Journal 070915

By SharonRenee Taylor

WRNMMC PublicAffairs Staff Writer

“Even in the middle ofthe ocean, the ‘spirit of joint-ness’ is alive,” wrote ArmyCapt. Rory Walton from thehigh seas of the Caribbean.

The operating room (OR)nurse assigned to WalterReed National MilitaryMedicalCenter (WRNMMC)is one of 43WRNMMCstaff-ers deployed aboard USNSComfort (T-AH 20) for theContinuing Promise 2015(CP-15) humanitarian mis-sion to Central America,the Caribbean, and SouthAmerica.

The mission is a U.S.Southern Command-spon-sored and U.S. Naval ForcesSouthern Command/U.S.4th Fleet-conducted deploy-ment for civil-military op-erations including medical,dental, veterinary, and engi-neering support along withdisaster response to partnernations.

Walton joined the Navy

ship April 1 in Norfolk, Va.,for a six-month deployment.She called it a “unique op-portunity,” with Sailors,Air-men and Public Health Ser-vice members to continue todevelop the WRNMMC in-teroperability between theArmy, Navy, Air Force, andPublic Health Service. TheSoldier said she consideredthe professional develop-ment and teamwork on theComfort “outstanding.”

“Having the opportunityto work together with ourfriends and partners in thismission setting allows forthe sharing of best prac-tices and ideas,” she said.“It further enables all of usto build partner capacityand promote collaboration[as well as] partnershipsin order to meet challengestogether and prepare for fu-turemissions, contingenciesand response efforts.”

In addition to nurses likeWalton,WRNMMC also de-ployed a general surgeon,pediatric surgeon, plasticsurgeon and several surgi-cal residents, along with

corpsmen to support themission. A WRNMMC ob-stetrician-gynecologist alsojoined the group, and as-sisted many women on theComfort’s stop in Jamaica.

USNS Comfort MedicalTreatment Facility Com-manding Officer Navy Capt.(Dr.) Christine Sears oftenworks in tandem with theComfort’s OR staff for com-plex pelvic surgery cases.Sears completed a fellow-ship, and served as a staffurologist at WRNMMC aswell as executive assistantto former WRNMMC com-mander Rear Adm. (Dr.) Al-

ton L. Stocks between 2011and 2012.

“Women’s health contin-ues to be very importantto all of the host nationsthat we are visiting duringour CP-15 mission,” Wal-ton said. “Our gynecologi-cal surgery team has beeninundated with patients atall of our completed missionstops.”

The Comfort conductedsurgery in Belize, Guate-mala, Jamaica, Nicaragua,and Panama, according tothe WRNMMC Soldier. Af-ter completing work at thesixth mission stop in El Sal-

vador, five mission stops re-main: Columbia, Dominica,the Dominican Republic,Haiti and Honduras.

“As a team, we begin [in]each country the same,”Walton explained. “We stageour surgical supplies andpre-plan each mission stop.Because surgery uses a sig-nificant amount of resourc-es and consumable supplies,this is no small feat. Uponentry to the country, we im-mediately set up a surgicalscreening site in coordina-tion with each country’sministry of health.”

The Comfort arrives

to crowds of potential pa-tients, according to the ORnurse who specializes inopen-heart surgery. Overthe next two days, the teamscreens and books up to 100patients for surgery.

“Because certain healthconditions and comorbidi-ties can disqualify someonefor surgery, it is importantwe maintain a high stan-dard to ensure the safety ofthose in our care. We worktogether with the host na-tion, ministry of healthrepresentatives and medi-

Vol. 27 No. 27 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ July 9, 2015

Photo by MCSN Kameren Guy Hodnett

Military Sealift Command hospital shipUSNS Comfort (T-AH 20) anchored off thecost of Nicaragua May 24 during ContinuingPromise 2015.

Photo by MC2 Derek Paumen

Army Capt. Rory Walton, a native of El Paso, Texas, and an operating room nurse assignedto Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, left, and Lt. Cmdr. William Rolfes, anative of New Port Richey, Fla., and a registered nurse anesthetist assigned to Naval Medi-cal Center Portsmouth, Va., prepare to move a Salvadoran patient after surgery aboardthe Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) during ContinuingPromise June 18.

WRNMMC Staff Supports USNS Comfort

See NURSE page 6

2 Thursday, July 9, 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, the De-partment of Defense, or the Department ofthe 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 StaffManaging Editor MC3 Hank GettysWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

Staff Writers MC1 Christopher KruckeAndrew DamstedtSarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorJoseph Nieves

NSABethesdaFleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

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

NSAB 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

Fisher House Open HouseThe Fisher House Foundation is hosting

an open house on Wednesday from noon to3 p.m. at Fisher Houses I and III to cel-ebrate its 25th anniversary. For more in-formation call Fisher House Manager Ken-neth Merritt at (301) 295-5334, or [email protected]

Bystander Intervention TrainingNavy Bystander Intervention to the

Fleet Training is held every Fridaythrough Aug. 21. The training is mandato-ry for Sailors to provide them with instruc-tion to help recognize potential negativesituations and how to safely intervene. Fortimes, locations and more information, callHM1 William F. Davis at 301-319-4609, oremail [email protected].

NCR-MD Town HallRear Adm. Raquel C. Bono, director of

the National Capital Region Medical Di-rectorate, will host the NCR-MD quarterlytown hall on July 21 at 7 a.m. in the Me-morial Auditorium. All Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Center staff mem-bers are encouraged to attend.

2016 Base Guide Updates NeededNSAB and WRNMMC Public Affairs

staff are currently preparing the 2016NSAB Base Guide, and we need yourhelp to ensure it is as accurate as pos-sible when printed. This informationincludes locations and phone numbers.Commands and organizations are encour-aged to review their information in the2015 Base Guide: http://epublish.panap-rint.com/publication/?i=233365. ProvideWRNMMC updates to Sarah Marshall([email protected]; 295-5727) or NSAB and all other commands toRonald Inman ([email protected]; 295-1803).

Bethesda NotebookTeam NDW,As I assume

my duties as the89th Comman-dant of NavalDistrict Wash-ington, I wantto thank you forthe warm wel-come you’ve ex-tended to me andmy family. It’san honor anda privilege toserve with you in thishistoric and storiedplace. In my shorttime onboard, yourd e d i c a t i o n ,pro fess ional -ism, and team-work is evidentin the folks I’vemet and theplaces I’ve vis-ited. I look for-ward to work-ing with youto execute ourvitally impor-tant missionand supportour men and women in uniformand their families.I also look forward to get-

ting around the Region soon tomeet you, see your duties andresponsibilities, understandyour challenges and hear yourideas for improvement/change.NDW continues to excel everyday at supporting the Navy’sprimary warfighting mission.

From renew-able energyand conserva-tion programs,to world classwounded war-rior care, to acenter of ex-cellence fornaval avia-tion, to a flag-ship educa-tional insti-tution where

the Navy is devel-oping tomorrow’sleaders, and manyplaces in between,

you are pro-viding sus-t a i n a b l ef a c i l i t i e sand mean-ingful qual-ity of lifep r o g r a m sto allow ourmore than200 mis -sion-orient-ed tenantc ommands

to focus on their operationalmissions.In closing, I wish for you and

your family and friends an en-joyable and safe summer season.Thank you again for the warmwelcome, and for your commit-ment and dedication. What youdo each and every day makes adifference for our Navy and ourNation.

Commandant’s Column

Rear Adm.Yancy Lindsey

NDW 89thCommandant

“NDW continuesto excel every dayat supporting theNavy’s primary

warfightingmission.”

The Journal Thursday, July 9, 2015 3

By AndrewDamstedt

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

More injuries are oc-curring each year nation-ally as people look downat their smartphoneswhile walking – andwhile there have beenno incidents reported on-board Naval Support Ac-tivity Bethesda (NSAB),the base’s safety managersaid he’s heard of someclose calls.

“They have their facesdown and eyes focusedon their smart phoneswhile walking around theinstallation, includingwhile crossing the street,”NSAB Safety ManagerJim Ganz said. “I haveactually seen occasionswhere someone stops inthe middle of the road-way to tend to somethingon his/her phone.”

The National SafetyCouncil reported in Junethat distracted walkinginjuries have increasedparallel to the increasein cell phone usage since2000, and Ganz said hehas noticed distractedwalking increasing in

the past couple years onthe installation. While hesaid he hasn’t seen anyformal accident or injuryreports, Ganz said he’sheard plenty of anecdotalevidence of pedestrian/ve-hicle incidents.

“However, when dis-cussing safety risk, ‘near-miss’ incidents can bejust as important as ac-tual accidents,” he said.“I have seen several nearmiss incidents (about acouple each month) whenI’m out and about thatfortunately have not beenaccidents … the driverwas able to stop in timeto avoid colliding with thepedestrian.”

That’s why Ganzwants to reiterate cross-walk safety with themost important safetytip to only cross thestreet after looking upand down the road foroncoming traffic andonly crossing when it’sclear to do so. Othertips he shared were toonly cross the street ata crosswalk, obey allpedestrian crosswalksignals and to not crossthe street between twoparked vehicles.

He also advised people

to avoid distractions bynot looking at their phonewhile crossing the streetand if using headphonesto keep one ear clear.

Drivers, he said,should always yield to pe-destrians in crosswalks– reduce speed when ap-proaching a crosswalkand prepare to stop, andto not pass vehicles al-ready stopped at a cross-walk.

There are a few roadcrossings on the installa-tion that Ganz said war-rant extra caution. Thoseinclude:

• North Palmer Road/Brown Drive – it’s a busycrossing generally andboth pedestrians anddrivers can behave unpre-dictably.

• North Palmer Road– just west of RooseveltCircle – people exit fromthe side doors of thebuilding and cross thestreet as a shortcut to theG-Lot between the cross-walks. He advised peopleto take more time anduse the crosswalks on theeast and west sides of theparking lot.

• South Palmer Roadjust south of Building 10– the traffic direction in

the center lane flip-flopsdepending on the time ofday but while there areseveral crosswalks here,sometimes pedestrianscross wherever they want.

• South Palmer Road/South Wood Road – Ve-hicles turning from SouthWood Road to SouthPalmer Road do not havea stop sign and pedestri-ans here tend to spreadout beyond the actualcrosswalk.

Off the installation,he said pedestrians

shouldn’t cross WisconsinAvenue at the North Gate(Gate 1) because there isno crosswalk there – in-stead pedestrians shoulduse the crosswalk at theSouth Gate (Gate 2). But,even at the South Gatecrosswalk, pedestriansexhibit risky behavior bynot waiting for the signalto cross or crossing theroad well outside of thecrosswalk, he said.

“This is a busy inter-section with all sorts ofvehicular activities go-

ing on; it is usually wellclogged during the after-noon rush hours,” he said.“Pedestrians should waitat the corner and crosswhen the signal allowsthem to do so.”

Crosswalks on baseare evaluated regularlyand repainted when theyfade too much to be eas-ily recognized, said Ganz,who also evaluates trafficand pedestrian patternsto advocate for additionalsafe crossing areas whenneeded.

Remember Crosswalk Safety this Summer

Photo by Andrew Damstedt

Pedestrians use the crosswalk Tuesday in front of Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Center’s Building 10. Distracted walking hascaused more injuries nationwide each year since 2000, and NavalSupport Activity Bethesda Safety Manager Jim Ganz said he’s seennear-misses on the installation because people are looking at theirphones instead of crossing the street safely.

Look Up, Not at Phonewhen Crossing the Street

By MC1 (AW)Chris Krucke

WRNMMC PublicAffairs staff writer

Navy Hospital Corps-man 2nd Class AmberBarak packed her car withstuffed animals beforeheading to this year’s TeddyBear Drive at Walter ReedNational Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC).

The Sailor, along withseveral others, recentlycollected more than 300stuffed animals for childrenreceiving medical care in

the Dominican Republic.The stuffed toys helpedboost the morale of theyoung patients, who under-went various hand, plasticand reconstructive proce-dures as part of a two-weekMedical Readiness Train-ing Exercise (MEDRETE)which WRNMMC staffmembers have participatedin for more than a decade.

This was the second yearfor the stuffed toy drive,which Barak began lastyear when she was non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the Plastic and Re-

constructive Surgery Clinic.This year, she was assistedin the drive by HM2 CrystalRocha and HM3 Adina Per-low of the clinic.

Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.)KerryLatham,aWRNMMCplastic surgeon, explainedthe stuffed animals helpedease the anxiety and recov-ery of the patients, who re-ceived care for cleft lip andpalate, hand, craniofacialabnormalities and otherconcerns at the HospitalCentral de las Fuerzas Ar-

Operation Teddy Bear Drive Brings Smiles to Kids in Need

Courtesy photo

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class May Htini gives away stuffed animalsto patients treated by Walter Reed National Military Medical Cen-ter staff members as part of a two-week Medical Readiness TrainingExercise (MEDRETE) in the Dominican Republic this spring.

WRNMMC Craniofacial Team ProvidesCare in Dominican Republic

See TEDDY page 6


By MC3 Hank GettysNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Editor’s note: This isthe second part in a twopart story on NationalAeronautics and SpaceAdministration (NASA)Astronaut, Navy Capt.Barry E. “Butch” Wilm-ore, who visited theUnited Services Or-ganization Warriorand Family Center atBethesda on Naval Sup-port Activity BethesdaJune19.

Wilmore held a meetand greet with servicemembers and their fam-ilies, along with signingautographs, posing forpictures and answeringany questions they mayhave had.After the event,

Wilmore sat down withThe Journal for a casu-al interview about histime in the Navy and asan astronaut.

Q: Why do youthink it is importantto share your storywith service mem-bers and the generalpublic?A: We are beings that

are created to inter-act with one anotherand to share with oneanother, and I can goto space and I can dosome incredible thingsand see some incrediblesights, but what makesit enjoyable is whenyou share it, when youtalk about it and shareit and share picturesand videos and just dis-cuss and share it withothers. Anything trulymeaningful is evenmore so when you havethe opportunity to shareit. I’ve realized that it isa very unique position.There are less than 550people in the history ofmankind that have leftthe planet, and I realize

that it is a very uniqueposition or opportunityand very unique thingsthat I have been ableto experience, and it’ssomething that manyare interested in. I amtoo, that’s why I choseto strive to go to thisposition because I aminterested in it andthere are others whohaven’t had the oppor-tunity, or won’t havethe opportunity to ex-perience it, and to shareit with them is impor-tant. There are thingsI’ve never done that Iam intrigued by, andpeople tell me aboutthem; I’ve always beenvery inquisitive. Cer-tainly with our military,there are individualsthroughout our military,Navy included, that sac-rifice time from theirfamilies and have to godo things that are insupport of our nation’s

interests, and it’s kindof a way to meet themand say ‘Hey, thanks foryour service.’ We all dodifferent things, thereare a variety of differ-ent things we are allabout, but the chance todo that and share that,I am humbled by the op-portunity to do that.

Q: What advice doyou have for Sailorswho are striving toachieve their goals,to achieve them asyou did in becomingan astronaut?A: You can put a lot

of undue, useless stresson yourself by frettingabout the situation thatyou are in. You can lookat the beauty of the sea,the comradery you buildwith your shipmates,the job you are do-ing, the reason you arethere to begin with. Itis an honorable profes-sion, and it means a lotto our nation; it is the‘make or break’ for ournation. We have to havepeople who are will-ing to sacrifice and dothese things to live thelife that we all enjoy.And to do those things,and not the fact that ‘oh

my goodness this is theworst,’ you can focus onthe bad and you can fo-cus on that and makeit awful for yourself.There is no reason forthat and there is no rea-son to fret over the jobyou are doing now. Youaspire to do whatever,you train, you go toschool, you take classesand you do whatever toafford yourself other op-portunities. That jour-ney is enjoyable, youknow. We always seemto look at the destina-tion and say, ‘ah, whenI get there, it’s going tobe great’ instead of en-joying the journey youare on. So I’d say focuson the journey, you’vegot to keep the desti-nation in sight, but I’dsay focus on the journeyand enjoy the journeyas it is taking place.I’d say that’s the big-gest thing, regardless ofwhat you are trying todo or achieve or accom-plish.

Q: Anything elseyou would like toadd?A: Everyone in the

military sacrifices insome fashion, and it’s

for a just cause. It’s forfreedom, it’s for friendsand family, and it is im-portant and it is honor-able and I am gratefulthat we have men andwomen in our servicesthat are willing to dothat. Not just them, butyou know, I think thegreater sacrifice, hon-estly, is by the families.We go out, and as I gothrough this trainingprocess, it is two and ahalf years of trainingand I’m all around theglobe, Japan, Germany,Russia, training hereand there and meetingnew people, but it’s myfamily at home that re-ally sacrifices. I’m notthere to help do this orthat, they’re the onesthat truly sacrifice. SoI thank you for yoursacrifice, thank you foryour families, for theirsacrifice. It is impor-tant, it is necessary, it isnoticed by many and weare grateful. As a mem-ber of the United Statesof America, as an indi-vidual in this nation, Iam grateful for thosethat do that. So thankyou.

NASA Astronaut Visits USO

Photo by MC3 Hank Gettys

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Astro-naut, Navy Capt. Barry E. “Butch” Wilmore met with service mem-bers during his visit to the United Services Organization Warriorand Family Center at Bethesda on Naval Support Activity BethesdaJune 19.

For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,

visit www.dcmilitary.com.1050074


By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC PublicAffairs staff writer

“[I] really didn’t knowanything about militaryfamilies until I found my-self right upstairs in whatwas the old traumatic braininjury (TBI) ward, walkingamongst some of the mostincredible, humble, amaz-ing, sacrificing men andwomen, moms and dads,spouses and siblings,” saidauthor and television re-porter Lee Woodruff.

It was 2006 whenWoodruff ’s life changedand she found herself atthe National Naval Med-ical Center (NNMC),now Walter Reed Na-tional Military MedicalCenter (WRNNMC). Sheshared her story withcurrent WRNMMC staffduring a presentationJune 19 in Memorial Au-ditorium.

While reporting fromIraq on Jan. 29, 2006,Lee’s husband, televisionjournalist Bob Woodruffand cameraman DougVogt were seriously in-jured by a roadside bombnear Taji. Woodruff suf-fered a TBI and was notexpected to survive. Hewas treated at the U.S.Air Force hospital southof Balad in Camp Ana-conda, evacuated to theU.S. Army’s LandstuhlRegional Medical Centerin Germany, and thenflown to NNMC for care.

After a lengthy recov-ery, Woodruff and hisfamily were determinedto help service membersand their families whowere similarly woundedin war.

Lee Woodruff dis-cussed her family’s jour-ney to recovery with theWRNMMC communityduring her presentationhere. “I have a very dis-

tinct message in terms ofincluding the family [inpatient care],” she said.“It’s not really a messageI so much need to deliverhere because it was hereI learned how that couldbe done well, and it’s herewhere that needs to serveas a model for other plac-es around the country.

“When you includethe family you allow thepatient to have such agreater chance of not onlysurviving, but of thrivingonce we leave your careand go home,” she said.“That’s when the realwork begins, that’s wherereal life begins. If we’renot set up in a great wayand if we don’t have ourfeet on the ground to getthrough, we’re not goingto get very far.

“I believe one of thenext frontiers we willtackle in the area ofmental health is the areaof the caregiver, whether

it’s caregiver burnout orcaregiver post-traumaticstress,” Woodruff said.“The groove that getsworn down in the fam-ily is the caregiver whotakes the phone call orgets the diagnosis, whichin some way is just as in-sidious as the groove ofthe warrior who’s beenexposed to multipletraumatic experiences,”she continued.

Woodruff said shespeaks a lot about hopebecause “nobody reallyknows when it comes tothe brain.” She addedproviders at NNMC whotreated her husbandwould tell her, “‘Anythingis possible.’ Those werethe moments that I hadto hang on to,” she said.

“You have to tell your-self, ‘This is who he is now.You can’t rewind the tape;you can’t go back and editit. What you can do goingforward is to grow,” Wood-

ruff said. She spoke of thestories nurses would tellher of the inspirationalrecoveries of patients alsogave her hope.

Woodruff calls family

caregivers unsung he-

roes for their sacrifices,

love and devotion. “It’s an

honorable position,” she

concluded.

Including the Family in CareLee Woodruff Calls Caregivers ‘Unsung Heroes’

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Lee Woodruff discusses her husband’s careat the former National Naval Medical Cen-ter, nowWalter Reed National Military Med-ical Center, following his traumatic brain in-jury in 2006. Woodruff spoke at WRNMMCJune 19 in the Memorial Auditorium.

By Army Capt.Janeen MathiesWRNMMC Chief,Environmental

Health

Summer is officiallyupon us, and so are thewarm temperatures thatcome along with it.

For the prepared, thesehigher temperatures arethe perfect complementfor the enjoyable outdooractivities associated withthe season. For the un-prepared, however, thesehigher temperatures maylead to heat-related ill-ness or injury. The goodnews is that, with a littleawareness and properpreparation, most heatinjuries are preventable.

On Naval Support Ac-tivity Bethesda (NSAB),the Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC) Environ-mental Health (EH) Ser-vice is available to helpyou stay informed onthe latest weather con-ditions. Every businessday in the summer, pre-ventive medicine techni-

cians in EH monitor thewet bulb globe tempera-ture (WBGT) hourly be-tween 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.,and provide the data onthe WRNMMC intranetmain page.

The WBGT is a mea-surement that factorsin the effects of tem-perature, humidity, windspeed, and sunlight, pro-viding an estimate ofwhat you actually feelwhen outside in the sun.If you do not have accessto the intranet, you canidentify the WBGT indexvia the colored flags thatNSAB Fitness Centerstaff members post out-side Building 17.

Once you know theWBGT index, you canmake informed deci-sions about your outdooractivity level and fluidconsumption. The bestdefense against heat-related illness or injuryis prevention. Imple-ment appropriate work/rest cycles, hydrate prop-erly to replace fluids lostthrough sweating, eatwell-balanced and regu-lar meals, avoid using salt

tablets unless directed bya doctor and wear loose,lightweight, light-coloredclothing to encourage heat

release. Protect yourselffrom the sun by wearinga wide-brimmed hat, sun-glasses and by putting on

sunscreen. Limit outdooractivity to morning andevening hours to avoidthe hottest part of the day.

Try to rest often in shadyareas and be careful not

Are You Ready to Beat the Summer Heat?

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Janine Pugh, of Environmental Health, checks the Wet BulbGlobe Temperature (WBGT), a measurement that factors in the effects of temperature,humidity, wind speed, and sunlight to provide an estimate of what it actually feels like whenoutside in the sun. This helps those on Naval Support Activity Bethesda make informeddecisions about outdoor activity level and fluid consumption.

See HEAT page 6


madas y Policia Nacional inSanto Domingo.

For the stuffed toy driveat WRNMMC, Barak ex-plained she and her hus-band helped make posters,set up collection stationsaround the hospital, senta mass email to staff, andpassed out flyers. In lessthan a week more stuffedanimals were collectedthan needed, Barak ex-plained. “In the command,we opened it up to everyorganization to donate[stuffed animals] that areeither gently used or brandnew,” Perlow said. “We alsohad a lot of patients withkids who would bring the[toys] in.”

After the drive was com-plete, the stuffed animalswere cleaned, packed incrates and flown to the Do-minican Republic with the

medical team for the nextstage in their journey.

Rocha, who was part ofthe team that went to theDominican Republic toprovide care, was there tounpack the stuffed animalsand distribute them to thepatients.

“We would figure outhow many patients we hadfor the day, and we wouldbring more than neededwith us,” said Rocha. “Wehad a little game going; twoor three of us would have apanel and we would decidewhat [the patient’s] spiritanimal is and give them astuffed animal coincidingwith [it].

“They were all so happywhen they got the [stuffedanimals],” said Rocha, whowent into the post opera-tion rooms to give out thetoy animals. She said theynot only gave them to thekids, but to parents as well.

“There was this one littlegirl who I could not stoptaking pictures of becauseshe kept dancing about the

room, swinging the beararound and she was so hap-py,” Rocha added.

She said for the youngerkids, sometimes the medi-cal team would give themthe stuffed animals beforesurgery because some wereuneasy about getting IVsand anesthesia, “so theywould go and hug theirstuffed animal while receiv-ing care.”

Barak, who has an11-month-old son, said ifthe roles were reversed, “Iwould be eternally gratefulto know someone out there[who cares] for my child.This is really nice.”

Perlow, who has a sonwho just turned 3, said thatfor her as a parent, “It feltamazing to do somethinglike this for other kids. Alot of the kids didn’t havetoys because their parentscould not afford it, and todo this for another countryfelt great.”

TEDDYContinued from pg. 3

cal professionals to educateand support one another toensure our efforts run intandem with their needs,”Walton said.

Hypertension and prop-er management of diabe-tes are common issues theComfort team addresseswith the host nation andhealth partners. “Whencaring for patients, we con-tinue to be compassionate,yet sensible when address-ing their health concerns inorder to deliver the highestquality of care standard,”the Soldier explained.

She said there have beencases and patients she feelsespecially excited abouthelping.

“Any care where youhave substantially changedsomeone’s quality of life hashuge meaning,” Walton ex-plained. “We’ve been able toresolve blindness, restore

walking and upper bodyuse, reduce chronic pain,and treat life-threateninginjuries.”

The nurse spoke of aunique honor not often af-forded to those who work inthe OR.“Our patients often re-

member our faces,” Wal-ton said. “It is a joy. Ourpatients stay in the ship’sintensive care unit andrecovery wards for a fewdays after surgery. [We]often see them about theship, or in a passageway.It is very meaningful todirectly see the impactyou have on their lives.Since you witness boththeir diagnosis and theliving conditions theycome from, you have avivid picture of what theyface. In the operatingroom, we rarely have theopportunity to watch a pa-tient’s full recovery in thedays after their operation.It is rewarding to witnessthat full spectrum, fromdiagnosis to rehabilitationand discharge.”

The USNS Comfort isscheduled to complete itssix-month humanitarianmission in October.Officialsanticipate the hospital shipserving more than 130,000patients during ContinuingPromise 2015.

As one of the largesttrauma facilities in theUnited States, the Comforthas a full spectrum of sur-gical and medical servicesincluding four X-rays, oneCAT scan unit, a dentalsuite, an optometry andlens laboratory, a physicaltherapy center, a pharmacy,an invasive angiographysuite and two oxygen-producing plants. The hos-pital ship also maintainsup to 5,000 units of blood.Patients arrive aboard pri-marily by helicopter andsometimes by small boat.Patients are assessed formedical treatment in casu-alty receiving and routedto surgery or other servicesdepending on their medicalcondition.

NURSEContinued from pg. 1

to overexert yourself.Never leave a person ora pet in a closed, parked

vehicle.A chart outlining

work rest cycles andfluid replacement guide-lines is available on theEnvironmental HealthSharePoint site: https://www.wrnmmc.intranet.capmed.mil/ClinicalSup-

port/PH/EH/SitePages/Home.aspx.Enjoy the summer

and take advantage ofextended daylight hours,but before you head outthe door, ask yourself,“Am I ready to beat theheat?”

HEATContinued from pg. 5

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2014 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 Sport Utility


Journal 070915

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