journal 073114

Vol. 26 No. 30 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ July 31, 2014

By Julie SmithNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Celebrity chef CarlaHall visited the USOWarrior and Family Cen-ter at Naval Support Ac-tivity Bethesda (NSAB)

July 21 to share hercooking expertise withwounded warriors andmilitary families.

The visit was the firststop on Hall’s USO tourthroughout the NationalCapital Region that alsoincluded appearances in

Virginia at Marine CorpsBase Quantico and theUSO Warrior and FamilyCenter at Fort Belvoir.

Hall is co-host of thedaytime television pro-gram “The Chew” andwas a finalist in the fifthand eighth seasons of

“Top Chef,” a competitivecooking show. A nativeof Tennessee, Hall at-tended Howard Univer-sity in Washington, D.C.,and currently resides inMaryland.

“I live near the oldWalter Reed (Army

Medical Center), andI’ve been there before tovisit service members,”Hall said. “What I foundso amazing is no matterwhat shape they’re in,they’re so giving and socaring, so it’s easy to giveback.”

During the visit toNSAB, Hall hosted acooking class for about20 individuals, includ-ing Tiffany Smith, 15,and her mom, MidoriSmith. The event was a

Celebrity Chef Hosts Cooking Class at USO Bethesda

Photo by Julie Smith

Celebrity chef Carla Hall (left) hosts a cooking class July 21 at the NSAB USO Warrior and Family Center. Class participants DaniellaMestyanek (center) and Midori Smith (right) look on as Hall gives instructions for a Dijon chicken recipe.

See CHEF Page 8

2 Thursday, July 31, 2014 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 appear-ance of advertising in this publication, in-cluding inserts or supplements, does notconstitute endorsement by the Departmentof Defense or Comprint, Inc., of the prod-ucts or services advertised. Everything ad-vertised in this publication shall be madeavailable for purchase, use or patronage

without regard to race, color, re-ligion, sex, national origin, age,marital status, physical handi-cap, 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 17, firstfloor, across from PSD, by noon one weekpreceding the desired publication date.News items are welcomed from all instal-lation sources. Inquiries about news copywill be answered by calling 301-295-1803.Commercial advertising should be placedwith the publisher by calling 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. David A. BitontiPublic Affairs Officer: Ron InmanPublic Affairs Office: 301-295-1803

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2Ashante Hammons

MC2 Christopher KruckeSarah MarshallKatrina SkinnerJulie SmithSharon Renee Taylor

Managing Editor MC2BrandonWilliams-ChurchWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

NSABethesdaFleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

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

NSAB Ombudsman

Michelle Herrera 240-370-5421

Sexual Assault Response

Coordinator 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 Health

Sciences page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/

Uniformed-Services-University-of-the-Health-

Sciences/96338890888?fref=ts

Code Yellow ExerciseWalter Reed Bethesda willconduct a Code Yellow/HospitalLockdown Exercise today dur-ing normal working hours. CodeYellow is used to notify personnelof an undetermined threat impact-ing the hospital. During the exer-cise, the hospital will not be physi-cally locked and there will be nodisruption to hospital operations.For more information, call MelissaKnapp at 301-319-4906. Questionsmay also be directed to EmergencyManagement at [email protected].

Parking NoteThe following changes will takeeffect Aug. 1:Bldg. 17 Garage• Blue and yellow placard holderreserved spaces (wounded, ill andinjured (WII) and non-medical at-tendees (NMA)) will be moved toBldg. 68 (Sanctuary Hall) garageon the first few levels.Bldg. 68 (Sanctuary Hall)

Garage• Rainbow parking with anycolored NSA Bethesda issuedparking pass required until 2 p.m.each day.• Shared parking with WII andNMA.If you have questions or need

more information, please con-tact the NSAB TransportationProgram Manager at 319-3818.

Pool ClosureThe pool in Building 17 onNaval Support Activity Bethesda(NSAB) is closed through August18 for maintenance and deepcleaning. For more information,call the Fitness Center at 301-295-2450.

Bethesda Notebook

It has been approximately oneyear since we stood up the Na-vy’s 21st Century Sailor Office.Bringing the various programstogether under one umbrella hasstreamlined the process for es-tablishing policies to better takecare of our Sailors, their familiesand to build their resilience. Werecognize that a lot of the issueswe have in the Navy stem frominterrelated destructive behav-iors. Sharing information andprevention strategies under thepurview of one office has madeit easier to tackle each challengeand work towards eliminating destructive behav-iors from our Navy.I’d like to review the offices of the 21st Century

Sailor and inform you of the progress we’ve madeover the past year and what is planned for thisupcoming year.

Sexual Assault Preventionand ResponseWe have focused on responding to and pre-

venting sexual assault, ensuring we’re trainingeveryone to recognize what it is, how to prevent it,care for victims and hold offenders accountable.This year, we’re zeroing in on bystander interven-tion, because regardless of what policies we write,our office won’t be the one standing there whena Sailor is about to make a bad choice. However,one of his or her shipmates – one of you – will bethere. We need Sailors to step in and help theirshipmate – and this goes beyond just stopping asexual assault. Bystander intervention can helpprevent any number of destructive behaviors anddecisions. Starting in August, we’ll be providing anew skills-based bystander intervention trainingcurriculum, to better enable all of us to effectivelyand safely intervene when needed.

Suicide PreventionSuicide prevention is an all hands effort, all

the time. Every life lost to suicide is one too many.The only number that counts in suicide preven-tion is zero. Navy Medicine began an initiativecalled ‘Every Sailor, Every Day’ which emphasiz-es leadership contact for every command mem-

ber, particularly those in the midst ofprofessional or personal transitions.We’re incorporating this initiativeNavy-wide. Another initiative of thisoffice has been the Operational StressControl training that deploying unitsmust receive within six months of de-ployment. Mobile training teams pro-vide training to deploying carrier andexpeditionary strike groups. Facilita-tors help Sailors and leaders regainand sustain their resilience and toget ahead of stress issues before theymanifest themselves into destructivethoughts and acts.

Hazing PreventionCommanders are taking hazing seriously.

We’re working to incorporate signature behaviorsinto existing training to assist in the preventionof destructive behaviors in the fleet. The office isdeveloping an OPNAV instruction to further clar-ify and provide guidance on hazing and bullying.

Navy Alcohol and Drug AbusePreventionNavy has zero tolerance for drug use, includ-

ing the use of designer and synthetic chemicalcompounds, such as Spice. In December 2013, weadded testing for synthetic marijuana to the drugpanel. NADAP introduced the ‘Keep What You’veEarned’ campaign in 2013 which encourages re-sponsible drinking among Sailors by celebratingthe achievements in their naval career. Throughrecognition of their hard work and dedication,Sailors are reminded of their accomplishments— and how much they have to lose if they make apoor choice regarding alcohol.

Family Readiness ProgramThe Family Readiness Program enhances

Sailor readiness and family preparedness by sup-porting the Sailor and their family. Our programs,policies and services continue to evolve to meetthe needs of our Sailors and their families.

Rear Adm. Sean BuckDirector, Twenty-First CenturySailor Office

Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going

The Journal Thursday, July 31, 2014 3

Safety Practices at NSAB

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

Command leadership wants to remind those living on, working onand visiting Naval Support Activity Bethesda that some practices onour streets are not safe. These include riding bicycles, skateboards,Segways or motorcycles without helmets, using headphones or earbuds — covering both ears, and failing to use designated crosswalks.

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Photo story by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ashante Hammons

KPMG and Saint Germain Catering volunteers hosted an ice cream social to celebrate National Ice Cream Month at the USO Warriorand Family Center July 29. According to The International Dairy Foods Association, then-President Ronald Reagan in 1984 designatedJuly as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day.

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By Mass Communication Specialist 2ndClass Brandon Williams-ChurchNSAB Public Affairs staff writer

If there’s one thing that Naval Support ActivityBethesda (NSAB), Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRNMMC) and the Navy ExchangeBethesda (NEX) have in common, it’s representingtheir patrons and providing superior care.

Recently, the NEX unveiled new WRNMMC ap-parel to further represent their patrons through dif-ferent aspects of their lifestyle.

Products featured in the unveiling included sweatsuits, golf shirts, blankets, rain coats, coffee cups,hats and bags.

“We feel a strong connection with NSAB and ap-preciate the great partnerships that have been cul-tivated throughout the command,” said NEX StoreManager Robin Dale. “Carrying the Walter ReedBethesda apparel is just another example of how wecan provide premier customer service to the NSABethesda community.”

NSAB Commanding Officer Capt. David A. Biton-ti, WRNMMC Director Brig. Gen. Jeffrey B. Clark,NEX General Manager Rick Pimentel and Dale wereamong the distinguished guests who unveiled thenew merchandise to the public.

Both Bitonti and Clark expressed their gratitudeand excitement about having WRNMMC apparelalongside NSAB merchandise for the staff and visi-tors to take a piece of the base back home with them.

The real excitement of the day came when theNEX had its first customer for the new apparel showup right after the unveiling.

Retired Air Force Capt. Steven Hodgkins, now apatient at the hospital, was walking by the unveil-ing when he noticed the new gear. Hodgkins wantedto gather some things to remember his time at thehospital.

“I am indebted to the hospital from the corpsmanto the teams of physicians for the remarkable care Ireceived,” said Hodgkins. “I just wanted to shop andget some mementos to remember my experience by.”

Bitonti also emphasized the significance of theWRNMMC apparel line. “We are extremely excit-ed to have these logo items available in our NEXBethesda,” said Bitonti. The opportunity to partnerwith Walter Reed Bethesda and NEX Bethesda, sothat patients, their families, our staff and visitorscan have a memento or souvenir of their time spenthere on the installation or with one of our tenants isspecial. The quality and variety of the logo items isexcellent and to provide this service is a privilege.Wehave worked very hard together with NEX Bethesdaand Walter Reed Bethesda to design, procure andmake these items available, and the response fromeveryone has been a resounding success. I especiallywant to thank everyone on the NEX Bethesda staffthat worked so hard to ensure that we have goodlooking quality products for our patrons. These logoitems allow us all to show our pride in where wework and what we do.”

NEX Bethesda Unveils WRNMMC Apparel

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

Retired Air Force Capt. Steven Hodgkinslooks at the new WRNMMC apparel at theNavy Exchange Bethesda.

NEX General Manager Rick Pimentel (farleft), WRNMMC Director Brig. Gen. JeffreyB. Clark, NSAB Commanding Officer Capt.David A. Bitonti, Lisa Bitonti and NEX StoreManager Robin Dale hold up NSAB andWRNMMC shirts.

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By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

During a July 11 change of chargeceremony, Walter Reed Bethesda for-mally welcomed aboard CommandMaster Chief Tyrone Willis, as SeniorEnlisted Leader for the medical center.The master chief, who began his mil-

itary career in 1985, and celebrated 20years in the Navy on July 29, cites pa-tient care as his “first love.” Before hewas a master chief and a petty officer,he was a hospital corpsman.“I first worked in the emergency

room,” Willis recalled.Trauma and the general patient

care of sick call is where his heart is,the Senior Enlisted Leader explained.Even as a chief he administered shotsand drew blood on the ship, most re-cently aboard the destroyer USS Rosswhile it was stationed in Norfolk, Va.,

where he served as Command MasterChief. “If there was a medical casualty,I was usually one of the first ones onthe scene,” he said.His new position at Walter Reed

National Military Medical Center(WRNMMC) is not Willis’ first assign-ment to a joint or integrated facility.Serving on a total of six ships andeight duty stations, for nearly half hiscareer the Sailor has accompanied theMarine Corps as part of the Fleet Ma-rine Force or been stationed with themat assignments such as Camp Lejeune,N.C., and Quantico, Va.In addition to his work with the Ma-

rines, he worked beside Airmen at Na-val Hospital Okinawa, Japan, as wellas Soldiers when he deployed to Expe-ditionary Medical Facility Kuwait.Although Willis said he plans to lay

out a formal proposal for enlisted ser-vice members at the nation’s medicalcenter for military medicine over the

next few weeks, he already has a focus.Unity and teamwork have always

been important, the Memphis, Tenn.,native explained. It was in his home-town where Willis led the march as thedrum major for his high school band,directing them when and what to play.He also sang in the choir.“I never liked singing solo,” he said.

Willis explained he prefers to lend histenor voice singing in a duet, trio orlarger group. “I’m not a soloist at all.”The runner even prefers to exercise ina group-setting.“I don’t say team, I say, ‘Walter Reed

Bethesda family’ — it’s family,” he said.What’s the difference between a

team and family?“The difference between a team and

family to me: family is closer,” Willisexplained. “The term ‘teammate’ isrelated to a season, an assignment orproject, but family is forever.”

New Senior Enlisted Leader says, WRB is ‘Family’

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Command Master Chief TyroneWillis, the new Senior EnlistedLeader for Walter Reed Nation-al Military Medical Center, says,“I don’t say ‘team,’ I say, ‘Wal-ter Reed Bethesda family’ — it’sfamily.”

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd ClassChris Krucke

WRNMMC Public Affairsstaff writer

Health care specialists and familiesare joining forces to improve commu-nity awareness of craniofacial disorders(CFD).“The whole purpose is to spread aware-

ness that this is an issue in the UnitedStates and to improve prevention of cra-niofacial disorders across the nation,”said Sylvia Hill, a registered nurse inthe Plastic Surgery Clinic at the WalterReed National Military Medical Center(WRNMMC). Hill is also the team coor-dinator of the craniofacial team.According to Hill, there are about

7,000 infants in the United States whoare born with CFDs every year.“We have over 300 families enrolled

here atWRNMMC.We get referrals fromall over the world,” she added.A CFD is a congenital disorder, which

means the child is born with it, and it is abirth defect above the shoulders.“They can be oral and facial birth de-

fects as well as the result of trauma, suchas a burn or diseases that are acquiredafter birth. The most common is cranio-synostosis. This happens when the platesthat make up the skull close too early,”Hill continued.The National Cancer Institute also

lists other common CFDs: microtia, an-otia, the cleft lip and the cleft palate.Microtia, the second most common

craniofacial disorder, is a small or under-developed part of the face, usually theears or the jaw.Anotia is the absence of the external

ears. This can be either partial absence

of the ears or whole absence of the ears.A cleft palate is where the roof of the

mouth does not completely form and acleft lip is where the lip does not com-pletely form.According to Hill, although doctors

still are not exactly sure what causesCFDs, treatments are available, such ascraniosynostosis surgery.

“Using Computed Tomography, or CTScan, the doctors can precisely identifythe structure of the skull and then designa specific helmet to conform to the child.It can be a soft helmet or hard, depend-ing on the age and the condition of thechild,” Hill explained. The helmet is usedto reshape the soft skull into the properform over time by restricting develop-

ment in some places and allowing it inother areas.Hill also explained that it was impor-

tant to remember with treatment, the pa-tient may have craniosynostosis, but nota cognitive defect and can live their livesas a normal adult.Overall, WRNMMC’s mission is to

provide and coordinate comprehensivecraniofacial patient care through a mul-tidisciplinary team approach.WRNMMCcraniofacial specialists tailor a uniqueplan of care for every child with an em-phasis on providing all aspects of care totreat the whole child.“We have a monthly clinic where fami-

lies come in to see the caregivers for aone-on-one session. This way, every care-giver can see every patient. Later, we gettogether in a conference room and we dis-cuss each patient and we make a plan forthe next year for that patient,” Hill said.Having a child with a CFD can be

stressful on the parents, she continued.“You have one side where you have nur-turing parents and they take to the childregardless of the defect, and you have theother, parents that are a little standoff-ish due to the surprise and they are over-whelmed because of the situation. Wetry to give the family as much supportas we can and try to get them pluggedinto all the services that are necessaryand needed.”The craniofacial team at WRNMMC,

as part of their 12-member staff, has a so-cial services specialist as well as a childpsychologist.Social workers take a biopsychosocial

approach to assisting these families.Theyact as advocates for families, liaise withthe parent and the medical staff, connect

Raising Awareness About Craniofacial Disorders

file photo

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Kevin Leyran holds his son, Kade,who received care at Walter Reed Bethesda for his cleft lip and torepair his palate. The corpsman and his family say they are gratefulfor the outpouring of support they have received from the medicalcenter’s craniofacial team.

See SMILE Page 10


By MassCommunication

Specialist 2nd ClassChris Krucke

WRNMMC PublicAffairs staff writer

Preserving one’s eye-sight should be a toppriority year-round, sayWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC) health careproviders.Ultraviolet (UV) rays

are a leading factor inskin cancer in America,but UV rays are also aconcern for optometrists.Within the last year,

Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Ken-ney Wells, chief of Op-tometry Service atWRNMMC, said he hastreated two cases of pho-tokeratitis, which is like“sunburn of the eye,” andcases of patients with vi-sion changes, possibly re-lated to overexposure toUV radiation.The National Eye In-

stitute defines UV rays asa component of the elec-tromagnetic spectrumand a form of radiation

which is not visible to thehuman eye. While UV ra-diation is a component ofsolar radiation it can alsobe released by artificialsources like welding arcs,tanning beds and lasers.Additionally, there arethree types of UV radia-tion: UV-C which is ab-sorbed by the ozone layerand does not present anythreat, and UV-A andUV-B radiation, whichcan have adverse longand short-term effects onthe eyes and vision.UV-related injuries

depend on the sever-ity of the exposure, Wellsexplained. If the eyesare exposed to excessiveamounts of UV radia-tion over a short periodof time, “you are likelyto experience an effectcalled photokeratitis,which may be painfuland include other symp-toms such as red eyes, aforeign body sensation orgritty feeling in the eyes,extreme sensitivity tolight and excessive tear-ing. Fortunately, this isusually temporary and

rarely causes permanentdamage to the eyes,” saidWells.Wells added long-term

exposure to UV radiationcan be more serious.“Research has shown

that exposure to smallamounts of UV radia-tion over a period ofmany years increases thechance of developing acataract and may causedamage to the retina, a

nerve-rich lining of theeye that is used for see-ing. Additionally, chronicexposure to shorter wave-length visible light mayalso be harmful to theretina,” he explained.According to the En-

vironmental ProtectionAgency (EPA), 22.3 mil-lion Americans have cat-aracts resulting in directmedical costs of $6.8 bil-lion annually.“The longer the eyes

are exposed to solar ra-diation, the greater therisk of developing condi-tions such as cataractsor macular degenerationlater in life,” Wells con-tinued.Treatment for UV re-

lated damage rangesfrom simple rest from sunexposure and artificialtear drops, to prescrip-tion medications and pos-sible surgical consults.Since it is not clear

how much exposure tosolar radiation will causedamage, prevention is thebest defense, Wells said.The EPA recommends

wearing quality sun-

glasses that offer UV pro-tection and wearing a hator cap with a wide brimwhenever you spend timeoutdoors. Also, certaincontact lenses can pro-vide additional UV pro-tection.To provide adequate

protection for your eyes,sunglasses should blockout 99 to 100 percent ofboth UV-A and UV-B ra-diation; screen out 75 to90 percent of visible light;be perfectly matched incolor and free of distor-tion and imperfection;and have lenses that aregray for proper color rec-ognition.“You only have two

eyes, so protect themthe best you can,” Wellsurged.For more information

about eye health and thedangers of UV rays, visitthe EPA website www.epa.gov., or if you are ex-periencing problems withyour eyes, please con-tact the WRB OptometryClinic at 301-295-1339.

The Blinding Facts About UV Radiation

file photo

By Erin RaderstorfWRNMMC PublicAffairs staff writer

Three hundred andsixty-five days a year,the American Red Crosssupports patients andfamilies at Walter ReedBethesda (WRB).Monday through Fri-

day and most weekends,volunteers from the RedCross operate ComfortCarts that visit all inpa-tient wards deliveringamenities, but, most im-portantly, offering theirtime, encouragement, andsupport.The Comfort Cart,

stocked with toiletries,also includes comfortitems such as adaptiveclothing, backscratchers,movies and of course anabundance of cookies sureto make anyone’s day.

The items on the ComfortCart and amenities sup-plied by the Red Crossare meant to supplementwhat WRB already pro-vides to patients.Every volunteer stocks

the Cart a little different-ly, carefully consideringwhat items would bestfit patients and families’needs for that day. Com-fort Cart volunteer CareyElise Merriner recalledthe look of relief on aparent’s face when shehanded a child a coloringbook or art clay. “It liter-ally brings comfort in thesense that you’re impact-ing how people feel in amoment that can be veryharsh and intense,” sheexplains.“You know we have the

usual, the little tooth-brushes and toothpasteand razors and the little

simple things like that …that’s one part, but a lotof it is just talking to thepatients or to their fam-ily members and talkingto them about their situa-tion,” said volunteer GeneHealy.Volunteer Dan Davis

echoed his sentiment.“You would be sur-

prised how many peoplejust want to talk,” Davisadded.Whi le shadowing

Healy and Davis on theirComfort Cart round, a pa-tient shared a story abouthis bowling triumph overthe weekend, resulting inlaughter enveloping theroom.“A lot of time it’s just

about talking in generalhow their family is or

American Red Cross – Comfort Cart

Volunteers Provide More Than Amenities to Patients

Photo by Beverli Alford

Red Cross volunteers Carey Elise Merriner and Fred Carr stock theComfort Cart with amenities before they visit patients. See COMFORT Page 9


surprise for Tiffany, who is a huge fanof Hall.

“She (Hall) is always bubbly and funand if we’re not at home watching hershow, we’re recording it,” Midori said.“We love to cook, and Tiffany and Icook together a lot.”

Hall showed the group how to makea Dijon chicken dish accompanied bya salad with lemon vinaigrette. Classattendees were able to cook the dishthemselves with the help of step-by-step guidance and instructions fromHall.

Army Capt. Daniella Mestyanek,who just returned from a deployment,was grateful for the chance to meetHall.

“This was amazing to come here andcook with her. I’m glad I got the oppor-tunity,” Mestyanek said.

Hall’s rise to fame as a food super-star is dramatic considering she didn’tattend culinary school until she was30, after working as both an accoun-tant and a model.

“I worked for Price-Waterhouse as acertified public accountant (CPA). Assoon as I got my CPA, I was like, ‘Oh, Ihate it. I think I’ll go model in Paris,’”Hall said.

It was there that she fell in lovewith food.

“Every Sunday in Paris, all of themodels would have a brunch and Iloved to eat but I never cooked,” Hallexplained. “So I started buying cook-books and I just became fascinated.Recipes are like puzzles. I would go torestaurants and try to figure out what

was in my dish and write it down in ajournal.”

Hall was drawn back to Nashvillewhen her mother suffered an illness.Once her mother recovered, she movedin with family members in Washing-ton, D.C., where a serendipitous se-quence of events led Hall to open alunch delivery service she operatedfor five years before attending culi-nary school.

After culinary school, she worked asa sous chef and executive chef. In 2001,she opened her own catering companybased in Silver Spring, Md., whichshe still heads. She was selected as acontestant for “Top Chef ” in 2008 andreturned to the show in 2010 for “TopChef All-Stars.” She has also writtentwo cookbooks.

Hall’s view is that food and bod-ies have a strong connection, and forthose who are trying to heal, the rightfoods can help.

“Our bodies are basically like com-puters and they’re so smart, but wedon’t listen to them. We have to listenand be in tune,” she explained. “Startwith raw ingredients. When you’re try-ing to heal your body, it’s so importantto let nature help you do that. Food isnot the enemy.”

Hall concluded the event by offeringdessert to the attendees – cookies fromher petite artisan cookie line. She saidshe had a great time sharing her loveof cooking with service members andfamily members at NSAB.

“The one thing that’s constant,whether it be accounting or model-ing or theater, is I always wanted tobe happy with what I did,” Hall said.“When you’re happy doing somethingthen you can share that joy. The bestthing you can do for people is to sharethe joy.”

CHEFContinued from pg. 1

Photo by Julie Smith

“The Chew” co-host Carla Hall shared her love of food with servicemembers and their families at the USO, July 21.

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

visit www.dcmilitary.com.1042110


what they’ve done in their lives. There’s a lot of inter-esting people here,” Healy explained.

Comfort Cart volunteer Dr. Inge Guen, neuropsy-chologist in the TBI and behavioral health unit atWRB, understands the impact of positivity on healing.

“[What] I want to instill in them is a positive at-titude from the moment they see me. So the cart hasbecome a very powerful instrument for me personallyto bring peace, to bring hope,” Guen said.

Sometimes staying and talking with patients orfamilies for half an hour, Guen can recall momentswhen she had to remove her sweater because it waswet with the patient’s tears.

Merriner, also familiar with the importance of heal-ing through her work as a reiki practitioner, stressesthe Comfort Cart’s ability to make patients and fami-lies aware of everything the Red Cross has to offer.

“A lot of times people come in and they’re not fa-miliar with the hospital … or they don’t know wherewe’re located and this gives them a point of reference,so outside of the Comfort Cart and the immediatethings it can provide, it gives you a chance to connectwith them on ‘this is what the Red Cross does, this iswhat we’re here for,’” she explained.

The Comfort Cart is only a small sampling of whatthe Red Cross at WRB has to offer to patients. On Fri-day morning, a patient requested a special item fromthe Red Cross office, which Guen delivered during herrounds with the Comfort Cart. Similarly, Merrineruses the Cart as a platform to advertise the ameni-ties the Red Cross has to offer specifically to patients,such as laptops and video game consoles.

The Red Cross volunteers all concluded their workwith the Comfort Cart and their encounters with pa-

tients were awesomely inspiring.“I found out there is no other population of patients

with this level of courage, this level of dignity and thislevel of resilience,” volunteer Guen explained.

Davis agreed, noting he had the same experienceswith the Comfort Cart.

“I’ve always felt it was one of the most worthwhilethings I’ve ever done. It’s good for the soul,” comment-

ed Davis.Aside from delivering basic necessities to patients,

Guen said, “It’s important to give compassion, it’s im-portant to give love and to give hope. And the cartgives me the platform to do that.”

For more information on how to get involved withthe American Red Cross at WRB, call 301-295-1538 orvisit the Red Cross office on the second floor of Build-

COMFORTContinued from pg. 7

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them with WRNMMCresources, identifiy com-munity resources, providecounseling to the childrenand/or parents, and edu-cate the families aboutlong term care planning,when appropriate.Craniofacial team

member, Lenora C. Free-man, a licensed clinicalWashington, D.C. andMaryland social worker,holds the highest licen-sure achievable in socialwork, which allows herto provide therapy anddirect counseling in theplastic surgery clinic.Freeman explained

why some parents mightfeel overwhelmed if theirchild has CFD. “Theusual reaction from par-ents varies depending onwhether the craniofacialdisorder is part of a larg-er disorder/syndrome oris just an isolated event,”she said. “I would saythat the parents’ usualreaction is the fear ofthe unknown and howthe disorder will affecttheir child, short term

and long term,” Freemansaid.Children with craniofa-

cial disorders may requirespecialized care/servicesprovided by a skilled pro-fessional. Thus, parentsmust adjust their sched-ules to accommodate thechild’s treatment regimen.“This is difficult when

both parents have obliga-tions outside of the home,when there are other chil-dren, when the child hasfrequent hospitalizations,and when the familylacks an accessible sup-port network,” Freemansaid. CFDs not only affectthe parents and the childwith the disorder, but theentire family, Freemancontinued.“Siblings often feel ne-

glected by the attentiongiven to the child withthe disorder due to thechange or disruption inthe family’s routine,” shesaid. “Having a child witha craniofacial disorderalso evokes a considerabledegree of guilt, primarilyfrom the mothers who feelsomehow responsible forthe child’s disorder.”Children with cranio-

facial disorders may alsoexperience social stigma,such as bullying or teas-

ing, Freeman added. “Thisaffects his or her self-esteem,” she said. “Iden-tifying a support groupwhere the child can freelyexpress his or her feelingsis an important outlet.”Freeman went on to

note social workers rou-tinely assess the stabilityof the child’s family unitto evaluate how well itfunctions and then offercounseling and a referralaccordingly.“The stability of the

child’s family is a determi-nate of how well the childwill cope.” WRNMMCand Naval Medical Cen-ter Portsmith are theonly two accredited cra-niofacial teams in theDepartment of Defense.WRNMMC provides careto all beneficiaries andtheir family members,whether stationed in theWashington Metropoli-tan Area, the rest of thenation or overseas in Ha-waii or Korea.For more information,

call Sylvia Hill at 301-295-8738, or visit thewebsite http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthde-fects/features/craniofa-cialdefects.html

SMILEContinued from pg. 6

From the DefenseHealth Agency

Have you ever beenunsure about whetheryou should visit an emer-gency room and wishedyou could call someonefor medical advice beforemaking the trip?If so, the Military

Health System’s (MHS)new Nurse Advice Line(NAL) for TRICAREbeneficiaries in the con-tinental United States,Alaska and Hawaii willbe able to help you. Theline will go live tomor-row, Aug. 1.The NAL is a toll-

free, 24/7 telephone linestaffed by a team of reg-istered nurses who areavailable to answer avariety of urgent healthcare questions. They canhelp you decide whetherself-care is the best op-tion or if it is better tosee a health care provid-er. There will always be a

live-person on the line toaddress beneficiary con-cerns.Benef ic iar ies can

still call their primarycare manager (PCM) orclinic, but the NAL isanother option for ben-eficiaries to access thecare they need and want

in a timely fashion, ac-cording to MHS officials.The NAL is accessible at1-800-TRICARE (874-2273), Option 1.Walter Reed National

Military Medical Cen-ter Director Brig. Gen.(Dr.) Jeffrey B. Clark ex-plained the medical cen-

ter is focused on provid-ing beneficiaries patient-friendly access to careand the NAL is alignedwith this initiative.“Our mission at Wal-

ter Reed National Mili-tary Medical Center is toprovide patient-friendlyaccess to high qualityhealth care for all weare privileged to serve— service members andtheir families; our retir-ees and their families,”said Clark. “The NurseAdvise Line provides pa-tient friendly access tohigh quality medical in-formation, guidance forself-care and appoint-ments, if necessary, forthose we are privilegedto serve. This is a benefitfor our patients and forour mission success.”MHS officials add

NAL offers a variety ofsolutions for all TRI-CARE beneficiaries. Forpediatric issues, the NALwill route the beneficia-

ry to a pediatric nurse.If follow-up is necessaryor requested, the NALwill call the beneficiaryback to check the child’sstatus a few hours later.The NAL will also makesame-day appointmentswith the beneficiary’sPCM for TRICAREPrime beneficiaries whoare enrolled to Mili-tary Treatment Facili-ties (MTFs). If a sameday appointment is notavailable, the NAL willre-direct the beneficiaryto the closest urgent carecenter, and advise thePCM that an urgent carereferral is needed so thepatient does not have toworry about paying anypoint of service co-pays.All other TRICARE ben-eficiaries who are not en-rolled to a MTF will re-ceive professional healthadvice about their urgenthealth concern and whento seek urgent care.When calling the NAL,

a customer service repre-sentative will verify thebeneficiary’s eligibilitythrough the Defense En-rollment and EligibilityReporting System. Ben-eficiaries with an acutehealth care concern orquestion will be con-nected with a registerednurse who will ask thebeneficiary a series ofstandard questions todetermine the next stepsand allow the NAL nurseto provide the best ad-vice possible.The NAL is available

to TRICARE beneficia-ries using TRICAREPrime, TRICARE PrimeRemote, TRICARE PrimeRemote for Active DutyFamily Members, TRI-CARE Standard andTRICARE Extra, TRI-CARE Reserve Select,TRICARE Retired Re-serve, TRICARE YoungAdult and TRICARE ForLife.

Have Medical Questions? Call the TRICARE Nurse Advice Line

Courtesy photo

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