Vol. 27 No. 2 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ January 15, 2015

By Andrew DamstedtNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

A Native American fluteperformance. An original chil-dren’s story reading. A Copaca-bana routine. An electric gui-tar solo of “The Star SpangledBanner.” A cover of BritneySpears “Baby, One More Time.”An Irish dance. Original water-colors, art and glasswork dis-plays. A cello ensemble playingMetallica’s “Fade to Black.” Aphotography slideshow.This article could turn into

a list of the variety of perfor-mances put together by theburgeoning group, The ApolloSociety, which formed twoyears ago. However, it’s not thenumber of performances andhow the society has grown thatthe group’s members want toget across, but how creatingand performing art can havea positive influence on medi-cal students and health careworkers.The group is the brain-

child of Uniformed ServicesUniversity of the Health Sci-ences medical students, NavyEns. Brian Andrew and PublicHealth Service Ensign ColinSmith (Class of 2016), who,while in anatomy lab, got totalking about interests otherthan the human cadaver. That’swhen they came up with theidea to create a forum wherestudents could present theirown art of any form as a way toget a break from the stresses ofschoolwork.

“Students here … have oth-er interests and I don’t thinkthey are diametrically opposedto medicine,” said Smith, whohas read some of his originalshort fiction at the open micevents. “I think it can enhanceyour learning if you are doingsomething that you enjoy, andthen you are going to enjoy theprofession you are in more andwhat you’re doing every daymore.”Forming the Apollo Soci-

ety made sense to Cmdr. (Dr.)

Adam Saperstein, who becamethe faculty adviser to the stu-dent-run group, because, hesaid creative arts have proveneffective in patient care and re-vitalizing health care workers.“It’s really fun to perform

and see people perform, butthe coolest moment for me isto see someone up on stage andsee the live improv componentand the interaction with theaudience,” Saperstein said. “It’sa tool they’ll be able to use intheir career and for the rest oftheir lives.”Arts can decrease burnout

and enhance empathy withpatients, said Saperstein, whohas performed at the events

with the university’s a capellagroup, The Dermatones.Smith and Andrew present-

ed The Apollo Society at theAmerican Academy of FamilyPhysicians’ national confer-ence last summer where theyencouraged other medicalschools to open Apollo Societychapters. Morehouse Schoolof Medicine in Atlanta, Ga.,formed a chapter in February2014.

Last year, Andrew andSmith passed the responsibili-ty of hosting the quarterly openmic events to Ensigns DawnQuigley and Elizabeth Schroff(Class of 2017), USUHS secondyear medical students.

Quigley said she sees theseartistic outlets as a way to helpmedical students become “morecompassionate and engagedphysicians.” Quigley, whodanced in New York City beforecoming to medical school, wasreluctant to bring her artisticside out during her first yearof study.“I was like, ‘No, no, I’m done

with that in my life. I don’twant to do it,’” Quigley said.“But then I just decided I wasbeing kind of stupid and I waslike, ‘No, I’ll go for it.’ I’m soglad I did. I feel like it’s reallyopened up my medical schoolexperience and it really got meto be more social and engage

more with the class as opposedto being overwhelmed withbooks, books, books and morebooks.”Schroff said she missed hav-

ing an artistic outlet after shearrived at medical school soshe welcomed the chance toperform at an Apollo Societyevent. She read two poems shewrote at her first open mic.“If I didn’t have this outlet,

I would go crazy,” Schroff said.“You need some kind of artisticoutlet, not just the book workand class work.”Quigley said the organiza-

tion has helped her to connect

Apollo Society Turns 2; Grows as an Artistic Outlet for Medical Students

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Laura E. Bailey

Stephen Darnell, a senior research assistant at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences(USU), performs an original tune for the Native American flute titled “Dragonfly Dance” during an open micevent sponsored by the Apollo Society at USU, June 6.

See APOLLO page 7

2 Thursday, January 15, 2015 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, aprivate firm in no way con-nected with the U.S. Navy,under exclusive written con-tract with Naval Support ActivityBethesda, Md. This commercialenterprise newspaper is an autho-rized publication for members of themilitary services. Contents of The Journalare not necessarily the official views of, norendorsed by, the U.S. Government, theDepartment of Defense, or the Departmentof Navy. The appearance of advertising inthis publication, including inserts or supple-ments, does not constitute endorsement bythe Department of Defense or Comprint,Inc., of the products or services advertised.Everything advertised in this publicationshall be made available for purchase, useor patronage without regard to race, color,

religion, sex, national origin,age, marital status, physicalhandicap, political affiliationor any other non-merit fac-tor of the purchaser, user,or patron. Editorial contentis edited, prepared and pro-vided by the Public AffairsOffice, Naval Support Activ-

ity Bethesda, Md. News copyshould be submitted to the Pub-

lic Affairs Office, Building 17, first floor,across from PSD, by noon one week pre-ceding the desired publication date. Newsitems are welcomed from all installationsources. Inquiries about news copy will beanswered by calling 301-295-1803. Com-mercial advertising should be placed withthe publisher by calling 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed bycalling 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. David A. BitontiPublic Affairs Officer: Ronald D. InmanPublic Affairs Office: 301-295-1803

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2Ashante Hammons

MC1 Christopher KruckeAndrew DamstedtSarah MarshallKatrina SkinnerSharon Renee Taylor

Managing Editor MC2BrandonWilliams-ChurchWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

NSABethesdaFleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727NSAB Emergency Information Line 301-295-6246

NSAB OmbudsmanMichelle Herrera 240-370-5421

NSAB Chaplain’s Office 301-319-4443/4706

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

Staff Badging Office MovesStaff Badging has moved to a new office,

located in Bldg. 17-A, second floor. Walk-in service is available to all staff for ini-tial, replacement and ID badge renewalsfor Walter Reed Bethesda staff members.Hours of operations are Monday throughFriday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For moreinformation, call 301-295-8967 or 301-319-2102.

Prosperity FairWalter Reed Bethesda’s next Prosperity

Fair is Jan. 21 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. inBldg. 9, Great Hall. All staff members andvisitors are welcomed to attend the fair tolearn about resources available on base tohelp individuals achieve their personal, pro-fessional, relationship and spiritual goals.

Navy Exchange Inventory Early ClosuresThe Main exchange closes at 3 p.m.

Monday Jan. 26 for inventory. Food ven-dors, Navy Federal Credit Union and allservices will also close at 3 p.m. All serviceswill re-open the following day at normalbusiness hours. Tuesday Jan. 27, the Mini-Mart Lodge, the Mini-Mart and the uniformshop will close at 4 p.m. for inventory andwill re-open for normal business hours thefollowing day at normal business hours.

Conflict ResolutionConflict Resolution Lunch-and-Learn ses-

sions for January are scheduled for Jan.26 and Jan. 28. On Jan. 26, the event willbe from 11:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m., and from12:20 to 1 p.m. in Bldg. 19, sixth floor, Rm.6217 (Mountain Conference Rm.). On Jan.28, the event will be during the same hoursin Bldg. 9, basement room 0301 (ExecutiveConference Rm.). To register for the ses-sions, call 301-400-1974. Participantsshould bring their lunches.

Bethesda Notebook

Happy New Year! The startof every New Year brings with itnew changes, challenges and op-portunities. This year is no differ-ent. For United States Army El-ement, Troop Command, WalterReed National Military MedicalCenter, the year will start withtwo changes in my primary staff.The Headquarters CompanyCommander, Capt. Michael Bak-er will relinquish command toCapt. Mark Preston in early January 2015.Capt. Baker will be staying in the NationalCapital Region but is being reassigned asan Army Medical Command Recruiter. Thesecond change will be the addition of incom-ing Capt. Jose Real to the staff as the newS3 Operations Officer. Capt. Real is arriv-ing from Germany where he was assignedto Europe Regional Medical Command. Hiswife is assigned to the Uniformed ServicesUniversity as a student.

An upcoming challenge for Troop Com-mand is a physical move to a location that iscloser to the hospital. This move will benefitTroop Command and will also give us theopportunity to share a working space withour Navy counterparts, Officer in Chargeof the Navy Medical Support Detachment(NMSD), Lt. Cmdr. Melissa K. Burke andCommand Master Chief NMSD RubensonSarmiento and their staff, co-located withTroop Command in Building 14. The moveis scheduled to occur in February, but willdepend on many factors for other personnelmoving throughout the installation. Whenthis move occurs, it will allow the Army andthe Navy to better support our Soldiers andSailors that work in the hospital.

Our opportunity that is coming up thisyear is the co-hosting of the Expert FieldMedical Badge (EFMB). This year for thefirst time Troop Command, Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Center and the Uni-formed Services University will lead train-ing on Naval Support Activity Bethesda forall military medical personnel interested intrying to earn the badge. The EFMB is anArmy Badge that demonstrates excellencein field medicine by the service member

wearing it. The EFMB can beearned by other military servicemembers provided they meetthe minimal requirements as di-rected by Army Regulations.

History and background onthe badge:

A United States Army medic,who saw combat action on thefront line, has been eligible toearn the Combat Medical Badgesince 1945. In June 1965, the

U.S. Army expanded its awards program byimplementing the EFMB for combat medicswho did not see battle, but could pass thetesting and evaluation process to earn theEFMB.

The test evaluates candidates in areasthat include:

(1) A 100 question written exam(2) Completion and passing of the Army

Physical Fitness Test or service equivalentfor the Navy and Air Force

(3) Night and day land navigation course(4) Weapons qualification(5) Litter obstacle course(6) 12 mile road march(7) Communications competency to in-

clude calling in a medevac(8) Survival in combat and nuclear bio-

logical and chemical environments(9) Emergency medical treatment in a

combat environment(10) Evacuation of the sick and wounded(11) Cardiopulmonary ResuscitationDefinitely a challenging badge to earn,

but with it comes recognition that the ser-vice member wearing it is the best of thebest.

As we transition into 2015, recognize thateach new year brings new challenges. I wishthe best of luck in all that you do this year,may your God be with you and give you allthe blessings to help you meet all your per-sonal and professional goals.

Lt. Col. Richard VillarrealCommander, Army Element,Troop Command-North,Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center

Commander’s Corner - USAE Troop Command

The Journal Thursday, January 15, 2015 3

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class (SW/

AW/IDW) Ashante N.Hammons, NSAB Public

Affairs staff writer

Career and education fairscan seem overwhelming, witha myriad of different employ-ers and universities in the samelocation at once. Participantsmight not knowwhere to start orwhat to say. Naval Support Ac-tivity Bethesda Fleet and Fam-ily Service Center TransitionTeam Career Counselor GordonJanis and Navy College DirectorElizabeth Baker recently offeredsome helpful advice in order forparticipants to gain the mostout of their experience from theupcoming fair, Jan. 23, in theBuilding 17 gymnasium from 10a.m. to 2 p.m.

Career TipsJanis encouraged partici-

pants to prepare for this eventby doing research on the compa-nies that will be there. Find a listat the event’s site: Employment-Education-Fair-NSAB-Jan2015.

eventbrite.com. According to Ja-nis, research helps start conver-sation and shows you are eagerto learn about a company.

“Nothing sells [you] morethan your own enthusiasm. Ifyou have prior knowledge ofwhat employers will be there,research their website andlearn about their purpose, mis-sion statement, and locationsand write down questions,” Ja-nis suggested. “See if the com-panies you are interested in arethe right fit for you with theircore values and your personalvalues.”Another tip Janis gave is cre-

ating a social media profile onprofessional networking web-sites if you have not done so al-ready. For active duty members,Janis recommended your pro-file picture is in civilian attire.Many employers would say youdo not exist if you do not havea professional profile, Janis em-phasized.“It is also important to be

aware of your presence onlineand your connections and whatyou’re putting out there,” statedJanis. “Check your privacy set-

tings. You should probably do anonline search for yourself andsee what’s out there about you.”While research is one aspect

of preparation, it is also impor-tant to practice your 30-secondcommercial, also known as yourelevator speech. Janis encour-aged practicing a 30-secondcommercial because it gives anoverview of who you are, whereyou’ve been and why you are at-tending the fair. He recommend-ed practicing in front of friendsand coworkers first.“Be concise and energetic,”

he said. “Communicate friendli-ness. Show them that you can fitin.”Janis also explained that it’s

important to take time to tailora resume to reflect personal skillsets that you’re looking to per-form on the job, such as quali-fications gained in the military,leadership skills and your secu-rity clearance.“Most importantly, familiar-

ize yourself with your resume,”said Janis. “Know all the quali-fications you’ve listed as well asyour assets and soft skills. Thatway, you know what it is you

bring to them and how valuableyou are.”According to Janis, partici-

pants should wear somethingnice and presentable the day ofthe fair. In order to keep yourresume, notepad, and businesscards you will collect together,he suggested bringing a port-folio instead of a backpack. Toavoid distractions, Janis urgedputting phones on silent modeand to be focused on interactingwith the different employers.“Be open to feedback,” sug-

gested Janis. “It’ll help to in-crease confidence for futureemployment fairs. Debrief your-self on what you did well to sellyourself.”“If you promise employers

information, be sure to go backand deliver,” said Janis. “Beprompt and professional. Followup with hand-written thank younotes that say ‘Thank you forthe opportunity,’ or ‘Nice to meetyou.’ You can leave a voicemailstating your contact info andsaying thank you. Try to put inanything to help them remem-ber you.”

Education TipsBaker reminded those look-

ing to further their educationthat they are there to interviewschools to see if they are the bestfit for their educational goals.“The purpose of the event

is for you to find the highestquality education that is rightfor you,” said Baker. “Treat theschools as an interview processby bringing goals and questionsto them.”

Baker strongly suggestedparticipants ask schools aboutthese topics:• Accreditation• Available majors that may

interest you• Considerations made for de-

ployments• Access to academic resourc-

es• Considerations for military

funding (tuition assistance, Post9/11 GI Bill)• Tuition prices“If you come into the career

and education fair with thesegoals and questions, it shouldbe easy to make the right choicefor your educational endeavors,”said Baker.

Quick Tips to Navigate Upcoming Career and Education Fair

By Capt. Michael NoyesOutpatient Nutrition

Services

How many times have youdecided to eat better andadopt a healthier lifestyle asyour New Year’s resolutions,only to lose momentum as theyear moves on?If this is your challenge,

Walter Reed Bethesda’s Out-patient Nutrition Clinic maybe able to help you stick toyour resolutions.Department of Defense ben-

eficiaries are eligible for freenutrition and exercise ser-vices from Outpatient Nutri-tion Services staff. Registereddietitians (RDs) and exercisephysiologists (EPs) are avail-able to provide informationand advice on nutrition andexercise. Through the use ofthese RDs and EPs locatedat Walter Reed Bethesda, youmay be able to increase yourchances of sticking to yourresolutions for life.Outpatient Nutrition Ser-

vices offer classes for healthy

and economical commissaryshopping (at the Forest Glen,Md., and Fort Meade, Md.,commissaries), heart-healthyeating, athletic nutrition, pre-natal nutrition, diabetes man-agement, dietary supplementsafety and weight manage-ment (for both active duty andcivilians).Outpatient Nutrition Ser-

vices has also updated theirwebsite to show a calendar ofevents, classes and supportgroups which includes infor-mation on how to enroll orlearn more. By linking withthe clinic using RelayHealth,beneficiaries can request anappointment or ask a RD aquestion 24/7, 365 days a year.

No referral is required fromyour primary care managerto get an appointment witha RD or EP. The clinic is alsoimplementing telehealth (vid-eo teleconference) nutritionservices between Walter ReedBethesda and outlying clin-ics to provide patients withtimely, convenient access toRDs without having to travelto Walter Reed Bethesda.For more information about

Outpatient Nutrition Servic-es, call 301-295-4065, or visittheir webpage at: http://www.wrnmmc.capmed.mil/Patient-Visitors/SitePages/Nutrition-Services/OutPatientNutri-tionSvc.aspx.

Begin the New Year with a Healthy Start

Outpatient Nutrition Clinic Offers Services for Beneficiaries

Photo courtesy of Travis Combest

Travis Combest, an exercise physiologist at WalterReed Bethesda, demonstrates proper exercise tech-niques. Walter Reed Bethesda’s Outpatient ClinicalNutrition Services offers free nutrition and exerciseclasses and advice to Department of Defense benefi-ciaries.

Courtesy Photo

4 Thursday, January 15, 2015 The Journal

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class Brandon

Williams-ChurchNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Naval Support Activity Bethesdais bringing one of the world’s mostpopular and ultimate team sports tothe Morale, Welfare and Recreation(MWR) gymnasium for another action-packed season. Beginning with the Dr.Martin Luther King Basketball Tour-nament and rounding out the seasonwith the intramural tournament (bothfive-on-five format), the new seasonaims to spread sportsmanship, morale,competition and camaraderie alongwith a few new editions and twists.

The 11th annual Dr. Martin LutherKing (MLK) tournament Jan. 16 - 19offers active duty, retirees, NationalGuard, Department of Defense civil-ians, contractors and family membersthe opportunity to celebrate the latecivil rights leader through friendlycompetition.

“[The tournament] is really… a cele-

bration of Dr. Martin Luther King, and[an opportunity] for the teams to havecompetitive bragging rights across theregion,” said Brenda Hardaway, MWRvarsity sports coordinator. “Who betterto celebrate than Dr. King? It’s impor-tant that we pay him respects for be-ing an instrumental piece in shapingour country. This is our way of showingthat respect.”

Normally a “double elimination andyou’re out,” tournament, this year’sedition transitions into a three-gameguarantee for each squad.

Teams projected to participate in-clude bases from around the regionsuch as Marine Base Quantico, An-drews Air Force Base and Joint BaseMcGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

“It would be nice for the patrons ofthe base to come out and see what thesports department is doing for them,and see what our Soldiers, Sailors,Airmen and Marines are representingon this base,” said Hardaway. “This isthe time to get behind them and show

Bringing Excitement Back to the HardwoodMLK, Pre-Season Basketball Tournaments Launch 2015 MWR Season

By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

Approximately 400 nurses learnedthe latest advanced practices and re-freshed their skills during a recentweek-long training fair held in theSimulation Center (SIM Lab) at WalterReed National Military Medical Center.

Nursing staff members brushed upon skills in 11 different areas includingblood administration, CPR and basicairway management in the high-techSimulation Center with realistic mani-kins, IVs and life-like human organsand skin.

The Office of Patient Safety collabo-rated with the Clinical Nurse Counciland SIM Lab to develop the semi-annu-al training designed to enhance nursingskills and complete annual core compe-tencies. A new skill area at the fair wasa Room of Errors, where nurses weretimed as they sought to record as manymistakes and miscalculations as theycould find in the mock patient’s room.

Small groups of nurses went throughtwo additional areas added to the fair.One was a scenario-based exerciseaimed to reduce patients falls, and theother involved age-specific nursing carefocused on senior and children patients.

Skill-building is one component ofthe Patient Caring Touch system that is

a part of a hospital-wide nursing model,explained Navy Lt. Cmdr. Frank Jones,an acute care clinical nurse specialistwho coordinated the event.

“This year we collaborated with keystake holders who could help us focuson the areas which needed the most at-tention,” Jones said. These stake hold-ers include the Patient Safety Office,quality management, anesthesia, theClinical Nurse Council and nursingleaders like Director of Nursing Ser-vices Army Col. Ray C. Antoine, DeputyDirector Navy Capt. Carolyn R. McGee,as well as Assistant Director Army Col.Joy W. Napper, he explained.

“Our very own top leadership of Navyand Army nurses provided instructionduring the skills fair, leading by exam-ple,” said Jones.

Feedback from nurses who attendedthe skills fair was positive. They saidthe training gave them a good sense ofachievement, and confidence in theirability to practice those skills.

“It was a good review of everydaynursing skills. I liked it,” said regis-tered nurse Marquess Armstrong, whocompleted the Room of Errors trainingexercise with her colleague in psychiat-ric nursing, Army Lt. Adedoyin C. Ad-eniji. “This was fun. It really made youthink,” Adeniji said.

Armstrong and Adeniji found twoadditional errors not listed among the50 included on Navy Lt. Cmdr. Robert

Cuento’s checklist, within the allot-ted 10-minute time period. Cuento,who proctored the exercise, said he waspleased. “They did an excellent job,” hesaid. The Room of Errors included mul-tiple scenarios of a simulated patientroom, including charting, vital signs,medications and unsafe conditions.

Army Maj. Ebony Chatmon, nurs-ing service chief for 7-West, discussedleukocyte filters with Army Lt. JessicaWeinman. “I learned so much today, I’mso excited,” Chatmon said.

Nursing skills fairs are held quarter-ly at Walter Reed Bethesda. The nextone is scheduled for spring.

Nurses Hone Knowledge, Abilities During Skills Fair

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Air Force Capt. AdamGarrison, a registered nurse and student at Uni-formed Services University, teaches a lesson in airway managementto registered nurses, from left, Navy Ensign Timothy Dye, Army Lt.Benton, Army 1st Lt. Kayla Benton, and Army 2nd Lt. Jessica Chabotduring a recent nursing skills fair at Walter Reed Bethesda.

See BASKETBALL page 6

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brandon Williams-Church

Staff members participate in a pick-up game of basketball in theBuilding 17 Fitness Center Gymnasium Dec. 12, 2013.

The Journal Thursday, January 15, 2015 5

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Public

Affairs staff writer

On an Air Force medi-cal evacuation aircraft,two critically injuredservice members are be-ing transported fromBagram Airfield, Af-ghanistan, to LandstuhlRegional Medical Cen-ter, Germany, under thewatchful eye and care ofa Critical Care Air Trans-port Team (CCATT).

The above scenarioconcerning the critical-ly injured Soldiers waspart of the recent CCATTSimulation Day traininghosted by the 779th Med-ical Group (779 MDG) atWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC).

A CCATT is a flyingthree-person team re-sponsible for the care ofseverely injured and illpatients while they arebeing transporting fromone echelon of medicaltreatment to a higherlevel of care. The teamincludes an intensivecare unit physician, criti-cal care nurse and respi-ratory therapist.

“While many of uswork in critical care set-tings, Critical Care AirTransport is somethingthat most of us only dowhen we deploy. For mostpeople this means a six-month deployment every18 to 24 months at most.The more we can do toprepare our membersfor this experience thegreater the chances allwill validate and be ableto deploy in a CCATT po-sition,” said Capt. Kath-erine L. Knott, a criticalcare nurse and CCATTcoordinator.

Air Force Capt. An-drew Ray Severns de-scribed the recent CCATTsimulation training at

Walter Reed Bethesda asintense. “We had a shorttime to mission plan,request supplies, andtalk to the doctor [in]Afghanistan to see whatchanges had happenedsince [the] last update.At that point, we wereto board the plane andstart caring for the pa-tients, responding to anyneeds that may arise,”added Severns, the criti-cal care nurse, who waspart of the three-personCCATT, which also in-cluded emergency medi-cine physician Air ForceCapt. (Dr.) Katherine El-lis and respiratory thera-pist Air Force Staff Sgt.Jamie Bucher. The threeare members of the 779MDG headquartered atJoint Base Andrews, Md.

During the “flight,” El-lis, Severns and Bucherresponded to the variouscritical care needs of thetwo critically-woundedSoldiers, including treat-ing head, lung and leginjuries, pressure moni-toring, cardiac concerns,IV requirements, andventilation and breath-ing challenges on theSimulation Center’s life-like manikins using thevirtual reality machinesand equipment at WalterReed Bethesda.

“We have learnedthrough the years inmedical education thatsimply reading about pa-tient care isn’t enough,”said Air Force Lt. Col.Martin Harssema, staffanesthesiologist/CCATTprogram director. “In thesame way that pilots doground school and simu-lators before flying, themedical profession is be-ginning to adopt similartechniques.”

Twenty-five criticalcare medical personnelparticipated in the recentCCATT Simulation Day

training at WRNMMC,Harssema added. “Thefeedback has been over-whelmingly positive. Weare constantly assess-ing our feedback in thisnew endeavor to betterthe experience with eachsubsequent course.”

“I feel that more famil-iarity with the CCATTequipment and suppliesis always better, andthe training was a greatopportunity to get myhands on the equipmentand to re-familiarize my-self with the bag sets,”said Ellis, an emergencymedicine physician whoworks in the MalcolmGrow Medical Clin-ics and Surgery CenterEmergency Care Center.

“The CCATT ‘patients’we were treating in thesimulator were muchsicker and more complexthan the patients I seein my regular job in the[Malcolm Grow Emer-gency Care Center], so itwas also a great oppor-tunity to brush up on mycritical care skills,” Ellisadded.

Members of the 779MDG are part of theNational Capital Re-gion Medical Director-ate (NCR-MD) enhancedMulti-Service Market,along with WRNMMC,Fort Belvoir Commu-nity Hospital and othermilitary treatment fa-cilities in the NCR, pro-viding care to more than500,000 beneficiariesthroughout the region.

Aboard the Air HospitalSimulation Center Offers Realistic Training for CCATT Members

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Capt. (Dr.) Katherine Ellis (left) and Staff Sgt. Jamie Bucher, a re-spiratory therapist, provide critical care to “a patient” during therecent Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) Simulation Daytraining in Walter Reed Bethesda’s simulation center. Air Forcephysicians, nurses and respiratory therapists were able to honetheir critical care skills on life-like manikins using virtual realitymachines and equipment in the high-tech, state-of-the-art simula-tion center during the training.

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6 Thursday, January 15, 2015 The Journal

them some support.”With the MLK tournament as a preview for the

upcoming competition in the intramural tourna-ment, it’s no doubt that returning and new teamsare hyped to see what is in store for the hardwood.“The pre-season tournament allows the teams to

show their skills and which division they belong to,”said Dwight Jackson, MWR intramural sports coor-dinator. “We have a recreational league and we alsohave a competitive league. It doesn’t mean that oneleague is better than the other, but we match up

everybody’s talent together so it makes every teamstrong. This year instead of divisions one and two,we have the northern and southern divisions. Rightnow we have eight teams signed up with another sixlooking to add their talents.”The pre-season tournament begins Jan. 21, fol-

lowed by the official kick-off to the season the firstMonday in February. Governed by modified NCAA(National Collegiate Athletic Association) rules, thetournament has each division playing two gamesper game-night. Games are played Mondays andWednesdays.“Also this year we are doing something differ-

ent,” explained Jackson. “We are going to feature aplayer of the week and their picture will be takenand displayed in the cabinet in front of the FitnessCenter. It’s not about how many shots they make, orrebounding; it has everything to do with sportsman-

ship. If they don’t display pure sportsmanship, theywon’t be considered for the accolade. The player ofthe week will be voted on by staff and the refereesof the games.”The MWR staff encourages base staff and person-

nel to come out and show support for each team asthey display the hard work they’ll put into the sea-son.“With everything that has been going on in the

world, people have been on pins and needles so thistournament allows for the person who works all dayto blow off some steam and have some competitivefun,” said Jackson.For more information about the MLK tournament

contact Brenda Hardaway by calling 301-295-0031,and for more information about the intramural tour-nament contact Dwight Jackson at 301-295-0031 orby email at Dwight.jackson@med.navy.mil.

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more with her classmates and profes-sors.

“In medical school, it’s kind of aunique balance. Our professors aredoctors who are our mentors and lead-ers, but one day they are also going tobecome our colleagues,” Quigley said.“And it’s a really special opportunity forus to come together in a venue in whichwe can get a taste of who we’ll be andfuture relationships.”It also helped her to see her class-

mates as people other than medicalstudents, she said.

“We’ve only gotten to know each oth-er in the classroom, so you make certainassumptions about people when youonly hear them ask a question aboutthe kidney,” Quigley said. “But all of thesudden, they get up to perform and yousee them as a person and who they re-ally are and you see this person has somuch more depth than you ever imag-ined.”The performances have grown in

number since the first time when 10people participated. The most recentevent had more than 50 people performin 15 separate performances. Whilemost of the performers come from themedical school, Quigley and Schroff

said anyone on base can sign up for theopen mic events.“I know it’s a hard thing to get past

your own criticism,” Schroff said. “We’vehad some people perform some very per-sonal poetry that you know is comingfrom a place that people don’t normallyshare. And to be able to come out in thisbig group of people – it’s amazing.”Past performances can be seen on the

society’s YouTube page or at its website:www.apollosociety.org.Besides the open mic events, the soci-

ety has hosted a poetry competition andhas collaborated with the Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center’s cre-ative arts department to host a perfor-mance for Wounded Warriors.Smith said he would like to contrib-

ute to the research on how creative artscan help in health care by studying howthese open mic events have affectedmedical students. Ideally, he’d like tocome back to USUHS at a 10-year re-union and see his and Andrew’s “funidea” flourishing.Now back to that list.Salsa dancing. An original acoustic

guitar performance. More original po-etry. An all-male version of the DixieChicks song “Goodbye Earl.” The Der-matones singing pop songs. A pianojazz medley. Reading of original shortfiction. A lip-sync video of Lady Gaga’s“Applause.”

APOLLOContinued from pg. 1

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