Vol. 5, Issue 15 11/08/10 - Uniformed Services University of the ...

CDHAM Pandemic Response Program in Kenyaby Charles Beadling, M.D.Members of the Uniformed ServicesUniversity of the Health SciencesCenter for Disaster and HumanitarianAssistance Medicine (CDHAM)recently participated in a workshop,including a conference and table topexercise that explored the effects ofan influenza epidemic, in Mombasa,Kenya, August 23-27. Navy Cmdr.(Dr.) Carlos Williams, directorof Education and Civil-MilitaryMedicine, led the team from CDHAMto facilitate the workshop.The week-long event was remarkablein three ways: the team hosting theexercise, the participants, and the historiccontext surrounding the workshop.Curriculum ReformContinued from page 2each block containing two relateddisciplines plus a week of combined,comprehensive assessments.• The post-clerkship period will alsoprovide an opportunity for a “CapstoneProject.” Due to the extensiveresources involved in implementinga project of this type, the CapstoneProject will be phased in over aperiod of time, with initial participationlikely to be offered to studentswith strong academic standings.• There are also plans to expand thetraditional Bushmaster and KerkesnerThe visibility of subject matterexperts from Kenya and other Africannations to highlight the building ofcapacity in Partner Nations was a keyfeature in the event. In addition toCDHAM staff, facilitators includedother DoD personnel from the U.S.Africa Command, representativesfrom the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment and members ofa Non-Governmental Organization(NGO), the International MedicalCorps. It was an excellent example ofthe synergy possible when complementarystrengths of different groups areapplied through interagency and civilmilitarypartnerships. This “whole ofField exercises, so that MS-I, MS-II,and MS-IV students, along withselected members from the GraduateSchool of Nursing, actively engagein a truly combined field exercise.Further details will be included infuture editions of “The Pulse,” howeverreaders are encouraged to visit theCurriculum Reform website (http://www.usuhs.mil/curriculumreform),which includes an increasing array ofrelated information.A successful curriculum reform effortrequires the active support of the entireUSU family, so any ideas, comments orsuggestions can be sent directly to Col.Pock at arnyce.pock@usuhs.mil.society” approach is included in currentDoD guidance.The participants of the workshopalso represented the whole of Kenyansociety. Military and civilian governmentleaders, including the directorof the Kenyan National DisasterOperations Center, worked alongsideNGOs such as the Kenyan Red Cross.One of the workshop’s primary objectiveswas to identify steps to helpKenya better prepare for future disasters,and on the last day participantsread a list of more than 30 such steps.The workshop provided an excellentopportunity to build relationshipsbetween agencies that would likelynot have otherwise formed, and thatwill lead to future collaborations.The Constitution and governmentin Kenya had been handed down bythe British when independence wasgranted nearly fifty years ago. Thiscontributed to the outbreak of domesticviolence in Kenya several years agothat almost destroyed the country. Thatthreat led to the development of a truly-Kenyan Constitution, which includeddiverse ethnic groups and a new formof government. The new Constitutionwas signed into effect on August 27,2010, and senior Kenyan leaders eachswore an oath to it. CDHAM’s workshopconcluded on a new national holiday,amidst the country’s celebration.“Being able to share that day withour Kenyan partners was truly an honorand a privilege,” said Charles Beadling,M.D., director of CDHAM.CDHAM will participate in anumber of upcoming workshops incountries throughout Africa, as part ofthe Disaster Planning and PreparednessProgram and the Pandemic ResponseProgram, executed in partnership withU.S. Africa Command. The goal isregional stability through sustainablecapacity-building, ultimately increasingU.S. national security.“It is a tremendous opportunityfor USU students and faculty toparticipate in these Medical StabilityOperations,” Beadling said.November 8, 2010 3

The Pulse Spotlight: Multi-discipline Laboratory teamby MC1 Chad HallfordFront row - Daniel K. Jackson, Yolanda Bobbitt, Ron Rivenburgh and George Harriss(Director). Backrow - Christopher Moore, Marcus Henry, Megan Fitzgerald, Sean Coppie and Joseph B. Prendergrast.The MDL team has a wide range ofresponsibilities centered on the coordinationand support of student teaching.Through five distinct program areas,staff members are available for logistical,technical or instructional support in theareas of anatomical sciences, examinationgrading, classroom and laboratorysupport, and student teaching.Congressman Patrick Kennedyvisits USU campusPatrick J. Kennedy, a member of Congress from RhodeIsland, visited the USU campus recently to learn aboutthe progress being made in the field of regenerativemedicine for the treatment of auto-immune disordersand cancers. Kennedy, in his eighth term representingRhode Island, is the son of the late Senator EdwardKennedy (Mass.). Along with a tour of the campus,Kennedy met with representatives of the Center forNeurosciences and Regenerative Medicine and membersof the university leadership.4 The Pulse The Official USU NewsletterThe MDL team has members asjunior as five months to as senior as28 years. Some have prior experiencewithin USU, the DoD, or the FederalService. “Length of service doesn’tmatter as much with this teambecause they perform well togetherto make sure that all needs are met,”said George Harriss, MDL director.Photo by Tom BalfourPhoto by MC1 Chad Hallford“They are focused, committed anddedicated.”Various attractors brought this teamtogether initially, but these professionalsenjoy working with the people of USU -interacting and working as a Universityteam. They also treasure the opportunitiesavailable for learning - from on-thejobto additional academic classes.Several of the team commented that it iswhere they do much of their work thatthey enjoy the most - in the AnatomicalTeaching Laboratory.Across the team, the advice was to“learn, learn, learn,” and to take advantageof the many training opportunitiesavailable to USU staff and families. Somealso suggested the best way to really learnis to ask often, and speak your mind tothose who can create change to help.This motivated team excels for theUniversity in their words simply “becausewe work ‘together’ as a team,” said Harriss.USU President Receives SECDEF Award,Inducted into Military Orderby Sharon WillisUniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) PresidentDr. Charles L. Rice was recently awarded the Office of the Secretaryof Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service for his sevenmonths performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense forHealth Affairs, and the Order of Military Medical Merit for outstandingsupport of the Army Medical Department.The Exceptional Civilian Service award was presented to Rice, whowas surrounded by staff members from both USU and Health Affairs,by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Clifford L.Stanley in a surprise ceremony held in Stanley’s Pentagon office.“While serving as the Department’s senior health official, Dr. Ricespearheaded efforts to improve the most significant warfighter careissues, including strengthening the psychological health of our totalforce, educating leaders on suicide risk factors, and promoting evidencebasedpractices to improve early identification and management of posttraumaticstress and traumatic brain injuries,” read the award citation.Rice held the post from March until September 2010.In a separate ceremony, Rice was inducted into the Order of MilitaryMedical Merit by Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker.The Order of Military Medical Merit is a unique, private organizationfounded by the Commanding General of U.S. Army Health ServicesCommand in April 1982 to recognize excellence and promote fellowshipand esprit de corps among Army Medical Department (AMEDD)personnel. Membership in the Order Continued to page 6

Events bring outUSU Supportby Ken FragerMarching for a causeby Ken FragerMore than 40 USU representativesparticipated in the recent Army10-Miler, Marine Corps Marathonand the Marine Corps 10K inWashington, DC.Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Rupa Dainer(SoM ’95) ran her first marathon as amember of the “Run to Honor” team.“My husband signed me up to run whileI was in Afghanistan,” laughed Dainer, apediatric anesthesiologist. “I told him Ihad started running for exercise and oneof his Naval Academy classmates neededanother member for his team…whichhonors fallen Naval Academy grads.I thought he was kidding, but I madehim agree to support me by taking careof our children while I trained. It was agreat experience.”Air Force 2nd Lt. John Trentini,an M.D./Ph.D. student, volunteeredto provide post-race massage for theathletes. “I am interested in sportsmedicine so giving sports massage aftera big race is a great opportunity to gethands-on experience with hundreds ofpeople. Post-race massage is one of thehighlights of running a marathon fora runner, so providing this service wasextremely rewarding.”Edmund Burke, a program supportspecialist in USU’s AdministrativeSupport Division and a competitiverunner, finished second in his age groupin the Army 10-Miler for the secondstraight year. “When I race, I’m in totalcontrol and my body is on high alertas I outpace some competitors whilehunting others. I prepare for this gameevery day, for the better the preparation,the better the results (in theory).No matter how a race goes, I enjoy thecamaraderie of all the like-mindedzealots drawn to the same event, andI give thanks for the feeling of beingcoarsely alive. People of all abilities(especially wounded warriors in wheelchairsor running on prosthetic limbs)participate - and they really inspire me.They’re the real story.”The Uniformed Services Universityof the Health Sciences participated ona number of levels in the 35th AnnualMarine Corps Marathon. From medicalcare providers, to volunteers to participants,USU was well represented inwhat has been called “The People’sMarathon.” But one group of secondyearmedical students decided that theirparticipation in the marathon meantmore than challenging themselves toreach new milestones or supporting anexceptional event.According to Army 2nd Lt.Andrew Oh, “We wanted to find away to do something medically- andmission-relevant to demonstrate oursupport for injured service members,those who we will be taking care of inthe near future, but we wanted to helpthem in a different way.”Oh, a prior-service infantryman, usedto ruck march the Boston Marathonwith his ROTC students at the Universityof Massachusetts. Gathering hisUSU classmates into a team of 13, thegroup decided to march the MarineCorps Marathon and raise money for theWounded Warrior Project, adding onepound of weight to their ruck sacks forevery $20 raised. Ultimately the groupraised more than $10,000 and carriedbetween 35 and 45 pounds each for theentire 26.2 mile course.“I was too tired to appreciate whatwe did the day of the Marathon,” saidArmy 2nd Lt. Jason Beachler, a first-timemarathoner. “After sleeping on it, I wasPhoto by Ken Fragermore proud of us than I thought I’d be.We did something few have ever doneand most would never attempt. We raiseda ton of money for a great cause and wehad to earn every step. I never consideredrunning a marathon until I experiencedthat atmosphere. I don’t plan on everrucking it again, but I would definitely runthat event in the future.”Those sentiments were shared byNavy Ens. Christina Blum. “It wasawesome! I think at different pointsbefore the marathon we all questionedhow we were going to complete 26.2miles, especially as the weight we hadto carry kept growing as we raised moremoney. But once we got there it wasgame time, and the excitement fromthe crowd was really motivating. Wereceived a lot of encouragement fromthe spectators, the other runners and theMarines lining the course, so we reallyhad no other option but to finish.”According to Oh, he doesn’t anticipatea repeat performance for the36th Marine Corps Marathon becausethe team will be off working on theirrespective residencies, so logistically itwon’t be possible. But he added, “Maybethe up and coming first-year studentswill take the baton and start a tradition.”Other USU team members were:2nd Lt. Daniel Hiles, 2nd Lt. IlyaLatyshenko, Ens. Rudy Schmiedecke,2nd Lt. Ian Rymer, 2nd Lt. JoshuaFenderson, Ens. Matthew Willett, Ens.Maya Solomon, 2nd Lt. Zachary Bevis,and 2nd Lt. John Fletcher.November 8, 2010 5

USU Research fundingby Ken FragerContinuing a steady upward trendthat began almost a decade ago, arecent survey from the National ScienceFoundation identified the UniformedServices University of the HealthSciences (USU) as experiencing themost dramatic growth in federallyfinanced research and developmentexpenditures over the last five years.An article in the Chronicle of HigherEducation recently listed the top 100institutions in the category basedon total dollars, which placed USUin the 84th position. But the USU’stotal funding over the last five yearshas improved by 32 positions in therankings, the greatest increase amongthe top 100 institutions.“This growth is directly attributableto the hard work and concerted effortsof our faculty and staff, in our clinical,translational and basic science researchefforts,” said Steve Kaminsky, PhD,USU’s vice president for Research.“It demonstrates once again that ourexceptional teams across departmentsare competing very well for projectsfrom many sponsors, including theNational Institutes of Health, Departmentof Defense, CongressionallyDirected Medical Research Programs,Defense Threat Reduction Agencyand others. We are not basing ourresearch on one source, but in fact, weare very effective across the board.”Sim Center celebrates decade of serviceSECDEF AwardContinued from page 4denotes distinguished service which isrecognized by the senior leadership ofthe AMEDD.“Dr. Rice has been a strong voicefor the highest quality and mostmission-focused medical and nursingeducation for our Army personnelduring his tenure as President ofUSU,” said Schoomaker. “Throughoutthis protracted armed conflict, hisefforts to keep the school strong and toensure that we have a robust force ofnew physicians, superb graduate-levelnurses and other health specialists havebeen very much appreciated by mycolleagues and me in Army Medicine.I have long sought an opportunity toformally express our gratitude and theawarding of the AMEDD’s Order ofMilitary Medical Merit, or O2M3, uponthe completion of his tenure as theleader of the MHS while at the Office ofthe Assistant Secretary of Defense forHealth Affairs seemed most fitting.”Navy’s 235thPhoto by MC1 Chad HallfordPhoto by Tom BalfourThe National Capital Area Medical Simulation Center opened its doors to the USU communityfor tours recently in celebration of the Center’s tenth anniversary. Center staff demonstratedthe full scope of training and education resources to the dozens of visitors who visitedthroughout the day. Shown here, staff in the Surgical and Medical Skills Laboratorydemonstrate their full-scale operating/emergency room mock-up and mannequin simulatorsto provide highly realistic scenarios for surgical and emergency medicine training.Navy Cmdr. Rene Hernandéz (Ph.D.),as the oldest Sailor present, along withInformation Systems Technician SeamanApprentice Alex Board, the youngest Sailorpresent, cut the Navy birthday cake aspart of a Naval tradition. University Sailorsgathered and celebrated the 235th NavyBirthday with Shipmates past, present orhonorary, Navy families and the Universityfamily October 13.6 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter

BriefsFlu Vaccine updateThe USU Family Health Center continuesto vaccinate all uniformed activeduty, faculty and staff.Vaccinations are available whilesupplies last from 0800 to 1200and 1300 to 1530 daily, except onTuesday afternoons.All Tricare-eligible beneficiaries canobtain their flu shots or mist at 1245.These patients include:All patients ages 2 to 9 years whodo not fall into another group canreceive mistShots are available for:Children ages six to 35 monthsChildren ages 2 years and upChildren ages 9 yrs and up whoare immuno-compromisedA limited number of vaccinationsfor the USU civilian population will beavailable through the Civilian OccupationalHealth and Safety Office. Thespecific dates and times have not beendetermined and will be distributed.For questions or specific concernsrelated to civilian vaccinations, contactAndrea Sorrell Eaton at 295-9444.New carpool guidanceThe USU is currently transitioning tothe new carpool program and any groupswho wish to use the carpool garage atUSU will have to apply to the NSAB.An authorized carpool group canpark in any of the spaces 1 thru 41 inthe carpool area at this time. Once thecarpool garage is full all other carpoolgroups will have to seek parking in theUSU garage.Drivers who arrive as the onlymember of their carpool group shouldnot park in the assigned carpool areaprior to 9 a.m. These drivers shouldpark in the general USU parking areas.To legally park in the USU carpoolarea a vehicle must have an L-1 stickeron the rear of your vehicle and acarpool rearview mirror hanger.The carpool area will be open to all“L1” and “W” stickers between 9 a.m.and 5 p.m.Drivers should also be aware thatthe base police will be enforcing thisprogram. The USU Security office willassist in enforcing the program.Drivers at AFRRI should be awarethat they are not included in the USUcarpool program.If you have additional questions youmay contact the USU Security Departmentat 295-3033.Using computer resourcesSecurity incidents continue to bea drain to limited USU InformationAssurance manpower. The followinghighlight current DoD policy andbest practices:Personnel must not install selfcodedor non-licensed software onnetwork resources; add, remove,configure, or attempt to modifyUSU computer operating systems orprograms; move audio/visual or networkcables, computers or attemptto connect personal computers tothe network including MDL andlecture hall spaces; connect personaldevices except for those previouslyauthorized by UIS; downloadpornographic material and store ordisplay offensive material, such asracist literature, sexually harassingor obscene language or material;store or process classified informationon any USU system.Personnel must not permit unauthorizedindividuals access to agovernment-owned or governmentoperatedsystem or program; accessonline gambling, games and socialengineering sites.Common Access Card RenewalA large number of federal Universityemployees will be required to renewtheir Common Access Card (CAC) byDecember 2010.CAC renewal is extremelyimportant to maintain access to DTS(Travel) and all DAI (Time keeping/Procurement) applications.Appointments at NNMC will fillup fast during this time period, andThursdays starting at 7:30 a.m. is theonly day NNMC will accept walk-ins.Please note people can renew theirCAC at any RAPIDS location site.Online appointments at convenientlocations can be made by using thefollowing link: http://appointments.cac.navy.mil/default.aspx. Alternatelocations can be found at the followinglink: http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/owa/home.Contractors must be updated in theContractors Verification System (CVS)by the USU Security Department priorto issuing or renewing a CAC.Professional activitiesThe Department of Defense and USUpolicy requires that all employees, bothmilitary and civilian, receive approvalfor engaging in any activity outside theirwork environment, which involves theirprofessional expertise or governmentoccupation, and involves compensation.This approval is required prior toengaging in the activity.In order to get approval, any employeecan complete a USUHS Form 1004.This completed form must be approvedand signed by each department chair oractivity head.These forms are available in theGeneral Counsel’s office or online at theUSU OGC Web site.Completed forms must be turned into the General Counsel’s office. The formwill be routed to the appropriate dean,brigade commander or USUHS president.Once processing is completed, acopy of the approved form will bereturned to the employee for theemployee’s records.ESC meetingsThe Enlisted Social Committeeholds its monthly meetings on the firstTuesday of every month.Meetings are held at 9:30 a.m. in thecafeteria’s small dining room.Being a part of the ESC is an excellentway for USU enlisted personnel toactively pursue volunteer opportunitiesat USU.November 8, 2010 7