THE EXAMINER

Volume 20, No. 12 December 2012C

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Did you know?...

Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital

“Serving with Pride and Professionalism since 1993”

You have the right toexpress your concernsabout patient safety and

quality of care.There are several avenues opento you:* Through the ICE website.* The Hospital CustomerRelations Officer at 760-830-2475, or any of the CustomerRelations representatives in theHospital clinics, or directly tothe Joint Commission via: E-mail at complaint@jointcomission.orgFax: 630-792-5636

The Joint CommissionOak Renaissance BoulevardOakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

To report Fraud, Waste andAbuse contact one of thebelow offices by calling:

Naval Hospital: 760-830-2764Combat Center: 760-830-7749NavMedWest: 1-877-479-3832Medical IG: 1-800-637-6175DoD IG: 1-800-424-9098

http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nhtp/pages/default.aspx

An Award Winning Publication

Patients seen in October -- 15,227Appointment No Shows in October -- 1,052In October we had a 6.5 percent no show rate. We need to keep trendingdownward by keeping the appointments we make, or by canceling in enoughtime for someone else to use the slot...To help patients obtain appointments, the Naval Hospital now shows thenumber of open appointment slots each day on the hospital Facebook site,check it out.

To make an appointment call -- 760-830-2752To cancel an appointment call -- 760-830-2369

Naval Hospital Receives Baby Friendly CertificationBy Lt.j.g. Ashley Robertson, NCNursing Services Public Affairs RepresentativeRobert E. Bush Naval Hospital

Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms joins Naval HospitalJacksonville as the only two Baby Friendly Certified hospitalsin the Navy. At present, 150 U.S. hospitals and birthing cen-

ters in the United States hold the Baby-Friendly designation, whichrepresents 5.8 percent of all hospitals in the US.

Currently, scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that breast-feeding is the optimal method of infant feeding and should be pro-moted and supported to ensure the best health for American womenand their children. Breastfeeding is the single most powerful and welldocumented preventive modality available to health care providers toreduce the risk of common causes of infant morbidity. Breastfeedingcan significantly lower rates of diarrhea, otitis media, lower respirato-ry tract infections, diabetes, childhood leukemia, and Sudden InfantDeath Syndrome (SIDS). Women who breastfeed have a lower riskof Type 2 diabetes, breast, and ovarian cancer. Recent evidence sug-gests that reduction in the risk for cardiovascular and other relateddiseases may be added to the benefits of breastfeeding for women.

The diverse benefits of breastfeeding translate into hundreds of dol-lars of savings at the family level, and millions of dollars at thenational level through decreased hospitalizations and pediatric visits.

In 1991 the United Nations Child of the World Health Organization(WHO) established the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI).The BFHI is a global program to encourage and recognize hospitalsand birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeed-ing.

The core components of the BFHI are the WHO Ten Steps toSuccessful Breastfeeding, which are designed to facilitate the role ofthe hospital/birthing center in providing women the choice and oppor-tunity to breastfeed, regardless of the method of birth.

The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding are:1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicat-

ed to all health care staff.2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this

policy.3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of

breastfeeding.4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation,

even if they are separated from their infants.6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast-milk,

unless medically indicated.7. Practice ‘rooming in’ to allow mothers and infants to remain

together 24 hours a day.8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.9. Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and

refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital.

New mom Joanna Kyle with daughter Raelynn can benefit from thehospital’s certification as a “Baby Friendly.” The hospital whichrecently renewed their certification is only the second hospital inNavy Medicine to receive this honor.

By Martha Hunt, MA. CAMFHealth Promotions CoordinatorRobert E. Bush Naval Hospital

Here are some tips to helpyou cope with holidaystress.

The holidays are meant to betimes of quiet reflection andrenewal for the New Year, how-ever, society tells us that wemust do more, be more, buymore and in general wear our-selves out over the holidays. Weneed to stand back and realizethat we have the right to sane,balanced holidays. Once we dothat, we will find that the holi-days can be filled with love, joyand renewal.

Let’s start with your HolidayBill of Rights.

* You have the right to takecare of yourself (diet, rest andexercise).

* You have the right to not behappy all the time.

* You have the right to bealone sometimes (down time ofquiet reflection or relaxation).

* You have the right to turn

down invitations to parties thatyou don’t want to attend.

* You have the right to ask forhelp when feeling overwhelmed.

* You have the right to givegifts you can afford and notexpensive toys (grown up orkids toys) or even give no pres-ents at all if you can’t affordthem.

* You have the right to say noto extra drinks, food, tobacco,etc.

* You have the right to notride with a drunk driver, and

* You have the right to takeaway the keys if some one hashad too much to drink.

Other ways of surviving theholidays include making a ‘ToDo’ list of what you want to seeor do over the holidays. Thencut it in half. This way you willdo what is really important andenjoy it more.

Let go of family traditions thatare impossible to keep. Theimportant part of the holiday isbeing with loved ones. LateAunt Minnie shouldn’t mind ifyou don’t use her tablecloth onthe dinner table so long as the

spirit of the holiday is kept.Make a budget and keep to it.

Avoid shopping when you aretired, as you may get distractedand spend too much on impulsepurchases. Also, draw names sothat you are not buying gifts forthe entire family.

Before buying someone a gift,stop to think “does Joe reallywant this or is it something I ambuying for myself.” This way,Joe will be sure to get some-thing he likes and he’ll knowyou took his likes or dislikesinto account. Remember, mostwomen do not see a new powertool as being a gift from theheart. Also, consider givinghomemade gifts. These showthat you were thinking of theperson and that you took thetime to be creative just for them.

Get at least 30 minutes a dayof exercise. This will help youto not over eat or to at least helpwork off the extra piece of pie.

If you are going north for theholidays, make sure you getenough sun light every day tokeep away the winter blues orSeasonal Affective Disorder(SAD).

Don’t let those one line‘zingers’ get to you. (Have youput on weight? You didn’t havethis much gray hair last year?When do we get a new grand-child? When is your next pro-motion?). Rise above the criti-cism, sarcasm, jealousy, ‘advice’and lectures. All that matters inthe end is if you are happy inyour life.

Sometimes we seem to stressourselves out. Here are somesuggestions for not pushing ourown buttons. Change how youthink about the situation or per-son. Change your perception ofthe event or person that is stress-ing you out and take responsi-bility for your reaction to thatperson or event.

Look at the stressful situationas ‘A + B = C’ where A is theactivating event (the in-laws arecoming), B is your belief (theywill pick on me), and C is theconsequences (stress).

How can you change yourthinking about this event and beless stressed out?

A, the activating event, is stillthe same; the in laws are comingfor the holidays. You have tochange

B, your belief that “they willpick on me,” to “they will onlybe here a few days,” I can’tchange them and will never liveup to their expectations” and “it’s not the end of the world.”Then,

C, which is the consequences,will be that you are less stressedand better able to enjoy the holi-days for what they are -- time tospend with family and friendsand cherish the moment...

Happy Holidays!

2 -- The Examiner -- December 2012

Published by Hi-Desert Publishing, a private firm in no way connected with the Department of Defense, the UnitedStates Marine Corps, United States Navy or Naval Hospital, Twentynine Palms under exclusive written contract withthe Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command. The appearance of advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the United States MarineCorps, the United States Navy or Hi-Desert Publishing of the products or services advertised. Everything advertisedin this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor of the pur-chaser, user or patron. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, thepublisher shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. Editorial content is preparedby the Public Affairs Office, Naval Hospital, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Commanding OfficerCaptain Jay Sourbeer, MC, USN

Executive OfficerCaptain Cynthia Gantt, NC, USN

Command Master ChiefHMCM (SW/FMF) Rodney Ruth, USN

Public Affairs Officer/EditorDan Barber

Command OmbudsmanTimothy Ooms (760) 910-2050 email: nhtpombudsman@yahoo.com

The Examiner welcomes your comments and suggestions concerning the publication. Deadline for submission of arti-cles is the 15th of each month for the following month’s edition. Any format is welcome, however, the preferredmethod of submission is by e-mail or by computer disk.

How to reach us...Commanding Officer Naval HospitalPublic Affairs OfficeBox 788250 MAGTFTCTwentynine Palms, CA 92278-8250Com: (760) 830-2362DSN: 230-2362E-mail: dan.barber@med.navy.milHi-Desert Publishing Company56445 Twentynine Palms HighwayYucca Valley, CA 92284Com: (760) 365-3315FAX: (760) 365-8686

The holidays are coming! Are you ready?

Keep Holiday Weight off Your Plate

By Lara H. SmithTriWest Healthcare Alliance

Temps are dropping, holidays are approaching, stress levels areraising and, for many us, our weight starts increasing. In fact,the average American gains approximately two to five pounds

between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.Is it really a problem if a person gains one to two pounds during the

holidays? According to TriWest Healthcare Alliance RegisteredDietician Jackie Magyar, it can be.

“Most weight put on during the holidays is not lost after the sea-son,” says Magyar. “Year after year, those few pounds can add up,moving an otherwise healthy person into an overweight or obesestate.” Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseasesand health conditions including:

* Hypertension (high blood pressure)* Type 2 diabetes* Heart disease* Stroke* Sleep apnea and respiratory problems* Some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon)This holiday season make sure the one thing you aren’t adding to

your plate is extra, unwanted pounds. Follow these easy steps:Drink plenty of water. You hear about the value of drinking plenty

of water every day; the holiday season is no different. Drinking waterthroughout the day and between meals will keep you feeling full andfully hydrated.

Decorate your plate, not just your house. Filling the majority of yourplate with colorful fruits and vegetables is a great way to keep calo-ries down. Avoid heavy sauces and creams. Round it all out with leanprotein and you will feel full in no time.

Continued on page 7

The Naval HospitalTwentynine PalmsAmbulatory Infusion

Center (AIC) allows staff togive short and long-term infu-sion therapy to patients in acomfortable setting.

The Center is designed to pro-vide therapy to patients whomay not require hospitalization,but who may not be receivinghome care because of insuranceconstraints, or simply may pre-fer the ease and convenience ofclinical appointments.

Patients can be referred to theAIC directly from their PrimaryCare Provider.

All patients are followed andmonitored by a clinical team ofexperts, and provided withextensive education about theirtherapy regimen.

Infusion therapies may beordered by your physician atany time.

Some medications performbest in an intravenous form or

may only exist in this form.Infusion therapy is often

ordered for patients who have acompromised gastrointestinalsystem resulting in an inabilityto absorb many oral medica-tions.

Intravenous therapies are alsogiven to patients who cannottolerate oral medications due toa number of factors such as nau-sea, vomiting, gastrointestinalobstruction, etc.

Intravenous therapy has anadvantage over oral medicationswhich may take hours to fully

absorb in the gastrointestinaltract. The same medication inIV form will have much betterbiological availability.

Additional services providedby the AIC include blood trans-fusions, PICC and Central linemanagement, and blood collec-tion for laboratory testing.

For more information concern-ing the AIC please call 760-830-2301.

AIC Hours of OperationMonday - Friday8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Examiner -- December 2012 -- 3

2X3Smith’s Family

Properties

Naval Hospital Ambulatory Infusion Center is Now Serving Patients

By Lt.j.g. Ashley RobinsonNursing Services Public Affairs RepresentativeRobert E. Bush Naval Hospital

By Kristin ShivesTRICARE Management Activity

Conjuncti-what? Conjunctivitis is a common eye condition thataffects people worldwide. It’s uncomfortable and highly conta-gious, so how can TRICARE beneficiaries prevent themselves

from catching the infection?Conjunctivitis is often called “pink eye” or “red eye” because it can

cause the white of the eye to take on a pink or red color, reports theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Viruses, bacteriaand allergies are common causes of pink eye. Common symptomsinclude pink or red color in the white of the eye, discharge from theeye, itchy or scratchy eyes, and crusting of eyelids or lashes.

There are three forms of conjunctivitis: viral, bacterial and allergicconjunctivitis. Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis are caused when avirus or bacterium enter and infect the eye. Both viral and bacterialconjunctivitis usually begin in one eye and progress to the second eye,with symptoms that are typically mild and clear up within 2-3 weeks.Allergic conjunctivitis happens when the body reacts to irritants orallergens such as pollen, dust mites, molds, pet dander, contact lensesand cosmetics. Symptoms are mild and are similar to viral and bacter-ial conjunctivitis.

Signs, symptoms and a patient’s history will help a doctor, nurse orhealthcare provider diagnose conjunctivitis. Treatment for “pink eye”depends on the cause and severity; it’s not always necessary to seekmedical treatment. However, the CDC recommends seeking medicalattention if the following symptoms are present:

By Martha Hunt, MA CAMFHealth Promotions CoordinatorRobert E. Bush Naval Hospital

Here are some of the reasons why mom wasright when she asked “Did you wash yourhands?” The most important thing that you

can do to keep from getting sick is to wash yourhands.

By frequently washing yourhands, you wash away germsthat you have picked up fromother people, from contaminatedsurfaces or from animals andanimal waste.

What happens if you do notwash your hands frequently?You pick up germs from othersources and then you infectyourself when you touch youreyes, nose or your mouth.

One of the most common wayspeople catch colds is by rubbingtheir nose or their eyes aftertheir hands have picked up thecold virus. You can also spreadgerms directly to others or ontosurfaces that other people touchand before you know it, everybody around you isgetting sick. Another important thing to rememberis that, in addition to colds, some pretty seriousdiseases like hepatitis A, meningitis, and infectiousdiarrhea can be prevented if people make a habit ofwashing their hands.

When should you wash your hands? You shouldwash your hands often. Probably more often thanyou do now because you can’t see germs with thenaked eye so you do not really know where theyare hiding.

Mother knew best! According to the Center for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) up to 70 percent of men and 35percent of women do not wash their hands afterusing the bathroom! Think of that next time youshake someone’s hand!

It is especially important to wash your handsbefore, during, and after you prepare food andbefore you eat.

Be sure to wash your hands after you use the

bathroom, change diapers or clean someone whohas used the toilet. Wash frequently before andafter caring for someone who is sick, after blowingyour nose, coughing, or sneezing and before andafter treating a cut or wound. Concerning animals,wash your hands after handling animals, animalfood, pet treats or animal waste. Remember thatthere have been several recent recalls of animalfood products due to bacterial contamination. Thepeople who became sick did not wash their hands

after dishing out the animal feedto their pets.

What is the correct way towash your hands? First wetyour hands and apply liquid orclean bar soap. Always placebar soap on a rack and allow itto drain so it doesn’t sit in itsown water, grow bacteria ormelt away. Next, rub yourhands vigorously together andscrub all surfaces includingunder the nails and the nailbeds. Continue scrubbing for 10- 15 seconds or about the lengthof a short song. The soap com-bined with the scrubbing actionand water is what helps dis-

lodge and remove germs. Finally, rinse well andthen dry your hands.

The CDC suggests that if soap and water are notavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer thatcontains at least 60 percent alcohol. Alcohol-basedhand sanitizers can reduce the number of germs onyour hands, but they do not eliminate all types ofgerms and should not be used in place of actuallyusing soap and water to clean your hands. Handsanitizers are also not as effective when your handsare visibly dirty. The proper use of a hand sanitizeris to apply the product to the palm of one hand andthen rub your hands together. Continue to rub thesanitizer over all surfaces of your hands and fin-gers until your hands are dry.

Hand washing reduces the number of people whoget sick with diarrhea by 31 percent, reduces diar-rheal illness in people with weakened immune sys-tems by 58 percent and reduces respiratory illness-es, like colds, in the general population by 21 per-cent.

Hand washing saves lives!

The 1st week of December is National Hand Washing Awareness Week

...One of the most com-mon ways people catchcolds is by rubbing theirnose or their eyes aftertheir hands have pickedup the cold virus. You canalso spread germs directlyto others or onto surfacesthat other people touchand before you know it,everybody around you isgetting sick...

Don’t Let Conjunctivitis Catch You

Continued on page 7

4 -- The Examiner -- December 2012

Super Stars...

HN Joe Burns, Adult MedicalCare Clinic receives his firstGood Conduct Award.

Lt. Anne Dasilva, PhysicianAssistant, Adult Medical CareClinic, receives a gold star inlieu of her third Navy andMarine Corps CommendationMedal.

In a double reenlistment ceremony, HN Maximo Norfleet, left, andHM3 Cedrick Edwards, right, both of the Pediatrics Clinic take theoath.

Lt. Cmdr. Ronald Mata, Main Operating Room, is piped ashore athis recent retirement ceremony held last month.

CS2 Damien Cantrell,Combined Food Services Dept.,receives a Letter ofAppreciation for his service onthe USNS Mercy (A-AH 19).

Cmdr Ramona Domen, Dept.Head Anesthesia and Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, receivesa gold star in lieu of her fourthNavy and Marine CorpsCommendation Medal.

HM3 Collin Holsapple,Healthcare Business Ops,receives his second GoodConduct Award.

IT2 Matthew Colvard,Information ManagementDept., receives a gold star inlieu of his second Navy andMarines Corps AchievementMedal.

Lt. Cmdr. Todd Hlavac, AdultMedical Care Clinic, receives agold star in lieu of his secondNavy and Marine CorpsCommendation Medal.

Harry Sherman, DeputyComptroller, receives a 15Federal Length of ServiceAward.

HM2 Matthew Novak, second from left, is promoted to his currentrank. Other participants in his promotion ceremony from left toright are HMC Victor Isarraraz, HM1 Teri Charles, and HMCRobert Davenport.

The Examiner -- December 2012 -- 5

HN Kamen Ray, Pediatrics,receives the Naval HospitalTwentynine Palms ‘Got Talent’Grand Champion Award

CS2 Jeffery Eng, Combined Food Services Department, takes theoath at his recent reenlistment ceremony.

HM3 Richard Bailey and HN John Miller were welcomed home bythe hospital staff in a special ceremony held on the hospitalQuarterdeck. Bailey and Miller were deployed as IndividualAugmentees.

HM2 Abner Ocampo, deployed with NATO Role 3, receives hisInformation Dominance Warfare (IDW) device from Captain DanielZinder, Commanding Officer, NATO Role 3.

HM1 Janette Holmes, Command Career Counselor, takes the oathat her reenlistment ceremony.

Continued on page 8

Sabrina Gilliland, Facilities,was 1st runner up in the ‘GotTalent’ show.

LS2 Alvin Henry MaterialManagement, receives the MostEntertaining award at the ‘GotTalent’ show.

6 -- The Examiner -- December 2012

Sub Offer5X3

Have a Holiday Heart-to-Heart with Your Family

The holidays are known asa time for family gather-ings, catching up with rel-

atives, and sometimes even theoccasional family conflict.

Like drama at the holiday din-ner table, in many ways yourhealth is influenced by yourfamily...for better or for worse.

This year, why not start a con-versation that benefits every-one?

Gather your family health his-tory.

Why It’s ImportantFamily history of disease is an

important part of understandingyour risk for developing a num-ber of serious diseases, includ-ing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes isa serious disease that, if leftuntreated, can lead to serioushealth problems including blind-ness, loss of limb, kidney fail-ure, heart disease, and earlydeath. In fact, most people withtype 2 diabetes have a familymember...such as a mother,father, brother, or sister...withthe disease.

The National DiabetesEducation Program (NDEP)encourages all families to gathertheir family health history thisholiday season and help preventor delay type 2 diabetes infuture generations.

By knowing your familyhealth history, sharing it withyour health care team, and tak-ing important steps...such asmaintaining a healthy weight orlosing a small amount of weight

if you are overweight, makinghealthy food choices, and beingphysically active...you can pre-vent or delay type 2 diabetes (aswell as other serious diseases)and help ensure that you will beenjoying holiday family gather-ings for years to come.

Four Questions You Should Ask

The answers to these key ques-tions could help you preventtype 2 diabetes in your future.

* Does anyone in the familyhave type 2 diabetes? Who hastype 2 diabetes?

* Has anyone in the familybeen told they might get dia-betes?

* Has anyone in the familybeen told they need to lowertheir weight or increase theirphysical activity to prevent type2 diabetes?

* Did your mother get diabeteswhen she was pregnant? Thiscondition is also known as ges-tational diabetes.

If the answer to any of these isyes, or you have a mother,father, brother, or sister withtype 2 diabetes, you may be atan increased risk for developingtype 2 diabetes. Talk to yourdoctor and visitwww.YourDiabetesInfo.org tolearn more about managing yourrisk and preventing or delayingtype 2 diabetes.

Your History Affects YourChild’s Future

While you’re gathering yourfamily’s history, you need totake your own into considera-

tion as well.Gestational diabetes is a type

of diabetes that occurs duringpregnancy and affects about 2 to10 percent of pregnancies. Ifyou had gestational diabeteswhen you were pregnant, youand your child have a lifelongrisk for getting diabetes.

* Women with a history ofgestational diabetes have a 35 to60 percent chance of developingdiabetes in the next 10 to 20

years after delivery.* The children of pregnancies

where the mother had gestation-al diabetes are also at increasedrisk for obesity and type 2 dia-betes.

* Women who have had gesta-tional diabetes should be testedfor diabetes six to 12 weeksafter their baby is born, and atleast every three years after that.Mothers should let their child’sdoctor know that they had gesta-

tional diabetes. * Women with a history of

gestational diabetes can lowertheir risk for developing dia-betes by making an effort toreach and maintain a healthyweight, making healthy foodchoices, and being active for atleast 30 minutes, 5 days a week.Keeping a healthy lifestyle helpsmother and child lower theirrisk for getting diabetes in thefuture.

By Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., M.A.C.P. Director National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institutes of Health

By Kristin ShivesTRICARE Management Activity

Beneficiaries nearing retirement from activeduty have a lot to look forward to. Manywill consider how to spend their time, mov-

ing to a different state or possibly the next greatlife adventure. One of the most important decisionsall retirees face is choosing their health care afterretirement.

There are several options for retirees to choosefrom including TRICARE Prime, Standard orExtra. Each program offers advantages relating tocost, location and convenience. Beneficiaries canlearn more about retiree health care options at theirlocal TRICARE Service Center.

TRICARE Standard and Extra are both greatoptions for those who are not near an MTF orwhere Prime is not offered. TRICARE Standardand Extra are fee-for-service plans available to allnon-active duty beneficiaries throughout the UnitedStates. Enrollment is not required and coverage isautomatic as long as personal information is cur-rent in DEERS. Referrals are not required, butsome services may require prior authorization.

TRICARE Prime enrollment is portable, meaningretirees can transfer coverage to another region ifTRICARE Prime is available in that new location.Enrollment is required with annual fees of $269.28for an individual and $538.56 for a family as ofOctober 2012. Check for TRICARE Prime avail-

ability at www.tricare.mil/prime. TRICARE PrimeOverseas is not available to retirees and their fami-lies.

Retirees who move should always update theDefense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System(DEERS) with any new personal information,including their new address. Do not disenroll fromTRICARE Prime before the move. Retirees andtheir dependents are limited to two enrollmenttransfers for each enrollment year if the secondmove is back to the original region. For details,visit www.tricare.mil/deers.

Retirees can continue care in a military treatmentfacility (MTF) with a primary care managerthrough TRICARE Prime if there is availablespace. Active duty service members and their fami-lies have priority at MTFs. Beneficiaries whoenroll in TRICARE Prime at an MTF will receivecare when space permits.

TRICARE has several health care options forretirees and their families depending on locationand needs. Retirees who move to a new location orregion can use the www.tricare.mil/mybenefit toolto find the TRICARE option for them and networkproviders in their area. The regional contractor canhelp make this transition as smooth as possible.

Making the transition from active duty to retire-ment gives beneficiaries several coverage options,and TRICARE wants to ensure families choose thebest option to fit their needs. Contact informationand beneficiary assistance locations can be foundat www.tricare.mil/contactus.

TRICARE’s Transition from Active Duty to Retirement

The Examiner -- December 2012 -- 7

MBTA2X8

3. Remember: good thingscome in small packages. Whenyou watch your portion size,you can indulge in your favoritedishes and not feel deprived.This is especially true for thedays you sit down for the bigmeals (see tip 6).

4. Go for quality, not quantity.Don’t waste your calorie budgeton mindless snacking. Save upfor the big ticket items like din-ner and dessert--just be sure towatch your portion sizes. Andleave some food on your plate atevery meal. You’ll be glad thecalories you left behind didn’tland on your own behind.

5. Try a food exchange. Youexchange gifts, why not food? Ifyou know you can’t make itthrough Thanksgiving withoutAunt Erma’s famous sweet pota-

to casserole, are you willing toexchange some time at the gymfor it? If you indulged in toomuch eggnog, how about head-ing out for a jog before hittingthe sack? Making time for exer-cise on days you’ve treatedyourself can help combat thenumber of calories you havetaken in.

6. Pace yourself on the bigdays and you can still indulge.Eat light earlier in the day(breakfast, lunch and a smallsnack) and do not skip meals.This will ensure you won’t bestarving by dinner and risk eat-ing too much. When you sitdown for the holiday dinner,have a small portion of every-thing served. This way youwon’t feel like you are missingout and can still enjoy all the

great food being served. 7. Move it. Speaking of exer-

cise -- whether it’s speed walk-ing through the mall, rakingpiles of leaves, or taking a fami-ly walk after dinner, make ityour goal to move every day.Movement burns energy, whichmeans you are burning calories.The decision to move a littleevery day could mean the differ-ence between losing or main-taining your weight this holidayseason.

8. Relax and enjoy... The holi-days are supposed to be aboutconnecting with family andfriends, honoring time-held tra-ditions and creating new ones.Take it easy and don’t take toomuch on your plate, includingextra, unwanted pounds.

For more healthy eating tips,visitTriWest.com/HealthyLiving.

Holiday Weight...Continued from page 2

* Moderate to severe pain inthe eye(s)

* Vision problems, such assensitivity to light or blurredvision

* Intense redness in the eye(s) * Symptoms become worse or

persist * Treatment with antibiotics

does not begin to improve after24 hours

Most cases of conjunctivitiswill clear up without treatment,but some severe cases requireantibiotics to help speed up

recovery and stop the spread ofinfection. TRICARE coversmost prescribed antibiotics at nocost through military treatmentfacility pharmacies, and forminimal out-of-pocket costs atretail network pharmacies.

The best way to prevent thespread of conjunctivitis is topractice good hygiene habits. Tolimit the spread of conjunctivitisto other people follow thesesteps from the CDC:

Wash hands often with soapand water

Avoid touching or rubbingeyes

Wash pillowcases, sheets,

washcloths, towels and blankets Do not share eye makeup, face

make-up, make-up brushes, con-tact lenses and containers oreyeglasses

Don’t use swimming pools There’s no vaccine to prevent

conjunctivitis, but there areways to avoid catching andspreading the crud by goodhygiene practices. More infor-mation about conjunctivitis canbe found at www.cdc.gov/con-junctivitis. TRICARE makeshealthy living the easy choice,learn more atwww.tricare.mil/healthyliving.

Conjunctivitis...Continued from page 3

Marines from 3/4 at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center wait for their hearing tests in the hospi-tal’s new Mobile Occupational Hearing Conservation Audiometric Truck also known as the MOCAT.Upper right Lt. Cmdr. Anne Jarrett, audiologist and hearing conservation program manager enters resultsinto medical records. Photos by HM3 Martel Thomas, Preventive Medicine Dept.

Hearing Conservation...

8 -- The Examiner -- December 2012

5X3VIP

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Super Stars...Continued from page 5

Lt. Adeniyi Altise, aPsychiatrist in the BehavioralHealth Clinic, recently passedhis Board Certification Exam.

Lt. Sarah Certano, EmergencyMedicine Dept., was recentlyselected to attend a full-timeDuty Under InstructionMasters Degree program.

Lt. Erin Kerr, BehavioralHealth Clinic, was recentlyselected to attend a full-timeDuty Under InstructionMasters Degree program.

Lt. Cmdr. James Ketzler, Multi-Service Ward, was recentlyselected to attend a full-timeDuty Under InstructionMasters Degree program.

LS1 Anthony Lambert,Material Management Dept.,receives a gold star in lieu ofhis seventh Navy and MarineCorps Achievement Medal.

HN Trevin Lovett, MedicalReadiness Clinic, receives aLetter of Appreciation for hisservice on the USNS Mercy.

HN John Miller, MedicalReadiness Clinic, receives aNavy and Marine CorpsAchievement Medal.

CS3 Charlene Moorehead,Combined Food Ops receives aLetter of Appreciation for herservice on the USNS Mercy.

HN Jeffery Santos, Emergency Medicine Dept., takes the oath givenby Cmdr. Raul Carillo at his recent reenlistment ceremony.