journal 101013

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 3rd Class

Brandon Williams-ChurchNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

The month of October is recog-nized as Domestic Violence Aware-ness Month and Fleet and FamilySupport Center (FFSC) is doing itspart to raise awareness and to elimi-nate the threat of domestic violence.According to the organization of

domestic violence statistics, everynine seconds in the U.S., a woman isassaulted or beaten. Domestic vio-lence is the leading cause of injuryamong women – more than car acci-dents, muggings and rape combined.With these alarming statistics,

FFSC is urging its community tohelp with the problem of domesticviolence and take heed of their slo-

gan for the month, ‘Voices UnitedAgainst Domestic Violence.’Chyna Holmes-Brantly, FFSC’s

clinical case manager, advises “thecommunity to take ownership tostop domestic violence. People needto speak up, not be silent and don’tbe the bystander with blinders on.As part of domestic violence month,FFSC is making an effort to increasecommunity awareness and allow usto partner with our community advo-cates, who we work with throughoutthe year to provide services and re-sources to our families.”“It’s not only an issue that affects

the country, but also the militarycommunity. It does impact [mission]readiness. If someone is having anissue at home, there is no way thatthey can come into the workspace

Vol. 25 No. 39 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ October 10, 2013

By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Journal staff writer

Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Jeffrey B. Clarkaddressed a formation of Sailors,Soldiers and Airmen in his firstmorning colors as director of WalterReed National Military Medical Cen-ter, the nation’s largest joint militarymedical center, on Sept. 26. He as-sumed the WRNMMC command onSept. 19.During this time, Clark also

shared his command philosophywith the group of commissioned of-ficers and enlisted service members.He explained his intent for

WRNMMC as a simple one, estab-lished on the services’ core valuesand loyalty to “those we are privi-leged to serve — our people and ourfamilies.” It provides a frameworkto keep focused and working as oneteam, Clark said.

“We’re all on the same team, we’reall doing this together: Army, Navy,Air Force, Marines, our civilians, ourcontractors, our volunteers — we’reall in this together,” he told themorning formation of service mem-bers.Clark described his philosophy as

straight forward. “I’ve had the samecommand philosophy since I tookbattalion command back in the late90s,” he said. “It talks a lot about say-ing ‘yes,’ to those we are privileged toserve and each other. It talks a lotabout saying ‘thank you,’ recognizingthe good that folks do around us.”The brigadier general said his

command philosophy can be summedup with a quote by French philoso-pher and Jesuit priest Teilhard deChardin: “The point is not to do re-markable things, but to do the ordi-nary with the conviction of its im-mense importance.”

Clark Says Core Values, Loyalty ‘to ThoseWe Are Privileged to Serve’ Drive Mission

Photo by Katrina Skinner

Service members salute during a change of command ceremonyas Brig. Gen. Jeffrey B. Clark takes command of the Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center Sept. 19.

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

Capt. David A. Bitonti, commanding officer of Naval Support Activ-ity Bethesda, signs the Domestic Violence Awareness Month Proc-lamation at the Domestic Violence Awareness Month kickoff heldby Fleet and Family Support Center Oct. 3.

Speak Up! Be a Factor in Eliminating Domestic Violence

See AWARENESS page 10

2 Thursday, October 10, 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 301-400-2488. 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. David BitontiActing Public Affairs Officer NSAB: John EppersonPublic Affairs Office NSAB: 301-400-2488

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2 John Hamilton

MC3 Brandon Williams-ChurchMASN April BeazerSarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorCat DeBinderRyan HunterKatie MolletKatrina Skinner

Managing Editor MC2 Nathan Parde

WRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727

Fleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087WRNMMC Ombudsman VacantNSAB OmbudsmanJojo Lim Hector 703-901-6730Michelle Herrera 240-370-5421

Sexual Assault ResponseCoordinator Hotline 301-442-2053

Visit us on Facebook:Naval Support Activity Bethesda page:https://www.facebook.com/NSABethesda

Walter Reed National Medical Center page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walter-Reed-National-Military-Medical-Center/295857217111107

Uniformed Services University of the HealthSciences page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Uniformed-Services-University-of-the-Health-Sciences/96338890888?fref=ts

Flu Shots AvailableStaff and beneficiaries at Walter Reed Bethes-

da can receive the flu vaccine now through Oct.25 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Fridayin Building 9, first floor near Radiology. You mustbring your military ID, staff badge or CommonAccess Card (CAC). For more information, callWalter Reed National Military Medical Center(WRNMMC) Immunizations at 301-295-5798.

Prostate Cancer Support GroupThe WRNMMC Prostate Cancer Support

Group meets the third Thursday of every month.There are two sessions, both on Thursday, Oct. 17in the River Conference Room, third floor of theAmerica Building (Building 19) adjacent to theCenter for Prostate Disease Research. The daysession is from 1 to 2 p.m., and the evening ses-sion is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more informa-tion, contact retired Col. Jane Hudak at 301-319-2918 or [email protected].

PSA Blood Test and Prostate CancerBoard certified Urologist Dr. Ed Paquette will

discuss “The PSA Controversy: What PatientsShould Understand,” during the WRNMMC Pros-tate Cancer Support Group meeting on Nov. 7from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the America Building RiverConference Room on the third floor. The presen-tation will also be available via video teleconfer-ence at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in theOaks Pavilion, first floor, Room 332. Spouses andpartners of prostate cancer patients are welcome.Military ID is required for base access at Wal-ter Reed Bethesda. Those without a military IDshould call the Center for Prostate Disease Re-search at 301-319-2900 at least 48 hours prior tothe event for base access. For more information,call retired Col. Jane Hudak at 301-319-2918 [email protected].

Ask Your Leadership‘Ask Your Leadership’ is a staff communica-

tion tool for you to view and post questions orcomments for official responses from the WalterReed Bethesda command leadership. The tool ison the WRB Intranet page. Click on the TownHall/Leadership Forum icon, and then click on‘Ask Your Leadership’.

Bethesda Notebook

It is an immensehonor and privilegeto serve on our Wal-ter Reed BethesdaTeam, our NationalCapital Region Medi-cal Directorate team,and our Naval Sup-port Activity Bethes-da team. Thank youto all for so warmlywelcoming the ClarkFamily aboard.We do three things

at Walter Reed Bethesda (WRB):Accomplish our mission. Take

care of each other. Take care of ourfamilies.I cannot separate these. They

are one—MISSION/PEOPLE.Good leaders find ways to bothaccomplish the mission and takecare of people.MISSION/PEOPLE faced a huge

challenge during the emergencyfurlough. With the full support ofRear Adm. Rocky Bono, our Na-tional Capital Region director, wewere able to except many, but notall, of the civilian members of ourWRB team and, thus, minimize theimpact on those we are privilegedto serve — our patients.Dr. JonathanWoodson, assistant

secretary of defense for Health Af-fairs, visited last week to thank ourstaff for providing patient friendlyaccess to high quality health careto all we are privileged to serve.He specifically thanked our civil-ian staff, who once again bore thebrunt of the furlough.Thankfully, all of our civilian

teammates were notified to returnto work on Monday and it appearsall will be paid for the days theywere furloughed — this is a verygood thing. I thank all of WRB forstaying focused on our very spe-

cial mission AND formaking the extra ef-fort to take care ofeach other during thefurlough.As specified in my

Command Philoso-phy (posted on WRBintranet; click ‘Direc-tor’), each of us musttake care of ourselvesand of each other.This is foundationalto our mission success.

We will be talking much moreabout prospering — personally,professionally, spiritually and inour relationships/family. We willprosper individually and collec-tively.We will also be focusing on stew-

ardship: how best to efficiently andeffectively earn, save, manage andexpend our resources (time, priori-ties, critical thinking, money) sowe can best serve our MISSION/PEOPLE. Stewardship is key toachieving excellence in the six pil-lars of our Strategy: Service Excel-lence; Quality of Care; Business ofHealthcare; Readiness; Research;and Education.Again, I am very proud to serve

with the service members, civil-ians, contractors, and volunteersof Walter Reed Bethesda. Pleasebe as proud of who we are, whatwe do, and most importantly howwe do it, as I am to serve with you.What we do matters!As always, thank you for all you

do and may God bless.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey B. ClarkMC, USADirector,Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center

Commander’s Column

The Journal Thursday, October 10, 2013 3

By MassCommunication

Specialist 2nd ClassJohn K. Hamilton

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

While the Americanfood supply may beamong the safest in theworld, the federal gov-ernment estimates thatthere are approximate-ly 48 million cases offoodborne illness annu-ally — the equivalentof one in six Americanscontracting an illnesseach year – resulting inan estimated 128,000hospitalizations and3,000 deaths, accordingto the United StatesFood and Drug Admin-istration (FDA).The food service

professionals at Na-val Support ActivityBethesda (NSAB) wantto make sure the staffonboard the installa-tion are informed aboutthe ways to lower therisks of contracting afoodborne illness.Culinary Specialist

2nd Class Joshua Foyesaid, “Foodborne illnessand disease, colloqui-ally referred to as foodpoisoning, is any illnessresulting from the con-sumption of contami-nated food, pathogenicbacteria, viruses or par-asites that contaminatefood.”Foye explains the

mission to avoid con-tracting a foodborneillness or disease startsat your neighborhoodsupermarket.“Buying from a re-

tailer who follows prop-

er food handling prac-tices helps assure thatthe food is safe,” saidFoye. “Ask yourself:What is the general im-pression of this facility?Does it look and smellclean?”Foye also suggests

separating certainfoods. “Separate rawmeat, poultry and sea-food from other foodsin your shopping cart.Place these foods inplastic bags to preventtheir juices from drip-ping on other foods. Itis also best to separatethese foods from otherfoods at checkout andin your grocery bags.”When shopping at a

supermarket, be sure toinspect cans and jars toavoid buying food foundin cans that are bulgingor dented. Also, don’tbuy food in jars that arecracked or have loose orbulging lids.“Since food sold in

cans or jars are pro-cessed to be sterile,they can ‘keep’ for along time, if the can orjar is intact,” said Foye.“A bulging can or jar lidmay mean the food wasunder-processed and iscontaminated. A dentin a can, especially ifthe dent affects a seam,may cause an openingwhich may allow con-tamination in, as woulda crack in a jar. A looselid on a jar means thevacuum seal has beenlost and the productmay be contaminated.Don’t buy a food prod-uct whose seal seemstampered with or dam-aged.”

When purchasingfoods from the frozensection, check carefullyto avoid buying foodswith damaged packag-ing.“Packages should not

be open, torn or crushedon the edges,” saidFoye. “Also, avoid pack-ages that are above thefrost line in the store’sfreezer. If the packagecover is transparent,look for signs of frost orice crystals. This couldindicate that the food inthe package has eitherbeen stored for a longtime or thawed and re-frozen. In such cases,choose another pack-age.”Foye suggests select-

ing frozen or perish-

able foods at the endof a shopping trip todecrease the amount oftime they are left out-side of a refrigeratedarea. He also adds, “bemindful about time andtemperature.”“It’s important to

refrigerate perishableproducts as soon aspossible after groceryshopping,” said Foye.“Food safety expertsstress the ‘2-hour rule’— because harmfulbacteria can multiplyin the ‘danger zone’(between 40 and 140degrees Fahrenheit).Perishable foods shouldnot be left at room tem-perature longer thantwo hours. Modify thatrule to one hour when

temperatures are above90 degrees Fahrenheit,as they are often fromcars that have beenparked in the sun.“If it will take more

than an hour to getyour groceries home,use an ice chest to keepfrozen and perishablefoods cold,” added Foye.“Also, when the weath-er is warm and you areusing your car’s air con-ditioner, keep your gro-ceries in the passengercompartment, not thetrunk.”Botulism, E. coli in-

fection and Salmonel-losis are just a few ofthe common illnessescaused by contaminat-ed food. According tothe FDA, “the threats

[of foodborne disease-causing illnesses] arenumerous and varied.They typically causesymptoms ranging fromrelatively mild discom-fort to very serious, life-threatening illnesses.While the very young,the elderly and personswith weakened immunesystems are at great-est risk of serious con-sequences from mostfoodborne illnesses,some organisms posegrave threats to all per-sons.”For more information

or tips on how to stayfood safety conscious,log on to the FDA web-site at www.fda.gov.

Food Safety Begins at the Supermarket

Courtesy photo

Raw and under-cooked meat, as well as meat allowed to sit out in the “danger zone” (between40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit), may have the biggest risk of causing foodborne illnesses.

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Eight Army officersgraduated from thePsychiatric 6F-66C Be-havioral Health Nurs-ing Course at WalterReed National Mili-tary Medical Center(WRNMMC) on Sept.30.Maj. Bienvenida Bri-

to, Captains Lisa More-

no and Alicia Rodri-guez, and 1st Lieuten-ants Madiagne Diouf,John Endresen, ReginaHolmes, Jerette Hurst,and Jeremiah Leamingreceived their diplo-mas from Col. VinetteGordon, deputy chief ofthe Army Nurse Corps(ANC), during the grad-uation in WRNMMC’sMemorial Auditorium.Psychiatric behav-

ioral health nursing is

“a career field that isundoubtedly one of themost needed and en-during in military med-icine today,” Gordonsaid. “Treating and in-tervening in behavioralhealth concerns is theArmy’s top priority. The[Army] surgeon generalhas charged us to buildup our structure fortaking care of this frag-ile, yet resilient popula-tion.”

Gordon added psychi-atric behavioral healthnurses help warriorsbuild strength in meet-ing the challenges theyface. “You have takenon the mission to be in-strumental in improv-ing screening, access tocare, availability of thebehavioral health ser-vices, and alleviatingthe stigma that has his-torically tagged thesediagnoses.

“You have a job todo and as long as youput the patient at thecenter of your cause,you cannot go astray,”said Gordon. She alsoencouraged nurses tocontinue with theireducation, stressing asmilitary medicine be-comes more integratedand more service mem-bers return from thebattlefield with invis-ible wounds of war, the

talents and skills of thenurses will be in evengreater demand.Endresen, the distin-

guished honor gradu-ate of the class, said,“Behavioral healthnursing is the futureof Army medicine.” Headded, completing thecourse allowed him togrow academically and

Nurses to Care for Those Battling the ‘Invisible Wounds’ of War

See NURSES page 9



staff writer

Military medical facilitiesin the National Capital Re-gion (NCR) will salute the ef-forts of the behind-the-sceneindividuals responsible forguiding the seamless transi-tion of world-class care forpatients, during Case Man-agement Week Oct. 13-19.This year’s theme focuses oninnovation, collaboration andadvocacy, according to eventplanners.

This is the 15th year forNational Case Manage-ment Week, started by theCase Management Society ofAmerica. The week-long cel-ebration serves to recognizecase managers, educate thepublic about the profession,and increase knowledge ofthe contribution of case man-agers to quality health carefor patients, according to of-ficials with the Case Manage-ment Society of America.

Activities planned for CaseManagement Week at Wal-ter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRNMMC)

include an opening ceremonyand breakfast on Oct. 15 at9 a.m. in the Warrior Caféin Building 62; a luncheonon Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. in theNational Intrepid Center ofExcellence (NICoE); a sympo-sium on Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. inBuilding 10’s Laurel B. ClarkAuditorium; a health aware-ness fair on Oct. 18 at 10 a.m.in Building 17’s atrium andgymnasium; and a dinnercruise on Oct. 19 at 8 p.m.at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.For more information aboutevents during Case Manage-ment Week, call Rhonda D.Leonard at 301-295-4224.

What does a case man-ager do?

“A case manager worksbehind the scenes to facili-tate access to care for thosepatients unable to do so forthemselves,” explained AnneCobb, a nurse case managerat WRNMMC. “We coordinateappointments and proceduresand link the providers and fa-cilities to ensure we keep thepatient at the center of ourefforts,” she added.

April Gibson, a nursecase manager for the War-

rior Transition Unit at Kim-brough Ambulatory CareCenter, Fort Meade, Md., add-ed, “case managers are vitalparticipants of a coordinatingteam who empower people tounderstand and access qual-ity health care.”

“Case management is

where advocacy and collabo-ration come together,” notedElaine D’Aprile, nurse casemanager at the DiLorenzoTRICARE Health Clinic atthe Pentagon. “The case man-ager is an advocate, a collabo-rator and an important facili-tator among the client, fam-

ily, caregiver, health team,payer and community.”

She explained woundedwarriors require “a compre-hensive care plan with shortand long-term measurablegoals according to evidence-based outcomes.” Case man-agers assist wounded, injuredand ill service members andtheir families with this byhelping them “navigate therecuperation and rehabilita-tion process. The case manag-er must identify the resourc-es they require to respondto their life-changing eventsboth physically and emotion-ally.”

“If I had to sum it up inone sentence it would be this:a case manager does what-ever has to be done, withinour scope of practice, to makesure the patient has the bestmedical outcome possible,”said Jasmine Little, a nursecase manager at WRNMMC.

Case managers said theyfind helping patients to bethe most rewarding part oftheir job.

“I feel rewarded by know-

Case Management Week to Celebrate Coordinators of Care

See CASE page 8

01041053 01040472


By Master-at-ArmsSeaman April BeazerNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

The Auxiliary SecurityForces (ASF) at Naval Sup-port Activity Bethesda(NSAB) recently welcomedseven new members afterthey graduated from the ASFAcademy.“The Academy is a three

week program consisting ofquite a bit of hands-on train-ing,” said Master-at-Arms1st class George Sangriu,leading petty officer for theTraining Department inNSAB Security. “These in-clude: hand to hand combat,such as fist, elbow and kneestrikes; firearms trainingand qualification; non-lethaltraining and qualificationfor Oleoresin Capsicum (OC)and Baton; tactical commu-nication and tactical teammovement.”Anyone interested in join-

ing the ASF academy mustbe a healthy, active duty ser-vice member, said Sangriu.“ASF candidates have to

complete a screening pro-cess, which will ultimately beapproved by the installationsecurity director,” Sangriusaid. “As part of the screen-ing package, we ask thatcandidates, above all, aremature, have zero Non Ju-dicial Punishment’s withinthe past two years, no Physi-cal Readiness Test failuresduring the past year, have atleast 18 months left onboard,and are able to commit to aone year contract for ASFduty.”The ASF has been well

known within the Depart-ment of the Navy for years,Sangriu mentions.“It’s only recently been re-

vamped to support Naval Se-curity Forces (NSF) duringheightened force protectionconditions,” said Sangriu, “aswell as to assist NSF duringspecial events and VIP vis-its.”There is way more to be-

ing a part of the NSF thanjust checking ID’s, said Sgt.Karin Dowden, a recent ASFgraduate who works at theArmed Forces Radiobiology

Research Institute.“I am thankful that I had

the opportunity to be a partof ASF,” said Dowden. “[Be-ing able] to work with differ-ent people and become a partof something more than justmy own department, to un-derstand the responsibilityof the security officers better.I have learned a lot, and defi-nitely have more respect forthe line of work the Master-at-Arms are doing.”As per Commander Na-

val Installations Commandinstruction, all tenant com-mands are required to com-ply by providing personnelto participate in the ASFprogram.

“[The ASF] is definitelyan experience that is not of-fered too many times, espe-cially if you are not Navy. Itis also a lot of fun and worththe time you put into it,” saidDowden. “I got to experiencewhat it’s like to be sprayedwith OC, keep my weaponsqualifications up, do handson training for self-defense,as well as learn how to prop-erly restrain someone.”

The ASF Program is opento all services. For more in-formation or to enroll in the

next academy, contact theNSAB Security Departmentat 301-319-2558.

The Auxiliary Security Force Wants You!


A Sailor congratulates Spc. Vita Dortch Etienne ongraduating from the Auxiliary Security Force trainingexercises Sept. 27.

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By Ryan HunterNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

“It’s easy to donateitems for a cause, butit’s hard to give some-one a feeling,” said vol-unteer Jodi Warshel.Warshel heads a pro-gram, formed by an allvolunteer non-profit or-ganization in partner-ship with a nationwidebarbershop chain thatprovides free haircutsfor inpatient woundedwarriors.Once a month, she

and a small crew of pro-fessional volunteer styl-ists and barbers trans-form a conference room,sandwiched betweenhospital suites, into afully staffed, patient-friendly barbershop.Rock and roll musicplays next to a tabledepicting music iconsfrom Frank Sinatra to50 Cent. Vertical bar-ber mirrors with blackpainted bottom halvesare propped against

the walls to allow ser-vice members to inspectthemselves without be-ing distracted by theirwounds. Large rubbermats are available toallow wheelchair accessfor patients who can’tclimb into a typical bar-ber chair. “We want totry to make it feel likea real barbershop,” saidAnne O’Brien, barber-shop owner and market-ing events coordinator.Many patients in

Building 10 are re-stricted or physicallyincapable of leaving theward, making the pro-gram their only oppor-tunity to maintain theirappearance. “My fiancéwas in the hospital fortwo and a half monthsbefore [becoming an]outpatient,” said care-giver Emely Ramlo. “Hewas on IV’s and woundvacs [and] couldn’t leavethe hospital, so goingdown the hall [to get ahaircut] was awesome.”The success of the

program can be mea-

sured in more thanthe wounded warrior’soutward appearance.As members of themilitary, “most patientshave never gone morethan a week without ahaircut,” said Ramlo.She continued to saybeing well-groomed,“brings a bit of normal-cy back into their lives.”Warshel recalled onewounded warrior dur-ing her first visit to thehospital who, “touchedhis [newly] shaved headand said, ‘I feel like aMarine again.’”The national chain

that provides barbersand stylists for the eventdoesn’t just use the pro-gram as an opportunityto give back; it’s a re-ward for their employ-ees. “Barbers interestedin volunteering mustbe in good standing andthey have to be good em-ployees,” said O’Brien.“Then, if they [performtheir job] well and havetime off on Tuesdays wewill give them the op-

portunity to volunteer.We have a lot of peoplethat want to help. We’renot begging employeesto come here.”The selected employ-

ees wash, style and cuthair for up to a dozendisabled service mem-bers without pay. Jo-seph Hardy, a volunteerhair stylist, said, “I takethe day off, I come downhere, give up my tips,give up my hourly wageand all my regular cli-ents wait for me. This isall volunteer work and Ilove it.” Volunteer bar-ber Cassandra Tiradoadded, “It feels good tohelp them.”The next free bar-

bershop program willbe held Tuesday, Oct.22 and will continue onthe last Tuesday of ev-ery following month.To sign up for the pro-gram, contact Warshelat [email protected] patients in theWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical CenterBuilding 10 on the fourth

floor are encouraged, butnot required to sign upin advance. To find more

information about theprogram, visit www.Op-erationWard57.org.

Volunteers Help Wounded Warriors Look and Feel Good

Photo by Ryan Hunter

Barber Cassandra Tirado styles Spc. CasserlyShealynn’s hair in the makeshift conferenceroom barbershop in Building 10 on Sept. 24.

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



staff writer

Fire safety officialsat Naval Support Ac-tivity Bethesda (NSAB)and Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medi-cal Center (WRNMMC)were out spreading theword this week thatmore fires start in thekitchen than in anyother part of the home,as part of the obser-vance of Fire Preven-tion Week.

Monday, Fire Inspec-tor Casey Snoke handedout paraphernalia withfire prevention mes-sages to beneficiaries,staff and visitors onWalter Reed Bethesda’sMain Street as part ofFire Prevention Week,observed this year Oct.6-12.

“We’re trying to en-courage people to pre-vent kitchen fires in thehome,” Snoke said. Heexplained many firesbegin when people walkaway from the kitchenleaving items on a hotstove. “We have hous-ing on the base andwe want people not toleave unattended ap-pliances on a hot stove,”he said. He added peo-

ple are also encouragedto visit their local firedepartment during FirePrevention Week to getmore information aboutfire safety.

The National FireProtection Association(NFPA) reports cookingis the leading cause ofhome fires. Two of everyfive home fires begin inthe kitchen (more thanany other place in thehome.) Cooking firesare also the leadingcause of home fire-re-lated injuries, accord-ing to the NFPA.

“Cooking equipmentis involved in roughly150,000 home fires peryear, and many of thosefires start because peo-ple aren’t paying atten-tion,” NFPA officialsstate.

Some of the safetytips Snoke and otherfire inspectors empha-size are:

Stay in the kitchenwhen you are frying,grilling, broiling or boil-ing food.

Turn pot handlestowards the back of thestove.

If you must leavethe room, even for ashort period of time,turn off the stove.

When you are sim-

mering, baking orroasting food, check itregularly, stay in thehome and use a timerto remind you.

If you have youngchildren, use the stove’sback burners wheneverpossible. Keep childrenand pets at least threefeet away from thestove.

When you cook,wear clothing withtight-fitting sleeves.

Keep potholders,oven mitts, woodenutensils, paper andplastic bags, towels andanything else that canburn, away from yourstovetop.

Clean up food andgrease from burnersand stovetops.

Open containersslowly after removingthem from the micro-wave, since hot steamescaping from contain-ers can cause burns.

Keep the fire de-partment’s emergencynumber near the phone.

Make sure yourhome has workingsmoke alarms and yourfamily has an emergen-cy escape plan.

Susan Kleisner andPeg Morris, motherand grandmother re-spectively of 3-year-old

Luke Kleisner, thankedSnoke as the fire in-spector handed the tod-dler a red plastic firehelmet, a Fire Preven-tion Week coloring bookand other items encour-aging fire prevention.“Thank you for beinghere,” said Susan to thefire inspector.

Since 1922, Fire Pre-vention Week has beenobserved on the Sun-day through Saturday

period in which Oct.9 falls. It was estab-lished to commemoratethe Great Chicago Fireof 1871, which killedmore than 250 people,left 100,000 homeless,destroyed more than17,400 structures andburned more than 2,000acres, according to theNFPA. The fire beganon Oct. 8, but continuedinto and did most of itsdamage on Oct. 9, 1871.

For more informationabout fire prevention atWalter Reed Bethesda,call the Office of theFire Chief & Code En-forcement Division,in Building 55, thirdfloor, at 301-295-5623,or contact Snoke [email protected]. Also for informa-tion about fire preven-tion and Fire Preven-tion Week, visit www.firepreventionweek.org.

Fire Prevention Week Focuses on Kitchen Dangers

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) Fire Inspector Casey E.Snoke hands Luke Kleisner Fire Prevention Week giveaways at atable set up by NSAB Fire and Emergency Services on Main Streetat NSAB.

By Ryan HunterNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Nearly 20 dogs anda cat were peacefullyassembled in the MainChapel Garden on Oct.3 to be blessed by Fran-ciscan Monks, FatherJohn Ullrich and Broth-er David Schalatter.

The ceremony washeld in honor of SaintFrancis of Assisi, thepatron saint of cre-ation. St. Francis waswell known for his “re-lationship with all cre-ation” and “the fact thathe had a lot of animals,”said Ullrich. FranciscanMonks typically holdthis ceremony close toSt. Francis’ feast day,on Oct. 4, in order to

“ask God to keep [allanimals] healthy and

keep their handlers andowners happy,” said

Animals Blessed in Chapel Garden

Naval Support Activity Bethesda Command-ing Officer Capt. David A. Bitonti poses withadopted Navy service dog, Lt. Cmdr. Bobby.

Photos by Ryan Hunter

Newly promoted Marine service dog, Staff Sgt. Archie, relaxes withhis handler, Hospitalman Stephan Robinson.

See ANIMALS page 9


By Katrina SkinnerWRNMMC Journal staff writer

The pharmacy at Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center (WRNMMC) willno longer display the last four digits of thesponsor’s social security number on medica-tion labels.

In order to comply with the Departmentof Defense’s Social Security Number Re-duction Plan, the sponsor’s social securitynumber will be replaced with the patient’sdate of birth, according to Cynthia L. Foggo,

chief of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services atWRNMMC. Previously, the sponsor’s socialsecurity number could be found in four dif-ferent locations on a prescription label.

The change will instead incorporate themonth and year of the patient’s date of birth(MM-YY), Foggo explained. This is how aprescription will be identified. “Refills willbe stored by the date of birth as well. Pa-tients will be asked to verify date of birthand name at the time of pickup.” For moreinformation about the prescription labels,contact Cynthia L. Foggo at 301-319-3428.

Prescription Label Changes Are Hereing that as part of the multidisciplinary team, weaffect change or help to impact the member’s qual-ity of life for the better,” explained Khalilah Hill-Best, nurse case manager at Joint Base Andrews,Md.

Gibson agreed, adding what she finds rewardingabout case management includes, “helping peoplewith complex situations, working with a team ofcompetent professionals in caring for [those com-plex cases], and helping facilitate communicationamong everyone involved with the end result of aservice member transitioning successfully as a ci-vilian or returning to duty.”

In the NCR, there are approximately 230 casemanagers, according to Rhonda Leonard, a nursecase manager at WRNMMC. Case loads for man-agers vary depending on referrals from providers,self-referrals or discharges.

“The case manager is involved prior to the pa-tient’s arrival,” Cobb explained. “We receive themedical evacuation roster and have an embeddednurse case manager track the patient’s hospital-ization until it is clear where they will be sent forfurther care.”

“The relationship begins immediately andevolves throughout the care and recovery of themember,” Hill-Best added. “The nurse case man-ager is involved with the patient until he or sheis transitioned to a civilian nurse case manager,federal recovery care coordinator, or transitions toVeterans Affairs for ongoing care.”

“A lot of times we work in the background, and alot of what we do goes unnoticed although it oftenhas a huge impact,” Little added.

“[We] are involved in the continuum of healthcare, client-centered and patient-centered casemanagement,” D’Aprile added. “[We] wear manyhats – care coordinators, facilitators, clinical uti-lization review coordinators and educators. [Our]day, at times, does not end until the standard ofcare is met and collaboration with the team and/or family has taken place. For me, it is similar tocaring for my own family.”

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personally. “I went into behavioralhealth not to further my career, butit’s where I saw I could have the big-gest impact with wounded warriors,”said the lieutenant, who is headed toFort Jackson, S.C.

“I’m looking forward to helpingthose with psychiatric mental healthissues, and healing those invisiblewounds, especially our patients com-ing back from the war with PTSD[post-traumatic stress disorder],”said Hurst, also a graduate of thecourse being assigned to Fort Bragg,N.C.

Faculty director, Army Maj. Kel-lie Norris, explained the four-monthcourse was originally at the DwightD. Eisenhower Army Medical Cen-ter at Fort Gordon, Ga. In 2001,the course moved to the formerWalter Reed Army Medical Center

(WRAMC), and then to WRNMMCin August 2011 with the integrationof WRAMC and the National NavalMedical Center.

“[The course] addresses the ever-growing evidence-based research forour combat veterans,” Norris said.“The students are in the classroomfor seven weeks, where they not onlylearn about psychiatric disorders,but they also get valuable practicewith presenting case studies basedon both theory and evidence-basedpractice.”

The course also includes nineweeks of “challenging clinicals” inareas including Walter Reed Bethes-da inpatient psychiatric ward, inpa-tient traumatic brain injury ward,Wounded Warrior Brigade, outpa-tient behavioral health clinic, addic-tion treatment program, psychiatriccontinuity service, Armed ForcesRetirement Center, and with nursecase managers.

NURSESContinued from 3

Schalatter.The animals, owners

and handlers presentrepresented a numberof civilian and militaryorganizations includingthe Marines, the Na-tional Intrepid Centerof Excellence servicedog training programand the American RedCross Animal AssistedActivity Group.

This is the sixth yearthe service was heldand according to Ull-rich, every year the cer-emony grows to accepteven more animals andowners. “Usually, [peo-ple bring] dogs sincewe have so many won-derful service animalshere. But I’ve beenat programs in otherplaces where we’ve hadhorses, snakes and liz-ards,” said Ullrich, en-couraging owners withpets of all kinds to at-tend next year’s service.

The animals, their owners and handlersmeet in the Chapel Garden to receive ablessing in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Photos by Ryan Hunter

Father John Ullrich and Brother David Scha-latter lead owners and handlers in a shortprayer of blessing for the animals.

ANIMALSContinued from 7

01041051

and function at their best. We have to be able totake care of our families and allow service mem-bers to take care of themselves as well as takecare of their families.”FFSC is also charging forward with their Fam-

ily Advocacy Program (FAP), which aims to makemore people knowledgeable about domestic vio-lence.“With [FAP], our primary goals are prevention,

education and treatment,” said Holmes-Brantly.“We aim to educate the military community; coor-dinate and collaborate with our community part-ners, which include local law enforcement as wellas military law enforcement; provide services andresources to our families and to our victims; andcollaborate in terms of sharing resources andsharing education. Our end goal is to eradicatedomestic violence, but in order to do that, wemust increase awareness and shed light on theissue.”FAP promotes victim safety, protection and self

determination, offender accountability, rehabili-tative education and counseling, and communityaccountability with responsibility for consistentand appropriate responses. Additional benefitsof FAP include enhancing operational readinesswhile advising and supporting commands regard-ing domestic violence issues.The ‘Cycle of Violence,’ as developed by Dr. Le-

noreWalker, professor at Nova Southeastern Uni-versity, is one of the reasons FFSC is making ittheir responsibility to help people speak up aboutdomestic violence. The cycle revolves around the

violent episode and the ‘honeymoon’ effect when,after an attack, the aggressor tends to make upfor their actions and intent.“It’s extremely important to get people aware of

the issue,” said Holmes-Brantly. “It’s one of thosethings where it’s happening, but people aren’tspeaking up. People don’t feel as if they can reachout to get help, ore feel there is a lot of shameassociated with it, so our victims feel like, if theyreach out, they are going to be looked at like thereis something wrong with them. From a militaryperspective, if a spouse reports her husband andhe may be senior, then there is the stigma that

he will lose his position or get in trouble from thecommand. These incidents keep the victim silentand therefore stuck in that cycle of violence.”“This is meant not only for us to educate our

victims and families, but educate our commandsas well. Then, [commands] can be aware of whatresources are available to service members andprovide them with the skills needed in order tonot only make them more effective as servicemembers, but as individuals, husbands, wives,fathers and mothers. Unfortunately, the realityis when children are involved, that also makesit more complicated. When children witness this,they have a tendency for our boys to be abusivetowards their partners as they grow older, andfor the girls, they tend to be in abusive relation-ships. This cycle will go on until we as a commu-nity speak up.”The way to eliminate domestic violence in

our community is to know the resources avail-able and never be afraid to ask questions, saidHolmes-Brantly.“Anybody can be a victim, men and women,”

she said. “It’s not something that is a gender is-sue, a heterosexual issue or a homosexual issue.It is not something that discriminates and hasnothing to do with class: it goes as high and aslow as it can go. Anybody can be a perpetrator ora victim. The bottom line is that it has everythingto do with control. It is not an issue that shouldbe taken lightly.“As soon as someone suspects that anyone is in

an abusive relationship, they should reach out tothat individual. If they themselves feel uncom-fortable, they can get in contact with the FAP andthe FFSC can help.We also have victim advocatesthat work very closely with our victims to pro-vide them with information about their reportingoptions, via restricted or unrestricted reports, sowe can get the needed resources and help to thevictim.”Restricted reports of a domestic violence inci-

dent can be made through an individual’s healthcare provider, domestic assault victim advocate orFFSC FAP social worker.For more information about FAP, contact Chy-

na Holmes-Brantly at [email protected] or by phone at 301-400-2407.



At least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abusedduring their lifetime. Most often, the abuser is a member of her own family.

AWARENESSContinued from 1

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Documents

domestic violence month

threat of domestic violence

tookbattalion command

command philosophywith

domestic violence

familysupport center

change of command ceremonyas

wrnmmc command onsept