Vol. 26 No. 26 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ July 3, 2014

Inside:

Fireworks safety forthe 4th ....................Pg.3

USU Nursing Deanretires ......................Pg.3

WWE stars visit USO...................................Pg.4

Celebrating the Birthof Our Nation.....................................Pg.6

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class

Chris KruckeWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

‘Heroes on Every Plat-form’ was the central themeat the Walter Reed Nation-al Military Medical Center(WRNMMC) 116th HospitalCorpsman Birthday Ball heldJune 20 in Bethesda.

“I shall do all within my

power to show in myself anexample of all that is honor-able and good throughout myNaval career,” states the Hos-pital Corpsman Oath, whichcorpsmen recited at the affair.

The U.S. Navy Silent DrillTeam provided a flawless per-formance for attendees at theball, and Master Chief PettyOfficer of the Navy (MCPON)Mike Stevens was the event’skeynote speaker.

Hospital Corpsman (HM)

1st Class Delyn Scott, a mem-ber of the ball’s planning com-mittee explained why she tookthe job. “A lot of times ourjunior Sailors are not awareof our history, the sacrificeswe had, who we lost and theimportance of rememberingthem while acknowledgingthe successes of how far wehave come by carrying on thetraditions. Part of our tradi-tion is celebrating our birth-day, the birth of the Corps,

and that is what this event isabout — celebrating our tra-dition and celebrating wherewe came from.”

Tradition also includes acutting of the Hospital Corps-man birthday cake by the old-est and youngest corpsman.Following this tradition, Ste-vens and Command MasterChief Clinton Garrett of theNavy Medicine ProfessionalDevelopment Center, who has

Serving Those Who ServeWalter Reed Bethesda Celebrates Navy Hospital Corpsmen

See SERVE page 6

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Chris Krucke

The U.S. Navy Silent Drill Team provides a flawless performance for attendees at the Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center116th Hospital Corpsman Birthday Ball held June 20 in Bethesda, Md.

2 Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Journal

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Friday we celebrate IndependenceDay, commonly known as the Fourthof July, and it commemorates theadoption of the Declaration of Inde-pendence on July 4, 1776. That dec-laration was a bold statement, bythe new colonies, of their resolve forindependence from the Kingdom ofGreat Britain. Independence Day iscommonly associated with fireworks,parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs,picnics, concerts, baseball games,family reunions and ceremonies, inaddition to various other public andprivate events celebrating the his-tory, government,and traditions ofthe United States. Because of thatbold move, Independence Day is theNational Day of the United States.But, what is the real meaning of In-dependence Day and the 4th of July?

During the American Revolution,on July 2, 1776, the Second Conti-nental Congress voted to approve aresolution of independence proposedin June, by Richard Henry Lee ofVirginia, separating the ThirteenColonies from Great Britain. Follow-ing the vote, the Congress worked onthe Declaration of Independence, toexplain this decision. A Commit-tee of Five, with Thomas Jeffersonas its principal author along withJohn Adams of Massachusetts, Rog-er Sherman of Connecticut, Benja-min Franklin of Pennsylvania andRobert R. Livingston of New Yorkpenned the formal statement. TheContinental Congress debated andrevised the wording of the Declara-tion, finally approving it on July 4.

A day earlier, John Adams hadwritten to his wife Abigail, “Thesecond day of July, 1776, will be themost memorable epoch in the historyof America. I am apt to believe that

it will be celebrated by succeedinggenerations as the great anniversa-ry festival. It ought to be commemo-rated as the day of deliverance, bysolemn acts of devotion to God Al-mighty. It ought to be solemnizedwith pomp and parade, with shows,games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires,and illuminations, from one end ofthis continent to the other, from thistime forward forever more.”

The signers of this declara-tion knew it might also be — liter-ally — their death sentence. Theyknew that the wrath and might ofthe England would come to quellthe uprising, and that their fragilecoalition would be challenged. Yet,they put their signatures on thatparchment, and thus everything onthe line. Against formidable odds,that Declaration told the world that“these United Colonies are, and ofright ought to be, free and indepen-dent states.” The colonists wanted tobe free, to make their own decisions,to govern themselves, and breathethe sweet air of liberty.

When the Revolutionary war wasover, England had no choice but

to declare that the thirteen stateswere now free. The first article ofthe Treaty of Paris stated, “His Bri-tannic Majesty acknowledges thesaid United States, viz., New Hamp-shire, Massachusetts Bay, RhodeIsland and Providence Plantations,Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland,Virginia, North Carolina, SouthCarolina and Georgia, to be freesovereign and Independent States;that he treats them as such, andfor himself his Heirs & Successors,relinquishes all claims to the Gov-ernment, Propriety, and TerritorialRights of the same and every Partthereof.”

In 1776, in Philadelphia, the firstcelebration of American indepen-dence took place four days after thesigning, and began with a publicreading of the Declaration of Inde-pendence. Then, from the tower ofthe State House, now IndependenceHall, the Liberty Bell rang out, thecoat of arms of the king of Englandwas removed, there was a parade,and cannons boomed. The people,though aware of what lay ahead,cheered! A new nation sprang to life.

Soon, across the growing nation,at sunrise on July 4, salutes werefired and bells were rung. Flagswere flown from buildings, homes,and along the streets. Shop windowswere decorated with red, white, andblue. The tradition of patriotic cel-ebration became even more wide-spread after the War of 1812. In1870, the U.S. Congress made July4th a federal holiday, and in 1941,became a paid holiday.

Even today, while we are againlocked in conflict it is about freedom.It is about the dream of a nation with

unalienable rights, endowed equallyto all, among these, life, liberty andthe pursuit of happiness. This is anideal of a government by, and forthe people . . . people who are deter-mined to live free and bought on thefoundation of personal sacrifice.

I believe that the added impor-tance of that document to our Na-tion and to each of us personally, isthat in 1788, it led to the ratificationof the new Constitution. In thosetwelve years between those two mo-mentous events, in 1776 and 1788,those freedoms, our freedoms, cameat great personal sacrifice and ahigh cost. But, they were worth thatcost. The freedoms declared by theDeclaration, and ushered into factby the Constitution, were secured.That is why, all of us, active dutyand civil servant, pledge in our oathto support and defend it. With eachre-enlistment or promotion, thoseof us who wear the cloth of our Na-tion, have the honor and privilege ofreaffirming that pledge and the ide-als that the Declaration of Indepen-dence, and the Constitution to whichit led, proclaims. This is why all ofyou do what you do every day.

The importance of the 4th day ofJuly, then, is that it marks the birthof the United States of America.Because of what our nation meansto each of us and those around theworld in search of freedom, oneshould have the greatest sense ofpride and emotion in your heart, asdo I.

All ahead flank,Capt. David A. BitontiNaval SupportActivity BethesdaCommanding Officer

Commander’s Column

The Journal Thursday, July 3, 2014 3

By Julie SmithNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Uniformed Services Universi-ty of the Health Sciences (USU)leaders and educators gatheredJune 27 for a day of scholarshipto honor the retiring dean ofthe Daniel K. Inouye GraduateSchool of Nursing, Dr. Ada SueHinshaw.

The day began with openingremarks fromUSU president Dr.Charles L. Rice and commentsfrom Maj. Gen. Jimmie Keen-an, Southern Regional MedicalCommand commanding general,U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Severaleducational professionals fromUSU and other universities, aswell as government agencies, of-fered presentations throughoutthe day on health care-relatedtopics.

“What better way could therepossibly be to celebrate DeanHinshaw’s tenure (at USU) thanto have a day filled with schol-arship?” Rice said. “After all,scholarship and nursing is whather career has been all about.She has been a pioneer in thatarea and has inspired many whohave followed her.”

Keenan was a member of thescreening committee who se-lected Hinshaw as the dean ofthe Graduate School of Nurs-ing six years ago. At the time,Hinshaw made a three yearcommitment to USU, but stayedon to help transition the USUMaster of Science in Nursing(MSN) degree to a Doctor ofNursing Practice (DNP) degree.The national movement to help

strengthen nursing competen-cies and increase the knowledgeand skills of nursing health careprofessionals is endorsed by theAmerican Association of Col-leges of Nursing as the future ofnursing practice.

Hinshaw also combined theNavy nurse anesthesia programwith the Graduate School ofNursing anesthesia program in2011. That year, the integratedprogram ranked fifth in the na-tion among military and civil-ian nursing schools according toU.S. News and World Report.

During her comments, Keen-an spoke directly to Hinshawand praised her dedication toeducation, research and pa-tients.

“Your work has advanced theprofession of nursing. You’veimproved the quality of the ac-ademic programs (at USU) andthe quality of our instructors,”Keenan said. “You listened tous in the Department of De-fense and discovered what ourchallenges were and you saw

Hinshaw Retires as USU Nursing Dean

Hinshaw was awarded the Order of Military Medicalto Merit for her contributions to the U.S. Army Medi-cal Department.

Photos by Julie Smith

Dr. Ada Sue Hinshaw (far right) receives a framed photograph of her staff during her retirement dinner atthe Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences June 27.

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class

Chris KruckeWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

With the Fourth of July justaround the corner, Walter ReedBethesda safety officials areproviding legal and safety tipsto help you have a safe and en-joyable celebration.

If you are planning a partyor barbecue this year, there area few things you need to keepin mind before you go out andspend your money on fireworks.“Most counties don’t even allowfireworks without a permit,”stated Raymond Blake, safetyspecialist for the Public Health

and Safety Department at Wal-ter Reed Bethesda. “Marylandis really strict. The bottle rock-ets, M-80, certain types of spar-klers and any other type of pro-pelled fireworks are outlawedhere in Maryland.”

Any fireworks found on basecan and will be treated as ex-plosives and individuals can beapprehended with charges andfines falling under the UnitedStates District Court and if theindividual falls under the Uni-form Code of Military Justice,further Non-Judicial Punish-ment proceedings could followas well, according to Master-at-Arms 1st Class Mark L. Collinsof base security. At the veryleast, the fireworks will be con-fiscated and an 1805 United

States District Court citationwill be issued with appropriatefines, he added.

Blake also offers the follow-ing information for those con-sidering purchasing fireworks.

“People have lost eyes andfingers,” he said. According toNational Fire Protection As-sociation, 61 percent of fire-works injuries in 2011 were toextremities — hand or finger.“You should never aim them atyour face, and hold them awayfrom your body. If you do havekids playing with them alwayshave an adult around,” statedBlake.

He added, 26 percent of the

Fourth of July Fireworks SafetySee NURSING page 8

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission photo

Safety officials caution the use of fireworks, evensparklers, which can ignite within seconds causing se-vere injury. See SAFETY page 6

4 Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Journal

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class

BrandonWilliams-Church

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

World Wrestling Entertain-ment (WWE) Superstars DolphZiggler, R Truth and formerWWE Divas Champion Paigeshared stories and laughs asthey visited wounded warriorsand staff at the USO Warriorand Family Center June 23.

Giving back to the militarymeant more than simply tak-ing pictures and signing au-tographs for the wrestlers; itmeant time where they couldbrighten up a young fan’s dayor listen to anecdotes from thepeople who serve the country.

“It’s great for us because weare always on the go and [theservice members] are actuallydoing the real work that iskeeping us safe at home. It’sa tiny thank you back to theseguys,” said Ziggler.

Truth and Paige echoedthose thoughts.

“[The troops] stay reallyhumble as well and it’s nice to

visit because they put a smileon our faces so it’s really greatto be here,” said Paige. “Every-one is so sweet and welcoming,it’s like a family.”

“We are giving back,” saidTruth. “The troops do so muchfor us, so the least we can dois to visit them and lift spir-its. We get to stay humble andwe get pure enjoyment out of[it]. We are here to encourage[the troops] and they encour-age us.”

Many hugs were given,jokes were told and selfiestaken with the Superstars.For them, being around peoplein uniform was nothing new.Each had family membersserve in the military includ-ing Truth’s uncle and father,Paige’s grandfather and Zig-gler’s father.

“My dad was in the armyfor 25 years, so I had the mili-tary crew cut for most of thattime,” said Ziggler. “The mili-tary is special to me becausenow it’s not just about givingback. You’re helping makesomebody’s day better. Theyare actually protecting us andwe are just entertaining peo-

ple so it puts things into per-spective.”

The stars gave their thanksand even stopped by a Marinesfunction to show support be-fore leaving the campus.

“It was a great experiencefor us just to say thank you inperson to a few guys and galswho are on the frontlines orhave been through some dam-age,” said Ziggler. “Somehow,

they still have a smile on theirface and that right there putsa smile on our face. We arehappy to do it and any chancethat we can be back we will.”

WWE Superstars Visit USO Warrior and Family Center

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

WWE Superstars Dolph Ziggler (far left), R Truth (middle) and Paige (far right)take a picture with a Sailor and his family June 23 at the USO Warrior and Fam-ily Center.

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The Journal Thursday, July 3, 2014 5

Murtha Cancer Center Highlights Research, Services

DOD’s Only Center of Excellence for Cancer Care Hosts Seminar, Awareness DayBy Bernard S. Little

WRNMMC Public Affairsstaff writer

Focusing on the efforts un-derway to improve the diagno-ses and multidisciplinary treat-ments of cancers, the John P.Murtha Cancer Center (JPMCC)at Walter Reed Bethesda hostedthe 2nd Annual Cancer Re-search Seminar and CancerAwareness Day June 23 to 24.

The Murtha Cancer Center isthe only Department of Defense(DOD) Center of Excellence forCancer Care in the MilitaryHealth System (MHS). Its an-nual research seminar, held inconjunction with National Can-cer Awareness Month, bring-ing together investigators andclinicians from Walter ReedNational Military Medical Cen-ter (WRNMMC) and its federalpartners, including the Uni-formed Services University ofthe Health Sciences (USU) andNational Cancer Institute, “toshare information and gain anunderstanding of the outstand-

ing opportunities to enhance thecare of patients and advance col-laborations in cancer clinical tri-als and research,” according toArmy Col. (Dr.) Craig D. Shriver,JPMCC director.

“The John P. Murtha CancerCenter does a lot of things thatare critical, important, patient-centric and totally value-add-ed,” Shriver continued. “Whatwe find is to do many things at

once to strengthen our program,makes things better for our pa-tients while accomplishing re-search along the way.”

Clinical Breast Care Projectdirector and principal investiga-tor, as well as professor of sur-gery at USU, Shriver said thepresentations at the June 23cancer research seminar, “arejust a sample” of the ongoingcancer research at WRNMMCand within the region.

Presentations included re-search involving prostate cancer,breast cancer, radiation treat-ment, lung cancer screening inveterans, skin cancer, gynecolog-ic cancer, pediatric cancer, survi-vorship and smokeless tobacco.

Army Maj. (Dr.) Steve Lee,a surgical oncologist in theMurtha Cancer Center, dis-cussed his research underwayconcerning smokeless tobaccouse in the military. He explainedsmokeless tobacco use can resultin cancer of the mouth, tongue,cheek, gum, throat, esophagus,stomach and pancreas. In ad-dition, smokeless tobacco is nohealthier than smoking, caus-

ing stained teeth, bad breath,sweating, nausea, erectile dys-function, diarrhea, mouth sores,receding gums, tooth decay andmore.

The rate of smokeless tobaccouse in the military is 12.8 per-cent, nearly 10 percent higherthan the civilian population, ac-cording to the MHS and DefenseHealth Agency.

Lee added smokeless tobaccouse between the services differs,with use of smokeless tobaccoamong the Marines at more than20 percent, followed by the Army(about 14 percent), Navy (nearly11 percent) and the Air Force(approximately 9 percent). “Wealso know combat deployment isrelated to increase use of smoke-less tobacco; however, the causeand causation factors have notbeen established,” Lee said. Headded a number of things havenot been determined in relationto smokeless tobacco use withinthe military, such as why thearmed forces has a five timeshigher prevalence of smokeless

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Retired Army Col. (Dr.) Jane L. Hudak (right), patienteducator for the John P. Murtha Cancer Center’s Centerfor Prostate Disease Research, places a prostate cancerawareness pin on the jacket lapel of Dr. James Bates dur-ing the cancer center’s Cancer Awareness Day event onJune 24 at Walter Reed Bethesda.

See CANCER page 9

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6 Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Journal

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd ClassAshante Hammons

NSAB Public Affairs

On the 238th birthday of our nation,we pause to celebrate the freedoms weenjoy, and to remember the sacrificesof those who have guaranteed us thosefreedoms. They were not won easily; theUnited States has been forged in thecrucible of history.

It’s only fitting, then, that Naval Sup-port Activity Bethesda recognize thecontributions of the ‘Father of the Navy,’John Paul Jones, in helping to forge afledgling fleet and nation into a recog-nized and respected sea and world power.

In 1775, the Continental Navy wasa small force compared to its nemesis,Great Britain’s British Royal Navy.Nonetheless, the Continental Navy

proved to be a force to be reckoned with- and Jones was key in establishing thisreputation.

That year, the Second ContinentalCongress met in Philadelphia and ad-opted the Declaration of Independence,declaring freedom from Great Britain.Jones, no stranger to life at sea (he hadfirst gone to sea at the age of 12 withthe British Merchant Marine), joinedthe Continental Navy and was com-missioned as a lieutenant in December1775. He served on the first Americanflagship, Alfred, and was quickly pro-moted to Captain. Given commandof the sloop Providence, he destroyedBritish fisheries in Nova Scotia andcaptured sixteen prize British ships.He was then given command of Rangerfrom 1777 to 1778. There, he operated inBritish home waters and conducted boldraids on English shores.

He was then placed in command offive French and American vessels, andled from his flagship Bonhomme Rich-ard, capturing seven merchant ships offthe Scottish coast.

On Sept. 23, 1779, Jones and his crewfought one of the bloodiest battles in na-val history, taking on the 44-gun RoyalNavy frigate Serapis. After three hoursof intense fighting, Bonhomme Richardwas burning and about to sink. TheBritish demanded his surrender. Jonesproclaimed, “I have not yet begun tofight,” and he and his crew continued tofight, forcing Serapis to surrender.

Jones showed the world the strengthof America’s sea power, and that in thename of freedom, we are always ready.The U.S. Navy, and Sailors past andpresent, still embody this spirit in serv-ing our nation and defending its free-doms.

This Week in HistoryCelebrating the Birth of Our Nation: John Paul Jones and Hard-Won Freedom

Courtesy photo

victims of fireworks injuries in 2011 were un-der the age of 15 and a large percent of injurieswere to parts of the head, including the eye, legs,arms, shoulders and wrists.

If you simply must have fireworks, Blake said,“When you get done, soak them in water beforeyou throw them away. People unknowinglythrow live explosives in their trash. Undetonat-ed fireworks can still have an explosive charge inthem and can later explode with a temperaturereaching up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, easilycausing fires.”

In addition to personal injuries, fireworks alsocause property damage and are one of the big-gest concerns for the fire departments. Everyyear thousands of roofs and fields catch fire fromsmall hand held fireworks.

“In 2011, an estimated 17,800 reported fireswere started by fireworks,” Fire Inspector CaseySnooke of the Naval District Washington Fireand Emergency Services said. “Carelessness isone of the biggest issues with causing fires fromfireworks.” These fires resulted in an estimated40 civilian injuries and $32 million in directproperty damage.

“If you are going to use fireworks this year,please remember to first read the directions.Don’t stray from the manufacturer’s recommen-dations. Ultimately they are the ones who havetested the fireworks.We are more than welcomehere in the fire prevention branch to assist inany questions with fireworks or safety issues youmight have.”

Remember, this Fourth of July, if you are go-ing to set off fireworks, please just use commonsense. If it looks wrong it most likely is. When itcomes to explosives there is no second chance,added Walter Reed Bethesda safety officials.

If you choose to purchase the legal fireworks,before you set them off, please check out the De-partment of Maryland State Police website at:https://www.mdsp.org/Home.aspx.” To reachthe Fire Prevention Branch call 301-295-5623.

SAFETYContinued from pg. 3

served in the Navy for 30 years,cut the cake with and presentedthe first piece to Hospitalman Na-tasha Lampson symbolizing thepassing on of the Navy traditionsand heritage from one generationto the next.

Lampson, born in August 1995,joined the Navy in September 2013,making her the youngest corpsmanattending the birthday ball.

“At first it was a shock whenthey confirmed I am the youngest,and then sitting with the MCPON,it’s amazing,” Lampson said. “I’mjust excited to be here. It’s my firstball. It’s nice to be involved.”

Lampson comes from a long lineof nurses, which she admitted wasa driving force for her decisionto join the Navy Hospital Corps.“What drives me as a corpsman isworking with the wounded war-riors, seeing what they have beenthrough and knowing I have thepower to help them. That carriesme and drives me to be a bettercorpsman.”

Even though Navy hospitalcorpsmen are celebrating their116th birthday, their service to thenation goes back even further thanwhen the Navy Hospital Corps wasofficially established on June 17,1898.

Early in their history, corpsmenwere commonly referred to as a lob-lolly boy, a term borrowed from theBritish Royal Navy which referredto the daily ration of porridge fed tothe sick. In the Continental Navyand the early U.S. Navy, medical

assistants were assigned at ran-dom out of the ship’s company, andtheir primary duties were to keepthe irons hot and buckets of sandready for the operating area. Ac-cording to Navy historians, ironswere used by surgeons to closelacerations and wounds, and sandwould help prevent surgeons fromslipping on the ship’s deck duringprocedures.

Now, the hospital corpsman isthe largest and most diverse ratingin the Navy, having 38 Navy enlist-ed classification codes, accordingto the Department of the Navy. Ap-

proximately 25,000 service mem-bers make up the rate of hospitalcorpsman, and they serve almosteverywhere throughout the worldon forward operating bases, navalhospitals and clinics and aboardships, officials from Navy Bureauof Medicine and Surgery added.

“We are the most decorated [rat-ing in the Navy],” stated HM1 Ja-son Young, also an organizer for theball. The Sailor explained why hejoined the Hospital Corps. “I per-sonally wanted to be on the front-lines to be able to help people,”Young said. “I am proud I joinedthe Corps,” he continued.

“There have been 20 shipsnamed after hospital corpsmen,and 22 corpsmen have been award-ed the Medal of Honor,” Young add-ed. Also, hospital corpsmen haveearned 174 Navy Crosses, 31 ArmyDistinguished Service Crosses,948 Silver Stars and 1,582 BronzeStars.

“Bottom line, Navy corpsmen doit all, but more importantly, Navycorpsmen do it well,” was howStevens summed up the HospitalCorps.

Not originally scheduled to bethe event’s guest speaker, Stevensasked to be part of the event so hecould share his own story of hisbattle with cancer. “I owe my life tomy faith in the Lord, the love of mywife, and the selfless professionalsat Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center and military medi-cine. Last week marked one year[being] cancer free,” he added.

“There is no greater call thanto serve in the uniform that we allwear,” The MCPON continued. “SoI ask you this: How much greaterthe call than to serve those whoserve?”

SERVEContinued from pg. 1

Photo by MC2 Chris Krucke

Master Chief Petty Officer ofthe Navy Mike Stevens (left),Hospitalman Natasha Lampsonand Command Master ChiefClinton Garrett of the NavyMedicine Professional Devel-opment Center cut the cakecelebrating the 116th Hospi-tal Corpsman Birthday dur-ing a ball held by Walter ReedBethesda Sailors June 20.

The Journal Thursday, July 3, 2014 7

By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

Editor’s note: July is Na-tional Cord Blood AwarenessMonth.

Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC) became the firstsite to collect and bank patientspecimens for a new Depart-ment of Defense (DOD) cordblood bank, in April.

The joint venture betweenGeorgetown University (GU)and DOD will enable militaryand civilian mothers in Wash-ington, D.C., and the greatermetropolitan area to help savelives of patients worldwide withlife-threatening diseases likeblood cancers, sickle cell ane-mia, and other blood disorders.

The blood contained in theumbilical cord after the birth ofa baby is usually thrown away,explained Army Col. (Dr.) Jo-seph Gobern, department chiefof Obstetrics and Gynecology atWRNMMC.

“It can be collected, storedand used to replace blood cellsin people who have blood dis-

eases where those had to beeliminated through chemother-apy, or if they have abnormalbone marrow,” Gobern said.

Cord blood can be substitut-ed for bone marrow transplant,a time-consuming and painfulprocess, explained Gobern, whobecame interested in cord bloodbanking when his son, now ahealthy 19-year-old college stu-dent, was treated for lymphomaseven years ago. The physiciandiscovered although DOD had abone marrow registry, it didn’thave a cord blood bank.

If the 12-year-old’s bonemarrow had not withstood the52-weeks of chemotherapy,transplant would’ve been an op-tion. Gobern said if a bone mar-row transplant had been nec-essary, finding a match wouldhave been an ordeal.

“Even if one of our familymembers did match, the processfor collecting bone marrow isboth time consuming, and pain-ful,” the father said. “To knowthat this alternative is avail-able and can save lives is justtremendous.”

The department chief of Ob-stetrics and Gynecology estimat-

ed about 1,400 babies are deliv-ered at WRNMMC each year.

Donating cord blood to thepublic DOD cord blood bankis painless for both baby andmother, safe, easy to do, andsaves lives, explained Dr. Jen-nifer Ng, director of the GUDOD Cord Blood Bank housedat the C.W. Bill Young/DODMarrow Donor Center in Rock-ville, Md. It’s also free — unlikeprivate blood banks that chargefor obtaining and storing cordblood reserved for years for anindividual that may never useit. With private banking, indi-viduals pay a fee for collectionand one for storage which couldamount to essentially paying“rent” for years.

“The GU DOD Cord BloodBank is a public cord bloodbank. The cord blood that isdonated is not maintained forthe specific use by the donor ortheir family,” like private cordblood banks, Ng said.

As a public blood cord bank,the DOD facility conforms tothe guidelines set by the Foodand Drug Administration, aswell as the National MarrowDonor Program, the Foundation

for the Accreditation of CellularTherapy, the Maryland Depart-ment of Health and MentalHygiene Office of Quality Man-agement, and other agencies,she explained. Another qualitycontrol measure is the specialtraining received by deliverystaff who obtain the cord bloodspecimen atWRNMMC, accord-ing to Navy Cmdr. Alison Cas-tro, department chief, MaternalChild Nursing.

The collection is done in thetime between the delivery of ababy and the expulsion of theplacenta, she explained. Withadditional samples obtained forthe bank to screen, the blood isdrawn from the umbilical cord,carefully packaged up, labelled,placed in a special designatedcooler and awaits blood bankpick up. Castro added writtenconsent and paperwork for thepatient is completed prior to de-livery. Preterm labor and infec-tion disqualify donations.

Cord blood units collectedand cryopreserved are storedin the DOD cord blood bank at-180 degrees Celsius. Units thathave been frozen for 20 yearshave been thawed without sig-

nificant loss of their viability,depending on the collection ofthose units, the freezing pro-cess, and how the units are fro-zen, Ng said.

The seemingly small unitsof umbilical cord blood pack apowerful punch. Rich in blood-making stem cells, a specimenfrom a single cord is enough totreat a child under the age of 18(based on body weight), accord-ing to Air Force Col. (Dr.) Thom-as C. Newton, chief of PediatricHematology/Oncology atWalterReed Bethesda.

Because cord blood cells aremore naïve or “immature,” aphysician may choose a lessclosely-matched cord bloodunit between donor and recipi-ent than with bone marrow,Ng said. She explained physi-cians may also choose to treatwith cord blood because once amatch between recipient anddonor is identified, the unit canbe quickly obtained because theunit is cryopreserved.

“In the unrelated adult bonemarrow or peripheral bloodstem cells, the donor has to be

DOD Cord Blood Bank Improves Access to Care, Savings

See CORD BLOOD page 10

By the Social WorkDepartment Walter

Reed National MilitaryMedical Center

A large part of the socialworkers’ mission at WalterReed National Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC) is to con-nect those who serve and theirfamily members to the care andsupport they need.

According to Stacee Springer,a licensed clinical social workerat Walter Reed Bethesda, socialworkers offer crisis interven-tion for those who have under-gone a traumatic experience,and counsel individuals de-ploying, their families, as wellas those transitioning from de-ployment to everyday life.

Social workers are foundin various clinics throughoutWRNMMC and are an integralpart of the patient’s health careteam, explained Dr. Marie Sa-limbeni, also a licensed clinicalsocial worker and service chiefof the Education, Training andResearch Service of the SocialWork Department at WalterReed Bethesda.

“[Social workers] can befound in the Emergency Room,Infectious Disease Clinic, Inpa-tient Wounded Warrior Service,

Cleft Palate Clinic, OB/GYN,[Mother Infant Care Center],Infertility Clinic, InpatientPediatrics, Inpatient Hematol-ogy/Oncology, Plastic Surgery,Vascular Surgery, Neurology,Admission Planning Unit, PostAnesthesia Care Unit, PainClinic, General Surgery, Urol-ogy, Nephrology, Transplant,Dialysis Clinic and OutpatientCounseling,” Salimbeni said.They can also be found work-

ing in other areas on base andin the medical center, includingat Fleet and Family, and Foren-sics, she continued.

“Social work practice em-phasizes that the family is thefocus of care,” Springer added.“As clinicians, we utilize em-powerment in our practice tohave the family define who isincluded as family,” she stated.“Our goal is that social workpractice promotes patient fam-

ily-centered care throughoutmedical encounters our pa-tients and families experience.Social workers identify earlyon those clients who are atrisk for emotional dysfunctionand/or other suffering throughassessments and treatment ofpsychosocial challenges.”

Springer works with de-ployed service members whohave been diagnosed with can-cer, as well as provides sup-portive counseling to patientsand the families. She ex-plained a traditional medicalmodel still prevails in provid-ing care to “medically fragilepatients,” but social workersseek to emphasize the role offamily members when a pa-tient family-centered philoso-phy of care is delivered.

“We encourage our patientsand their families to processthe information provided tothem by providers and developtheir own framework on howtheir needs will be carried outin a way that works for them,not the provider or the insti-tution,” Springer stated. “Thecaregiving responsibilities ofthe medically fragile patientand their family can be over-whelming and depleting. Thesocial worker is equipped to

be a source of assistance withidentifying and accessing com-munity support services thatwill provide a partnershipbetween the patient, providerand the community, resultingin the patient and family be-ing the lead in this experience.Once this level of comprehen-sion is reached, we can nowsay we have delivered effectivequality care.”

Springer added effectivesocial workers also recognizethe role diversity and cultureplay when information is be-ing delivered and/or processedbetween the patient, familyand health care teams. “Withthis knowledge we individual-ize our assessment, which isthe framework of social workpractice,” she said.

“If we look at the ProsperityPlan of Walter Reed BethesdaDirector Brig. Gen. Jeffrey B.Clark and its four initiatives(spiritual, personal, profes-sional, and relationships),social work fits like a glove,”Salimbeni added. “What andhow we do things has a directcorrelation on how all personsserved at Walter Reed, mat-ter,” she concluded.

For more information aboutSocial Work, call 301-295-1719.

Social Work Puts Focus on Patient Family-Centered Care

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Walter Reed Bethesda Social Worker Stacee Spring-er provides supportive counsel to Andrew J. Chris-tianson about keeping up with his school work andother activities while he’s a patient, at Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center.

8 Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Journal

the challenges as opportunities for nursing research.Nurs-

ing is about keeping the patient at the center of everything

we do, and you ensured the students understood that.”

At an awards dinner, Keenan presented Hinshawwith the Order of Military Medical Merit, an awardconferred upon those who have made significant con-tributions to the U.S. Army Medical Department. Hin-shaw also received letters from U.S. Rep. Chris VanHollen and Institute of Medicine President HarveyFineberg. She was presented with a framed photo ofher staff, a flag flown on the USU flagpole, two piecesof jewelry and several other gifts.

“It’s very overwhelming. It’s just a beautiful day,”Hinshaw said. “It’s hard to leave. It’s a very specialplace to work, particularly when you’re putting educa-tion and the military together.”

Just the day before, Hinshaw had joined the Fed-eral Nursing Service Council (FNSC) on Capitol Hillto meet with the United States House and SenateCommittees on Armed Services and Veterans Affairsto discuss critical issues facing the federal nursingservice and the future of the profession. The FNSCis a group of nursing leaders from the military, thePublic Health Service, the American Red Cross andthe Department of Veterans Affairs whose mission isto advance professional nursing and improve partner-ships among federal agencies.

Hinshaw’s plans for retirement include a trip toGermany and organizing a birthday celebration forher mother, who turns 102 in August. Hinshaw saidshe will return to Ann Arbor, Mich., where she willbe involved in periodic special projects as a dean andprofessor emeritus at the University of Michigan.

Hinshaw received a Bachelor of Science from theUniversity of Kansas, a Master of Science in nurs-ing from Yale University and a Ph.D. and Master ofArts in sociology from the University of Arizona. Shewas the first permanent director at the National In-stitute of Nursing Research at the National Institutesof Health and was designated a living legend by theAmerican Academy of Nursing in 2011. She is also therecipient of 13 honorary doctoral degrees.

“I was brought to USU to make stronger leadersand stronger nursing practices, and I want to be re-membered for a legacy of a strong and productive en-vironment for graduate nursing education,” Hinshawsaid.

NURSINGContinued from pg. 3

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tobacco use than in thegeneral population. Heexplained one of the long-term goals of his study isto possibly determine this,in addition to if peoplecome into the U.S. militaryalready users of smokelesstobacco, or if they pick upthe habit once they are inuniform. Other goals of thestudy are determining anoptimal cessation strategy,and finding the effects ofsmokeless tobacco use onmilitary readiness.

Shriver added somenumbers show use ofsmokeless tobacco in thedeployed environmentamong active duty mem-bers to be 70 to 80 percent.He said a new smokelesstobacco study will usedental swabs to look atDNA and further examinethe relationship betweensmokeless tobacco andcancer.

Think CancerPrevention, Safety

The Murtha CancerCenter’s day-long researchseminar was followed byits Cancer Awareness DayJune 24. Clinical depart-ments and services of thecenter and WRNMMC setup information tables inthe America Building lob-by to provide beneficiaries,staff and visitors materialconcerning cancers, pre-vention and cutting-edgediagnostic and treatmenttechnologies offered by theJPMCC.

Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) KentHandfield, of Dermatology,provided those who vis-ited his table informationabout skin cancer preven-tion and awareness. Heexplained skin cancer isthe most common type ofcancer in the world. It af-fects more than two mil-lion Americans annually.In addition, skin canceraffects people of all colorsand races, although thosewith lighter skin are moreprone to it.

Handfield added thereare five things people canlook for in checking them-selves for skin cancer. “Wemake them an easy wayto remember because weencourage people to re-member their ABCDEs. ’A’stands for a spot or molethat is asymmetric [onehalf does not match theother half]. ‘B’ stands for

borders [of the mole] thatare irregular. ‘C’ stands forcolor variation [mole is notthe same color all over].‘D’ stands for [the mole’s]diameter greater than apencil eraser [1/4 inch].‘E’ stands for [the mole]evolving or changing overtime, which is probably themost important thing.”

The dermatologist en-couraged people to avoidbeing outside during thesun’s peak hours between10 a.m. and 2 p.m. “If youhave to be outside, seekshade,” he added. “Third,wear protective clothingsuch as hats, long-sleevedshirts and long pants.” Inaddition, wear sunscreenwith an SPF of at least30 or higher (both UVAand UVB protection). Healso encouraged peopleto apply the sunscreen 15minutes before going out-doors, and reapply everytwo hours.

Elyssa Harley, a radia-tion therapist, was alsoon hand during CancerAwareness Day to informpeople of the services Ra-diation Oncology offer atWalter Reed Bethesda.“We provide radiationtreatment to the specifiedarea if our patients havelung cancer, prostate can-cer, brain and other can-cers. I enjoy my job and tobe able to help people,” sheadded.

As she passed out in-formation at the event,Stacey Vitiello, who worksin Murtha Cancer Cen-ter’s Gynecologic OncologyService, explained, “Weare involved in women gy-necological cancers, suchas reproductive cancers.I think it’s important be-cause we’re one of the onlycancer centers in the re-gion that treats this typeof cancer. It’s importantfor people to become edu-cated about it,” she saidwhile providing passers-bywith material for knowingthe symptoms for ovariancancer.

Also on hand duringCancer Awareness Dayand volunteering at theCenter for Prostate Dis-ease Research (CPDR)table, was Harold Hanson,a retired Army lieuten-ant colonel and prostatecancer survivor. Whileasking men if they havebeen screened for prostatecancer, Hanson shared hispersonal story with thosewho stopped by the CPDRtable.

“I was diagnosed at[the former] Walter Reed

[Army Medical Center]with prostate cancer in2009, had surgery and theprostate was removed,”Hanson explained. “Theyfound some of my lymphnodes were positive, andI went through radiationand hormone therapy fortwo years. That all fin-ished in 2012. I’m finenow and like to help [theCPDR] out.”

Hanson said he was vol-unteering during CancerAwareness Day to encour-age men to have prostateexaminations. “We wantthem to be aware of theadvantages of early diag-nosis,” he continued.

“The care here [at Wal-ter Reed Bethesda] isfantastic,” Hanson added.“It wasn’t just the medi-cal part; there was thecounseling, [and] supportgroups with patients whowent through what I wasgoing through. They coachyou, counsel you and men-tor you in how to take ad-vantage of what’s offeredand how to take care ofyourself, and that’s a greatasset.”

Retired Army Col. (Dr.)Jane L. Hudak, patienteducator for the CPDR,added about CancerAwareness Day as a whole,“We’re here to make people

aware of the services wehave. So many people areaffected by cancers,” shesaid. “It might not be you,but it might be a familymember, friend or neigh-bor, so we need to let peo-ple know of the services wehave. Knowledge is power,and the more people know,the greater the possibilityis that we can help easetheir anxiety in knowingabout the cancers theymay fear.”

William Mahr, admin-istrative officer for theMurtha Cancer Center,summed up the goal itsCancer Research Summitand Cancer Awareness

Day. “By doing this, we letpeople know about what’savailable to them. A lot ofthe beneficiaries withinour network may not beaware of all of the serviceswe provide. For example,we provide service in high-complex, low-volume typecases, which may not beavailable at other places,so it’s good to put out theinformation of what we of-fer here.”

For more informa-tion about the John P.Murtha Cancer Cen-ter, call 301-295-0120 oremail WRNMMC.CancerCenter@health.mil.

CANCERContinued from pg. 5

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located, tested and also available,” Ngsaid. “This takes time.”Increasing the odds of finding a

match is the biggest reason why estab-lishing the DOD cord blood bank was soimportant, Newton said. Minorities andindividuals of mixed race are among thehardest to find a bone marrow matchfor, the pediatric oncologist explained.Minority and mixed-race deliveries inthe military that donate to the DODcord blood bank could help reduce thisdeficit.Any mother who delivers at George-

town University Hospital or WRNMMCcan choose to donate cord blood fromtheir delivery to the cord blood bank.As a public bank, both civilian and mili-tary who need cord blood can use it, if amatch is found.“People choose to donate to our bank

as an altruistic act, in an effort to helpanother person. They derive no ben-efit from the donation other than theknowledge that their gift may save thelife of another individual,” Ng said.Air Force wife Dana Sones is one

mother who is grateful for the cord bloodher daughter Karina received in 2006.“It took 10 million [donors on a na-

tional registry] before Karina found amatch,” said Sones.

She paused for a moment and si-lently sobbed before she expressed howgrateful her family was for the cordblood a stranger donated to a cord bankin New York where Karina’s match wasfound. “It’s given her eight years,” saidSones. The thankful mother explainedher faith-filled, tight-knit family of fivelooks forward to many more together.Currently, mothers delivering at

WRNMMC or Georgetown UniversityHospital with healthy births are poten-tial candidates for cord blood donationto the DOD cord blood bank but Ng saiddiscussions are underway with severalother military hospitals around thecountry. Visit us on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/14KgLCS to meet Karina andlearn more about cord blood collection.For more information about the DODCord Blood Bank, go to www.salutetolife.org/cordblood.html.

CORD BLOODContinued from pg. 7

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Often thrown away after birth,umbilical cord blood can helpsave lives.

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