may 2015 courier

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Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Va. C OURIER THE May 2015 CP-15 in Guatemala, Jamaica — Page 10 13 Story and photos by Rebecca A. Perron NMCP Public Affairs Cmdr. Anne M. Brown relieved Cmdr. Gabriel T. Brown as officer in charge of the Adm. Joel T. Boone Branch Health Clinic Triad May 8, during a ceremony presided over by Capt. Darin K. Via, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth commanding officer. e triad consists of BHC Boone at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, BHC Northwest in Chesapeake and the TRICARE Prime Chesapeake Clinic. Since Brown’s became OIC in May 2012, the triad has been busy: It’s had 800,000 patient encounters, filled more than 1.8 million prescriptions, processed more than 1.4 million lab results, developed more than 190,000 digital films, received 2,800 calls from the Nurse Advice Line, enrolled more than 20,000 patients to RelayHealth, and have had more than 88,000 Relay Health transactions. ey have supported service members from 160 commands at two geographically separated bases. “is has been an amazing journey for me, a journey that I have truly enjoyed every day,” Cmdr. Gabriel Brown said. “I’m truly grateful that I have had the opportunity to lead one of Navy Medicine’s and one of the ‘First and Finest’s’ busiest branch health clinics. Today is a celebration of the safe, quality care we provide, and all of the success we have shared over the past three years.” During the ceremony, Via commended both Browns for their leadership and responsibilities. Via recounted Cmdr. Gabriel Brown’s accomplishments, starting with his role as associate director for Administration at NMCP, which included man- aging the impact of inclement weather on NMCP’s patients and staff, as well as extensive upgrades to the medical center’s power system. “Once I became commanding officer, I got to see Gabe Brown Relieves Brown in Boone Change of Charge Cmdr. Gabriel Brown and Cmdr. Anne Brown exchange salutes to symbolize the official transfer of duties as offi- cer in charge. — See BROWN, Page 6 Nurse Corps Birthday Cmdr. Charles Rowley, staff chaplain, recites the prayer, “Nurses Hands,” during the Navy Nurse Corps birthday ceremony May 13. See Page 10 to read the story.

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The official newspaper of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth.

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Page 1: May 2015 Courier

Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Va.

COURIERTHE

May 2015CP-15 in Guatemala, Jamaica — Page 10 – 13

Story and photos by Rebecca A. PerronNMCP Public Affairs

Cmdr. Anne M. Brown relieved Cmdr. Gabriel T. Brown as officer in charge of the Adm. Joel T. Boone Branch Health Clinic Triad May 8, during a ceremony presided over by Capt. Darin K. Via, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth commanding officer.

The triad consists of BHC Boone at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, BHC Northwest in Chesapeake and the TRICARE Prime Chesapeake Clinic.

Since Brown’s became OIC in May 2012, the triad has been busy: It’s had 800,000 patient encounters, filled more than 1.8 million prescriptions, processed more than 1.4 million lab results, developed more than 190,000 digital films, received 2,800 calls from the Nurse Advice Line, enrolled more than 20,000 patients to RelayHealth, and have had more than 88,000 Relay Health transactions. They have supported service members from 160 commands at two geographically separated bases.

“This has been an amazing journey for me, a journey that I have truly enjoyed every day,” Cmdr. Gabriel Brown said. “I’m truly grateful that I have had the opportunity to lead one of Navy Medicine’s and one of the ‘First and Finest’s’ busiest branch health clinics. Today is a celebration of the safe, quality care we provide, and all of the success we have shared over the past three years.”

During the ceremony, Via commended both Browns for their

leadership and responsibilities. Via recounted Cmdr. Gabriel Brown’s accomplishments, starting with his role as associate director for Administration at NMCP, which included man-aging the impact of inclement weather on NMCP’s patients and staff, as well as extensive upgrades to the medical center’s power system.

“Once I became commanding officer, I got to see Gabe

Brown Relieves Brown in Boone Change of Charge

Cmdr. Gabriel Brown and Cmdr. Anne Brown exchange salutes to symbolize the official transfer of duties as offi-cer in charge.

— See BROWN, Page 6

Nurse Corps BirthdayCmdr. Charles Rowley, staff chaplain, recites the prayer, “Nurses Hands,” during the Navy Nurse Corps birthday ceremony May 13.

See Page 10 to read the story.

Page 2: May 2015 Courier

Keep up with thelatest news from nmCp

Oakleaf Club Open to New Members

The Oakleaf Club of Tidewater is open to Medical, Dental, Nurse and Medical Service Corps active and retired officers and their spouses in Hampton Roads. The club is a charitable organization benefiting the Hampton Roads naval medical community. We are happy to welcome new members.

For membership information, email [email protected].

COURIERTHE

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www.facebook.com/NMCPortsmouth

Read and downloadThe Courier in color!

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Save THE Date

The Courier | May 20152

The Courier is an authorized publication of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, 620 John Paul Jones Cir., Portsmouth, VA 23708, and is published monthly by the Public Affairs Office.

To submit an article or information for publication, contact the Public Affairs Office by calling 953-7986 or emailing the PAO, Deborah Kallgren, at [email protected].

Submissions should be in Word format, with photos submitted separately from the docu-ment and in jpeg or tiff format.

The Public Affairs Office is located in Bldg. 1, 3rd Deck, Rm. C308.

COMMANDING OFFICERCapt. Darin K. Via

EXECUTIVE OFFICERCapt. Bradford L. Smith

COMMAND MASTER CHIEFCMDCM (FMF/SW/AW/DV)

Eric AndersonPUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER

Deborah R. KallgrenDEPUTY PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER

Rebecca A. PerronSTAFF JOURNALISTS

MCCS (IDW/EXW/AW)James Perkins

MC1 (EXW/SW/AW)Gary Johnson

MC2 (SW) Terah L. BryantMC2 (SW) Kathryn Wrobel

MCSN Juan A. Salinas-Leon

Upcoming Fleet and Family Support Center Workshops

Fleet and Family Support Center at NMCP is located in Bldg. 249 next to the Child Wait Center. Workshops are open to active duty, retirees, dependents and DoD civilians. Child care is available if arranged in advance. Call 953-7801 or email [email protected] to register.

Stress ManagementThe Stress Management workshop is

June 9 – 11 from 1 – 3:30 p.m. each day. Stress is an unavoidable fact of life. The way we handle stress can affect our per-sonal and professional lives. Learn more about managing stress with techniques such as goal-setting, time management and progressive relaxation.

Personal CommunicationsThe Personal Communications work-

shop is June 15 from 10:30 a.m. – noon.Would you like to improve your personal communication skills? Participants learn about different communication styles, conflict resolution, and ways to develop more effective speaking and listening skills. Open to active-duty military and family members.

Love ThinksThe Love Thinks workshop is June 15

from 9 – 10:30 a.m. Are you tired of the same dating traps like becoming involved too quickly, dishonesty from the start, or overlooking problem areas? Learn how to avoid common dating missteps when developing a new romance by attending “Love Thinks,” a program for single or newly-dating military members.

Dads and DisciplineThe Dads and Discipline workshop

is June 16 from 9 – 11:30 a.m. Dads are often seen as “disciplinarians,” yet come to the job with no specific training. This

interactive, single-session class provides fathers with valuable, practical informa-tion about parenting. Participants will discuss parenting styles and learn effective discipline techniques to help raise respon-sible, well-behaved children.

Interview TechniquesThe Interview Techniques workshop is

June 17 from 1 – 4 p.m. This single-ses-sion workshop teaches how to feel more confident during job interview! Topics include positive answers to difficult questions, dressing for success, and the importance of body language and positive attitude. Interview follow-up and salary negotiations are also discussed.

Building Healthy RelationshipsThe Building Healthy Relationships

workshop is June 22 from 9 – 11:30 a.m. The training provides tools to enhance healthy relationships and educate military personnel and their families how to suc-cessfully nurture intimate relationships. Topics include emotional record keeping, expectations, communication and devel-oping healthy habits.

Car Buying StrategiesThe Car Buying Strategies work-

shop is June 23 from 2 – 3:30 p.m. In this single-session program, learn all the important dos and don’ts BEFORE you step onto the car lot. Topics include nego-tiating, trade-ins, discounts, financing, high-pressure sales tactics and tricks.

Page 3: May 2015 Courier

May 2015 | The Courier 3

Story and photos by MC2 (SW) Kathryn WrobelNMCP Public Affairs

Twelve of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth staff were rec-ognized for customer excellence April 29, an award for those who have demonstration excellence in three areas of the customer service: customer experience, exceeding expectations and professional excellence.

During the ceremony, Capt. Darin K. Via, com-manding officer, presenting certificates and command coins to the winners, whose photos will be placed on the Wall of Excellence in the medical center’s main corridor.

The winners were nominated and selected by their peers for their exceptional and continuous demonstra-tion of the three tenets of customer excellence.

“As you know, NMCP is on a journey to become a high-reliability organization,” said Cmdr. Matthew McLean, director of Healthcare Business, during the ceremony. “As part of our strategic vision to support the journey and our organization’s strategic imperatives of Readiness, Value and Jointness, we have an entire line of operation dedicated to customer experience.”

McLean described the dedication the award win-ners share.

“When something didn’t go right, they didn’t give up,” McLean said. “They demonstrated resiliency, and they devel-oped new solutions to the problem. In doing so, they helped their customers.”

The award winners also share the same commitment to supe-rior performance, and going above and beyond their duty. They were recognized and chosen for their exceptional initiative, pro-

active engagement, continuous process improvement, and for exemplifying the standards of customer ser-vice excellence with patients and staff alike.

After presenting the awards, Via addressed the audience.

“We switched from customer service to customer excellence, because that’s really what we’re striving for,” Via said. “I can’t thank you enough for what each and every one of you do every day. I thank everyone for picking out the person-nel who they thought really leaned forward and really met the

mark for being the ‘first and finest’ and showing that customer excellence.”

Receiving the awards were Barbara Pauly (Allergy Clinic), HN Charles Nallie (Pediatric Clinic), Ana Laramore (Emergency Medicine Department), Charlotte Curtis (Social Work Department), HM2 Nathaniel Perrine (BHC Dam Neck - Overseas Screening), Mary Beth Shortt (BHC Dam Neck - Dental), Katherine Pokorny (Case Management Department),

HM3 Logan Eastburn (Patient and Guest Relations), Terri Bowes (Neurosurgery Clinic), Denise Devonshire (Labor and Delivery), Danielle Santa-Maria (Physical Therapy Department) and Angela Turner (Information Management Department).

Customer Excellence Awards Presented to NMCP Staff

Command leadership congratulates the winners.

Capt. Darin K. Via, commanding officer, stresses the importance of customer excellence after he presented the certificates to the Wall of Excellence winners.

Page 4: May 2015 Courier

The Courier | May 20154

By Rebecca A. PerronNMCP Public Affairs

Cmdr. Darian C. Rice, a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, received the 2015 Hero of Military Medicine Award, presented by the Center for Public-Private Partnerships at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., in Washington, D.C., May 7.

A Hero of Military Medicine is an individual who has dis-tinguished himself or herself in medical research or clinical care through compassion, excellence and selfless dedication that go above and beyond the call of duty. He or she is committed to advancing military medicine and enhancing the lives and health of our nation’s wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans.

The annual award is given to active-duty military medical professionals – one recipient each from the Army, Navy and Air Force.

“To me, it recognizes what I’ve accomplished during my 20-year career,” said Rice, who is the chief of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia and the Anesthesia Residency Program director. “I didn’t know I was nominated, so winning the award was a huge surprise. Never in a million years did I think I would be the recipient of this award. It’s the nicest award or recognition I’ve received while I’ve been in the military. But every day I work with people who are as equally motivated and equally deserving of this award.”

Rice said he’s had a variety of experiences he would never have seen as a civilian. Rice’s military career has spanned oper-

ational medicine as a general medical officer to operational medicine as a car-diothoracic-trained specialist. During deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, or while assigned as a flight surgeon

and working with NASA, he has used his knowledge and experience to apply it toward the operational environment, which has improved outcomes, with 99 percent survival rates in Afghanistan where Rice was deployed.

As a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, Rice has been trained to care for a unique patient population – those with cardiovascular disease or thoracic disease. Rice said his favorite place to be is in the heart room. His favorite cases are the more complex cardiac surgeries performed at NMCP.

“I enjoy the patient interaction and taking care of people in the OR and making their operative experience as good as it can be,” Rice said. “As anesthesiologists, we establish a rapport with the patients and give them a sense of comfort. If they wake up in pain or are throwing up, we can fix that. We can make their surgical experience more comfortable, and because of that, I think we have a huge influence on surgical outcomes.”

As chief of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Rice leads a team of up to five other anesthesiologists who provide care to any patient undergoing heart or lung surgery.

“Cmdr. Rice is one of those who would be called upon to evaluate those patients because he’s probably the best one in the department to understand cardiovascular physiology, the effects of anesthesia on patients with cardiac disease, and how to best care for them in the operating room,” said Capt. Darin K. Via, NMCP’s commanding officer, who is also an anesthesiologist. “His work with NASA, his work in pulmonary physiology and research that he’s done – I think while there are a few military physicians that do that, Cmdr. Rice is in a very unique group and a very unique class when you look at his qualifications.”

“The cumulative sum of everything he’s done just sets him apart,” said Lt. Cmdr. Chris Call, a third year anes-thesiology resident. “He’s triple-warfare qualified, and he understands the fleet. He’s got a Ph.D. in cardiovascu-lar physiology; he’s certified in aerospace physiology and advanced transesophageal echocardiography. Yet, even with all these accomplishments, and I would even dare to say in spite of all these accomplishments, Dr. Rice remains just an all-around good person. Few, if any, can match the level of humility he possesses. I believe that that quality helps set him apart as more than just another smart person.”

Anesthesiologist Receives 2015 Hero of Military Medicine Award

Cmdr. Darian C. Rice receives the 2015 Hero of Military Medicine Award at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., in Washington, D.C., May 7.

— See HERO, next page

Photos provided by the Henry M. Jackson Foundation

Page 5: May 2015 Courier

May 2015 | The Courier 5

In addition to his initiatives as chief of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, his residents believe he has “completely revolutionized the anesthesiology residency training curriculum.”

“Dr. Rice has moved beyond the tra-ditional classroom lecture model,” Call said. “In any given week, we might be up in the Simulation Center running emergency protocols and situations on a full-size interactive anesthesia man-nequin. We might be working with the transesophageal echocardiogram simula-tor, or the critical care ultrasound. He’s brought in outside lecturers to come in and to present to us. Sensing a relative deficit on our program, he just began a bi-weekly transesophageal cardiography morning lecture series.”

Rice also believes that a resident edu-cation as doctors are becoming specialists requires a foundation of research, so he has added a requirement that all anesthe-sia residents publish or present some type of a clinical trial, literature review or case report.

“I want them to be immersed in edu-cation,” Rice said of his residents. “I want them to leave here having had the best possible preparation for being a board-certified anesthesiologist working independently. Every day, I’m trying to raise the bar on them and their personal

expectations. I do push them but I think it’s in a good way. I always want them to be at the top of their game and for them to be the best that they can be. As program director, I have influence over the shape, and direction and curriculum of the program. I think we have a great curriculum and all of the residents are fantastic.”

“I have no doubt that Dr. Rice will take the vision and the passion and his work ethic with him that has benefited our residency program over the past

several years to whatever leadership posi-tion that he fills,” Call added. “He has this combination of very sound clinical judgment, interpersonal skills, and just dedication to duty that has earned him, and will continue to earn him, the respect and the trust of all those with whom he interacts. I see Dr. Rice shaping military medicine and influencing it as an insti-tution that fulfills the military objective without compromising the care to the individual patients that we are entrusted with as medical providers.”

HERO — Continued from previous page

Photos by MC2 (SW) Terah L. BryantCongratulations to the Officers of the Quarter for the 2nd Quarter who were recognized April 30, by Capt. Darin K. Via, commanding officer, who presented them with certificates and plaques. Front row, from left: Lt. Sheri Benjamin, Lt. Cmdr. Brent N. Casady, Lt. Lesley Sacramento and Lt. Cmdr. Elizabeth Hosselkus. Back row, from left: Ens. Stephan Howard; Lt. Shaun P. Ostrofe, Lt. Cmdr. Keith Merchant and Cmdr. Joel Metzger. Not pictured: Lt. Cmdr. Mary J. Clingan.

Officers of the 2nd Quarter

Page 6: May 2015 Courier

The Courier | May 20156

Story by MC2 (SW) Kathryn WrobelNMCP Public Affairs

The 30th annual Navy Medicine East Academic Research Competition Oral Phase recognized two anesthesia-based studies as the winners April 23, one in the resident category and one in the staff category.

Lt. Cmdr. Chris Call, an anesthesia resident at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, placed first with his presentation of “A Comparison of Epidural Infusion Strategies for Labor Analgesia.”

Capt. Greg Nezat, an anesthesiologist at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, was the first place winner in the staff category with his study “Optimizing Postoperative Pain Management and Staff Workload by Comparing a Single Dose of Intrathecal Morphine to Intravenous Patient Controlled Analgesia in Hysterectomy Patients: A Randomized Control Trial.”

During the award ceremony, NMCP’s executive officer, Capt. Bradford L. Smith, spoke about the importance of focusing research on ways to better serve and protect the lives of patients.

Call’s research did just that.His study determined whether a particular epidural tech-

nique could provide the necessary amount of pain relief for the patient, while simultaneously decreasing the amount of medi-cation used. This would lead to a decreased risk of potential side effects and make epidurals safer for the patient and baby.

“As a medical community, we are constantly striving to improve the safety of our techniques while still maintaining the overall satisfaction for the patient,” Call said.

“The study’s goal is to improve patient safety and reduce the risk of a potential adverse event as a result of receiving epi-dural analgesia.”

The number of women receiving epidurals for pain relief during the labor and delivery process has more than tripled in the past 20 – 30 years, according to Call. Epidurals are used by up to 70 percent of women in labor at large facilities

such as NMCP. They have a high safety profile, yet there are still potential risks involved with the procedure.

“The most common complaint associated with epidurals is that they simply don’t provide the degree of pain relief that the patient desires,” Call said. “This represents the fine balance between relieving pain and putting the patient at a higher risk of adverse effects by using additional medication.”

Call and his team observed the use of several different infu-sion techniques at NMCP and other institutions, and then focused their research on answering the question of which

epidural infusion strategy was the best. The study was devel-oped in 2012, and after protocol approval in late 2012, the study’s patient enrollment began in February 2013 and lasted until May 2014. The data analysis continued through late 2014.

The study included healthy women who received an epi-dural during the delivery of their first pregnancy and were without complications, since that could lead to unpredictable variations in the study results.

“When we compared epi-

Anesthesia Resident Wins in Navy Medicine East Research Competition

— See ORAL, next page

Lt. Jennifer Ottino, a general surgery

resident, presents “Complication

Rates and Operative Times

for Endoloop Versus Endoscopic Stapler Techniques

for Laparoscopic Appendectomy.”

Lt. Cmdr. Robert Class, an anesthesia resident, presents “A Comparison of Epidural Infusion Strategies for Labor Analgesia.”

Photos by MCSN Juan Salinas-Leon

Page 7: May 2015 Courier

May 2015 | The Courier 7

By MC2 (SW) Terah L. BryantNMCP Public Affairs

The Picture Archiving Communication System, or PACS, Support Service Team at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is setting the stan-dard in teleradiology excellence by winning the inaugural Radiology Team of the Year Award for 2014.

The radiology specialty leader for Navy Medicine, Cmdr. John York, created the Navy Radiology Specialty Leader Awards. The NMCP team was selected via open competition among all Navy Radiology across a variety of categories.

“I know for a fact that no other PACS team could have done what this group has done with teleradiol-ogy in Navy Medicine East and also connecting us with operational forces, in particular, Expeditionary Medical Facility – Djibouti,” York said.

Through teleradiology, the team supports many of the 18 hospitals and clinics within Navy Medicine East’s area of responsibility, for which NMCP is the flagship medical center. The region – from Texas to Bahrain – spans

10 time zones.The PACS team consists of

Christopher Tucker, John Gragg, Randy Hays, Bryan Brakeman, Anna Castillo-Lora, Denise Evans, Christina Ellis, Tim Fraser, Elizabeth Anita English and Lt. Cmdr. Matt Beery.

“Over the last year, this team has developed the telera-diology network for all of Navy Medicine East,” said Beery, the PACS administrator. “They have connected to each sites’ PACS and established a standardized workflow for the NMCP radiologists and the sites sending the studies. This process allows NMCP radiologists to pull studies, conduct the reads, and then submit the report back to the site.”

NMCP supports the full gamut of

studies from X-rays to magnetic reso-nance imaging, which were previously read by civilian contractors at night. NMCP’s teleradiology network has successfully eliminated the contracts at each facility that supported night

reads, with an annual cost reduction of $550,000.

PACS is composed of several dif-ferent systems that make teleradiology possible.

“Our system DINPACS (Digital

Imaging Network Picture Archiving Communication System) includes all of the subsystems that radiologists use to view, interpret, store and share X-rays,” said Gragg, who is the senior PACS network engineer.

The teams’ skills have not only established teleradiology connections to many of the hospitals and clinics within NME, but they have also helped trouble shoot issues with Army and Air Force commands, Navy Medicine West hospitals and clinics, and remote loca-tions such as Djibouti.

“When remote sites need assistance establishing or troubleshooting con-nectivity with NMCP’s PACS, our team will hold a conference call with the remote site’s PACS team and, if needed, we will remote into their system and help configure or trouble-shoot their teleradiology connection to NMCP,” said Tucker, the PACS system manager.

This support was notably apparent at Camp Lemonier in Djibouti. The NMCP team connected to Djibouti’s PACS, configured their teleradiology connection to NMCP, created a unique teleradiology workflow and ensured all reports were returned to Camp Lemonier, all within a short-fused

PACS Team – Trailblazers of Navy Teleradiology

“I know for a fact that no other PACS team could have done what this group has done with teleradiology in Navy Medicine East and also connecting us with operational forces, in particular, Expeditionary Medical Facility – Djibouti.”

— Cmdr. John York, radiology speciality leader

— See PACS, Page 9

Photo by MCSN Juan Salinas-Leon

Page 8: May 2015 Courier

The Courier | May 20158

Capt. Darin Via commends both Cmdr. Browns for their leadership while assigned to Adm. Joel T. Boone Branch Health Clinic.

Cmdr. Gabriel Brown accept a Meritorious Service Medal from Capt. Darin Via.

BROWN — Continued from front page

Cmdr. Anne Brown pledges to continue to pursue the path that Cmdr. Brown and his predecessors have set.

leading at an even higher level,” Via said. “I’ve had several opportunities to come out to the clinics within the triad. The triad is composed of over 400 person-nel – active duty, government civilians and contractors. They take care of over 43,000 patients. Walk in to any of the clinics within this triad and it’s easy to see that they are set on the mission, taking care of the warfighter and the warfight-ers’ families. The focus of the staff and the patient-centered care is what defines them.”

Under Brown’s leadership, the Primary Care Clinic, Pediatrics Clinic and two other Boone clinics received the National Committee for Quality Assurance Level

3 Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition, the highest certification offered. Clinics at BHC Northwest and TRICARE Prime Chesapeake have also received this recognition. Additionally, the Boone Triad clinics continually sur-passed access to care standards.

The Boone Triad added more than 10,000 beneficiaries, decreasing redun-dant network health care costs. They expanded physical therapy services by bringing them closer to the patient. These improvements are estimated to reduce costs $722,000 each year.

The Joint Commission’s survey in February also had zero hits for the Boone Triad, and the commission commended the triad for their best practices.

“I’m impressed with (the staff ’s) ded-ication to the mission of providing the best care to each of our beneficiaries,” Via said. “Cmdr. Brown, you should be justifiably proud of the accomplishments mentioned. The impact you’ve had pro-duced benefits for years to come for Navy Medicine. We could not have asked for a better OIC to lead the way, or for better practices. You’ve done an amazing job enhancing the framework for delivery of health care for the busiest triad within NMCP.”

Via concluded by welcoming Cmdr. Anne Brown as OIC.

“With all of your accomplishments, we look forward to seeing the leadership and innovations that Cmdr. Anne Brown will

Page 9: May 2015 Courier

May 2015 | The Courier 9

The crowd applauds Cmdr. Anne Brown at the conclusion of her speech.

bring as she takes over,” Via said.” Anne, I am confident that you are the right person to continue to lead this great branch health clinch into the future in Readiness, Value and Jointness. I know that you will embrace the challenges of the command, and will lead the Boone Triad to unprecedented success. I have witness firsthand your diligence, follow-through and reliability as senior nurse executive here and for several of our branch health clinics throughout the region.”

“With our dedication and passion to provide the best health care,” Cmdr. Anne Brown said, “we will rise to the challenges and be an even stronger team because of the efforts we achieve

together. I pledge to you that I will give my all to continue the excellent path that Cmdr. Brown and his predecessors have set for me.”

Cmdr. Gabe Brown was presented a Meritorious Service Medal for the commitment to improving the quality and stan-dard of care for the triad’s patients. His next assignment will be as one of Navy Medicine’s project officers developing the new electronic health care record, which will be linked to Veterans Administration health records and battlefield health records. He will also help further develop the health care record for patients (RelayHealth and TRICARE Online).

deadline. This is merely one exam-ple of this team providing the best in patient care around the globe.

In addition to making diagnostic imaging reports readily available, the team has also concentrated on NMCP’s radiographic image quality.

“They’ve implemented process improvements to enhance image quality for patient safety and ulti-mately for better patient care,” Beery said. “The implemented processes track the quality of images and focuses improvement efforts.”

Image quality determines how well a radiologist can interpret pathology.

“Our quality control program

helps newer techs, as well as seasoned techs, determine what an optimum image should look like,” Tucker said. “The training material our team pro-duces reinforces and expands the techs existing knowledge, but also focuses on our radiologists specific needs.

“As a consequence, the number of images that are rejected by techs at the imaging console has declined significantly, which is further evi-dence that the program is working,” Tucker said. “This means that our patients are receiving lower doses of radiation, and our radiologists are better equipped to interpret pathol-ogy. Ultimately, the patient receives a

higher quality service.”Within the last six months,

through training and organizational behavior modifications, radiology’s image rejection rate has decreased from 18 percent to less than 10 per-cent, with the goal of reaching eight percent.

Beery added that beyond the work that has been done to earn the award, the team’s daily customer service is outstanding. They are always willing to help beyond expectations.

“They truly earned the award,” Beery said. “They have been trail-blazers in the Navy PACS world, and sought out by their counterparts around the Navy.”

PACS — Continued from Page 7

Page 10: May 2015 Courier

The Courier | May 201510

National Nurses Week is celebrated throughout the United States from May 6 – 12. Nurses at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth kicked off the weeklong celebration May 6 with breakfast in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit atrium. The Ice Cream Social on May 8, also in the NICU atrium, gave nurses a chance to enjoy some ice cream while in the company of their peers. To conclude the celebration, the nurses hosted a barbecue May 14, which had

been postponed because of rainy weather ear-lier in the week. The barbecue offered nurses the chance to enjoy either a fresh burger or hot dog with chips and a drink.

The National Nurses Week 2015 theme, “Ethical Practice. Quality Care,” recognizes the importance of ethics in nursing and acknowl-edges the strong commitment, compassion and care nurses display in their practice and profession.

Professional Nurses’ AssociationHosts National Nurses Week Activities

Two the nurses stop for break-fast in the atrium.

Ensign Courtney Bruce is one of dozens of nurses who stopped by the NICU atrium for breakfast.

Lt. Terry Brown serves Capt. Sandra Hearn a scoop of ice cream.

Lt. Anna Schlenker, Lt. j.g Shannon Griffiths and Lt. j.g. Sarah Alexander enjoy a good laugh while Alexander stops for a hot dog.

Nurses gather under a tree for shade during the barbecue.

Page 11: May 2015 Courier

May 2015 | The Courier 11

By MCSN Juan Salinas-LeónNMCP Public Affairs

Nurses and staff at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth cele-brated the 107th birthday of the Navy Nurse Corps with a cake cutting and blessing of the hands ceremony May 13.

The Navy Nurse Corps birthday is celebrated along with National Nurses Week, which is recognized annually May 6 to May 12.

The ceremony began with Capt. Darin K. Via, commanding officer, speaking about the impact nurses have.

“You are a huge part of our organization – you’re a huge part of what we do every day,” Via said. “We could not function with-out you, whether it’s the nurse taking care of patients by their bedside, or the practitioner who has moved on to independent practice. You fill the spectrum of jobs, duties and responsibilities across everything we do. Thank you for everything you do, not only for our patients, but for the rest of us who serve within Navy Medicine.”

Then Cmdr. Charles Rowley, staff chaplain, said the prayer “Nurses Hands.” Several of NMCP’s directors and the com-mand master chief read birthday wishes from the Navy surgeon general, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery’s force master chief, and chiefs of the Nurse Corps, Medical Corps, Medical Service Corps and Dental Corps.

“Navy Medicine is honored to celebrate the birthday of such an honorable group of medical professionals,” read Cmdr. Lonnie Hosea, the associate director for Nursing Services, from the letter from Vice Adm. Matthew L. Nathan, surgeon general. “Our Nurse Corps officers fly with wounded from battle-torn areas; provide care in the fleet and on hospital ships; establish nursing schools, clinics, and small hospitals in remote areas of

the world; and administer or command mil-itary treatment facilities world-wide. Navy nurses are profes-sional scientists, researchers, teach-ers, providers and clinicians. They set the standard for military medi-cine, and continue to have a promi-nent place in our United States Navy.”

Capt. Sandra Hearn, director for Nursing Services, read the letter from the chief of the Nurse Corps, Rear Adm. Rebecca McCormick-Boyle.

“I want to take this opportunity to personally say ‘thank you’ to all the nurses who make up the Navy nursing team – active and reserve component nurses, as well as our federal civilians and contract nurse peers,” McCormick-Boyle wrote. Without the entire team working together, we could not have met the operational and health benefit mission requirements asked of our Corps.

“In keeping with this year’s National Nurses Week theme, ‘Ethical Practice, Quality Care,’ Navy nurses embrace caring, compassion and competence while delivering the highest qual-ity care to our patients and their families,” McCormick-Boyle continued. “Because of you, the Navy nursing team stands among the Navy’s most prominent officers and respected clinicians.”

After the reading of the birthday letters, the command’s most senior nurse, Capt. Denise Johnson, and the most junior nurse, Ensign Sandra Gutierrez, cut the birthday cake.

After the cake cutting, Cmdr. Charles Rowley, staff chaplain, anointed the hands of each nurse during the traditional blessing of the hands ceremony. This tradition, which is repeated at hos-pitals across the country during National Nurses Week, blesses the hands of those who bring comfort and healing to those they touch.

There are more than 4,000 Navy nurses in the Corps today, with more than 430 assigned to NMCP. The Nursing Services Directorate consists of 431 active duty, 192 civilians, 156 con-tractors and 12 reserve personnel. More than 50 of NMCP’s active-duty nurses are deployed on board USNS Comfort in support of Continuing Promise 2015.

NMCP Celebrates 107th Birthday of Nurse Corps

Capt. Denise Johnson, NMCP’s most senior nurse, and Ensign Sandra Guti-errez, NMCP’s most junior nurse, cut the birthday cake.

Cmdr. Charles Rowley blesses a nurse’s hands after the ceremony.

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By MC1 (SW) Amy KirkContinuing Promise 2015 Public Affairs

USNS Comfort departed Guatemala May 1 after completing a nine-day mis-sion stop in support of Continuing Promise 2015.

CP-15 mission personnel worked alongside Guatemalan counterparts, local volunteers and civilian professionals to provide medical, dental, optometry and veterinary services, including civil engi-neering projects at local schools from April 22-30.

Capt. Sam Hancock, CP-15 Mission Commander, highlighted the over-all success that mission personnel and Guatemalan host-nation partners achieved during the mission stop during the closing ceremony at Caribbean Naval Command in Puerto Santo Tomas de Castilla on April 30.

“Our joint effort afforded us the opportunity to work together with

local volunteers, medical staff and our Guatemalan counterparts to serve over 10,000 patients,” Hancock said. “We are fortunate to have worked alongside our friends and partners, further enabling us to strengthen our ties in support of the enduring partnership between the United States and Guatemala – a partnership that enhances our shared values, interests and commitment to unity, security and stabil-ity within the region.”

Partnering together, CP-15 members and Guatemalan medical professionals conducted nearly 525 dental exams and procedures, more than 1,300 optometry exams and 105 surgeries. The CP-15 team

provided care to patients at medical sites set up at Complejo Deportivo de Puerto Barrios and Casa Social del Maestro Prof. Leopoldo Cordn Guzman.

The embarked non-governmental organization volunteers from the University of California San Diego Pre-Dental Society, Project Hope, Latter Day Saints Charities and Registered Nurse

Response Network also worked along-side military and host-nation medical professionals at each medical site and aboard Comfort to complete the wide range of medical care given.

Additionally, the CP-15 mission crew conducted subject matter expert exchanges on more than 69 topics with Guatemalan counterparts. Basic life support, disease

Comfort Completes Mission Stop in Guatemala

Photo by Spc. Lance HartungLt. Ashley Rohrman, from NMCP’s Pediatrics Ward, plays with children in Guatemala at a medical assistance site April 22.

Photo by MC3 Andrew SchneiderColombian navy nurse PO1 Miler Cortes, left, and Lt. Gissella Martinez, a nurse anesthetist assigned to NMCP, prepare a Guatemalan child for surgery aboard USNS Comfort April 24.

Photo by MC3 Class Andrew SchneiderHN Schuyler Nesbitt, assigned to NMCP, gives Guatemalan children stuffed animals at the San Miguel School during a community relations event April 23.

MC1 Maddelin AngebrandLt. Mathew English of NMCP assists patients at a medical site set up in a sports complex in Puerto Barrios April 23.

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and diagnosis, air quality and sanitation were among the topics covered.

The Comfort hosted a seminar on women’s health which afforded CP-15 personnel and Guatemalan providers the opportunity to collaborate with the Guatemalan Ministry of Health, to discuss best practices for treating and educating female patients with various women’s health concerns.

Cmdr. Erlina Naval, a nurse practi-tioner assigned to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, and one of the event coor-dinators, said working with the health care professionals at all the mission stops allows the U.S. and host nation providers the opportunity to enhance their overall

Photo by MC3 Andrew SchneiderColombian navy nurse PO1 Miler Cortes, left, and Lt. Gissella Martinez, a nurse anesthetist assigned to NMCP, prepare a Guatemalan child for surgery aboard USNS Comfort April 24.

Left: HA Robert Walton of NMCP paints a door during a rehabilitation project at the Domingo Juarros School in Puerto Barrios April 27.

Right: HM3 James Byrom, assigned to NMCP, takes a child’s blood pressure at a medical site set up in a sports complex in Puerto Barrios April 23.

Photo by MC3 Andrew SchneiderFrom left, orthoscopic surgeons Lt. Cmdr. James Hammond and Lt. Matthew Hanley, both of NMCP, perform surgery on a Guatemalan child April 24.

Photo by Spc. Lance HartungHM2 William Meyer of NMCP explains advanced cardiac life support tech-niques to Guatemalan medical professionals during a subject matter expert exchange April 24.

MC1 Maddelin AngebrandMC1 (SW/EXW/AW) Gary Johnson

— See CP-15, next page

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The Courier | May 201514

skills, as well as build professional relationships.“I think the seminar stimulated a desire to learn more

information from each other and about different medi-cal concerns women face,” Naval said. “Our aim was to empower each other to encourage others in our com-munities and families to seek medical care if necessary.”

In addition to medical assistance and information exchanges, Seabees assigned to Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 202 completed 12 renovation and improvement projects at the Domingo Juarros and 15 de Septiembre schools. The work included window replacements, tile repair, electrical upgrades and painting.

Other members of the Comfort crew engaged the local community by participating in community rela-tions projects at the Ana D. Cabrera Portillo School, the Maria Luisa III School and the Hogar la Asuncion Orphanage. The various COMREL teams partnered with NGOs to distribute thousands of donated items including stuffed animals, coloring books, crayons, school supplies and soccer balls, fostering goodwill and strengthening commu-nity ties with local families and children.

Members from the U.S. Fleet Forces Band “Uncharted Waters” performed concerts at each COMREL location, the opening and closing ceremonies and even an impromptu “battle of the bands” with the local group, Banda Miguel Angel Asturias.

By MC1 Class Amy KirkContinuing Promise 2015 Public Affairs

USNS Comfort departed Kingston, Jamaica, May 15 after completing her third mission stop in support of Continuing Promise 2015.

Comfort’s embarked military and non-governmental orga-nization volunteers worked side-by-side with Jamaican military and civilian professionals to provide medical, dental, optometry and veterinary care, conduct subject matter expert exchanges and

complete engineering projects at three schools from May 6 – 13.The Jamaica CP-15 mission stop was celebrated alongside

Jamaican officials during a closing ceremony at the U.S. embassy May 13, marking the completion of the nine-day mission stop.

Partnering together, CP-15 members and Jamaican medical professionals conducted more than 600 dental exams and pro-cedures, more than 1,700 optometry exams and 110 surgeries. Overall, the CP-15 team provided primary medical care to more than 9,700 patients at medical sites set up at the National Indoor Sports Complex and the Maxfield Park Health Centre.

The CP-15 mission crew conducted SMEEs on more than

CP-15 Crew Completes Mission Stop in Jamaica

Photo by MC2 Derek PaumenHN Christie Hamm, from Adm. Joel T. Boone Branch Health Clinic, cleans operating instruments May 7.

Photo by Army Pfc. Tomarius RobertsHN Ricardo Taboada from NMCP prepares microscope slides of tissue samples for testing May 11.

CP-15 — Continued from previous page

Photo by Spc. Lance HartungLt. Ashley Rohrman dances with a child while the U.S. Fleet Forces Band, “Uncharted Waters,” plays at a medical site set up in at Complejo Deportivo de Puerto Barrios in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, April 28.

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May 2015 | The Courier 15

Photo by Army Spec. Lance HartungHM2 Patrick Gravel, from NMCP’s Healthcare Simulation and Bioskills Center, teaches Jamaican medical profes-sionals about tactical combat casualty care on board USNS Comfort May 9.

Photo by Army Pfc. Tomarius RobertsHM3 Brittney Monroe from NMCP conducts a subject matter expert exchange on basic life support with Jamai-can nurses on board USNS Comfort May 12.

Photo by Army Pfc. Tomarius RobertsHN Ricardo Taboada from NMCP explains the process of preparing tissue samples to Jamaican nurses as part of a subject matter expert exchange on board USNS Comfort May 11.

200 topics with their Jamaican counterparts. Collaboration efforts included basic life support certifications, an occupational health seminar, a veterinary pre-sentation on livestock animal health and a preventative medi-cine health fair.

Seabees assigned to Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 202 worked with military engineers from the Jamaica Defence Force to complete renovations and improvements to Carberry Court Special School, Rennock Lodge All Ages School and Trench Town Primary School. The work included kitchen renovations, electrical upgrades and construct-ing a new library and chicken

coop.Comfort’s chaplain’s

office coordinated com-munity relation events at the Hope Valley Experimental School, Rennock Lodge All Ages School and the Mustard Seed Communities - Jerusalem Orphanage. The U.S. Fleet Forces band, “Unchartered Waters” per-formed at each school, while crew members visited with chil-dren and distributed donations of stuffed animals, coloring books, school supplies and soccer balls. Members of the ship’s choir joined the band for a performance for residents at the Ozanam Senior Citizen’s Home and other volunteers painted several rooms and the home’s dining hall.

Photo by MC2 Brittney CannadyLt. David Satterwaite, a pharmacist assigned to NMCP, fills prescriptions for patients at the Maxfield Park Com-prehensive Health Centre May 10.

Photo by MC2 Derek PaumenLt. Eric Lewis from NMCP stands in formation during the Continuing Promise 2015 opening ceremony at the National Indoor Sports Complex May 6.

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ORAL — Continued from previous pagedural techniques among three commonly used programs, we found that a lower continuous rate combined with a larger bolus (single dose of medication) option reduced the amount of local anesthetic required to maintain the same level of pain relief,” Call explained. “We also checked the degree of lower extremity weakness and how many patients required cesarean delivery to ensure that our technique did not increase these factors. We found no increase in lower extremity weakness or cesarean delivery using this particular technique.”

As a first place award winner and primary presenter in this competition, Call will advance to the Navy-wide ARC in May. He and his team will present their research at the annual Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology meeting, also in May.

“Our study has the potential to improve the health care value

provided at NMCP by increasing the quality of the pain care offered to our laboring patients. This will also improve safety while simultaneously decrease health care cost by decreasing the volume of medication consumed,” Call said. “We plan to share this information through further presentation and publi-cation in an effort to improve patient health and safety outside of NMCP.”

During the award ceremony, special awards were also given for presentations that fell within the Navy Surgeon General’s goals of Readiness and Value.

Readiness: Lt. Michael Eliason for “Incidence and Prevalence of Sleep Disordered Breathing in the Active Duty Population.”

Value: Lt. Jennifer Ottino for “Complication Rates and Operative Times for Endoloop Versus Endoscopic Stapler Techniques for Laparoscopic Appendectomy.”

Some of the participants of the competition and Capt. Bradford L. Smith, executive officer, right, gather after the award ceremony.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage LunchMembers of the Diversity Committee served up a mouth-

watering lunch for guests as part of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration May 18 in the galley. Guests were treated to chicken

adobo, siao pao, lumpia with chili sauce, shrimp pancit, steamed rice, fried rice, oriental stir fry vegetables, fried cabbage and Asian stir fry soup prepared by the galley staff.

Members of the Diversity Committee serve lunch with a smile.

Photos by MC2 (SW) Terah L. BryantCmdr. Maria Norbeck, Diversity Committee chair, left, and Elena Miller serve up lunch for guests.

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Civilians of the Quarter

Christopher TuckerCategory II Administrative

As an information technician specialist, Christopher Tucker managed $6 million in department and tele-radiology assets. He managed and built a tele-radiology network from the ground up to support Navy Medicine East commands. Tucker coordinated system upgrades to support multiple commands, which enabled the termination of $450,000 in contract support and $100,000 in temporary additional duty costs. He oversaw and coordinated training for various projects while minimizing downtimes and preventing impact to patient care.

Roseann BriesacherCategory I Administrative

As a credentials technician, Roseann Briesacher doubled her workload by performing the duties of two credentials techni-cians. Her customer service skills and ‘can do’ attitude led to department heads requesting her to personally be their cre-dentials technician. Briesacher has gone above and beyond performance requirements by meticulously advising all levels of staff on the regulatory requirements to ensure compliance with higher authority. Her adaptability, data integrity and superior customer service has set the standard for quality within the Medical Staff Services Department, which others strive to meet.

Mary BrinkmeyerCategory II Clinical

As a clinical psychologist, Mary Brinkmeyer sought and vetted new diversity consultants for the Psychology Training Program from the local community. This constituted a 75 percent cost reduction and created collaborative ties with other local academic institutions, which greatly enhances the quality of education in NMCP’s training programs. She streamlined the intern evaluation process, created marketing tools for the psychology post-doctoral program and, at no cost to the com-mand, Brinkmeyer planned and produced high-quality seminars.

Photos by MC2 (SW) Terah Bryant

Monique SmithCategory II Clinical

As a laboratory technician, Monique Smith’s supply and inventory control responsibility eliminated wastage by ensuring the appropri-ate amount of laboratory components were received, which resulted in a $10,000 cost reduction. Due to her knowledge and use of the personal material inventory system, she provided accurate utilization rates to leadership for more than 2,200 line items, reducing costs by $120,000. Smith ensured quality testing was performed accurately on 1,500 cryoprecipitate (extracted) products. Her diligent efforts have decreased turnaround time for special coagulation tests by 25 percent.

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The Courier | May 201518

Tracy DiGennaro

Hometown: Suffolk

Years of service: 8 years as a civilian and 6 years as a contractor; 14 years at NMCP

Job: Supervisory Nurse Specialist, Clinic Manager, Internal Medicine Clinic

What do you like most about your job? I have always enjoyed being a nurse. I feel fortunate to be able to serve the military population. I truely enjoy my job and wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.

What do you do in your off-duty time/hobbies? Spend time with my husband and two boys.

Favorite movie: Dirty Dancing

Favorite food: Tacos

Why was she nominated as Civilian in the Spotlight? “Mrs. DiGennaro is widely respected for her vital role in managing the Internal Medicine Clinic and her posi-tive impact on the command, but rarely recieves formal recognition,” said Lt. Cmdr. Nate Cutler, Internal Medicine division head. “I seek her expertise in clinic manage-ment and key administrative matter daily, as do numerous senior personnel and all levels of medical trainees.”

HN Cornelius Revell

Hometown: Virginia Beach

Years of service: Two years (One year, two months at NMCP)

Job: General duty corpsman, Pediatrics Clinic

What do you like most about your job? I enjoy having the opportunity to help, and to make parents and children smile – it puts in me a good mood. I love help-ing anyone and everyone I can to the best of my ability.

What do you do in your off-duty time/hobbies? I enjoy playing football and-video games and spending time with my family.

Favorite movie: The Fast and Furious series will always be my favorite

Favorite food: Pizza

Why was he nominated as Sailor in the Spotlight? “HN Revelle has astounding work ethic and multifaceted performance within the Pediatrics Department,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Zakiya Ayers, leading petty officer. “His knowl-edge and versatility shines above all else as he continuously provides results of the highest caliber. He is a role model for all of his peers to follow and has been selected to take over as team leader. He will now be overseeing our E4 and below

corpsmen in a fast-paced medical home environment and in the largest Pediatrics Clinic in the DoD.

Civilian in the Spotlight

Sailor in the Spotlight

Photos by MC2 (SW) Terah L. Bryant

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May 2015 | The Courier 19

AwArdsMERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL

Capt. James MillerCapt. Timothy RichardsonCmdr. Robert AnselmCmdr. Gabriel BrownHMCS (SW) Brian HockMMCM (SW) Thomas SchnappHMCS (SW) Cheri Snaza

NAVY & MARINE CORPSCOMMENDATION MEDAL

Cmdr. Patrick FitzpatrickLt. Cmdr. Nathan BrezovicLt. Cmdr. Gregory ChesnutLt. Cmdr. Christine DaviesLt. Cmdr. Bryan KeenanLt. Cmdr. Casey KirbergerLt. Cmdr. Paul KocianLt. Cmdr. Tara McGinnisLt. Cmdr. Robyn Treadwell Lt. Cmdr. Sandra SuLt. Cmdr. Matthew WilsonLt. Mary ClementsLt. Kristen KennedyLt. Russell Wilson IILt. j.g. Emanuel WaddellHMC (SW) Sean BuckleyHMC (SW) Steven WhiteHMC (SW) John ZettlemoyerHM1 (SW) Lerici RacineHM2 Marisellah GradyHM2 (FMF/SW/AW) Lloyd Smith

NAVY & MARINE CORPS ACHIEVEMENT MEDALLt. Cmdr. Benjay KempnerLt. Cmdr. Derek LodicoLt. Cmdr. Sonia C. ScottLt. Tahnyah BurnerLt. Katiana CruetLt. Sarah Marie GutierrezLt. Samuel McJunkinLt. Jennifer RhinehartLt. j.g. Patricia IppolitoLt. j.g. Kelly KelleherQMCS (SW) Andrew MoburgHM2 Zakia Ayers HM2 Johntae JacksonHM2 Ryan MalarkeyLS2 (SW) Arthur MartinET2 Gerald NutiniOS2 Beatriz PerazagarciaHM2 (FMF) Francine PiqueHM2 (FMF) Corey ScottHM3 Kathryn AlvaradoHM3 Dominique BookmanAS3 Hope BuckalooHM3 (FMF) Vaudia Fleming HM3 Sean GordonHM3 Kenneth StantonHM3 Braddley Waldman Jr. HN Sabrina BlanchardHN Freesia GreenHN Addison Xiong

MILITARY OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERSERVICE AWARD

HM1 (SW/AW) Sonia StricklandHM3 Dustin Collamore

The monthly command award ceremony recognized 31 staff April 14. Capt. Darin K. Via, commanding officer, and HMCM (EXW/FMF/SW) Aaron Vandall, interim command master chief, presented one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, nine Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, 15 Good Conduct Medals, one certifi-cate for 10 years civil service, two Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Awards and three Flag Letters of Commendation. Here are some of those honored.

Photo by MCSN Juan A. Salinas-León

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shipmAte of the month

Photo by MCCS (IDW/EXW/AW) James Perkins

mentor of the monthHospital Corpsman 2nd Class (FMF)

Terron A. Lasalle is the leading petty officer of the Resuscitative Medicine Division. He is also the program manager for the Basic Life Support and Tactical Combat Casualty Care courses.

He manages student accreditation and enrollments, class agendas and post course reports. He also works to sustain the highly successful 2013 Military Training Network inspection, which resulted in a “Best in Practice Award” and “Mentoring Site Award” designation for NMCP’s American Heart Association program.

Lasalle contributes to the Mentorship Program are through daily face-to-face interactions.

“I use this opportunity to get a feel for the Sailors intentions and where they are going. I try to guide them in the right direction,” he said.

He mentors five Sailors and believes that the importance of mentorship was reinforced in the Master Chief Petty

Officer of the Navy’s “Brilliant in the Basics” initiative.

“It’s necessary to promote learning and professional growth in one’s career,” Lasalle said. “At the end of the day, these are and will be the future leaders of the Navy.”

Lasalle was encouraged by one of his current mentors to pay it forward and share personal experiences and insight. The rela-tionship also gives him the opportunity to learn from his protégé’s perspective.

“No doubt, being a humble servant leader and being committed to the program is what makes a great mentor,” Lasalle said.

His advice to mentors: “Keep doing the great things they are doing. Remember every encounter with a Sailor is an oppor-tunity to mentor and shouldn’t be wasted.”

Lasalle noted that looking back at the positive growth and success of those who allowed him the opportunity and privilege to mentor them is what motivates him.

Lasalle quoted Frank Outlaw, “Watch your thoughts. They become words. Watch your words. They become deeds. Watch your deeds. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become charac-ter. Character is everything.”

Would you like to become a mentor or find a mentor? Check out the Mentor Program on the Intranet to find valuable informa-tion about mentoring at NMCP. Go to the directory website map and look under “M” to learn more and join the Mentor Program today. Everyone is welcome.

HN Ademole Ajiboye, DSSHN Aysha Barber, DPCHN Lauren Bray, DNS

HM2 Michael Burger, DFAHM3 Amberlyn Gilbert, DCSS

HM3 Brittanie Haring, DPEHN Keturah Hasija, DMH

HM3 Alexander Poli, DPHSHM3 Cassandra Santos, Command Suite

HN Michael Stine, DMS

Photo by MC2 (SW) Terah L. Bryant