journal_041113

Vol. 25 No. 14 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ April 11, 2013

Inside:

MolecularBiology Courselaunched.................Pg.3

1-year-old allsmiles after lipsurgey....................Pg. 4

Poisonous SnakesVisit NSAB..................................Pg. 6

Fisher House staffreceives award...................................Pg. 7

By Master-At-Arms SeamanApril Beazer

NSAB Public Affairs staff writer

Sexual assault is a serious issue,both in the military and in the civil-ian world. Sexual Assault AwarenessMonth is observed at Naval SupportActivity Bethesda (NSAB) and nation-ally in April, but is an important topicyear-round.

When considering who to go to aftera sexual assault, Lisa Wilson, NSAB’sFleet and Family Support Center’s(FFSC) family advocacy program clini-cal case manager, said “it’s not neces-sarily beneficial to press the survivorto make a particular decision at a cer-tain time. I think it’s more importantto be able to support the survivor andmake them aware of what resourcesare available to them should theychoose to report.”

FFSC offers a Sexual AssaultPrevention and Response Program(SAPR), which helps survivors and ev-

eryone around them with support andgetting the help they need.

“It is really important to connectthem with the SAPR as quickly aspossible so the survivor of a sexualassault is aware of their reporting op-tions and what’s available to them,”said Wilson.

Yeoman 2nd Class Kelsey Leach,recently attended the SAPR programand is now a victims advocate. Sheoffered her thoughts on statisticsand the importance of sexual assaultawareness.

“My duty as a very young Sailoris to help people. I went through theclass [SAPR Training] last week and Ifully believe in this [SAPR program],”Leach said. “[The instructor] laid outthe statistics, and there is an issue.”

During the SAPR training, Leachlearned many frightening statisticsabout sexual assault.

“In 2011, there were 19,000 sexualassaults. That is a huge number andthings are only getting worse,” saidLeach. “Only 3,000 [sexual assaults]

have been reported. Out of those, Ithink there was a smaller number —I’m going to say around 300 — whichwere actually convicted.”

One thing that most survivors don’trealize is that they have options whenreporting the assault.

“There is typically both the restrict-ed and unrestricted reporting option.If the individual speaks initially toa medical provider, family advocacyteam or the SAPR program, they havethe option of keeping their report re-stricted, which means that it’s con-tained within the medical communityand family advocacy. Then, they havethe choice as to whether or not theywant to initiate an investigation or ifthey want the report to be more broad-ly known. If they go first to their com-mand or to some outside entity, thenthey don’t have the restricted reportoption,” Wilson said.

The second option is the unrestrict-

Sexual Assault Awareness: How Much Do You Really Know?Photo illustration by Master-At-Arms Seaman Jessica Bianca

See AWARENESS page 7

2 Thursday, April 11, 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- 295-1803. 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. Frederick (Fritz) Kass

Public Affairs Officer NSAB: Joseph MacriPublic Affairs Office NSAB: 301-295-1803

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2 John Hamilton

MCSN Brandon Williams-ChurchMASNApril BeazerSarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorCat DeBinderDavid A. DickinsonJeremy Johnson

Managing Editor MC2 Nathan PardeWRNMMC Editor Bernard LittleWalter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727

Fleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087WRNMMC OmbudsmanJulie Bondar 443-854-5167

NSAB OmbudsmanJojo Lim Hector 703-901-6730

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

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

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

DAISY Nominations DueThe next quarterly DAISY ceremony will

be May 8 at 10 a.m. in Memorial Auditorium.Nominations for the award, which recognizesextraordinary nursing team members, are dueno later than tomorrow. For more information,contact Christina Ferguson at 301-319-4148,or Joan Loepker-Duncan at 301-319-4617.

Research and Innovation WeekApril 16-22 will be observed as Research and

Innovation Week at Walter Reed Bethesda.The observance will include a RecognizingMedical Research Heroes event on April16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the AmericaBuilding lobby; a poster exhibit and compe-tition on April 17 and 18 from 8 a.m. to 4p.m. in Building 9 (near The Wedge); a sym-posium on April 19 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. inClark Auditorium (Building 10); and a col-laborate and connect summit on April 22 from8 a.m. to noon in Clark Auditorium. All eventsare open to everyone. For more information,call Deb Murphy at 301-295-8231, or [email protected].

TRICARE 101: Benefits and ReferralsThe next monthly TRICARE class for provid-

ers, TRICARE 101, will be Wednesday from 11a.m. to noon in the TRICARE Service Centerin Building 9, first floor. Space is limited. Formore information, contact Tracy Keyser [email protected].

Chapel Community LuncheonThe Chapel Community Luncheon will be

April 21 beginning at 11 a.m. in the AmericaBuilding Conference Rooms on the secondfloor. All the Chapel communities, includingRoman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Islamand Hindu, are invited to attend. For moreinformation, contact Chaplain (Capt.) Sergio IDaza at 301-295-1433 or at [email protected].

Bethesda Notebook

This April 22, wewill mark the 33rdannual Earth Day.By “we,” I mean wecollectively – on theplanet Earth. Everyyear, more than a bil-lion people aroundthe world do some-thing to recognizeEarth Day and 192countries recognize itofficially. So, I thinkit is fair to say thatEarth Day is kind ofa big deal. It’s also alittle deal because forit to truly be effective, change has totake place at the local level and evenmore importantly at the individuallevel.Here at Naval Support Activity

Bethesda, volunteers will conduct abase wide clean up on 22 April. But,that’s still at the “big deal” level.The intent of the cleanup isn’t to getpeople to clean up the base — that’sa beneficial side effect. The intent isto get people to see that we have aneed to clean up the base and makethem aware of the affect their habitsand actions can have. If you recyclemore, if you don’t litter, if you dis-pose of cigarette butts properly (orbetter yet, quit smoking … topic fora different column), the need to holda base clean up might not exist.A clean installation is one exam-

ple of an area where an individualcan have a direct impact on our en-vironment, but there are many oth-ers. How many of us have been toldto turn our computers off when weleave at the end of the day or turn offthe lights when you leave the officefor more than a few minutes? Howmany of us do it? Have you thrownrecyclables into the trash next to

your desk ratherthan put them intoa recycle bin? Wehave more than12,000 people onthis base. If eachperson made asincere effort todo some of thethings I’ve listedabove, think aboutthe difference itcould make. Thesethings are not justabstract benefitsto the environ-ment; they have

very real dollar costs associated withthem.I chose to talk about Earth Day

and the environment here for severalreasons. First, it affects my bottomline. Second, taking care of the en-vironment is a great opportunity toearn a private victory. A private vic-tory is that feeling you get by doingthe right thing, even if no one notic-es. The satisfaction of those momentsis a terrific reward. They are good foryour soul. And finally, I genuinelycare about the environment. It’s notabout doing it right so we can be incompliance; it’s about doing it rightsimply because it’s the right thing todo.There is literally not a single thing

I mentioned above that would have anegative consequence. So if you can,please join me for the clean up on 22April. If you can’t, pick an environ-mental action, no matter how smalland make it a habit.

All Ahead Full,Capt. Frederick (Fritz) KassNaval Support ActivityBethesdaCommanding Officer

Commander’s Column

The Journal Thursday, April 11, 2013 3

By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC) launched a new,four-week molecular biologyshort course March 13. Six-teen students participatedin the four-part course thatcovers genetics and lungcancer, gene expression, aswell as DNA methylation(the biochemical processthat alters the expression ofgenes), and clinical applica-tion.“We had a higher demand

than we expected for thecourse and had to cap regis-tration at 16,” explained DebMurphy, academic researcheducation coordinator forthe department of researchprograms which sponsoredthe molecular biology course.“We wanted it to be an in-depth bench experience forthe students so they couldspend time in pairs, usinglab equipment in real-time.It wasn’t just lectures, it wassit down at a station, roll upyour sleeves and really ap-ply what you learned.”Murphy said students

enrolled in the course wereable to learn using state-of-the art equipment with thelab’s subject matter experts.“That’s what’s exciting about

this course: you can actuallydo the work once you learnit,” she explained.Students, mostly physi-

cians in their residency orfellowship, said they en-joyed the hands-on learningapproach the short courseoffers.“I appreciate that they

tried to simplify the coursedown to some basic tech-niques that we can use inplanning and executing ourown research projects,” saidAir Force Capt. Daniel Ad-ams, a first year fellow in pe-diatrics and infectious dis-ease at Uniformed ServicesUniversity of the Health Sci-ences.He explained that he’s

already actively involvedin HIV research at WalterReed Army Institute of Re-search in Silver Spring, Md.,examining the immune pro-files of mothers. Adams saidhe expects to take what helearns in the molecular bi-ology short course aboutpolymerase chain reaction(PCR), a biochemical tech-nology that amplifies DNA,and utilize it for a futureproject.“It’s likely many of [the

students] took a similarcourse elsewhere along theireducation,” explained ArmyCapt. Raymond Casteline,deputy director for the de-

partment of research pro-grams at WRNMMC whichhosted the course. “Thiscourse will go beyond whatthese students learn in med-ical school. It will teach apractical application of mo-lecular biology in a clinicalresearch setting,” he said.The molecular biology

short course will enable stu-dents enrolled in the course,for example, to examine alung cancer gene, study botha normal and abnormal cell,and “know the science be-hind it,” Casteline explained.Army Lt. Col. Molly Klote,

chief for the departmentof research, explained howimportant the course is forphysicians, patients, andmilitary medicine.“An ability to participate

in the mechanics of howcertain laboratory tests areconducted helps cliniciansto better understand how tointerpret the results of thosetests. The molecular biologycourse offers these opportu-nities,” Klote said.Ambareen Ahmed is a

research assistant withthe Defense and VeteransCenter for Integrative PainManagement at WRNMMC.She conducts studies on re-gional anesthesia. Ahmedsaid the hands-on approach

New Course Provides Practical Application in Clinical Setting

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Air Force Capt. Daniel Adams, a first-year fellow inpediatrics and infectious disease at the UniformedServices University of the Health Sciences, uses labequipment to apply what he learned earlier duringthe lecture portion of the new Molecular BiologyShort Course at Walter Reed Bethesda.See COURSE page 9

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Col. (Dr.) Craig Shriv-er wears many hats atWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC) – chief of gen-eral surgery service, direc-tor of the John P. MurthaCancer Center, professor ofsurgery at the UniformedServices University of theHealth Sciences (USU),and director of the Nation-al Capital Consortium’sGeneral Surgery ResidencyTraining Program.It is for the latter Shriver

was recently presented the2013 Parker J. Palmer Cour-age to Teach Award. Theaward, created in 2002 bythe Accreditation Council ofGraduate Medical Education(ACGME), is presented an-nually to honor directors of

medical residency programsthat exemplify patient-centered professionalism inmedical education. Shriverreceived the award March 1in Orlando, Fla., during theACGME’s Annual EducationConference.ACGME’s Parker J.

Palmer Courage to TeachAward salutes program di-rectors “who find innova-tive ways to teach residentsand to provide qualityhealth care while remain-ing connected to the initialimpulse to care for oth-ers in this environment,”explained Army Col. Clif-ton E. Yu, chief of GME atWRNMMC. The ACGME isalso responsible for accred-iting the majority of GMEtraining programs (intern-ships, residencies and fel-lowships) for physiciansin the United States. ItsCourage to Teach Award is

named for Parker J. Palm-er, an educator, activist andauthor of the book, “TheCourage to Teach,” whichpromotes close collabora-tion among professionalcolleagues and the conceptof “living divided no more,”Yu added.A native of Reading, Pa.,

Shriver earned his medicaldegree from Temple Uni-versity School of Medicinein Philadelphia, before hewas commissioned in theU.S. Army Medical Corps,and completed his generalsurgery internship and res-idency at the former WalterReed Army Medical Center(WRAMC). He was selectedfor advanced fellowshiptraining in surgical oncol-ogy at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.“I knew I wanted to make

Chief Surgeon Recognized With ‘Courage to Teach Award’

Photo by Sarah Marshall See AWARD page 9


By Sarah MarshallWRNMMC Journal staff writer

Before his 1st birthday, Kade Ley-ran had two surgeries, one for hiscleft lip, and the second to repair hispalate. Between operations, he un-derwent dental work and his parentshad to keep up with a daily routinerequiring them to do at-home treat-ments – on top of their baby’s typicalneeds.The parents of the 1-year-old,

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class KevinLeyran and Grace Leyran, said thelast year has been challenging, buttheir lives were made easier thanksto Walter Reed Bethesda’s Craniofa-cial Team, which has been there fortheir family every step of the way, thecorpsman explained.“They’ve really helped us through

Kade’s first year. We can’t ask formore,” said the Sailor, who works inradiology at the medical center.The Craniofacial Team began

more than 20 years ago at the formerWalter Reed Army Medical Center(WRAMC), saidAir Force Lt. Col. Ker-ry Latham, team leader. Shortly afterWRAMC integrated with the formerNational Naval Medical Center, inSeptember 2011, the team moved tothe Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRNMMC) where it

has continued its services, she said.The multidisciplinary team has

grown over the years, and hopes tocontinue expanding, Latham said.Made up of staff members who workin various areas of the medical cen-ter, each specialize in treating cleft lipand palate, along with other cranio-facial conditions, such as craniosyn-

ostosis – a birth defect that causesthe bony plates on a baby’s head toclose earlier than normal, forming anabnormally shaped head.Teammem-bers work in Plastic Surgery, EarNose and Throat, Genetics, SpeechPathology and Audiology. They alsospecialize in Dental, Orthodontics,Prosthodontics, Social Work, Oraland Maxillofacial Surgery, Psychol-ogy, Developmental Pediatrics andNeurosurgery.

Once a month, the team meets inthe ENT clinic, located in the Amer-ica Building, explained Latham, whowent on to discuss why its mem-bers are involved with this specialteam in addition to their obligatoryduties.“They’re so passionate abouttaking care of these kids and helpingfamilies,” she said. “Every person onthe team is so critical and contrib-utes so much. Everybody bends overbackwards. I couldn’t ask for a bettergroup to work with, simply becausethey enjoy their work.”About 150 families are currently

enrolled in the program, Lathamadded, and many are children, butthe team is open to see patients of allages. The team will see adults with ahistory of cleft lip or palate, who arenow active duty or a dependent, toaddress any future or further needs,she said.The team may also begin to work

with the family of a child with a cra-niofacial disorder as early as utero,Latham added.When Grace Leyran was about 18

weeks pregnant with Kade, she andher husband learned their son wouldlikely be born with a cleft lip and pal-let. At that time, they met with theteam, which helped put their mindsat ease. Ever since, the team has sup-ported their family, they said.After Kade’s birth, the infant had

Craniofacial Clinic Making a Difference, One Smile at a Time

Photo by Sarah E. Marshall

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Kevin Leyran holds his 1-year-old son,Kade, all smiles. The corpsman and his family say they are grateful forthe outpouring support from the medical center’s Craniofacial team.

See SMILE page 5

10361401038382


a check-up with a team member almost everyweek. He had dental work, referred to as “babybraces,” that constantly needed adjusting to helpalign his palate, prior to surgery.

Kade is not expected to need further operations,his parents said, but perhaps additional dentalwork. Regardless, the toddler will continue workingwith the team as he grows, so the team can moni-tor his development, the Leyrans explained, whilewatching their baby crawling around the Pediatricwaiting area, reaching for toys. Each patient is dif-ferent, developing and improving at different rates,Latham said. Some children with facial disordersmay deal with social issues, at some point, whileothers may require jaw surgery, or need ear tubesbecause of frequent ear infections, she explained.

“We want to watch them grow. We want to get toknow them,” Latham said. “We need to keep seeingthem, [and] see how they’re doing.”

After surgeries, each patient also heals differ-ently, though children usually only need to stayovernight after many craniofacial procedures, sheadded.

“Their recoveries are amazing. They’re resilient.The kids do fantastic. They’re so impressive,” shesaid.

The multidisciplinary craniofacial team also en-sures convenience for the patient and their family,Latham added. Team members align their sched-ules, so patients can meet with as many special-ists as possible during a single trip to the medicalcenter. This also enables the team to streamlinesurgical interventions, so more than one procedurecan be performed during the same operation, andanesthesia is only administered once. Using thisapproach, a child may undergo cleft palate surgerywhile an audiologist inserts ear tubes, during thesame operation, she said.

“A lot of these families have a lot of different vis-its. It’s so much easier if they can come and see allthe different doctors at one time, instead of havingto make 15 different appointments in one month,”she said. “It shows we have an appreciation forwhat they’re going through, and their individual

needs. The families are really appreciative that wehave a special place for their little ones with facialdifferences.”

Latham added the goal is to make sure the tim-ing is right for everybody.

“We do everything to try and make sure we’recommunicating, making it the best experience forthe [patient],” Latham said.

Addressing many of their patients’ needs in asingle, unique setting is what ensures unified com-munication, plans and treatments, said Navy Capt.Arne Anderson, who works in Developmental-Be-havioral Pediatrics at Walter Reed Bethesda. In-volved with the team for the last several months,Anderson helps monitor progress and screens forany potential developmental and behavioral con-cerns.

“The team is special because it brings togethera tremendous amount of resources and expertisein one setting to maximize care and benefit for thefamily and patient,” Anderson said.

Anderson also expressed his appreciation for thecollaborative team and being a part of such “out-standing care.”

“The opportunity to work with so many skilledand talented people, to help military families andtheir children, is always tremendously rewardingand worthwhile.”

Latham agreed, and said, “We take care of suchamazing families and kids. It’s a really special re-lationship we all develop.”

She added the team strives to constantly stayin touch with families, and provides them directphone numbers and email addresses for everymember of the team, should they have any ques-tions about their care.

“We invite people to always stay plugged in withus,” she said. “We want to make sure – even whenthey [change duty stations] or move – that we’vegot that connection.”

For more information about the craniofacialteam, contact Lt. Col. Latham at kerry.p.latham@

SMILEContinued from 4

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By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class

Nathan PardeNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Hundreds of medical stu-dents, staff and their fami-lies attended a “SnakesAlive” presentation at theUniformed Services Univer-sity of the Health Sciences(USU) March 11.

Bruce Shwedick, direc-tor of Reptile DiscoveryPrograms, has traveled theworld nearly four decadesto learn about various rep-tiles, and brought morethan a dozen snakes tothe campus to teach medi-cal students how to treatsnake bites and the effectsof venom.

“Mr. Shwedick bringsthese snakes here as partof our tropical medicinecurriculum,” said Lt. Col.Patrick Hickey, Army Medi-cal Corps, USU Departmentof Preventive Medicine andBiometrics. “The studentsare given educational pro-grams on the medical man-agement of snake bites, andthis [presentation] compli-ments that by giving themmore familiarity with theepidemiology of the snakes:where they live, what theirbiology is like, why peopleget bitten … This has impli-cations for both global pub-lic health and force health,

and the medical care oftroops who are deployed tooverseas areas where thesesnakes are endemic.”

Hickey added the medicalcommunity rarely is able toreceive this type of traininguntil they face a situationin the field.

“Without this sort of op-portunity, most physiciansnever really gain any directexperience with the man-agement of snakes and un-derstanding why it is thatpeople get bit and whatthey are doing. So, this is auseful opportunity for us togive people experience thatthey otherwise wouldn’tget at any other medicalschool.”

Shwedick and his brotherhave been coming to USUfor more than 30 years, andthe medical students andfaculty look forward to thepresentation each year, saidHickey.

“This program is reallyone of the highlights of theacademic year for many ofour medical students. Ev-ery year it is an interestingopportunity to learn some-thing new and go outside ofthe typical medical train-ing and teaching that we dohere.”

Ens. Ethan Bernstein,a first-year medical stu-dent, said he is terrifiedof snakes, but thought thepresentation might help

him to overcome his fear.“I’m not sure if it was

entirely successful on thatlevel,” said Bernstein, “butthe information is usefuland gives a better appre-ciation of these animals.And as much as I’m afraidof them, I’m also very im-pressed by the animals.

They are gorgeous.”Shwedick introduced the

audience to the 12 snakefamilies, five of which con-tain venomous species. Healso explained why tropi-cal climates can breed moredangerous snakes.

“The warmer it is, themore active they are: they

will eat and grow faster.In the case of venomoussnakes, their quantity ofvenom is greater and thetoxicity may also be great-er.”

Shwedick has traveled tonumerous sites across Afri-

Reptile Discovery Brings ‘Snakes Alive’ to USU

Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Parde

Bruce Shwedick, director of Reptile Discovery Programs, brought more than adozen snakes to the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, includ-ing the only venomous snake local to the Washington D.C. area: the copperhead.

See SNAKE page 10


ed report. Typically this option isused when the survivor reports theassault to their chain of command oranother source first, in which theircase will become public.Being a survivor of a sexual as-

sault can be very difficult. You canfeel very alone and vulnerable whichmakes it difficult to speak up.“I think the most important

thing initially for the survivor of asexual assault is to know that theyare not alone,” said Wilson. “It’sreally critical for them to connectwith someone who can be availableto listen and to support them. Ifthey do connect with the SAPR pro-gram, they have a victim advocatewho is specifically designated to bethat person and to connect themwith the appropriate resources andto give them the moral support andan opportunity to explore their dif-ferent options and make the deci-sion that’s right for them.”If there is a co-worker who sus-

pects that a person they know hasbeen sexual assaulted, it is impor-tant to know the right things tosay and do, and what resources are

available to give to that person,said Wilson.“It’s important to respect the

person’s privacy and to empowerthem to take control of the situa-tion,” she said. “You want to makesure that if you’re speaking withthat person, you are doing it in away that’s respectful of their priva-cy, so you’re in a quiet confidentialsetting. Also, believe that person,especially when they are initiallytalking about what happened. It’sreally important to take them seri-ously. Listen to what they are tell-ing you. Validate their experienceand their feelings. Ask them whatwould be most helpful to themand be equipped with the informa-tion to provide them for contactingSAPR or family advocacy.”Sexual assault survivors may be

at risk of being harmed again by theaccused. That is why it is importantfor them to know what resourcesand outlets they have and to not beafraid of talking to someone.If someone comes to you about a

sexual assault, remember this ad-vice Wilson shared. “As you listento them, if you feel fears for theirsafety or if you are concerned thatanything you see is a threat to them,strongly encourage them to reachout for appropriate support. That

[may] mean for them to call SAPRthemselves or have someone go withthem or to ask them what wouldbe most comfortable for them. But,if you see a cause for concern, youwant to make sure they can get con-nected with someone so that they

can make sure that they are safe,”said Wilson.Always be prepared. You never

know when a sexual assault may oc-cur. It is better to have too much in-formation than not enough when itcomes to sexual assault awareness.

AWARENESSContinued from 1

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Parde

Naval Support Activity Bethesda’s Commanding Officer, Capt. Fred-erick Kass, signs a Sexual Assault Awareness Month Proclaimation tosupport the belief that all service and community members must bea part of the solution to end sexual harrassment and sexual assault.

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist Seaman

Brandon Williams-ChurchNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

On March 27, Certified ExecutiveHousekeeper of the Fisher HousesBetty White received the Navy Lodg-ing Traveler’s Award for excellence inperforming her daily responsibilities.The hard-working native of Saint

Catherine, Jamaica, was in disbeliefwhen she found out she was chosenfor the award. “I’m still surprised thatI received the award because you can’tsurprise me. I’ll find out eventually,”said White. “But, I was just floored –I couldn’t get up. This award meansthat I have to step up to the plate, bemore productive, keep the bar up anddon’t stop moving forward.”The Traveler’s Award is given to

the civilian employee who exempli-fies the highest standards of profes-sionalism, attitude, customer serviceand job knowledge as determined bythe Navy Lodging program. Nomi-nees are submitted and selected bythe lodging program panel.Pam Smith, Fisher House program

manager, describes some of White’sbest qualities as her leadership, hertraining and the ability to rally herstaff and set the standards high sothat everybody stays devoted to thesame mission.

“I’m only as good as my staffaround me and how well I train themand teach them, and I think that’sBetty’s philosophy,” said Smith. “Sheworks incredibly hard and she’s rightin there with her people and that’show she is. Betty respects her peopleand they respect her for that.They allwork incredibly well together.”

When she talks about her daily du-ties and the people she works with,White tends to look up in the air andsmile. Quick talking and bubbly, youcan tell how much she cares for herstaff and enjoys creating a homeaway from home every day.“I love working for Fisher House,”

said White. “I love my job. Very early

in the morning, I’m the first one tocome and the last one to go in theend. In order for you to stay moti-vated, you have to love what you do.I love what I do and I love to see theplace clean.”White has been in the business

of cleaning for quite some time. Sheretired in June 2009 after 29 yearsas a supervisor for housekeeping atHoward University, (where she alsoreceived clinical training and becamea certified phlebotomist.) White alsotook on a part time job at the NavyExchange in 2006 that eventuallylead her on a path to working forFisher House in 2010.When asked of her motivation to

stay in the same field for so long,White had simple yet insightfulwords.“My motivation is to keep looking

inside-outside,” saidWhite. “You can’ttell from the outside what the insideis, so if the outside is not looking pre-sentable then what?”White’s dedication to her job and

her staff point to why she was chosenas this year’s recipient of the award.The short-haired woman with bangle-covered wrists and rings on most ofher fingers displays true care forevery person she comes into contactwith.The Fisher Houses take care of

service members and families in

Fisher House Employee Earns Award for Excellence

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Brandon Williams-Church

Betty White, executive housekeeper at the Fisher Houses, reviewspaperwork with Irma Barahona, a staff member at Fisher House 5,Friday.

See FISHER page 8


By Jeremy K. JohnsonNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

April is Distracted DrivingAwareness Month.

According to National Safe-ty Council’s (NSC) website, themonth-long observance was in-troduced as a resolution in 2010by former Colorado Rep. BetsyMarkey to honor 9-year-old EricaForney, who was killed by a dis-tracted driver in November 2008.

Naval Support Active Bethes-da’s (NSAB) Senior EnlistedLeader Chief Master-at-ArmsMarty McQuagge says his biggestconcern is losing good Sailors toa bad practice. “Unfortunately,in this fast-paced world that welive in today, most people havetaken for granted the inherentrisks of operating a motor vehi-cle,” he said. “Most don’t realizethe tremendous responsibilitythey have when it comes to be-ing in complete control of a 2,000pound movable object. As a certi-fied accident investigator I knowtoo well the dangers of distracteddriving.”

Distraction.gov is a website

operated by the Department ofTransportation (DOT). It offersdetailed information regardingthe dangers of focusing on some-thing other than the road whiledriving.

According to the site, “In 2011,3,331 people were killed in crash-es involving a distracted driver,compared to 3,267 in 2010. Anadditional, 387,000 people wereinjured in motor vehicle crashesinvolving a distracted driver, com-pared to 416,000 injured in 2010.”

The DOT site also includes alist of laws across the country tar-geting distracted driving. In theDistrict of Columbia and Mary-land, for instance, all handhelddevice usage is prohibited whiledriving. In Virginia, handheld de-vices for experienced drivers arepermitted, but texting is prohib-ited.

NSAB Chief of Police Lt. Col.Jack Bieger said the practice ofdriving with handheld deviceswhile on the installation is pro-hibited and is considered a prima-ry offense, meaning drivers canbe pulled over just for being seenon a cell phone while driving.

“If you need to take an impor-tant call, do like you would any-

where else and pull over some-place safe in a parking lot or outof traffic to answer it, and thencontinue you on your way,” hesaid.

He added that if a citation isissued under Navy regulations,it will result in a $50 fine. “Andit’s actually more than that,” headded, “because there’s is also a$25 processing fee,” he added.

So-called hands-free devicesare permitted, but NSAB SafetyOfficer James Ganz says eventhose carry a risk. “‘Inattentionblindness’ is the same for bothhandheld and hands-free units.The distraction caused by focus-ing on something other than driv-ing exists whether or not a phoneis actually held to the ear, or con-versation occurs through somesort of hands-free device such asBluetooth. According to severalstudies, the processes and mentalimages that are associated withsight are over-ridden by imagesthat are associated with wordsbeing spoken/heard or keyed. Foryour own safety, refrain from alltypes of cell-phone use while yourcar is in motion (this includes be-ing stopped at a red light).”

Distracted Driving on Naval Support Activity Bethesdaneed, and White sits right at the topof the totem pole of care-giving. If youwere to only spend five minutes talk-ing to her, it is plain to see what setsher apart for the award.

“Every guest walking through thedoor is important, and they shouldwalk into a beautiful facility and feelas if they are right at home and likethey are the most important personon the planet, because they are,” saidSmith. “Betty sets that standard andit doesn’t matter how many peoplewalk through that door, Betty makesthem feel that the room is for them.Betty and the team are truly amaz-ing. She understands keeping up thestandards, because when you’re in themedical facility you have to be on [topof your game], and Betty’s on it.”

Betty White knows that withoutthe support of her management andher staff, she wouldn’t have come thisfar.

“I want to thank my staff. They doa great job every day, and it’s hardwork,” said White. “I also want tothank my managers Tammy Davis,Pam Smith, Becky Wood and MichaelYbarre because they help encourageme and whatever I need to completemy job or task, they would help me inany way that they can.”

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was helpful and explained how she’ll use whatshe learns on her job. “It’ll give me a better ideaof the resources that are available here that I canuse for future research,” she said.The state-of-the-art biomedical laboratory at

WRNMMC where the biology short course wasconducted supports clinical research for studiesin the disciplines of biochemistry, molecular andcell biology, along with immunology. There arecurrently 28 active laboratory research studiesunderway at the WRNMMC Biomedical ResearchLaboratory, according to Murphy.Casteline explained the lab includes advanced

equipment available to clinical staff and research-ers at WRNMMC, as well as the military medicalcommunity lab, like the NEX-ion mass spectrom-eter, an instrument used to determine elementsin the composition of a sample. The mechanismbreaks down heavy metals on the cellular leveland provides molecular weight and traces heavymetals.According to Casteline, the molecular biology

short course may be offered again this fall, andthen possibly annually or biannually.Also in the area of research, the Department

of Research Program, under the auspices of Ed-ucation, Training and Research, will host Re-search and Innovation Week April 16-22. Activi-ties will include a poster competition, researchsymposium and summit. For more information,contact Deborah Murphy at 301-295-8231, [email protected].

COURSEContinued from 3

an impact as a cancer surgeon,” Shriver ex-plained. “There was a lot we didn’t know aboutcancer in general. Considering breast cancer isand has been the most common cancer amongstwomen, I felt early in my career that’s an areawhere I could make a difference.”In 1998, Shriver became program director of

WRAMC’s general surgery residency program,and remained in that role when WRAMC inte-grated with the former National Naval MedicalCenter to form WRNMMC in the fall of 2011.The doctor has completed four combat tours,

including two in Afghanistan, and has led hissurgeons in the treatment of more than 7,500patients from Operations Iraqi Freedom andEnduring Freedom since the terrorists’ attacksof Sept. 11, 2001.As director of the John P. Murtha Cancer

Center, Shriver said approximately 30 to 45percent of care delivered at WRNMMC is as-sociated with cancer screening, prevention orthe cure of patients with cancer. “All depart-ments are involved, from radiology to internalmedicine. These people are the best and highlytrained.”Excellence in training is another area Shriv-

er has been recognized, having been promotedto professor of surgery at USU in 2008. Alsoin his role as NCC director of its general sur-gery residency training program, he preparesdoctors to be world-class surgeons within theDepartment of Defense in order to care for

wounded warriors and their families.Yu, as a colleague of Shriver for more than

10 years, describes him as “a dedicated Sol-dier, surgeon, teacher and researcher who em-bodies what it is to be an academic physicianand military medical officer. It is people likehim who make WRNMMC an academic medi-cal center on the cutting edge of medical care,research and education. He is totally commit-ted to training current and future generationsof military surgeons to ensure that the bestcare is available to military members and theirfamilies.“Physician leaders like him have many op-

portunities to pursue prestigious and lucra-tive leadership opportunities outside of themilitary, but instead choose to stay because oftheir dedication to our mission of taking careof our nation’s past and present heroes andtheir families,” Yu added.Another one of Shriver’s colleagues, Army

Col. Michael R. Nelson, deputy command-er for Education, Training and Research atWRNMMC, agrees.“I’ve known Col. Shriver for more than 10

years. He is a visionary, model educator andleader, inspiring all those who work with himand whom he trains. He is so very well de-serving of this prestigious [Courage to Teach]award, placing him amongst the nation’s mostelite educators.“His selfless service and dedication to those

he leads is legendary,” Nelson added. “It wasno surprise to me that during his humble ac-ceptance [of the Courage to Teach award], herefused to accept the honor as an individualand accepted it on behalf of all military health-care educators and providers.”

AWARDContinued from 3

1037795


ca, Asia and Latin Americato gather information forhis presentation on snakebite epidemiology.“It’s helpful when we

learn about venomoussnakes to learn about theirbiology and their geogra-phy. We’ll talk about the oc-currence and effects of theirbites and we’ll meet venom-ous snakes from all over theworld.”From anacondas and cop-

perheads, to rattlesnakes,vipers, pythons and cobras– Schwedick then broughtout each type of snake anddiscussed their behaviorand the risk and severity oftheir bite.A snake bite “may not

be as problematic (for themasses) as malaria andmany other tropical diseas-es,” he explained, “but for

that one patient that is fac-ing a life threatening or al-tering condition, being ableto provide a proper medicaltreatment for a venomoussnake bite is very impor-tant.”

Shwedick said his hopein bringing this program toUSU each year is that hecan help medical studentsbroaden their knowledge inthis specific field. Havingthe opportunity to present

to those medical studentsmakes him feel like he isserving his country.“If I were to live my life

over again, there’s no doubtin my mind that I wouldjoin the service,” he said.

“So, this is how I have beenserving for three decadesnow: by helping our mili-tary medical students bebetter prepared for treatingvenomous snake bites.”When asked if there was

one thing that he wouldlike medical students totake from his presentation,Shwedick answered: “Be-come familiar with the ven-omous snakes in the areasof operation you become as-signed to; become familiarwith the ones that do mostof the biting; and becomefamiliar with the symptomsof envenomation and theeffective methods of medi-cal treatment so that youare prepared when you arefaced with that situationsome day.”For more information

about Reptile DiscoveryPrograms, visit www.rep-tilediscovery.com or for in-formation about USU, visitwww.usuhs.mil.

SNAKEContinued from 6

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Parde

A closer look would reveal four small openings below the rattlesnake’s eyes.These are the snake’s “pit organs,” which use thermal radiation to detect andtarget warm-blooded prey, such as rodents and birds. A rattlesnake can detectprey that are as little as 1/10 of a degree warmer than their background.

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