overspending on things you don’tneed," said Hector. "Some people like
shoes or other things, but you learn tocurb it because [the budget] shows youwhere all your money goes.”
Hector recommends junior servicemembers sign up for financial coun-seling because it helps avoid situa-tions that could negatively impactyour military career.
"Some people are very bad withmoney and they may not know it un-til they get the wrong letter, like aletter of indebtedness that requiresthe CO (commanding officer) to takeaction, then your evaluation or fit-ness report can go down. Receivingfinancial counseling will help youmake better choices about how tospend your money,” said Hector.
There are three accredited finan-cial coaches at FFSC that providetheir services at no cost.
"We are here to serve the commu-nity, uniformed services, militaryfamilies and civilian personnel alikeand our goal is to provide the neces-sary support and guidance to helppeople succeed in their quest to be-come financially fit,” Pampuro said.“Doing so gives individuals ‘peace ofmind’ and allows them freedom tofocus on their job and the missionand not worry about the things thatare bothering them financially.”
To make an appointment with oneof the financial counselors, contactDemetrius Gonzalez at 301-400-2413,[email protected];Brian Pampuro at 301-400-2414,[email protected]; or LeeAcker at 301-295-5081, [email protected].
90 Minutes to Financial Stability
By Helen HocknellNSAB Public Affairs
staff writer
Kaprece James, a life skills educa-tion services facilitator with theFleet and Family Support Center(FFSC), recently delivered a work-shop on motivation and goal-settingat Naval Support Activity Bethesda(NSAB).
“Sometimes we get so busy work-ing, we just go along with our dailytasks and lose sight of our goals andgreater purpose,” said James. “It’simportant to take time to identifyyour strengths, set goals and designa plan for achieving them.”
Workshop attendees included amix of NSAB and Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Center per-sonnel.
A comprehensive workbookhelped guide students through an
eight-step “success map.” Thesesteps included examining your iden-tity, defining your values, establish-ing goals, putting together an actionplan, figuring out what motivatesyou, establishing discipline, main-taining flexibility and reaching anoutcome. James said many peopleset unrealistic goals because theydon’t properly identify their skillsand motivations first.
“You can’t set a goal if you don’tknow your strengths, skills andweaknesses,” said James. “You can’tforce yourself to perform in a waythat is not in alignment with yourvalues. Determining who you are isthe first step in deciding where youwant to go.”
She added it’s important to focuson self identity. Once you’ve done athorough self-inventory, you can setgoals that are tailored to your capa-
Workshop on goal-setting motivates, inspires
Photo by Helen Hocknell
Kaprece James, a life skills education services facilitator with theFleet and Family Support Center, teaches a workshop on motiva-tion and goal-setting. See GOAL page 8
The Journal Thursday, September 6, 2012 7Thursday, September 6, 2012 7Thursday, September 6, 2012 7
By Terry SellarsPatient Advocate/PFCC
Steering Committee
To promote Patient andFamily Centered Care(PFCC), the PFCC SteeringCommittee strives to en-hance communication andfoster relationships betweenpatients, their families andproviders.
Currently made up ofabout 30 members, the opencommittee welcomes volun-teers.
“Patient and Family Cen-tered Care is an integralpart of the Walter ReedBethesda Strategic Plan un-der the Quality of Care Pil-lar,” explained Col. JohnSpain, committee championand deputy commander forclinical support at WalterReed Bethesda. “By gettingour patients and their fami-lies more involved in manag-ing their own healthcare,
they will feel like a part ofthe healthcare team devel-oping a positive and reward-ing relationship with theirproviders. This relationshipproduces better outcomes forthe patients and their fami-lies,” he said.
The Army colonel haschampioned the PFCC
Steering Committee sinceDecember 2010, and willsoon head to the Army Sur-geon General’s Office. Thecommittee recently wel-comed his successor, Lt. Col.Scott Petersen, chief of med-ical staff. “His great interestand experience in patientand family-centered care will
make him a most welcomeaddition,” Spain said.
The committee is drivenby “seed projects” where “oneperson” can make a differ-ence. Committee membershave undertaken seed proj-ects, focusing on patient andfamily centered care at Wal-ter Reed Bethesda, includinga patient brochure for theBreast Imaging Center, anew PFCC policy for themedical center in the works,as well as a new patient“Welcome Guide.”
Members are also coordi-nating a nonmedical atten-dance training program forpatients and their families.It assists in the improve-ment of inpatient roompreparation and orientationstandards as well as infor-mation technology processesin the pharmacy to help easepatient access. Additionally,members are involved withTracer Team activities, as
well as a study of inpatienttreatment differences to de-termine whether changesare needed.
According to committeemembers, they are constant-ly working to make a differ-ence, and there are plenty ofopportunities to get involved.
“The [PFCC] steeringcommittee strives to improvethe patient experience by in-volving everyone on all levelsto share ideas, time and re-sources in making positivechanges to the patient expe-rience at Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Cen-ter,” added Michael Joseph,committee member and pa-tient relations service chief.
The PFCC Steering Com-mittee meets on the fourthThursday of every month atnoon. For more information,call Terry Sellars at 301-319-3882.
Steering Committee Focuses on Patient, Family-Centered Care
Photo by Terry Sellars
The Patient and Family Centered Care SteeringCommittee strives to enhance communication andfoster relationships between patients, their familiesand providers.The committee welcomes volunteers.
By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Journal
staff writer
In this second of a two-part story, engineers explainthe science behind the 3Dtechnology they use to createone-of-a-kind prostheses foramputees at Walter ReedNational Military MedicalCenter.
When Zach Harvey, chiefprosthetist at Walter ReedNational Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC),learned the 3D Medical Ap-plication Center (3DMAC)at Walter Reed Bethesdacould help him create tita-nium parts, he found the so-lution to a design problemthat halted his progress ona unique prosthetic for a bi-lateral, above the knee am-putee.
Harvey and engineers atthe 3DMAC collaborated tomake a set of “flat bottomrockers,” short feet that at-tach to the amputee’s sock-ets that enable him to walkon uneven surfaces, orclimb in and out of the poolby himself. Peter Liacouras,a biomedical engineer whoserves as director of servic-es for the 3DMAC, ex-plained the science behindthe prosthetic project thatgenerated three dimension-
al solid objects from virtual,computer-generated imagesby adding materials layerby layer.
Additive ManufacturingAfter measuring the joint
that fits on the end of theprosthetic piece Harveyprovided, Liacouras createda top portion as well as abottom foot pad with a rock-ing mechanism using com-puter aided design (CAD)software. The team com-pleted a prototype designand manufactured it inplastic on one of their stere-olithography machines, atype of additive layer man-ufacturing machine.
“Basically what we’re do-ing here is adding material,layer by layer,” Liacourassaid.
The 3D Medical Applica-tions Center has several dif-ferent additive manufactur-ing machines. The machinethat produced Harvey’s plas-tic prototype uses a liquid,photopolymer resin and laser.
According to Liacouras, astainless steel platform isinitially aligned with thesurface of the resin. Thelaser bounces off a mirrorand hits the surface of theresin. Wherever the laserpath goes, the resin hardensinto a plastic material. The
platform sinks 0.15 millime-ters and the process repeatsagain and again, with eachlayer fusing together untilthe end, emerging from thevat of resin as a solid object.
The first plastic the labmade for Harvey comprisedof more than 800 layers andtook four hours to build thefive inch part. Once Harveyfitted the amputee with theplastic part to test, the 3DMAC engineers worked withthe prosthetist to make addi-tional enhancements.
Wurth used an electronbeam melting (EBM) ma-chine to produce the final de-sign in titanium. The EBMmachine spreads a layer oftitanium powder and usesan electron beam to melt thelayer in a specific area rep-resenting a two dimensionalslice of the three dimension-al part. The process repeats,layer by layer, bonding eachtogether to create the threedimensional part.
The machine manufac-tures the titanium under acontrolled vacuum of heliumat approximately 700 de-grees Celsius and uses mag-netic fields to control and di-rect the beam’s path. Theparts were taken to a blast-ing cabinet, where they wereblasted with additional tita-nium powder, to remove and
recycle the titanium powderthat did not melt. Wurth es-timated the final version ofthe prosthetic part took fivehours to print in titaniumwith an additional two tothree hours to cool usingelectron beam (EBM) tech-nology.
The historyAdditive manufacturing
began in the early 1980s,Wurth explained. It was in-troduced to the automobileindustry in the late 1980s,slowly used in medical ap-
plications, and later, titani-um emerged in the last 10years. He said there areabout 20 EBM machines inNorth America and perhapsanother 40 or morethroughout the rest of theworld. The Walter ReedBethesda 3DMAC producesmedical models, surgicalguides and custom implantsfor the medical center, aswell as VA hospitals andother DoD facilities, accord-ing to Navy Capt. Gerald
3D technology supports unique amputee needs: The science of 3DMAC
Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor
Zach Harvey, chief prosthetist, fits Marine Cpl.TylerSouthern (right) with the new prosthetics Harvey de-veloped with engineers in the 3D Medical Applica-tions Center atWalter Reed Bethesda.The engineersused computer-aided design software to create theshort feet that enable the amputee to climb in andout of the pool by himself.
See 3-D page 9See 3D page 9
8 Thursday, September 6, 2012 The Journal8 Thursday, September 6, 20128 Thursday, September 6, 2012
goals that are tailored toyour capabilities and inter-ests, explained James.
“If you have a clear pictureof your destination in mind,you can develop an idea ofhow to get there and visual-
ize a path,” said James. Sheadded it’s better to set specif-ic, short-term goals (six tonine months) rather thanvague goals that take yearsto achieve.
James encouraged stu-dents to utilize the workbookand keep a visual reminderof their goals in a prominentplace, such as a notepad ontheir refrigerator or next to acalendar at their desk.
Matt Toone, who works inthe information technology(IT) department at NSAB,said the workshop showedthe importance of puttinggoals down on paper.
“Writing down my plansmakes them more real andhelps me stay focused onachieving my goals,” saidToone. He said he came tothe workshop because he’strying to establish some firm
career goals.As the youngestof nine siblings growing upin a rural area,Toone had noidea what he wanted to dofor a living when he was achild.
“We never really talkedabout goals as a family. I wasjust always fixing others’computers, and learned bydoing,” said Toone. “That’show I ended up in IT.”
Now married with two
children of his own, 24-year-old Toone said he wants toplan for the future.
“I used to do everything ona whim, but now I want toset my own goals and makea plan. I’m trying to lookahead.”
To learn more about FFSCprograms and services, call301-319-4087 or [email protected].
GOALGOALContinued from 6
radiation. That’s our themesong here at AFRRI,” saidHuff. “The damage after ion-izing radiation is immediate,but the secondary damage iswhat we try to prevent tolimit further damage.”
After the tragic events ofSept. 11, AFRRI received in-creased funding to investi-gate the relation between ra-diation and biological agents,resulting from a state of waror terrorism. This secondprogram area is called,‘Agent Defeat,’ said Huff.
“The method of exposurethat we are most concernedabout is through terrorism,with an imposed nuclear de-vice that would set off a nu-clear chain reaction, or adirty bomb that wouldspread radioactive materialsin a conventional bomb.”
A nuclear chain reactionreleases massive amounts ofenergy, most of which is blastand thermal, which could re-sult in compounded, or com-bined injury: a third pro-gram area, said Huff.
“So, what happens if youget radiation sickness fromexposure to ionizing radia-tion and you were burned orinjured from a falling build-ing? There are certain thingsyou can do that will improvepeople’s condition or out-come,” explained Huff.“That’s our newest program,and we will be opening newlabs for combined injury hereover the next few weeks.”
The fourth program areaof research at AFRRI is bio-dosimetry – the process of de-termining the amount of ex-posure to ionizing radiationfollowing an incident. This isused to determine the appro-priate response and treat-ment to prevent further dam-age down the line, said Huff.
“The final of the five pro-grams here is internal con-tamination, and that is inter-nalizing (swallowing) or be-ing poisoned by something
that is radioactive. Our pro-gram investigates how toneutralize or remove thoseradiation sources from thebody,” said Huff.
In addition to the five pro-grams of research, the AFR-RI maintains a MilitaryMedical Operation (MMO)team that travels to teachabout the effects of ionizingradiation, and responds inthe case of an incident in-volving radiation.
“In Military Medical Op-erations, we have a verysmall team of six members,”said MMO Acting DirectorAir Force Capt. Brian Liv-ingston. “Our job is to takethe research that is done atAFRRI and bring it out tothe war fighters, and we dothat in two different ways.
“Our first mission is toteach the Medical Effects ofIonizing Radiation (MEIR)course, which is a graduate-level course that we teach to800-1000 people a year abouthow to deal with radiologicaland nuclear scenarios. It istargeted towards physicians
and nurses, but is offered atno cost for anyone whowould like this education.”
Livingston has been amember of the MMO teamfor two years, and has trav-eled across the globe to pro-vide education about radiobi-ology to military membersand civilians in other coun-tries.
“Our second focus inMMO is the Medical Radio-biology Advisory Team(MRAT) team: a unique, de-ployable asset that we havewithin AFRRI,” said Liv-ingston. “It consists of aphysician and a healthphysicist. We augment andsupport DTRA (DefenseThreat Reduction Agency atFort Belvoir, Va.) as subjectmatter experts on the med-ical effects of radiation. Weadvise commanders in thecase of a radiological incidentinvolving nuclear weapons,nuclear reactors, dirtybombs, or an incident likethe one last year in Japan.”
When a 9.0 magnitudeearthquake struck Japan on
March 11, 2011, and a loss ofelectricity at the FukushimaDaiichi power plant allowedthree reactors to overheat,AFRRI sent two MMO repre-sentatives overseas to assist.
“On March 15, we de-ployed two health physiciststo go over there and be directadvisors to the USFJ (U.S.Forces Japan) Surgeon forabout seven weeks. We ad-vised him on radiological ef-fects, the use of Potassium Io-dine, decontamination stan-dards, public affairs commu-nication and contingencyplans for what to do if the sit-uation continued to develop.”
Livingston said the reac-tion to the threat of radiationis usually worse than the ac-tual exposure.
“We spend a lot of time inpublic affairs and relations,convincing people that theyare safer than they thinkthey are. In this instance, wehad two employees who gotbeta burns in their bootswhile working on the reactorin Japan. This is comparablein severity to sunburn, yet we
shut down the reactors inJapan and other countries.People fear radiation becauseit is an unseen force. But, thatis understandable becausethe knowledge of radiationand nuclear materials can behard to come by. That is whywe are a unique asset withour ability to educate and ad-vise others in this area.”
In addition to educatingothers about a largely un-known force, Huff said an-other challenge of working ina field involving radiation isresearching when there areno events or real-world ex-amples of ionizing radiationavailable. However, he addedthat the effort at AFRRI isworthwhile.
“It is a challenge to learnabout something that doesn’thappen to people very often,but through the UniformedServices University, we aretaking a 50-year-old set ofbuildings and really makingthem new again throughrenovating, so that we cancontinue to lead the nationin radiation research.”
AFRIIAFRIIContinued from 1
Courtesy photo
Air Force Maj. Jama Vanhorne-Sealy speaks at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Institute (AFRRI) MilitaryMedical Operation Symposium on March 27.
The Journal Thursday, September 6, 2012 9Thursday, September 6, 2012 9Thursday, September 6, 2012 9
Reed’s death, dedicated himself tohonoring his friend,” Pierce stated.“Borden worked for several yearsto raise funds for a new hospital toreplace the inadequate one atWashington Barracks (now FortLesley J. McNair). He also workedto have the new hospital named af-ter his friend, Walter Reed.
“In his desire to honor Reed, Bor-den succeeded in ways he could not
have imagined,” Pierce added.On May 1, 1909,Walter Reed Gen-
eral Hospital opened. In September1951, to mark the 100th anniversaryof the birth of Walter Reed, WalterReed General Hospital along withthe additional buildings now on theinstallation, was renamed WRAMC.In 1977, a new, larger hospital wasdedicated at WRAMC.
In 2011, WRAMC integrated withthe former National Naval MedicalCenter to form Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center, where thelegacy of Maj. Walter Reed contin-ues.
REEDREEDContinued from 3
Grant, a maxillofacial prosthodon-tist who serves as the center’s serv-ice chief.
“We’re possibly the largest med-ical additive manufacturing centerin a medical facility within theUnited States, possibly in the world,military or civilian,” Grant said.“The facility — with its equipment,software and personnel — repre-sents big technology and we’re alltrying to learn how to use it for pa-tient care, explore possibilitiesthrough active research, and teachproviders how to use it,” he added.
RevolutionaryThe use of 3D additive manufac-
turing technology to create flat bot-tom rockers for the bilateral amputeereduced nearly a month’s worth oftrial and error to a little more than aweek,which will enable the prosthet-ic and orthotic lab at WRNMMC toservice many more amputees, moreprecisely than ever before.
Once 3DMAC churned out thefirst part for Harvey, he considereda dozen other projects “on hold” thatthe technology could aid. Some aresmall scale, ways to make things
more streamline or efficient.“Everything sort of evolves and
comes to a standstill to a certainpoint where there are mechanicallimitations,” Harvey said. “Nowthere’s a way to make this work pret-ty easily just with the missing part.”
The prosthetist and certified or-thotist colleagues call “the idea guy,”envisioned a host of new projectswith the help of 3D imaging andmanufacturing technology: analignment adapter that would at-tach to the bottom of a socket andallow rapid change alignments as aperson’s flexibility improves withtherapy; an upper terminal devicethat would work well with parallelbars for triple amputees, or for handrailing on stairs — devices Harveysaid don’t exist.
“There’s been talk about 3D[technology], in fact a lot of talk,about the socket, the actual inter-face with the patient, begin con-structed in a positive fashion ratherthan using our traditional mold-making techniques which are verytime consuming and hard to re-peat,” said Harvey, who called theuse of 3D imaging “revolutionary”for prosthetics.
“Those are the kinds of things inthe future this technology couldbring,” Harvey said. “It’s what we’vebeen waiting for.”
3-D3-DContinued from 7
health care facilities, places of em-ployment and society in generalshould adopt procedures that makebreastfeeding more convenient formothers and more readily accepted.
Retired Navy Medical CorpsCapt. Jeffrey Greenwald, a staffphysician in the Newborn MedicineDivision of WRNMMC’s PediatricDepartment, is a strong supporter ofbreastfeeding who understands thatthe process can sometimes be diffi-cult.
“We are prepared to support ourfamilies in a way to assure optimalbenefit for both mom and baby,” saidGreenwald. “This includes contin-ued lactation support in our outpa-tient clinics in addition to providingfamily-friendly areas in the medicalcenter for pumping and feeding asnecessary.”
Shannon Johnson, a MICC pa-tient and the mother of six, said sheis a big believer in breastfeeding. Shebreastfed all of her children and saidshe believes it’s the healthiest thingfor babies.
“There are so many health advan-tages for myself and the baby,” John-son said. “I also feel breastfeeding isvery special – it gives you a chance
to bond with your baby and haveskin-on- skin contact, which I thinkis really important,” she added. “Plusit makes night feedings much easier– I don’t have to make anything orwash anything.”
Greenwald agreed. "I think it iswonderful in these days of high-techmedicine, that something as naturaland simple as breastfeeding can pro-vide the best nutritive and immuno-logic support to our future genera-tion,” he added.
But while breastfeeding is encour-aged, some women cannot breastfeedfor a number of reasons, includingpain, inability of the baby to latch onto the breast, and the mother not be-ing able to produce enough milk.
"We know that women some-times face challenges with breast-feeding that can be difficult or evenmake breastfeeding impossible de-spite their every intention tobreastfeed,” said Navy Lt. AndreaHernandez, assistant service chiefon the MICC.
“On the MICC, we do our best tosupport and empower moms withtheir personal infant feeding goals,”Hernandez added.
For more information on breast-feeding, call Shannon Riley of theMICC at (301) 319-5048. To learnmore above the initiative to makebreastfeeding easier for mothers inhospitals, visit www.babyfriend-lyusa.org.
NURSINGNURSINGContinued from 3
Courtesy photo
For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,
