journal_032113

Vol. 25 No. 11 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ March 21, 2013

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

To foster professional de-velopment and team build-ing, 43 nurses and junior of-ficers from Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Cen-ter (WRNMMC) were one ofthe last groups to tour thehospital ship USNS Comfort(T-AH-20) in Baltimore, be-fore the ship set sail for itsnew home port in Norfolk,Va.The Comfort provides an

afloat, mobile, acute surgicalmedical facility to the U.S.military to support expedi-tionary warfare. The shipalso provides full hospitalservices to support U.S. di-saster relief and humanitar-ian operations worldwide.Nurses from WRNMMC’s

Clinical Nurse TransitionProgram (CNTP), and mem-bers of the Junior OfficerCouncil (JOC) who touredthe ship, described it as “aunique and great learningopportunity” to see an envi-ronment in which they couldone day work.“As a Soldier, it is not of-

ten that I get to see how theNavy operates, especiallywhen out to sea,” said 2ndLt. Melinda Beyerl, a nursein the CNTP. “I found thetour to be informative andI loved hearing about whatlife is like while aboard ship,as well as the different mis-sions and capabilities of theUSNS Comfort. It was veryinteresting to me how muchindividuals are responsiblefor, especially when the shipis docked.”Army 1st Lt. Rory Walton,

of the JOC, agreed. “Thisvessel has history withthe Navy, which is neat forArmy folks to see and be apart of. Its recent deploy-ment to Haiti [to providehumanitarian support fol-lowing the 2010 magnitude

7.0 earthquake], and its ‘al-ways ready’ operating sta-tus made it a rare chance toexperience a new operatingenvironment and logistics.Seeing a hospital vessel wasa great learning opportunity,particularly since many ofour officers deal with medi-cine and hospital care.”Staff and nurses of the

25-week CNTP who partici-pated in the Comfort touragreed. CNTP is for newnurses with less than sixmonths experience. It fo-cuses on developing theirphysical assessment skills,providing clinical rotationswith assigned preceptors,and monthly didactic semi-nars with an officer profes-sional development compo-nent, explained Army Maj.Janell Pulido, one of twodeputy directors for theprogram. CNTP bridges thenurses’ baccalaureate educa-tion and civilian experiencewith their military nursingpractice, added Navy Lt.Maricar Aberin, co-deputydirector for CNTP.“I believe this is an ex-

cellent program focused onorienting new graduate reg-istered nurses with minimalclinical experience to theprofession of nursing andthe U.S. military,” Pulidosaid. “Our program is struc-tured to provide new nurseswith a support system, anintegral piece to ensuringtheir smooth transition asnew military nurse corps of-ficers. CNTP also facilitatesthe development of criticalthinking and clinical deci-sion-making skills throughclinical experiences, class-room instruction, and otherunique learning and officerprofessional developmentopportunities.”Ensign Aline Marques,

who has been in the Navyfive months and will be as-signed to WRNMMC’s he-matology/oncology unit onceshe completes CNTP, agreed.

“Being in the CNTP has re-ally helped make my tran-sition to the work environ-ment much easier and lessstressful,” she said. “It hashelped by providing us withclinical experience, class-room lectures and seminarson a variety of topics relatedto our work environmentand to military culture.”“I enjoyed the program be-

cause it provided me with adiverse understanding of thedifferent nursing opportuni-ties at the command,” saidEnsign Kyle Waite, who re-cently completed CNTP andworks in the post-operativecare unit at WRNMMC.2nd Lt. Tara Connolly

said she appreciates goingthrough CNTP, which shecompletes in June with 13other new registered nurses,because of the camaraderie.“It provides a level of com-fort and support when beingnew and becoming orientedto a new command.”Connolly, who will be as-

signed to WRNMMC’s 4

Orientation Tour Helps Officers, Nurses Acclimate to Command

Nurses and junior officers from Walter Reed National Military Medical Centerwere one of the last groups to tour the hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20)in Baltimore, before the ship set sail for its new home port in Norfolk, Va. inFebruary.

Courtesy Photos

2nd Lt. Tara Connolly and 2nd Lt. Francesca Levineare in the Clinical Nurse Transition Program (CNTP)at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.CNTP is for new nurses with less than six monthsexperience, and focuses on developing their physi-cal assessment skills, providing clinical rotations withassigned preceptors, and monthly didactic seminarswith an officer professional development component.See TRANSITION page 8

2 Thursday, March 21, 2013 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, a pri-vate firm in no way connectedwith the U.S. Navy, under ex-clusive written contract with theWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center, Bethesda, Md.This commercial enterprise news-paper is an authorized publication formembers of the military services. Contentsof The Journal are not necessarily the of-ficial views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S.Government, the Department of Defense,or the Department of Navy. The appearanceof advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constituteendorsement by the Department of De-fense or Comprint, Inc., of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertisedin this publication shall be made availablefor purchase, use or patronage without re-

gard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, maritalstatus, physical handicap,political affiliation, or anyother non-merit factor of thepurchaser, user, or patron.Editorial content is edited,prepared and provided bythe Public Affairs Office, Naval

Support Activity Bethesda, Md.News copy should be submitted to

the Public Affairs Office, Building 11, lowerlevel, Room 41, by noon one week pre-ceding the desired publication date. Newsitems are welcomed from all installationsources. Inquiries about news copy will beanswered by calling 301- 295-1803. Com-mercial advertising should be placed withthe publisher by telephoning 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed by call-ing 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. Frederick (Fritz) Kass

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

Journal StaffStaff Writers MASNApril Beazer

Sarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorCat DeBinderDavid A. DickinsonJeremy Johnson

Managing Editor MC2 Nathan PardeNSAB Editor MC2 John HamiltonWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727Fleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

WRNMMC OmbudsmanJulie Bondar 443-854-5167

NSAB OmbudsmanJojo Lim Hector 703-901-6730

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

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

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

The Jewish holidayof Passover, also calledPesach, commemoratesthe Israelites journeyfrom Egyptian slaveryto freedom. During morethan 200 years of slav-ery, the Egyptian Pha-raoh brutalized the Is-raelites, forcing them tobuild giant storehousesof grain and ordering allmale Israelite babies tobe drowned in the NileRiver.

With God’s help, Moses confront-ed Pharaoh and demanded freedomfor the Israelites. God brought tenplagues upon the Egyptians until theIsraelites gained their freedom. TheIsraelites left Egypt in such a hurrythat they did not have time to fullybake their bread. Instead, they ateunleavened bread, called matzah.Therefore, Jews eat matzah in placeof bread during Passover.

As Jews mark the Israelite’s jour-ney from slavery to freedom, they arereminded of the importance of fight-ing for freedom in the world today. Atthe Passover Seder, Jews say, “In ev-ery generation it is incumbent upon aman to see himself as if he had comeforth from Egypt.” When we imagineourselves as slaves, we feel empathywith all oppressed peoples. This em-pathy moves us to work to bring oth-ers to freedom. In doing so, we followthe call of the prophet Isaiah to “loos-en the chains of wickedness, to undothe bands of the yoke, and to let theoppressed go free.”

Remembering Jewish slavery alsoserves a spiritual purpose. Prior toPassover, Jews do a deep cleaning oftheir homes, disposing of foods thathave risen such as bread, cakes andpastas. In addition to this physicalcleaning, Jews should also undergoa spiritual cleansing. Passover is a

time to clean out ourown storehouses of angerand resentment and tocommit ourselves to in-trospection, honesty andhumility.

On the first two eve-nings of Passover, Jewshold a Seder, a specialordered meal that re-counts the Exodus story.At the meal is a Sederplate with five specialfoods: maror, charos-

et, a shank bone, a roasted egg andparsley. Maror are bitter herbs thatrepresent the bitterness of slavery.Charoset, a mixture of apples, nuts,and wine, symbolize the mortar andbricks used to build Pharaoh’s store-houses. The shank bone and egg arereminiscent of ancient sacrifices Jewsonce offered to God. The parsley sym-bolizes springtime. Additionally, Jewsdip parsley in salt water to mark thetears of slavery.

During the Seder, Jews spill dropsof wine to remember the plagues Godbrought upon the Egyptians. We spillthe wine to show that the fact thatothers suffered in our fight for free-dom diminishes our joy. Even our en-emies are God’s children. Althoughit may be necessary to defeat them,Jewish tradition teaches that oneshould not rejoice in their passing.

This year, Passover begins on theevening of Monday, March 25 andlasts for eight days, ending on Tues-day, April 2. I pray that this Passoverseason will be a time for people ofall faiths and beliefs to renew theircommitment to fighting for freedomaround the world.

Rabbi Risa WeinsteinChaplainDept. of Pastoral CareWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center

Chaplain’s Corner Women’s History MonthThe U.S. Army Band “Downrange” performs

today at 11:30 a.m. in Walter Reed Bethesda’sAmerica Building atrium in celebration ofWomen’s History Month. For more information,call Sgt. 1st Class Jason Zielske at 301-400-3542, or Chief Hospital Corpsman OluyinkaAdefisan at 301-295-6482.

Prostate Cancer Support GroupThe Walter Reed National Military Medical

Center (WRNMMC) Prostate Cancer SupportGroup meets twice today in the River ConferenceRoom in America Building, third floor of theAmerica Building, adjacent to the Center forProstate Disease Research. The day session isfrom 1 to 2 p.m., and the evening session is from6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more information aboutthis support group, contact Vin McDonald at703-643-2658 or [email protected].

Ask Your LeadershipAsk Your Leadership is a new staff commu-

nication tool for you to view and post questionsand comments for official responses from theWalter Reed Bethesda command leadership.The tool is on the WRB Intranet page, clickon the Town Hall/Leadership Forum icon, andthen click on Ask Your Leadership.

Animal TherapyThe National Museum of Health and

Medicine hosts a free program about thepower on animal therapy Monday at 6 p.m.in the Silver Spring Civic Building, FentonRoom. The program will feature WarriorCanine Connection (WCC), a therapeuticservice dog training program designed tonaturally reduce the symptoms of post-trau-matic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumaticbrain injury (TBI) for veterans and servicemembers. WCC is offered at the NationalIntrepid Center of Excellence oon base atNaval Support Activity Bethesda. The SilverSpring Civic Building is located at 1 VeteransPlace in Silver Spring, Md. For more infor-mation, call 301-319-3303, or email [email protected].

Bethesda Notebook

The Journal Thursday, March 21, 2013 3

By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

As civilian staff membersat Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC) brace them-selves for the potentialfurlough, departments andservices at Walter ReedBethesda reach out to pro-vide relevant updates andways to cope.“In our continuing com-

mitment to keep all staffupdated as information de-velops, a library of informa-tion has been created solelyfor this purpose,” explainedWRNMMC Chief of StaffCol. Ramona M. Fiorey.The “Potential Seques-

tration and Furlough Li-brary” can be accessed bythe clicking the “Town Halland Leadership” Icon on theintranet. The online bankof furlough-related infor-mation includes frequentlyasked questions with an-swers along with a videotape of the recent town hall.Cmdr. Dwayne Bucking-

ham, chief of the Resiliency

and Psychological HealthService at WRNMMC, de-scribed a collaborative ef-fort with the Office of Or-ganizational Development,Chaplain’s Office, Em-ployee Assistance Program(EAP), Fleet and FamilySupport Center, as well as

Integrated Health Servic-es and other departmentsand agencies to cultivate ahealthy work environmentduring sequestration. “Oureffort will lead to the de-velopment and delivery ofactivities that encouragepositive coping and healthy

training,” he said.Buckingham provided

what he believed to be thetop three personal and pro-fessional concerns of staffmembers impacted by thefurlough.Distress about paying

bills, feeling overworked,and feeling emotionally de-pleted or helpless may rankhigh above other concerns,according to Buckingham.Emotionally, these concernsmay manifest as burnoutand ultimately depression,if unaddressed.“People actually start

to feel burnout when theyfeel depleted or drained,”said Buckingham, who ex-plained these individualscan be cynical, negative andunreceptive to constructivefeedback. Stress is slightlydifferent than burnout.“With stress, people are

typically more willing totry to reduce their stress,and to deal with it,” hesaid. With burnout, peoplewithdraw, and feel helpless;stress pushes you to act andrespond, according to Buck-ingham, who said burnout

is the more severe of thetwo. It prolonged over time,can lead to depression. De-pression affects productiv-ity, he said, which can leadto increased absences atwork, low morale and re-duced productivity.Buckingham encouraged

supervisors to help staffproblem solve and provideinformation, so employeescan utilize resources thatwill help them become moreresilient. Resiliency is theability to cope with adver-sity in a healthy, productivemanner, he explained.In addition, it’s impor-

tant to know the differencebetween empathy and sym-pathy, Buckingham said.“Sympathy is showing con-cern for their well-beingand empathy is puttingyourself in their shoes. Youhave to be able to empowerthem, not reinforce helplessfeelings.”The resiliency service

chief offered six practicaltips to cope.Think positive. Surround

CHRC Human Resources Prepares for a Possible Furlough

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Army Col. Ramona Fiorey, Walter Reed National Mil-itary Medical Center(WRNMMC) chief of staff, briefsstaff on plans for the medical center to continue toprovide quality patient care while facing possible civil-ian furloughs next month. It’s not about a single staffmember facing challenges alone, it’s “about all of usin it together,” Fiorey said.

See FURLOUGH page 7

10380381038040


By MassCommunications

Specialist 2nd ClassJohn K. Hamilton

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

Navy Medicine and Pro-fessional Development Cen-ter (NMPDC) recently select-ed Navy Lt. Irina Roman astheir 2012-2013 Junior Offi-cer of the Year.

Roman was surprised withthe selection, especially afterbeing at the command foronly a year.

“We have a very strongpool of junior officers at thecommand,” said Roman. “Mycommand’s mission is to sup-port professional develop-ment and health educationmissions that we deliverto the fleet and other com-mands. Thus, we have mostqualified and dedicated per-sonnel gathered from the en-tire Navy to execute this mis-sion. I, honestly, didn’t believethat I could become a JuniorOfficer of the Year duringmy first year at NMPDC. Inaddition to that, I was little

skeptical considering thatit was just my second touras a commissioned officer inthe Navy. I am prior enlistedwith 3 years of experience asa junior sailor.”

Roman said planning hermilitary career starting fromher junior years, commandclimate and mentoring areher keys to success and thereason she won the award.

“Command climate isvery important; it has nour-ished my success in achiev-ing my goals,” said Roman.“I knew exactly what I needto accomplish from the com-mand’s speed mentoring ses-sions and from my mentors,Mr. Glenn Smith, Cmdr. Da-vid Blazes, and Cmdr. DavidBrett-Major. Every singlejunior and senior officer andSailor in the NMPDC Com-mand in one way or other hadcontributed to my personalgrowth that progressed to se-lection as a Junior Officer ofthe Year. So, to be honest, myselection as a Junior Officerof the Year is also the way torecognize their outstandingmentoring.”

Even though Roman is

saddled with numerous re-sponsibilities, she has founda way to balance them andexcel at the same time, butgives a lot of the credit to hermentors.

“For the past year, I haveworked with the MilitaryTropical Medicine (MTM)Course teaching parasitol-ogy and executing trainingmissions in developing coun-tries,” said Roman. “I havebalanced teaching at theUSUHS (Uniformed Servic-es University Of the HealthSciences) with my Master’sstudies, overseas missions,

and the family. I can proudlysay that I have accomplisheda lot. I completed my MS inBiotechnology with special-ization in Biodefense and Bi-osecurity in December 2012.It took me almost 2 years ofhard course work to completethis degree, while workingtime-to-time as trainer andtranslator in the rural placesof the former Russian Statesof Azerbaijan and Republic ofGeorgia, rural villages of Par-aguay, and TAD (temporaryassigned duty) in the conti-nental US with the MTM.None of this would have hap-pened without planning frommy part and guidance frommy mentors.”

For other service mem-bers looking to make JuniorOfficer of the Year, Romansuggests planning out theirmilitary career now, network-ing and not shying away fromasking questions.

Upper leadership was im-pressed with Roman’s recordfrom the moment she arrivedat NMPDC.

My first impression of Lt.Roman was that she was avery sharp officer, well versed

in her areas of expertise,”said Glenn Smith, director ofacademic programs at NMP-DC. “Her being so highly ed-ucated, with such a very widebreadth of experience, andbeing multi-lingual wouldgo a long way in her beingable to demonstrate that shewould become a considerableasset to the command.

“Roman made an immedi-ate global impact through re-vising the laboratory portionof the MTM course curricu-lum, and she was responsiblefor the hands-on laboratorytraining of over 150 tri-ser-vice physicians and providersin the identification of Ma-laria, and other parasites ofoperational relevance to de-ploying personnel,” he added.“She set up field training sitesin Paraguay that allowed thesuccessful completion of theMTM Field mission and sheadditionally supported thetri-service, Air Force ad-ministered Global Medicinecourse by teaching laborato-ry topics for this deploymentcritical course.”

NMPDC Names Roman as its Junior Officer of the Year

Courtesy photo

1037960


Jeremy K. JohnsonNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Naval Faci l i t iesEngineering Com-mand (NAVFAC) atNaval Support Activ-ity Bethesda (NSAB)is in the process ofmaking most of the in-stallation’s sidewalkscompliant with therequirements of theAmericans with Dis-abilities Act (ADA).

The project, aimedat making sidewalksmore accessible forthose using wheel-chairs or other mobil-ity assistance technol-ogy, is being completedin stages via contrac-tors.

According to theconstruction managerfor the current projectGreg Lucas, the proj-ects - numbering threeso far - are a result ofan accessibility studythat was done twoyears ago.

Billy Jaeger, designmanager for the cur-rent contract, clarifiedthat the NSA Bethesda

Accessibility Plan wasfinished in April 2011.“Part I of the [result-ing] construction wascompleted in August of2011,” he added.

To be ADA compli-ant, the sidewalksmust meet certainwidth requirements,and include accessramps and crosswalks.

When the project be-gan, explained Lucas,the first focus was thearea with the highesttraffic and need. “Thefirst part covered thesidewalks betweenthe hospital and thewounded warrior bar-racks,” he said. Thatincluded Buildings 60,61 and 62.

Jaeger said the ur-gency to complete PartI was in part becauseof the merger betweenWalter Reed and theNational Naval Medi-cal Center. The scopeof that project was de-termined by looking atthe finances and timeavailable to completethe work, he said.

Part II, said Lucas,covers much more andis slated to cost $1.9million. The cost in-cludes most of the re-mainder of the instal-lation. Both projectsalso include flashingsignage and signals de-signed to alerts driversto when crosswalks arebeing used.

According to Lucas,Part II is about 50 per-cent completed. Oncefinished, future workwill be done as neededthrough a third andpossibly fourth con-tract, said Jaeger. Ac-cording to Lucas, how-ever, the next project isexpected to cover the

remainder of recom-mendations that camefrom the accessibilitystudy.

Lucas, who servesin the Navy Reserveas a Seabee, said he’sparticularly proudto be associated withthis project becauseof the impact it willhave. “This is going tomake it easier for our

wounded warriors toget around. I’m gladwe’re giving attentionto making these side-walks compliant.”

He noted that mostinstallations wouldn’tgo to these lengthsbecause “they don’thave the same need

NSA Bethesda Project Aims to Make More Sidewalks ADA Compliant

Photo by Jeremy K. Johnson

Sidewalk improvements, such as the workshown here on Palmer Road East at EastRixey Road, is underway to make Naval Sup-port Activity Bethesda more accessible forwounded warriors by complying with guide-lines set by the Americans with DisabilitiesAct.

See FIX page 10

10380361036122

1038034


2nd Lt. Sara BrandtDietetic Intern

This morning, you wakeup late. You roll out of bedin a panic and start throw-ing on clothes. A hairbrushbarely makes it acrossyour hair and a toothbrushacross your teeth beforeyou’re bolting to the door.Your stomach rumbleswhen you are about toshut the door behind you.Breakfast?

“No time,” you think. “I’lljust skip it.”

While breakfast is themost commonly skippedmeal, skipping any mealcan set you up for a dayof unhealthy eating. Skip-ping a meal can result ineating more unhealthysnacks throughout the dayor overeating at your nextmeal, because by that timeyou’re starving. Unhealthy

snacking and overeat-ing can lead to consum-ing more calories than youneed in a day; and the ex-tra calories can translateinto weight gain. Eatingregular meals, and makinghealthy choices at thosemeals, can help you staywithin your daily caloriebudget and maintain yourweight in the long run. Ad-ditionally, eating regularmeals may help maintainweight loss.

Are you ready to stopskipping meals?

“Hang on,” you say. “Thatsounds good but sometimesI just don’t have any timeto eat.”

We’ve all been there;sometimes daily demandscome with such rapid firethat when you finally takea break, you can’t remem-ber the last time you ate.While there is no way to

eliminate these situationsaltogether, below are threetools you can use to help fitmeals into a busy schedule.

Make it portableHaving a meal doesn’t al-

ways mean sitting at a tableand using the good plates.Sometimes a meal meanseating while standing overthe sink or as you’re walk-ing out the door. But a fastmeal doesn’t have to meanan unhealthy meal. Hav-ing ideas for balanced,one-handed meals can helpmake the easy choice alsothe healthy one. Luckily,there are a number of op-tions for cooks and non-cooks alike.

Here are some examples:HomemadeBreakfast2 scrambled eggs and ½

cup reduced-fat cheese in awhole wheat tortilla

2 tablespoons peanut but-ter on a whole wheat Eng-lish muffin and

1 medium banana

Lunch1 whole wheat pita pocket

stuffed with 4,1-ounce slices of low-sodi-

um turkey lunchmeat,½ cup veggies and2 tablespoons light may-

onnaise1 large celery stalk spread

with 2 tablespoons peanutbutter and topped with ¼cup raisins

Dinner1 cup shredded chicken

breast with ½ cup raw spin-ach and 2 tablespoons pestoin 1 whole wheat tortilla

Grilled cheese with to-mato using 2 slices wholewheat bread

(with 2 teaspoons marga-rine for cooking),

2 slices reduced fat ched-dar cheese and 3 slices to-mato

PremadeBreakfastPremade peanut butter

and jelly or peanut but-ter and honey sandwich onwhole wheat bread (find it inthe frozen food aisle!)

Breakfast shake

LunchHandheld soup-to-goPremade burrito (find it in

the frozen food aisle!)Shopping Note: Look for

products that are labeled‘reduced sodium’, ‘light insodium’ or ‘heart healthy’.

DinnerStuffed pocket frozen en-

trée with whole grain crustPanini or flatbread melt

Skipping Meals? It May Hurt Your Waistline

See FOOD page 9

By Joanna J. WestDiLorenzo TRICARE

Health Clinic (Pentagon)

Rear Adm. Alton L. Stocks,commander, Walter ReedNational Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC), recent-ly presided over the assump-tion of command ceremonyfor DiLorenzo TRICAREHealth Clinic (DTHC) at thePentagon.

Army Col. Joseph S.Pina assumed command ofthe clinic on Feb. 26 duringthe ceremony in the Hallof Heroes at the Pentagon.DTHC is a separate com-mand under WRNMMC,and provides health care tothe Pentagon’s active dutypopulation.

In a traditional act ofpassing of the colors, Stockspassed the colors from Sgt.1st Class Timothy Paul,DTHC senior enlisted ad-visor, to Pina. Establishinghis position as commander,Pina then passed the colorsback to Paul, for safekeep-ing.

This was a momentousoccasion for the DTHC fam-ily. Unique to most organi-zations in the military, Col.Kenneth Block served asthe previous commander for

DTHC for the last 10 yearsuntil his death in August2012. Block actually tookcommand in 1994, movingthe clinic to its current lo-cation in 1997. He depart-

ed DTHC in 2000, and thencame back in 2002 to leadthe organization.

During the standing-roomonly ceremony, red roseswere presented to Cindy

Block, the colonel’s widow,as a ‘thank you’ for her con-tinuous support of the DTHCfamily. She served count-less hours working as a RedCross volunteer in the clinic

and treated the staff as herextended family. Additional-ly, the Block family present-ed Victoria Hoey with flow-ers for her 16 years of con-tinuous service to Col. Blockand the DTHC family as thecommander’s secretary.

Stocks welcomed Pinaand stated, “They don’t comemore qualified or more readyfor command.” He also saidthat Pina knows how to takecare of Soldiers, civiliansand their families.

Pina praised Col. Block forbuilding a remarkable teamand transforming DTHCinto a truly tri-service clinic.He thanked Cindy Block forsupporting the late coloneland the DTHC family.

Pina is taking commandat DTHC during an excitingtime, he said. Patient Cen-tered Medical Home (PCMH)is underway at DTHC, bring-ing patients better access tohealth care and more con-tinuity with their assignedprovider. DTHC is rollingout Relay Health that al-lows patients to email theirproviders directly and evenhas a brand new Facebookpage. The DTHC is onFacebook at www.facebook.com/Pages/DiLorenzo-TRI-CARE-Health-Clinic-Penta-gon/336001326509904.

DiLorenzo Clinic Welcomes New Commander

Courtesy photo

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Commander (WRNMMC), RearAdm. Alton L. Stocks (right) passes the colors of the DiLorenzo TRICARE HealthClinic (DTHC) at the Pentagon to Army Col. Joseph Pina during a ceremonyFeb. 26 in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes, establishing the colonel as DTHC com-mander. DTHC is a separate command under WRNMMC.


yourself with positive peo-ple.Practice positive refram-

ing to manage your at-titude. When negativitycreeps in, find somethingpositive to focus on.Learn to be flexible. Re-

main open and be willingto adapt to situations. Sur-round yourself with peoplewho are flexible. Listen anddemonstrate empathy.Focus on things you can

change instead of those youcannot.Communicate and process

what you feel. Reflect to gaininsight. Utilize your resourc-es and seek help.Buckingham said the re-

siliency program provides avariety of services for lead-ership and employees thatoffer strategies both can useto deal with sequestration-re-lated challenges. “We’re ableto come in and provide train-ing to leadership on how tosupport their employees andhow to talk to them aboutthe furlough, [as well as] howto cope with it. We can alsocome into the unit and pro-

vide coping strategies for em-ployees,” he explained. EmailWRNMMC-Res i l i en [email protected] or call 301-400-1974 to find out more aboutresiliency services.

Employee AssistanceProgramIn partnership with the

resiliency program, JTF-CapMed and DOD civilianemployees can seek helpfrom EAP. Working withemployees, their job per-formance, mental healthissues and anything thatmight affect their job per-formance is the specialtyservice provided by EAP,

according to Amanda Ma-her, the EAP coordinator atWalter Reed Bethesda.The EAP program is

highly confidential, andprovides employees with “afree place where they cango, and can address per-sonal or performance issueswith the hope that they canhelp restore their produc-tivity on the job,” Mahersaid. EAP offers classes onstress management, man-aging coworker conflict andcan also customize trainingaccording to specific needs.Maher recommended con-tractors to check with theiremployers, who may of-

fer something similar. CallAmanda Maher at 301-400-0077 for more about EAP,or visit the WRNMMC in-tranet and click on the pur-ple and yellow EAP buttonfor a link to their webpage.

Strength, togetherIt’s not about a single

staff member facing chal-lenges alone, it’s “about allof us in it together,” Fioreysaid. The chief of staff quot-ed Martin Luther King, Jr.during one of the town hallsheld Feb. 27. “‘We may haveall come on different ships,but we’re in the same boatnow.’”

FURLOUGHContinued from 3

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class

Nathan PardeNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Command leadership metwith service members andcivilian staff during four AllHands Calls held at NavalSupport Activity Bethesda(NSAB) last week.“I look forward to these

opportunities to talk andhear from you,” said NSABCommanding Officer Fred-erick (Fritz) Kass. “We try todisseminate information outto you as quickly as possibleand as soon as we can.”The final of the All Hands

Calls, held at the WarriorCafé March 16, covered top-ics ranging from commandclimate and parking to a fu-ture change of command atthe installation. But, Kassbegan the discussion withthe subject that he said iscurrently on everyone’s mind– sequestration.“We need to plan for the

possibility that we may havesome staff not reporting towork one day a week,” hesaid. “I am cautiously op-timistic that Congress willwork this out before thisaffects us, but if it shouldcome here, we will scale ourservices appropriately. Thebottom line is, we are goingto see some changes, but Ithink most of them will besmall obstacles to overcome.”Other upcoming events

mentioned during the meet-ing included a scheduledvisit from the Navy InspectorGeneral in May and an onlinecommand climate survey.“It’s your chance to tell us

what we are doing well, whatwe are doing not so well, andhow we can improve,” said

Kass. “I want this to be a greatplace to work for everyone.”Peer accountability is an

effective way to influence theclimate around you, and cancome from any rank or paygrade, he added.“Peer involvement and

encouragement makes ahuge difference and is reallyvaluable,” he said. “You don’thave to be in a position ofleadership to influence peo-ple around you.”Master-at-Arms Seaman

Amanda Putnam of NSAB’sSecurity Department at-tended the All Hands Callon March 15 and said it wasreassuring to hear directlyfrom the commanding officer.“I know many civilians are

worried that the furloughmay happen to them, so Ithink this Commander’s Calltook a lot of worry off manypeople’s shoulders,” said Put-nam.One thing she learned

from the open discussion was

that the Navy’s tuition as-sistance (TA) program is cur-rently still in place, despitethe other military branchessuspending their own TAprograms. It was nice to hearthat directly from the instal-lation commander, she said.“I hear many messages

from my leadership everyday, but it’s not every daywe get the privilege to get tohear the Commanding Offi-cer,” said Putnam.Kass wrapped up the

meeting by expressing howthe command is making adifference in many people’slives each day.“The mission that this in-

stallation does, I think is ter-rifically important: we helppeople heal and maintaintheir health. We’re support-ing people who carry thatout every day. What you domatters, and is very impor-tant to me, and I recognizethat day in and day out, youdo it very well.”

NSAB All Hands Call Discusses Sequestration, Command Climate

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Parde

Naval Support Activity Bethesda Commanding Officer Capt. Frederick (Fritz) Kass discusses current andupcoming events with military and civilian staff at an All Hands Call in the Warrior Café March 15.


Center ward as a medical surgicalnurse working with wounded war-riors once she finishes the program,described CNTP as an invaluableexperience. “Since I started in De-cember, I have worked on 4 [East]with wounded warriors for fourweeks; the medical intensive careunit for a week; 5 [West] hematol-ogy/oncology for a week; 3 [Center]telemetry for a week; and 5 [Cen-ter] with geriatric and post surgicalpatients for a week. It is a way tohelp us be successful nurses.”Beyerl added, “I am very thank-

ful for the CNTP because it has al-lowed me to simultaneously easeinto nursing, yet also jump in withboth feet. The outpatient rotationswere helpful in understanding thepatient flow in the hospital. I espe-cially appreciated the day spent atthe laboratory. The temporary as-signment to an inpatient unit wasalso very beneficial to me. I spentfour weeks on 5 West (hematology/oncology) and had numerous oppor-tunities to learn about central lines,ports, chemotherapy, blood transfu-sions and IV lines in general. Over-all, this is a great program.”CNTP was established by Pulido,

CNTP director Cynthia Goldberg,

and former co-deputy CNTP direc-tor Lt. Cmdr. Bridgette Fergusonfollowing the integration of theformer Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter and former National NavalMedical Center in September 2012.CNTP merged the Navy Intern-ship Program and the Brig. Gen.(retired) Anna Mae Hayes ClinicalNurse Transition Program. Morethan 400 military nurses from eachof the two military services havecompleted the programs since theywere initially established severalyears ago, Puildo said.The JOC also supports junior of-

ficers across services at WRNMMC,Puildo added. “They support nurs-es, physicians, other health-careproviders and specialties acrossall services,” she said in explainingtheir participation in the USNSComfort tour with the CNTP staffand nurses.“We represent more than 1,200

officers, and our membership iscurrently growing as we are a newstand-up organization for this jointservice base,” Walton added. Hesaid the JOC meets monthly andany officers O-3 and below can be-come a member and be afforded “aunique opportunity for camarade-rie, mentorship and professionaldevelopment.”For more information about the

JOC, contact 1st Lt. Roy Walton [email protected].

TRANSITIONContinued from 1

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frozen entréeShopping Note: Look for products

that have 500 calories or less perserving and 15 grams of fat or lessper serving.

Grab a lunch buddyIf you work out with a partner

you probably know this feeling: youwake up early in the morning to ex-ercise and lay in bed for a minute,thinking of how much you don’t re-ally want to work out. But you havesomeone waiting on you, so you getup and go anyway. The same can besaid for making time to eat. Meetingfamily members, friends or cowork-ers to eat can help make meals a pri-ority. Even if you walk to the dininghall with your coworkers and pickup lunch to bring back to your desk,you avoid missing lunch entirely andreduce the potential to overeat laterin the day.

Keep a snack stashAnother way to ensure that you

don’t miss a meal is to have snacksstowed away in a backpack, purse ordesk drawer. But, let’s take a min-ute to define ‘snacks’. Cookies andcheese puffs aren’t the best choices.Keep your snacks to 200-300 calo-ries. Aim for foods with whole grains

to give you energy as well as foodswith protein or fiber to help keepyou full.

Here are some examples:207 calories2 single-serve bags of baby car-

rots (about 24) and 1 single-servecontainer of hummus (¼ cup)

This snack contains:• Protein• Fiber

232 calories1 ounce beef jerky, 1 reduced-fat

cheese stick and a medium appleThis snack contains:• Protein• Fiber

269 calories1 single-serve package (1 ounce, 2

tablespoons) of peanut butter1 mini cinnamon raisin multi-

grain bagelThis snack contains:• Whole grain• Protein• FiberSkipping meals to save time or

due to hectic schedules can lead tostaving off hunger pangs with highcalorie snacks or overeating at oth-er meals later in the day. However,having portable meals and healthysnacks on hand, as well as eatingmeals with family, friends or co-workers, can help you avoid skippingmeals the next time life gets in theway.

FOODContinued from 6

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for it that we do here,” referring toNSAB’s mission of supporting Wal-ter Reed National Military MedicalCenter and the tenants units thatin turn support wounded warriorsand their families.Jaeger added that Part III, which

will be awarded as a MILCON (mili-

tary contract), is in the design stageby Washington Navy Yard. It is cur-rently expected to be a much largerproject than Part II, covering theremainder of NSAB, including pathsalongside Stoney Creek, access tothe bowling alley and better accessto Building 50.Despite the narrow focus of this

series of projects, other needs arealways under consideration, saidLucas. “We’re constantly looking atwhat needs to be done or retrofitted,”he emphasized. “Constantly.”

FIXContinued from 5

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touredthe ship

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