Vol. 24 No. 30 www.bethesda.med.navy.mil July 26, 2012

By David A. DickinsonWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

As part of the "Hoops forTroops" program, NBA andWNBA legends LennyWilkens, Teresa Edwards,Alonzo Mourning and SamPerkins visited Walter ReedBethesda recently.

Launched in 2006, Hoopsfor Troops provides supportfor the U.S. military andtheir families through pro-grams, events, and partner-ships. The program and itsparticipants were in Wash-ington last week to conductpublic clinics, practices andexhibition games as part ofthe men's and women's U.S.national basketball teams'preparation for the upcom-ing Olympics in London.Olympic team members and

legends visited ArlingtonNational Cemetery, as wellas Walter Reed Bethesdawhere they met with wound-ed warriors, their familiesand staff to thank them fortheir service and sacrifices.

"For them to take time outof their schedules is a bighonor and means a lot to us,"said Army Spc. ChristopherAnderson, a wounded war-rior at Walter Reed Bethes-da, injured last month whileserving in Afghanistan.

"It's very inspiring to seethese young warriors andtheir attitude and their ap-proach," said Wilkens, anNBA coach who tallied thesecond most career regularseason wins (1,332) in coach-ing. "It's an honor to visit thewounded warriors and thefacility," said the Hall of

Fame point guard, who isalso an Army veteran.

Wilkens was a member ofthe ROTC program at Provi-dence College in Rhode Is-land, and had his secondNBA season, 1961-1962, in-terrupted when he wascalled to serve as a U.S.Army second lieutenant inthe Quartermaster Corps.He said the military "taughtthat we had to work togetherto be successful. The otherthing it taught me was or-ganization. Whatever orga-nizational skills I had, theyjust were enhanced becauseof being in the military."

After completing his mili-tary commitment, Wilkensreturned full-time to hisNBA career, and againserved his country as coach

Basketball Legends visit Walter Reed Bethesda

Photo by David A. Dickinson

WNBA legendTeresa Edwards autographs a basket-ball for wounded warriors in the Military AdvancedTraining Center at Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center recently. As part of the "Hoops forTroops" program, Edwards was joined by NBA leg-ends Lenny Wilkens, Alonzo Mourning, and SamPerkins visiting wounded warriors, their families andstaff at Walter Reed Bethesda. See LEGEND page 8

By Helen HocknellNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Scientists at the UniformedServices University of theHealth Sciences (USU) havediscovered a new way to ren-der a microbe non-infectiouswhile preserving its immunesystem-boosting properties af-ter exposure to gamma radia-tion.

The discovery could haveprofound implications for thedevelopment of vaccines fordeadly diseases like humanimmunodeficiency virus(HIV),explained USU Pathol-ogy Professor Dr. MichaelDaly,whose research team ledthe study.

Daly has devoted morethan 20 years to studyingDeinococcus radiodurans, amicroorganism the GuinnessBook ofWorld Records dubbed“the world’s toughest bacteri-

um.” Nicknamed “Conan theBacterium,” it is known for itsability to withstand severalthousand times the radiationlevels that would kill a humanbeing,and can be found nearlyanywhere – from your kitchencounter to the middle of adesert.

Deinococcus survives theseextreme environments by ac-cumulating high concentra-tions of manganese – a metalelement similar to iron – andpeptides, which protect itsproteins from destructionwhen exposed to high levels ofradiation or extremely dryconditions.

“I had been thinking theremust be something very, veryimportant we can do with this,and it just came to me, sud-denly as a flash:vaccine devel-opment might be the way togo,” said Daly.

Vaccines are usually madeup of ‘bits and pieces’ (epi-

topes) of disease-causingviruses or bacteria, he ex-plained. When injected into ahuman or animal, these pro-voke an immune responsethat includes the production of

antibodies, which can defendagainst future infection.

“However,” Daly ex-plained, “the ‘bits and pieces’

World's toughest microbe helps USU scientists

See MICROBE page 4

Pathology Professor Dr.Michael Daly in his lab atthe Uniformed Servicesniversity of Health Sci-ences. Daly is holding apetri dish containingDeinococcus radiodu-rans,a bacterium famousfor its extreme resist-ance to radiation.

Photos by Helen Hocknell

Deinococcus radiodurans survives by accumulatinghigh levels of manganese complex,which protects itsprotein structures from destruction when left in ex-tremely dry environments or exposed to high dosesof radiation.

LEGENDS

2 Thursday, July 26, 2012 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publica-tions, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, a pri-vate firm in no way connectedwith the U.S. Navy, under exclu-sive written contract with theWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center, Bethesda, Md. Thiscommercial enterprise newspaper is anauthorized publication for members of the mil-itary services. Contents of The Journal are notnecessarily the official views of, nor endorsedby, the U.S. Government, the Department ofDefense, or the Department of Navy. The ap-pearance of advertising in this publication, in-cluding inserts or supplements, does not con-stitute endorsement by the Department of De-fense or Comprint, Inc., of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertised inthis publication shall be made available forpurchase, use or patronage without regard to

race, color, religion, sex, nationalorigin, age, marital status, phys-ical handicap, political affiliation,or any other non-merit factor ofthe purchaser, user, or patron.Editorial content is edited, pre-pared and provided by the

Public Affairs Office, WalterReed National Military Medical

Center, Bethesda, Md. News copyshould be submitted to the Public Affairs Of-fice, Bldg. 1, 11th Floor, by noon one weekpreceding the desired publication date.News items are welcomed from all WRN-MMC complex sources. Inquiries aboutnews copy will be answered by calling (301)295-1803. Commercial advertising shouldbe placed with the publisher by telephoning(301) 921-2800. Publisher’s advertising of-fices are located at 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877. Classified adscan be placed by calling (301) 670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bethesda

Commanding Officer: Capt. Frederick (Fritz) Kass

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

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2 John Hamilton

MC3 Dion DawsonSarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorCat DeBinderKatie BradleyHelen Hocknell

Managing Editor MC1 Ardelle Purcell

NSAB Editor MC3 Nathan PardeWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

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

Fleet 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

Suicide Prevention TrainingA series of suicide prevention training courses

tailored to primary care providers (PCP) is beingsponsored by Navy behavioral health leadershipin accordance with existing tri-service suicide pre-vention programs. They are designed to addressand minimize suicide risk factors while strength-ening associated protective factors. A 90-minutecourse will be offered at Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center on Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. and1 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium to train PCPs onhow to incorporate suicide risk assessments intooffice visits and how to establish a safety plan. Toregister for the training, send an email to suicide-prevention@navy.mil that includes class prefer-ence (WRNMMC-B, Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.);full name (first, middle initial, last); service affili-ation with rate/rank; command/facility where youare assigned.

Prostate Cancer Support GroupThe Walter Reed National Military Medical

Center Prostate Cancer Support Group's nextquarterly meeting is Aug. 2 at 7 p.m. in the RiverConference Room on the third floor of the Americabuilding. Dr. Nancy Dawson, director of clinical re-search, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center,Georgetown University Hospital, will discuss"Dealing with Advanced Prostate Cancer." Formore information, contact Vin McDonald at 703-643-2658 or vpmjam@aol.com.

Education Services WorkshopsThe Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC)

in Building 11 is hosting the upcoming work-shops: Assertive Communication on Aug. 2 from10 to 11:30 a.m. in classroom 158; and How to De-Junk Your Life on Aug. 9 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. inclassroom 111. The workshops are open to all mil-itary members, retirees, Guards, Reservists, theirspouses, Department of Defense civilians andcontractors. To register, call the FFSC at 301-319-4087, or email ffsc@med.navy.mil using the re-spective subject line: communication and de-junklife.

Bethesda NotebookBethesda NotebookCommander's ColumnCommander's ColumnThank you for your

tireless efforts, day inand day out, ensuringquality care for our illand injured and theirloved ones. It is yourcommitment to excel-lence that allows us tocontinue calling our-selves the Nation’sMedical Center.

Day after day, I wit-ness you enthusiastical-ly walking through the doors preparedto take on the fast-paced, around theclock hours of healthcare. For some,you’ve found yourself here after yearsof deployments around the globe, andfor others, it is your maiden voyage.

Serving as you do amounts tospending a great deal of time apartfrom your beloved family and friends.It amazes me how you carry on yourroutine, without skipping a beat. Thisis the true mark of dedication, but ifone doesn’t take care of him or herself,it can take on a different meaning.

Make no mistake – our mission hereat Walter Reed Bethesda is truly wor-thy, but it is also demanding. It cantake a toll on all of us,so it is importantwe recognize the warning signs of fa-tigue, discomfort or just plain beingoverwhelmed. It is imperative that welook out for one another.What you maythink is intrusive just might save a life.

Often many are left wringing theirhands with thoughts of ‘perhaps if I hadjust said something when my gut wastellingmethispersonwasattheirbreak-ing point.’ Please don’t let that be you.

I know it is often difficult to detectwhen a person is suicidal,but there arewarning signs we can look out for, suchas withdrawal, hopelessness, an unre-lenting low mood, sleep problems andanxiety. There may also be an in-creased use of alcohol and/or drugs,and the individual may be acting reck-lessly, taking unnecessary risks, eventhreatening,or they may act out in un-expected rage or anger. If you see achange,ask about that change.Let that

person know you careand that you noticedsomething is wrong.

If you believe an indi-vidual to be in emotionalcrises,please,act immedi-ately. Intervene before apotential problem, andreport these behaviors toyour chain of command.Our providers have thenecessarytools forassess-ingandmanagingsuicide

risk,andwealsohaveeffectiveprocessesin place to communicate between lead-ers, balancing privacy and safety to besthelp our staff heal and reintegrate.

To continue enhancing the supportwe provide, a Suicide PreventionTraining course will be held at WalterReed National Military Medical Centeron Aug. 10 as part of a series of SuicidePrevention Training courses. They arein accordance with existing tri-servicesuicide prevention programs, designedto address and minimize risk factorswhile strengthening protective factors.There are also a number of resourcesand programs available on base, of-fered by Pastoral Care and the Fleetand Family Support Center. Classesare also offered by the IntegratedHealth Services that provide stress re-duction techniques. For more informa-tion about additional resources, callMilitary OneSource at 800-342-9647.

Suicide prevention begins with us.Early recognition and treatment arekey. Look out for one another. Pleaseremember if your peer is going througha difficult time,don’t hesitate to step inand help them get the support theyneed. Also, remember to take yourwell-deserved time off and don’t beafraid to ask for help or for a break.What you do matters, but most impor-tantly you Matter!!!

Commander sendsRear Adm. Alton L. StocksMC, USNWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center

The Journal Thursday, July 26, 2012 3Thursday, July 26, 2012 3

By MassCommunication

Specialist 2nd ClassJohn K. Hamilton

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

The Joint Task Force Na-tional Capital Region, Med-ical (JTF CapMed) recentlyheld a joint town hall toshare information and hearthe concerns of the wounded,ill and injured service mem-bers and their families.

Leadership representa-tives from all aspects ofwounded warrior supportwere present. Capt. Freder-ick Kass, NSAB command-ing officer, officiated the pro-ceedings and welcomed allpeople in attendance.

"This is an opportunity forus to share information backand forth," said Kass. "If theregular communication chan-nels through your brigade,regiment, battalion, non-medical attendant meetingsand other methods that weuse to get information outhave worked, then you’veheard most of what we’re go-ing to talk about today. But,we feel there is an added val-ue in getting together on aregular basis to make surethe big information points arepassed and we have an op-portunity to hear directly

from you."It has been almost a year

since the integration of Wal-ter Reed Army Medical Cen-ter and National Naval Med-ical Center that formed Wal-ter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center. The townhall gives wounded warriorsand their families an updateon the changes that weremade to accommodate theirstay, as well as new projectsthat are on the horizon.

"I think you'll see over thenext few months a lot more isgoing to start happeningaround here," said Maj. Gen.Steve Jones, JTF CapMed

commander. "There are a lotof good improvements thatwe funded, and we are goingto put the contracts in placeshortly -- things like gettinga trail for segways and bikeson the installation. We havethe new Navy Exchangecoming in that should openthis fall, which will be a greataddition to the installation.”

The forum also talkedabout improvements made tothe barracks, such an increaseinWi-Fi coverage for Building62 and better cellphone cover-age throughout the base.

The speakers stressed thatevents like these are in the

best interest of the com-mands, setting goals that willbenefit the recovery process.

"We’re here to serve youthrough your transition –from your care in the hospi-tal through your rehabilita-tion and transition back toduty or civilian life," saidJones. "We understand thatpart of that transition is tohelp you do more and more.So, you may find that we’reasking you to move to a newlocation, but that is all partof the plan that we have inplace to get you more inde-pendent and to get you doingmore so that you’ll be suc-

cessful when you returnhome or back to duty orwhatever you are going topursue after this."

Capt. Hugh Fisher, U.S.Army Reserve and town hallattendee, said the commandmade a great effort to openthings up and communicateto the warriors, leadershipand staff what the directionis and what projects they areworking on.

"I think the emphasis oncommunication was good,"said Fisher. "I like that wehad outside agencies and theQ-and-A session, and I likethe fact that the questionswere dealt with in a very sen-sible and credible fashion.”

Rear Adm. Alton L.Stocks,Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical CenterBethesda commander, closedout the town hall with re-marks that emphasized twoway communication as a keyelement in all facets of care.

"The message is: tell uswhat you need," said Stocks."I think the questions youasked are great examples ofus being able to communi-cate back and forth. Don't bethe last one with a secret – ifyou need something let usknow. Our purpose is to helpyou. It's our privilege and wewant to do it the best we can,so help us partner with you."

Town Hall Addresses Wounded Warrior Concerns

Photo by MC2 John K. Hamilton

Capt.Frederick Kass,Naval SupportActivity Bethesda (NSAB) commanding officer,addresses the wounded warriors and their families during a joint town hall recently.

By Sarah MarshallWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

To continue meeting thespiritual needs of patientsand staff, Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Cen-ter (WRNMMC) recently wel-comed aboard a new MuslimImam, Mohammed Khan.

Within the Muslim commu-nity, an Imam is considered aspiritual leader who providesguidance and leads prayer.

"An Imam serves as aguide and teacher," explainedKhan, who was born in Indiaand raised in Maryland. "I'mlike a sign on the highway. Ifyou're getting lost, I can tellyou where to go and what isthe best way to go."

Having worked for thelast 22 years as a chaplain atthe National Institutes ofHealth (NIH), Khan bringsexperience in providing spir-

itual care at a healthcare fa-cility and the ability to sup-port other faiths, in additionto the Muslim community.Over the years, he has alsospoken at many synagoguesand churches in the area, toeducate youth and familiesaffected by discrimination inthe wake of Sept. 11. In addi-tion to his religious role, theUniversity of Marylandgraduate carries a doctoratein biochemistry and hasbeen involved in conductingcancer research at NIH.

Khan also expressed hisappreciation for the opportu-nity to work with the mili-tary; many years ago, hewanted to join the ArmedForces, but instead was calledto his role as an Imam. "I'mhappy to be here," he said.

In addition to providingspiritual guidance, he seeksto educate staff and patientsabout the Muslim religion,

as many may have interact-ed with Muslims on deploy-ment. In the past month,since he arrived at WRN-MMC, Khan has offeredtraining to help pastoral carestaff learn the religiousneeds of Muslim patients,and to help them understandwhen they may need to callon him.

Last week he gave a pres-entation, open to the entiremedical center, to educate allon the importance of Ra-madan, July 20 through Aug.18. This particular holymonth is centered aroundfasting as a way of findingsalvation, reconnecting withthe almighty and cleansingthe soul. He said, "We call ita spiritual triage."

In the Muslim faith, fast-ing involves abstaining fromfood and drinks (anything

New Imam Joins Pastoral Care Team at WRNMMC

Photo by Sarah Marshall

Mohammed Khan, Walter Reed Bethesda's newImam, offered staff members a presentation aboutRamadan, helping them to better understand thespiritual and physical components of fasting during arecent presentation atWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center. See IMAM page 8

4 Thursday, July 26, 2012 The Journal

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 3rd Class

Nathan PardeNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Fifty leading U.S. companies havesigned up to meet service members,veterans and their spouses during ahiring event Aug. 25 at Naval SupportActivity Bethesda (NSAB).

"What's terrific about this event isthat it is win-win," said NSAB’s Com-manding Officer Capt.Frederick Kass."Veterans who are looking for a job cancome here and meet with dozens of or-ganizations,and the organizations arevery excited to be here because whatthey look for in an employee is whatthe military veterans bring to thetable."

Hosted by the Naval DistrictWash-ington (NDW) and NSAB Fleet andFamily Support Centers, the first local100,000 Jobs Mission hiring event washeld in Bethesda February 25. Morethan 650 individuals attended theevent, which resulted in more than 30accepted job offers, said Paul Gross-man, Regional Work and Family LifeCoordinator for Naval District Wash-ington.

“It was a success for both the em-

ployers and the participants, and bothsides gave really good feedback follow-ing the event,” he said. “The partici-pants liked the individual time and at-tention that they received from theemployers. From the employer stand-point, they said the candidates whocame to the event were very well-pre-pared,and one of the best group of can-didates that they have seen in a verylong time.”

The 100,000 Jobs Mission wasstarted after first lady Michelle Oba-ma and Dr. Jill Biden established a“Joining Forces” national initiative in2011.The purpose of the initiative is tomobilize all sectors of society to giveservice members and their families theopportunities and support they haveearned. It was formed in response to apresidential challenge to hire or train100,000 veterans and military spousesby the end of 2013.

According to the 100,000 Jobs Mis-sion website, www.100000jobsmis-sion.com, one of the biggest issues fac-ing men and women in the armedforces is finding good jobs when theyleave active duty, and the unemploy-ment rate for recent veterans ages 18-25 is significantly higher than the na-tional average.However,since the pro-gram’s launch last year, the group of

companies has hired more than 18,000veterans.

The upcoming hiring event inBethesda offers participants the op-portunity to meet with companies thatare looking to hire professional em-ployees. Available job positions rangefrom entry-level to managerial posi-tions, including many that are readyto be filled immediately.

“We wanted to do something differ-ent from the standard job fair,” Gross-man said. “The difference with thishiring event is individuals actuallypost their resume onto the 100,000jobs website and there is a prescreen-ing that takes place beforehand.Then,at the hiring event, individuals may be

invited for an interview and given op-portunities for employment and job of-fers on the spot.”

Grossman recommends that mili-tary members,wounded warriors,vet-erans and spouses who are on the jobmarket should sign up for the secondhiring event at NSAB.

“You never know when your oppor-tunity will come, and there is a lot tolearn and gain from the event,” hesaid.

To register for the hiring event,or tofind out more details, visitwww.100000jobsmission.com. Moreinformation on Joining Forces can befound at www.whitehouse.gov/joing-forces.

4 Thursday, July 26, 2012

100,000 Jobs Mission Hiring Service Members, Veterans

Photo by MC2 John K. Hamilton

More than 650 veterans and military family members attended the"100,000 Jobs Mission Hiring" event at Naval Support ActivityBethesda Feb. 25.

sometimes aren’t enough, and vac-cines against many deadly diseaseshaven’t worked.” He added that livevaccines – using a weakened versionof an intact virus or bacterium – aremost effective, but not an optionwhen it comes to an otherwise un-treatable disease like HIV becausethey carry an unacceptable risk of in-fection.

Radiation renders a virus or bac-terium non-infectious by destroyingthe organism’s genetic material, butcan also damage its protein struc-tures, which the immune systemneeds to recognize for a vaccine to beeffective. Daly’s team was able to getaround this problem by isolating themanganese complex from Deinococ-cus and using it to protect a differentbacterium’s proteins from destruc-tion by radiation.

“The simplicity of it is what’s soamazing,” said Daly. “With radiation,their genomes are destroyed, steril-ized. But all the proteins and all thestructures on their surfaces remain,so you then can take these lethally-radiated pathogens and use them inmaking vaccines. The immune sys-

tem then thinks it’s encountering thereal bugs, which are now just lifelessshells, and mounts a full protectiveresponse.”

USU researchers, led by Daly,teamed up with scientists from theNational Institutes of Health to testa vaccine for drug-resistant Staphy-lococcus aureus bacteria in mice. Itworked. The breakthrough studywas published in the July edition ofthe scientific journal, “Cell Host andMicrobe.” Daly said it could takeyears to get approval for human tri-als, but he’s optimistic this discov-ery will be a big help in fightingdeadly diseases like HIV and in-fluenza.

“This could speed up the wholeprocess of producing vaccines – in-stead of biochemists spending yearstrying to clone one aspect of a mi-crobe’s protein structure, it could takeonly a matter of weeks to radiate allthe different strains of a disease andcreate one vaccine to protect againstall of them.”

“We’ve shown this approach canwork on Staphylococcus, which killsabout 18,000 people per year,” saidDaly. “Now it’s only a matter of timebefore we can apply it to other bugs.”

For more information aboutUSU research, please visit:www.usuhs.mil.

MICROBEMICROBEContinued from 1

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The Journal Thursday, July 26, 2012 5

By Helen HocknellNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

The Meritorious CivilianService Award was recentlypresented to Sallie Younger,director of the Fleet andFamily Support Center(FFSC) at Naval Support Ac-tivity Bethesda (NSAB), forher role in transformingwhat was once a small officeinto a full-service center.

The award is among thehighest a civilian federalemployee can receive fromthe Navy.

In 2010, the Fleet andFamily Support office atNSAB offered only minimalservices, such as transitionassistance programs and de-ployment support. Otherservices were availablethrough Joint Base Anacos-tia-Bolling, where Youngerwas the clinical services su-pervisor.

Younger came to NSAB inJanuary 2011 with the goalof building a full-service cen-ter to meet the needs of theinflux of staff and patientsfrom Walter Reed Army Hos-pital, which shut down as a

result of Base Realignmentand Closure later that year.

“It was quite an undertak-ing,” said Younger. At manynaval bases, FFSC is taskedwith serving only Navy per-sonnel, but the center atBethesda is responsible forproviding services to allbranches of the military.

“The programs offered byeach branch are similar, butnot identical, so it can bechallenging to consolidatethem and get the word outabout what’s offered,” saidAnne Bloesl, FFSC militarytransition and employmentprogram manager.

Younger said they tried toadopt the best practices froma variety of programs whileensuring the requirementsfor each branch were met.

“We aim to provide thebest of everything,” saidYounger.

This May marked theanniversary of expandedclinical services, includingfamily advocacy, clinicalcounseling and domesticassault victim advocateservices. In addition to clin-ical services, FFSC also of-fers expanded family sup-port and education oppor-

tunities, such as parentingclasses and employmentnetworking events.

Younger, who has servedin management roles as a so-cial worker for more than 15years, said it is the center’sdedicated and loyal staff thatmakes it all possible. Bloesl

said the feeling of apprecia-tion is mutual.

“The center wouldn’t bethe same without her,” saidBloesl of her supervisor.“She’s done an amazingjob.”

Younger said she is hum-bled by the high praise,adding

her sense of patriotic duty iswhat keeps her motivated.

“This is my way of givingback to my country,” saidYounger.

To learn more about FFSCprograms and services, call301-319-4087 or emailFFSC@med.navy.mil.

Thursday, July 26, 2012 5

FFSC Director Presented with Meritorious Civilian Service Award

Photo by MC3 Nathan Parde

Capt. Frederick Kass, commanding officer of Naval Support Activity Bethesda,presents SallieYounger with the Meritorious Civilian Service Award.

1032472 1032471

6 Thursday, July 26, 2012 The Journal6 Thursday, July 26, 2012

By Sarah MarshallWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Hearing loss is irre-versible, which is why Wal-ter Reed Bethesda audiolo-gist Dr. Cynthia Zehner en-courages patients and theirfamilies to make hearingprotection a priority.

“My ultimate goal is toeducate the patient,” Zehn-er said. “I want to do every-thing I can to improve theirquality of life with respectto hearing and understand-ing conversations with theirfamily.”

One of 10 staff audiolo-gists on the clinical side ofthe Audiology and SpeechCenter at Walter Reed Na-tional Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC), Zehn-er provides patients withcomplete diagnostic hearingtests, explaining their re-sults and educating themon how to prevent furtherhearing loss.

Although assistive listen-ing devices can help, “once[hearing is] gone, it’s gone,”Zehner said, which is whyshe stresses protection.

With a three-year ArmyROTC scholarship, Zehnerearned her bachelor’s degreein education from Blooms-burg State College in Penn-sylvania, then her master’sdegree in audiology a yearlater. While serving as anArmy reservist, she beganworking at a private audiolo-gy practice. She was called totemporary active duty for of-ficer’s basic training at FortSam Houston, Texas. Follow-ing that, she began runningher private practice for threeyears until 1991 when Oper-ation Desert Shield/DesertStorm began and she wascalled to active duty. Sheserved as chief of Audiologyat Fort Meade, Md.

Zehner worked at variousOtolaryngology (ENT, orEar, Nose and Throat) of-fices before coming to workat the former NationalNaval Medical Center in2005, and she also earnedher doctor of audiology de-gree after graduating fromthe Pennsylvania College ofOptometry, School of Audi-ology. She now specializes inbone-anchored devices, andcustomizes aural rehabilita-tion programs for her pa-tients to help them adjust to

their hearing loss, make thebest use of hearing aids andexplore assistive tools to fittheir needs.

Whether it’s an assistivelistening device or a hearingaid, Zehner said she en-sures all patients are notjust equipped with their de-vice, but also understandhow to use it correctly. Shecounsels each individual,and follows up with them,ensuring their device isworking properly.

When asked what she en-joys most about her job atWalter Reed Bethesda, shesaid, without hesitation, thepatients.

“I get hugs, thank yous,and smiles,” Zehner contin-ued. While she enjoys edu-cating her patients, answer-ing their questions regard-ing health concerns, andhelping them understandwhy it’s important to pro-tect their hearing, she said,“they also teach me.” Shesometimes receives historylessons from those whoserved in combat decadesago, and others help herkeep up with technology,sharing articles they’veread about new and exciting

developments.One particular patient, so

moved by Zehner, recentlysubmitted a comment, viacustomer service, singingher praises. The patientwrote, “Dr. Zehner was verypersonable and professional.She took great care in ex-plaining my audiology re-sults and even took the timeto discuss it with my hus-band. Dr. Zehner also re-ferred me to [an] ENT [for]muscle movement in myright ear and past balanceissues. Dr. Zehner takesgreat care to ensure her pa-tient gets the best care!”

According to Zehner,“That’s my focus – my focusis patient- and family-cen-tered care. I’m all for the pa-tient. The patients are fan-tastic … Each one of my pa-tients becomes special to mein their own way. I treatthem like family, like Iwould want my mother, fa-ther, grandfather treated.”

When it comes to hearingprotection, regardless ofwhether she’s working with apatient who is a young serv-ice member, retiree or de-pendent, she said,“we have toget into prevention mode.”

Zehner asks each patientabout their history of noiseexposure, and how oftenthey use hearing protection.If they do not use hearingprotection, or do not knowhow, she takes the time toexplain how they should useit, and informs them whichis the best type for theirneeds, depending on thenoise levels they’re exposedto, and where they can getit. She also tells them, thatif they are in an environ-ment where they must raisetheir voice to speak withsomeone who is three feetaway, then the noise is at alevel where they need hear-ing protection.

“Then, I tell them to goteach their buddies,” shesaid, so they can also helpshare the knowledge andraise awareness. “Hearingneeds to be protected … itneeds to be preserved justlike every other sense.”

Having worked withZehner for a number ofyears, ENT Health Aid Bri-an Humbles said he consid-ers her a "go-to" person. Headded, “Her patients loveher, and I love watching herinteract with patients. [She]

is one of those people youwant to work with.”

Humbles said the audiol-ogist not only has an impacton patients, but also has away of cheering up her co-workers. Zehner usuallyleaves candy in all of hercolleagues’ mailboxes dur-ing the holidays, and if sheknows someone is having arough day, she often leavessweets on their desk, just toput a smile on their face.

ENT Clinical Nurse Lin-da Hanson, who has been afriend and colleague for thepast five years, said she be-lieves Zehner exemplifiespatient-focused care. Shesaid, “Dr. Zehner is a verykind and compassionateperson … She has unwaver-ing dedication towards herduties in providing patientswith Audiological services.”

Hanson also noted Zehn-er’s professionalism, and howwell she works with both pa-tients and staff. “It is a pleas-ure working with her.”

Sharing the same senti-ment, ENT Health Aid JoeMalley said he first workedwith Zehner in the 1990s,while on his first tour in theENT clinic at the formerNNMC. He worked with heragain when he returned toNNMC in 2009.

“Every time I see [Dr.Zehner], she has a big smileon her face. She and I hit itoff right away. She was al-ways very friendly to mewhen I first started. To me,she has a smiling, bubblypersonality and likes tolaugh,” said Malley. Headded, “I've always seen pa-tients come out smiling af-ter getting their hearingtests. She's very good withlittle kids. When I would goto her office I would see abunch of thank you lettersand cards from patients aswell as drawings from littlekids. To me, that's proof ofthe kind of patient care shegives her patients.”

If you suspect your hear-ing has changed and youare DEERS eligible, pleaseseek a referral from yourPrimary Care Manager. Tomake an appointment, callCentral Appointments at855 -CAP-MED1 (227-6331)or the Audiology andSpeech Center at 301-295-7820 after waiting a mini-mum of 48 hours followingthe referral entry.

Audiologist Dedicated to Patient Care, Education

Photo by Sarah Marshall

Dr. Cynthia Zehner is pictured above in a sound booth at the Audiology andSpeech Center atWalter Reed National Military Medical Center,where she con-ducts complete diagnostic hearing tests, and educates patients on hearing lossprevention. Zehner is one of 10 staff audiologists on the clinical side of the Audi-ology and Speech Center.

The Journal Thursday, July 26, 2012 7Thursday, July 26, 2012 7

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Soldiers are trained toput the welfare of others be-fore themselves; selflessservice and integrity (“bewilling to do what is rightwhen no one is looking”) aretwo of the seven Army val-ues.

A Soldier from WalterReed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRN-MMC) recently exhibitedthose values as well as theArmy Warrior Ethos of“never leaving a fallen com-rade” in his response to atraffic accident on his wayto work. Following the July16 morning accident on I-95, near Exit 33, Laurel,Md., Sgt. Joshua Huddle-ston stayed with an injuredand distressed motorist.

“I was driving southbound[on I-95] to work when I sawa fully-inflated tire still onthe rim bounce over the treeline across the median andhit the side of an SUV,” Hud-dleston explained. “I saw theSUV swerve, the driver re-gained control [of the vehi-cle] and pulled over onto theside. I pulled over, ran to thevehicle and noticed the en-tire driver’s side wassmashed in.”

Huddleston said he foundthe driver bleeding from herhead, a piece of glass in hereye, and with multiple cutsand scratches.

“I grabbed my beret andused it to apply pressure tocontrol the bleeding, andthen called 9-1-1 and mychain of command,” said thetrained combat medic.When the ambulance ar-rived on the scene, he ex-plained to the emergencymedical workers what hap-pened and the care he pro-vided to the victim.

“It was a no-brainer,”Huddleston said in explain-ing why he stopped to helpthe victim. “I have thisknowledge that the Armyhas given me to make a dif-ference, [so] what kind ofperson would I be if I keptgoing when I could havepossibly saved someone’slife?”

Huddleston, currently aproject manager for Emer-gency Management (EM) atWalter Reed Bethesda andresponsible for training,writing instructions and

standard operating proce-dures for the EM depart-ment, said this wasn’t thefirst time he rendered aid toan accident victim.

“In 2004, before I joinedthe Army, I also came upona wreck the day after I gotmy EMT-B [emergencymedical technician basiclevel certification],” said thesergeant, who at the timewas training to be a fire-fighter. The native of Ma-homet, Ill., was workingconstruction and came uponthe accident while drivingto a job site in ChampaignCounty, (Ill.).

“I came upon a car in themiddle of a field and a po-lice car with its lights flash-ing,” the Soldier continued.“I stopped to see what wasgoing on, and saw a personlying in the field about 30yards from the car and theofficer very alarmed.”

Huddleston said it ap-peared as if the driver hadlost control of the vehicle ona curve and was thrownfrom the car. “I ran to thevictim and told the police of-ficer I was a medic.”

The new EMT said thedriver was severely injuredand that the only thing hecould do for her was open her

airway and put her in the re-covery position until EMS[Emergency Medical Servic-es] arrived on the scene. “Un-fortunately, she passed awaya little after arriving to thehospital,” he said.

Two weeks later, Huddle-ston said his best friend, anArmy specialist, called himfrom Iraq and told him theArmy needed medics badly.“It got me thinking whatbetter place to make a dif-ference in the world plusserve my country like mygrandfather, so I joined upand was in basic training inless than two months. Mybirthday, Feb. 11, 2005, wasday one of basic training.”

In 2006, he deployed with1/7 Cavalry, 1st Brigade, 1stCavalry Division to CampTaji in Iraq as a senior linemedic for D troop, where heserved until 2008.

In July of the same year,while on convalescent leavein Waco, Texas with a bro-ken ankle, the sergeant saidhe again came upon a vehi-cle accident, this one involv-ing two trucks in which onehad caught fire. “I pulledout two unconscious passen-gers who were in the vehicleand provided them care un-til EMS arrived.”

The combat medic said hereenlisted to come to WalterReed Army Medical Centerin October 2008. In Decem-ber of that year while onleave in Illinois during theholidays, Huddleston saidhe was awakened by a loudcrash the night before NewYear’s Eve. “I jumped out ofbed and looked out the frontdoor and saw a vehiclesmashed into a tree. “I puton my shoes and ran [to-wards the vehicle].” Hefound the passenger haddied, and the driver withshallow breathing andbleeding from the head. “Iwas able to control thebleeding and keep his air-way open until EMS came,”he explained.

Huddleston’s efforts ledto an article about him inThe News-Gazette, whichserves East Central Illinois.The article was read by hisformer “grade-school sweet-heart,” she contacted himvia the internet, and theyare now married.

“People always tell me Iam unlucky,” Huddlestonsaid explaining why heseems to be at the scenes ofunfortunate vehicle acci-dents. “I think it’s the otherway around; I am lucky that

I was there at just the righttime and right place to help.How lucky is that? For me,there is nothing like savinga life and making a differ-ence in the world.”

“When I heard of thegood deeds and life-savingsupport Sgt. Huddlestonprovided to people that hehad never met, I felt thateach account was not a mis-take,” said Retired ArmySgt. 1st Class TimothyLeathers, program managerfor Contingency Resourcesin the Office of EmergencyManagement at WalterReed Bethesda.

“As a young Soldier, hecan easily be described ashard charging when taskedto support or lead a project,”Leathers said of Huddle-ston. “Upon his arrival hehas been very pro-activewith engaging all aspects ofEmergency Management.His background is tied toproviding medical care andthis brings an enhanced ap-proach to our capabilities.This environment has al-lowed him to expand profes-sionally and the synergythat he’s brought to the of-fice has been very conta-gious.”

Soldier-Medic Says 'Luck' Puts Him at Accident Scenes to Help

photo by Sharon R.Taylor

Sgt. Joshua A. Huddleston, an Army combat medic, stopped on I-95 to assist an injured and distressed driverwhose vehicle was struck by a tire.This was not the first time Huddleston used his medical training to assistan accident victim.

8 Thursday, July 26, 2012 The Journal8 Thursday, July 26, 2012

that can be ingested through the mouth or nose) fromdawn to dusk, he explained.All Muslim adults, above age12, are expected to fast during this time, that is, as longas they are healthy.Among those who are exempt are theill, or frail, and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

"I wanted to share this moment with our community,to educate one another, and how to accommodate, re-spect and honor everyone," he said.

Among those who attended Khan's presentation wasShaheed Salaam, who works in the Primary Care Den-tal department. "I think it was great. It's cool he's here,"he said. Noting Khan's knowledge and background,Salaam added, "He will give the hospital staff a glimpseof this [religion]."

WRNMMC's Command Force Chaplain RooseveltBrown agreed, stating that Khan brings vast experiencemaking him an asset to the medical center. He will con-tinue to ensure all staff and patients' needs are met.

"We're very happy to have him on our staff," Brown said.Every Friday at 1 p.m., Khan will lead Muslim

Jum'ah Prayer Services in the Building 8 conferenceroom, on the 2nd floor in room 2230.

In the Pastoral Care department, groups of diversedisciplines are available to all patients. Chaplains areon call 24/7 to visit patients, families and staff. The de-partment also includes religious specialists, Eucharisticlay leaders, brothers and priests, a rabbi, seminary stu-dents and a licensed pastoral counselor, representingfaith traditions such as Catholic, Protestant, Hindu,Ad-ventist, Anglican, Jewish and Islamic. Pastoral Carealso offers private meditation and prayer, daily massand worship services and confidential counseling. Formore information, call 301-295-1510.

IMAMIMAMContinued from 3

of the 1996 gold-medal win-ning Olympic basketballteam.

Mourning agreed meetingthe wounded warriors was in-spiring. Following the visit toWalter Reed Bethesda, hetweeted on NBA History, "Itwas a humbling experience,but also uplifting...When youthink about all of the menand women who sacrificetheir lives for so many others.

"The dedication andcourage and to see the fightin them is such an inspira-tion," stated Mourning, whowon a gold medal as part ofthe 2000 U.S. men's Olympicbasketball team, and thenfaced his own health chal-lenges when a kidney diseasecaused him to miss part ofthe 2000-2001 season. He un-derwent a successful kidneytransplant and returned toplay in the NBA, earning achampionship title with theMiami Heat in 2006.

"I'm so happy to visit andput a lot of smiles on thesemen and women's faces, andthey gave up so much of

themselves," Mourningadded. "[Visiting the wound-ed warriors is] the least wecan do to show our supportand appreciation."

Edwards agreed, whilevisiting troops and theirfamilies in the Military Ad-vanced Training Center andon the wards at Walter ReedBethesda. She representedthe United States as a mem-ber on five women's U.S.Olympic basketball teams(1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and2000), winning the goldmedal in all except the 1992team, when the U.S. earned

the bronze medal. She isboth the youngest and old-est gold medalist inwomen's basketball, win-ning at age 20 in 1984 andage 36 in 2000.

Perkins was co-captain ofthe 1984 gold-medal winningmen's Olympic basketballteam. He played 17 seasonsin the NBA, averaging nearly12 points and six reboundsper game. He added, "Wewanted to thank the wound-ed warriors and staff for allthey have done and are con-tinuing to do."

LEGENDLEGENDContinued from 1

Photo by David A. Dickinson

Marine Corps Cpl. Matt Bowman (left) meets NBAlegend Alonzo Mourning in the Military AdvancedTraining Center at Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center.

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The Journal Thursday, July 26, 2012 11Thursday, July 26, 2012 11

12 Thursday, July 26, 2012 The Journal12 Thursday, July 26, 2012