NAVY MEDICINE

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Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

Guidelines for submission to NAVY MEDICINE.

ABOUT NAVY MEDICINE:

NAVY MEDICINE is published quarterly Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall.

Please contact Paul Ross (paul.ross@med.navy.mil) for deadline of 

present issue in progress.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Articles must be between 600-1,000 words.

All articles must be present tense/active voice.

Photos must be minimum 300 dpi.

Photos showing action are preferred.

All photos must be accompanied by a caption and photo credit.

Subjects considered:

Scuttlebutt: Stories about activities at MTFs and the field.

Photo Album: Action shots from across Navy Medicine.

Feature Articles: Stories featuring interesting contributions of Navy 

Medicine to military operations including everything from combat 

support to Humanitarian Relief/Disaster Response will be considered. 

Please contact Paul Ross (paul.ross@med.navy.mil) for current theme of 

issue in progress.

R & D and Innovations: Any new processes and/or research and 

development news.

Quality Care: Anything that improves the quality of care for our 

patients.

IT, QA: Any articles showing how Navy Medicine is utilizing the electronic 

age.

Shipmates: Anything interesting about our shipmates working in the 

healthcare field in the Department of the Navy.

All submissions must be accompanied by complete contact information 

for author. In the event there is more than one author please assign one 

author to be primary correspondent.

Feedback Welcome

NAVY MEDICINE Magazine

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

Communications Directorate 7700 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22042-5122

E-mail: BUMED-PAO@med.navy.mil

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Address Changes (Please include old address): 

NAVY MEDICINE Magazine

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

Public Affairs Office

7700 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22042-5122

E-mail: BUMED-PAO@med.navy.mil

NAVY MEDICINE is the professional magazine of the Navy Medical 

Department community. Its purpose is to educate its readers on Navy 

Medicine missions and programs. This magazine will also draw upon the 

medical department’s rich historical legacy to instill a sense of pride and 

professionalism among the Navy Medical Department community and to 

enhance reader awareness of the increasing relevance of Navy Medicine 

in and for our nation’s defense.

The opinions and assertions herein are the personal views of the authors 

and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, 

the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Navy.

The use of a name of any specific manufacturer, commercial product, 

commodity or service does not imply the endorsement by the 

Department of the Navy or the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

NAVY MEDICINE, (ISSN 0895-8211 USPS 316-070) is published quarterly 

by the Department of the Navy, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, 

7700 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22042. Periodical postage 

paid at Washington, DC. Authorization The Secretary of the Navy 

has determined that this publication is necessary in the transaction 

of business as required by law. NAVY MEDICINE is published from 

appropriated funds by authority of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in 

accordance with Navy Publications and Printing Regulations P-35.

Official Magazine of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Medicine

Vol. 105 No.1 SPECIAL ISSUE

Surgeon General of the Navy 

Chief, BUMED

Vice Adm. Matthew L. Nathan

Deputy Surgeon General

Deputy Chief, BUMED

Rear Adm. Michael H. Mittelman

Force Master Chief

FORCM (SS/SW/FMF) Sherman E. Boss

Public Affairs Officer

Capt. Dora Lockwood

Deputy Public Affairs Officer

Shoshona Pilip-Florea

Managing Editor

Paul R. Ross

 4 | Admiral’s Call

 8 | Navy Medicine 101

10 | Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

12 | Navy Medicine East

16 | Navy Medicine West

20 | Navy Medicine National Capital Area

24 | Navy Medicine Education and 

 Training Command

26 | Naval Medical Logistics Command

27 | Navy and Marine Corps Public 

 Health Center

28 | Navy Medicine Locations Map

30 | Naval Medical Research Center

34 | Afl oat Medical Capabilites

38 | Medical Corps

39 | Nurse Corps

40 | Dental Corps

41 | Medical Service Corps

42 | Hospital Corps

46 | Global Health Engagement

48 | Medical Home Port

49 | Wounded Warrior Care

52 | Mental Health Capabilites

CONTENTS

SPECIAL ISSUE

ON THE COVER

Visit us online at www.med.navy.mil

Twitter: twitter.com/NavyMedicine

Graphic illustration created by 

Mary-Ann Ayrandjian.
The Almanac | 2013 3
4 Navy Medicine

elcome to the third edition 

of Navy Medicine’s annual 

guide! I am humbled with 

the opportunity to lead 

this outstanding organization and the 63,000 men and women 

who work to provide the highest quality 

care to our Sailors and Marines. Navy 

Medicine’s current state is extremely 

strong as we surmount challenges and 

create better and more effective ways of 

doing our jobs. 

You may have noticed the change in 

the publication’s title from “Owners’ 

and Operators’ Manual” to “The Almanac.” This change has been made to create a product unique to Navy Medicine 

and its mission, and to make it distinct 

among publications with similar monikers. Within these pages you will find a 

guide to all things Navy Medicine. 

The whole purpose of this “special 

issue” of our quarterly-published Navy 

Medicine Magazine is to show readers 

the “nuts and bolts” of our force. From 

the most seasoned Sailor to a civilian 

far removed from military service, the 

information in this magazine showcases 

who we are and what we do. 

Within this column I will highlight 

where we are as a service and what our 

goals and priorities will be going forward. 

In order to navigate the tasks and 

challenges ahead, we must continue to 

maintain the highest state of medical 

readiness for our naval forces, while 

bringing more value and jointness 

to our operations. So, it should not 

come as a surprise that we have 

focused our three goals of value, 

readiness and jointness around 

these missions. 

The importance of each goal 

is directly tied to how it affects 

our mission and the population 

we serve. 

Navy Medicine is in the readiness 

business. We have to be agile, forwardleaning and ready to deploy in support 

of the warfighter and similarly we have 

to work to ensure that our warfighters 

are equally prepared. Each facet of the 

Navy Medicine mission has an impact 

on our readiness. It’s what we do and 

why we exist. From an independent 

duty corpsman serving in a submarine, a 

flight surgeon serving our naval aviators, 

deployed civilian medical staff or a Navy 

corpsman embedded with the Marines, 

you provide adaptable capabilities globally across the range of military operations in support of the national defense 

strategy. 

The next goal after maintaining a 

ready force is to ensure we find value 

in everything we do. Placing emphasis 

on preventive medicine and the overall 

health of our patients will improve 

readiness and quality of life while giving 

us more “bang for our buck” as costs 

associated with care go down because 

of healthier beneficiaries. We are going 

to meet this goal in a variety of ways 

including preventive medicine treatments like tobacco cessation programs 

or health and nutrition programs as opposed to solely treating symptoms.

Along with these programs, Medical 

Home Port teams are improving care 

for our beneficiaries by decreasing wait 

times, allowing more access, and increasing communication between the patient 

and health care providers. The next step 

is to build upon these initial successes 

and improve the standardization of care 

that will improve patient experience and 

create a more efficient, responsive care 

structure. 

Our third goal is jointness. The 

dynamic nature of the military and its 

missions has increased our opportunities to work with our sister services, the 

Department of Veterans Affairs, and 

academic partners. These partnerships 

can be in a research lab developing a 

new vaccine or on a mission to MEDEVAC a patient off the battlefield. We 

all need to embrace these opportunities 

to learn from one another and leverage 

best practices from every source as Joint 

operations become a more regular part 

of our work. By building on each other’s 

strengths, learning other cultures, and 

Navy Medicine is in the 

readiness business. We have 

to be agile, forward-leaning 

and ready to deploy in 

support of the warfighter and 

similarly we have to work to 

ensure that our warfighters 

are equally prepared. 

Welcome to the third edition In order to navigate the tasks and

ADMIRAL’S CALL
The Almanac | 2013 5

--Vice Adm. Matthew L. Nathan

also preserving those qualities, traditions, and skill sets that are uniquely 

Navy Medicine, we will ultimately benefit the population we serve. 

A prime example of the kind of joint 

environment where Navy Medicine’s 

goals of readiness, value, and jointness 

are exemplified is the Medical Education 

and Training Campus (METC) in San 

Antonio, Texas. The program ensures 

through education and training that our 

service members are ready to deploy and 

accomplish the mission of Navy Medicine. The value that this type of training 

brings to the overall health of our Sailors 

and Marines and their families is unparalleled. 

Additionally, it is through a joint curriculum at METC that we create value 

by reducing redundancies in training 

costs while still teaching our corpsmen 

and medics the life-saving skills in a 

collaborative environment that has led 

to a 97 percent survivability rate on the 

battlefield. This feat is truly remarkable. 

As we set out on this next year, with 

a new charted course, we will need enablers to help keep us on our set path. 

We look to medical informatics, the use 

of telemedicine solutions, and technology; as well as standardizing clinical, 

non-clinical and business practices; and 

improving strategic communication and 

organizational alignment to accomplish 

these goals. I am certain that through 

your hard work, dedication, and collaboration, we can achieve these goals.

As always, I am honored and proud 

to serve as your Surgeon General. 

Navy Medicine’s complete mission 

and vision including the strategy map 

and accompanying documents is available online at: http://www.med.navy.

mil/Pages/MissionandVision.aspx. 

Vice Adm. Matthew Nathan, the 37th surgeon general of the Navy and chief of the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, 

congratulates Petty Offi cer 1st Class Brandie Mendoza, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Forward), Camp Leatherneck, 

Afghanistan, April 17. Mendoza was recognized by her unit for her excellence and professionalism. (Photos by Petty Offi cer 3rd Class 

Monique LaRouche)

Use your Smart Phone 

to view this video by 

downloading a QR Code 

reader and scanning the QR 

Code. The video can also 

be viewed at http://www.

youtube.com/watch?v=49Ma

UXJVyts&feature=youtu.be

Navy Medicine 

Priorities Video
6 Navy Medicine
The Almanac | 2013 7

Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Frank Martin, assigned 

to the Blackjacks of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 

21, makes friends with Indonesian children during a Pacifi c 

Partnership 2012 disaster relief medical evacuation helicopter 

rescue demonstration. Pacifi c Partnership is an annual U.S. 

Pacifi c Fleet humanitarian and civic assistance mission that 

brings together U.S military personnel, host and partner nations, 

non-governmental organizations and international agencies 

to build stronger relationships and develop disaster response 

capabilities throughout the Asia-Pacifi c region. (Photo by Mass 

Communication Specialist 3rd Class Clay M. Whaley)
8 Navy Medicine

Use your Smart Phone to view 

this video by downloading 

a QR Code reader and 

scanning the QR Code. The 

video can also be viewed 

at http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=mYaWUeQhJ1Y

Navy Medicine Video

What We Do

Force Health Protection

The foundation of Navy Medicine 

is force health protection and direct 

support to the warfighter. It’s what the 

enterprise does and why it exists. Navy 

Medicine is in the readiness business – 

operating forward and being globally 

engaged, no matter what the environment and regardless of the challenge. 

Whether it is on the sea, above the sea, 

below the sea, on the battlefield or on 

the homefront, Navy Medicine enables 

Sailors and Marines to complete their 

mission. 

From the most advanced medical 

suites and staffs serving on amphibious 

ships, to the flight surgeons supporting the naval aviation enterprise, to the 

independent duty corpsman serving 

in submarines, or to the Navy corpsman embedded with Marines or special 

forces; Navy Medicine enables the 

warfighter. Wherever a Sailor or Marine 

goes, Navy Medicine is there.

In executing its force health protection mission, the 63,000 active duty and 

reservists, government civilians and contractors of Navy Medicine are engaged 

in all aspects of expeditionary medical 

operations in support of warfighter. The 

continuum of care provided includes 

all dimensions of physical and mental 

well-being. Nowhere is our commitment 

to force health protection more evident 

than in our active engagement in global 

military operations. As our involvement 

in overseas contingency operations have 

evolved, we have experienced a burgeoning demand to provide expeditionary 

combat casualty care in support of joint 

operations. The Navy Medicine team of 

physicians, nurses, corpsmen, dentists 

and mental health providers is working 

in tandem with the Army and Air Force 

medical personnel and coalition forces 

to ensure the physical and mental wellbeing of our troops and civilians alike.

Support to our Warfighters and 

Caring for our Caregivers

Caring for our Sailors and Marines 

at home and abroad is our first mission, but there is no greater honor than 

the opportunity to provide care to our 

wounded, ill, and injured. These brave 

men and women are heroes and we, who 

are fortunate enough to care for them, 

do not take this responsibility lightly. 

As our wounded warriors return from 

combat to begin the healing process, 

they deserve a seamless and comprehensive approach to their recovery. We 

help them to heal in body, mind, and 

spirit. Our focus is multi-disciplinarybased care, bringing together medical 

treatment providers, social workers, case 

managers, behavioral health providers, 

and chaplains. We are working closely 

with our line counterparts with programs like the Marine Corps’ Wounded 

Warrior Regiments that coordinate with 

Battalion Surgeons, Deployed Units, 

and Medical Treatment Facilities to set 

up anticipated medical appointments, 

ensuring a majority of medical needs 

are assessed prior to demobilization. 

Similarly, the Navy and Coast Guard’s 

Safe Harbor program with its national 

network of Navy Operational Support 

Centers support the full-spectrum recovery process for Sailors, Marines, and 

their families. Based on the types of injuries that we are seeing, Navy Medicine 

continues to adapt our capabilities to 

best treat these conditions. 

Global Engagement

Humanitarian Assistance/

Disaster Response

Navy Medicine’s mission is one with 

a truly global footprint. We are forward 

deployed with our warfighters overseas 

and our research units provide a global 

health benefit around the world. Navy 

Medicine personnel serve as ambassadors worldwide and are the heart and 

soul of the U.S. Navy as a “Global Force 

for Good.” 

Our humanitarian assistance/disaster 

response (HA/DR) missions in direct 

support of the Navy’s Maritime Strategy 

The Navy hospital ship 

USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) 

underway off the coast 

of Manado Bay after the 

opening ceremony for 

Pacifi c Partnership 2012. 

(Photo by Camelia Montoy)

What We Do all dimensions of physical and mental

s

b

t

m

a

w

NAVY MEDICINE 101
The Almanac | 2013 9

continue to expand because they continually prove to be highly successful. 

With past support to critical missions 

like Operation Tomodachi after the 

devastating earthquake and tsunami in 

Japan in 2011, Navy Medicine serves 

the international community as a global 

leader in HA/DR. 

 The Navy hospital ships also conduct planned deployment humanitarian 

assistance missions, working with local 

ministries of health to bring care to the 

people of foreign nations.USNS Mercy’s 

2012 Pacific Partnership mission to 

Southeast Asia provided humanitarian 

assistance to thousands of men, woman 

and children in need. This is further evidence of our commitment to the global 

efforts to foster security and stability 

worldwide. Our hospital ships are executing our Maritime Strategy by building the trust and cooperation we need 

to strengthen our regional alliances and 

empower partners around the world. 

With each successful deployment, we 

increase our interoperability with host 

and partner nations, non-governmental 

organizations and the interagency.

Excellence in Research 

and Development

Navy Medicine would not be able to 

accomplish its mission without a vibrant 

Research and Development (R&D) 

community. The work that our researchers do is having a direct impact on the 

treatment we are able to provide, from 

the battlefield to the bedside. Many 

wounded warriors are walking, talking, and leading productive lives today 

because of the research and medical 

advancements in wound management, 

wound repair and reconstruction, as 

well as extremity and internal hemorrhage control and phantom limb pain in 

amputees. Our R&D programs are truly 

force multipliers to Navy Medicine’s 

success and enable us to remain agile in 

the world-class health care we provide to 

our service members and beneficiaries.

Priorities, Goals, and 

Looking to the Future

Since becoming the Navy surgeon 

general in November 2011, Vice Adm. 

Nathan’s focus remains in alignment 

with Navy and Marine Corps leadership 

as Navy Medicine supports the defense 

strategic guidance. To ensure the fulfillment of its mission, he has outlined 

three strategic goals for the BUMED enterprise: readiness, value and jointness.

Readiness: Navy Medicine will 

provide agile, adaptable and scalable 

capabilities prepared to engage globally 

across the range of military operations 

within maritime and other domains in 

support of the National Defense Strategy. Navy Medicine must maintain a 

persistent state of high readiness so that 

its personnel are always ready to respond 

to needs to support everything from 

kinetic action to humanitarian assistance 

and disaster response missions. Readiness is the hallmark of Navy Medicine.

Value: Navy Medicine will provide 

exceptional value to those it serves by 

ensuring full and efficient utilization of 

its services, highest quality care through 

best health care practices and best use of 

resources. 

Jointness: Navy Medicine will strive 

for jointness and improved interoperability by pursuing the most effective 

ways of mission accomplishment. The 

synergy of creating efficiencies, removing redundancies and allowing transparency will elevate care and reduce costs.

In the upcoming years, Navy Medicine will focus on providing military 

health support for medical stability operations; maintaining health deployment 

readiness; and minimizing casualties in 

the deployed forces through prevention 

of disease and non-battle injuries. In addition, Navy Medicine provides expeditionary combat casualty care in support 

of requirements across the spectrum of 

joint military operations, ensuring that 

functional operating room and ICU 

beds are in place to meet warfighter 

requirements.

Regardless of the location -- in the 

air, on land, or above and below the seas 

-- the men and women of Navy Medicine will continue to do what they have 

always done -- provide world-class care 

... anytime, anywhere.

Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Charles Canterbury, left, conducts medical training for Sailors 

during a general quarters drill aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry 

(LSD 43). Fort McHenry, homeported in Little Creek, Va., was on a deployment in support of 

maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area 

of responsibility. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Erik Luebke)
10 Navy Medicine

BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY

The Navy Bureau of Medicine and 

Surgery (BUMED) is the headquarters 

command for Navy Medicine. Under 

the leadership of Navy Surgeon General, 

Vice Adm. Matthew L. Nathan, Navy 

Medicine provides high-quality health 

care to beneficiaries in wartime and 

peacetime. 

Highly trained Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines 

worldwide – providing critical mission 

support aboard ship, in the air, under 

the sea and on the battlefield. At the 

same time, Navy Medicine’s military 

and civilian health care professionals are 

providing care for uniformed services’ 

family members and retirees at military 

treatment facilities around the globe. 

Every day, no matter what the environment, Navy Medicine is ready to care 

for those in need, providing world-class 

care anytime, anywhere. BUMED is responsible for all medical support for the 

U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy.

BUMED is the site where the policies and direction for Navy Medicine 

are developed to ensure its patient and 

family-centered care vision is carried 

out. BUMED exercises direct control 

over naval hospitals, medical centers, 

dental clinics, preventive medicine 

units and technical schools for Medical 

Department personnel both inside the 

U.S. and around the world. BUMED 

also maintains command and control 

of its echelon III support commands 

and their subordinate commands that 

are not involved with direct patient care 

but important contributors to Navy and 

Marine Corps readiness, including the 

Navy Medicine Education and Training 

Command, Navy and Marine Corps 

Public Health Center, Naval Medical 

Research Command, Naval Medical 

Logistics Command, Navy Medicine 

Information System Support Activity.

The BUMED headquarters has nine 

codes, or departments, that develop 

policy for a wide range of topics for our 

lower echelon commands to execute. 

The nine codes are: 

•M1: Manpower and Personnel— 

 Total Force

•M2: Research and Development

•M3: Medical Operations

•M4: Installations and Logistics

•M5: Strategy and Innovation

•M6: Office of the Chief 

 Information Officer

•M7: Education and Training

•M8: Comptroller and Resource 

 Management

•M9: Wounded, Ill and Injured

BUREAU OF MEDICINE BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY

AND SURGERY

Rear. Adm. Michael Mittelman, deputy chief, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and deputy surgeon general of the U.S. Navy

lead military and civilian staff outside of Bldg., 2 the Old Naval Observatory in Foggy Bottom, Washington D.C., for the last morning colors 

held at BUMED’s headquarters prior to the “Change of Port” ceremony and move to the Defense Health Headquarters, in Falls Church, Va. 

(Photo by Janet Tela) 
The Almanac | 2013 11

A Brief History

BUMED was established as part of 

the Department of the Navy by an Act 

of Congress on Aug. 31, 1842. It is the 

centralized administrative organization 

of the Medical Department, located 

in Washington, D.C. As such, it is the 

guardian of health care for the Navy and 

U.S. Marine Corps. BUMED exercises 

direct control over naval hospitals, medical centers, dental clinics, preventive 

medicine units, and technical schools 

for Medical Department personnel both 

inside the U.S. and around the world. 

BUMED is also responsible for the 

medical support of the Marine Corps.

BUMED, which was previously 

located on a tract of ground adjacent 

to the State Department on a hilltop in 

Foggy Bottom, D.C., moved to its new 

location at the Defense Health Headquarters (DHHQ) in June 2012 in Falls 

Church, Va., as part of the 2005 Base 

Realignment and Closure Commission. 

The command was located at its Foggy 

Bottom location for 170 years. The 

“A Hilltop in Foggy Bottom” served as the location for the U.S. Navy 

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery for 170 years until it was closed through 

the Department of Defense’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). This 

video is part one of a four part series that can be found on Youtube that 

documents the story of the historic location. (Video courtesy of the Offi ce of 

Medical History, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery)

Use your Smart Phone to view this video by downloading a QR Code reader 

and scanning the QR Code. The video can also be viewed at http://www.

youtube.com/watch?v=f0v7i_9od4I

“A Hilltop in Foggy Bottom”

DHHQ is also home to the Surgeons 

General from our sister services and 

the TRICARE Management Activity 

(TMA.) 

Regardless of location, outstanding 

care for the sick and injured, international contributions to the sciences of 

medicine and dentistry, and personal 

sacrifices and valor of its personnel in 

peace and combat, have earned the Navy 

Medical Department a prominent place 

in the historical pages of the United 

States Navy.

Navy personnel at the new Falls Church, Va. location of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) participate in a uniform 

inspection. BUMED relocated to the location in June 2012. (Photo by Joshua Wick) 
12 Navy Medicine

NAVY MEDICINE EAST

Navy Medicine East (NME) is composed of 15 military treatment facilities 

and their many branch clinics. The 

region has more than 21,000 Sailors, 

government civilians, contractors and 

volunteers working across three continents.

NME is anchored by Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP),Va., a 

premier academic multi-specialty teaching hospital, and three Family Medicine 

teaching hospitals at Camp Lejeune, 

N.C., Jacksonville, Fla., and Pensacola, 

Fla. Each is among the finest programs 

in the country.

The region is headquartered on the 

NMCP campus. 

In fiscal year 2012, Navy Medicine 

East and its commands totaled 21,387 

active duty, reserve and civilian personnel; had 4,877,694 patient encounters 

and 347,864 enrolled beneficiaries; 397 

individual augmentees deployed around 

the world. 

In 2012, Navy Medicine East:

• Coordinated the efforts of key 

leaders to tackle a massive Physical 

Evaluation Board (PEB) backlog 

at Naval Hospital Camp LeJeune. 

The result was a program that 

DoD now uses to model the 

modified Integrated Disability 

Evaluation System (IDES) process. Improved care coordination 

for wounded led to the first comprehensive outpatient Traumatic 

Brain Injury (TBI) program in 

Navy Medicine and acquisition of 

$4.7 million of new funding. 

• Established key position at NME 

headquarters to oversee Wounded, 

Ill and Injured/TBI efforts for the 

region.

• Provided leadership in the development of the best corporate solutions for Navy Medicine in the 

planning, design and execution 

of over $317 million in Medical 

Military Construction including a 

$122.2 million Add/Alt project at 

Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune.

• Led Navy Medicine in Medical 

Homeport program implementation resulting in a 10 percent 

reduction of Emergency Department purchased care costs at 

NME commands in 2012. NME 

led Navy Medicine among qualified Level III National Committee 

for Quality Assurance certifications.

Naval Medical Center Portsmouth

Its nickname, “First and Finest,” 

refers to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth’s status as the Navy’s first hospital 

and its excellent care to patients. Seven 

branch clinics and two TRICARE Prime 

Clinics support the 296-bed main hospital.

NMCP staff comprise 3,155 military, 

1,848 civilians, 1,719 contractors, two 

reservists and 50 volunteers. There were 

123 individual deployments during the 

year. More than 101,000 beneficiaries 

are enrolled to the medical center, and 

there were 1.3 million outpatient encounters during fiscal year 2012.

Naval Hospital Beaufort, S.C.

Situated in South Carolina’s idyllic lowcountry region, Naval Hospital 

Beaufort opened in 1949 and is a 20-

bed community hospital that provides 

general medical, surgical and emergency 

services to 29,000 active duty personnel, 

retirees, and eligible family members residing in the Beaufort area. NHB is the 

parent command for two Branch Health 

Clinics located at MCAS Beaufort and 

MCRD Parris Island, which processes 

and trains all incoming recruits for the 

Marine Corps’ Eastern Recruiting Region. 

With a staff of 554 active duty and 

237 civil service personnel, NHB managed 102,034 patient encounters at the 

hospital, 26,918 at MCAS, and 165,493 

at MCRD Parris Island last year. 

Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune

Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, 

(NHCL) N.C., provides general clinical 

and hospitalization services for approximately 118,000 beneficiaries, including 

active duty service members, retirees and 

family members. Nearly 2,000 active 

duty sailors, civilians, contractors and 

volunteers support the hospital and its 

six branch medical clinics. They support 

an average of 20 sailors deployed around 

the world each month.

An average day includes: 1,569 

outpatient visits; seven surgical cases; 

Members of the Tactical Combat Casualty Care course at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth 

practice transporting patients during the Care Under Fire phase of their training. (Photo by 

Abbigail Hancock)
The Almanac | 2013 13

Navy Medicine East 

by the Numbers

397

Annual patient encounters

21,387

347,864

4.8 million

Enrolled Beneficiaries

Active Duty, Reserve and 

Civlian personnel

Individual deployments

six ambulatory procedures; five births; 

12 inpatient admissions; an inpatient 

census of 29; 127 emergency department visits; 415 radiology exams; 2,852 

laboratory tests; and, 2,293 pharmacy 

scripts. In addition to the hospital’s primary care services provided by the Family Medicine, Pediatrics and Internal 

Medicine clinic and the branch clinics, 

the hospital offers many specialty health 

care and alternative health care services. 

Our medical staff averages approximately 340,000 patient appointments 

annually. 

Captain James A. Lovell Federal 

Health Care Center

In 2010, the Captain James A. Lovell 

Federal Health Care Center (FHCC), 

loacted in Chicago, became the nation’s first fully integrated VA and DoD 

medical facility. As a five-year DoD/VA 

Medical Facility Demonstration Project, 

the FHCC is implementing an electronic medical record system that provides 

seamless care as active duty Sailors make 

the transition to veteran status. 

The FHCC has 88 hospital beds, 

124 nursing home care beds, 125 

domiciliary beds, 18 Mental Health 

Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation 

Treatment Program beds and four observation beds.

Lovell FHCC is part of the Veterans 

Integrated Service Network 12 and 

the Military Health System under the 

Department of the Navy’s Bureau of 

Medicine and Surgery and Navy Medicine East. It covers a 16-state regional 

area for active duty and reservists while 

providing comprehensive medical care 

for DoD beneficiaries living near North 

Chicago who use the FHCC.

Naval Health Clinic Charleston

Naval Health Clinic Charleston 

(NHCC), S.C. has occupied the new 

John G. Feder Joint Ambulatory Care 

Clinic for two years. After overcoming nearly all of the expected obstacles 

of moving to a new building at a new 

location, NHCC is operating at a level 

rarely seen by heath care organizations.

The clinic provided primary, specialty, ancillary and occupational health 

services during 112,588 patient encounters for 16,309 enrolled beneficiaries in 

fiscal year 2012. Specialty care services 

at the clinic include general surgery, 

podiatry, physical therapy, chiropractic 

care, optometry and otolaryngology.

The 407-member NHCC staff is 

composed of 208 active duty, 154 civilian and 45 contract employees. Additionally, there is a contingent of more 

than 40 people who volunteer at the 

clinic. 

Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point

Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point, 

N.C., named after Medal of Honor recipient PhM2c William David Halyburton, is located on board Marine Corps 

Air Station Cherry Point. The clinic 

provides high quality medical care to 

more than 33,000 active duty, retired 

and other eligible beneficiaries from 

MCAS Cherry Point, 2d Marine Aircraft 

Wing and Fleet Readiness Center East, 

the largest industrial readiness center on 

the East coast.

The clinic employs 410 active duty, 

civil service and contractor personnel. 

During a typical month, the staff performs 22,000 prescription fills, 18,000 

laboratory studies, 8,381outpatient 

medical appointments, 2,622 radiological studies and 60 ambulatory surgical 

procedures.

Lt. Cmdr. Nathan Kindig, a Naval Air 

Technical Training Center physical 

therapist, performs exercises with a 

student, Hospital Apprentice Phillip 

Johnson, to improve function and 

mobility after an injury to the knee. 

(Photo by Stan Jones)
14 Navy Medicine

Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi

Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi, 

Texas and its branch health clinics (NAS 

Kingsville and JRB Fort Worth) provide 

ambulatory care services to 12,837 

enrolled military beneficiaries. The 

command’s detachment in San Antonio 

provides primary care services to our 

Navy students at the Medical Education 

and Training Command at Fort Sam 

Houston, and case management services 

and medical board management to our 

Navy and Marine Corps wounded warriors at Brook Army Medical Center. 

The command is staffed with 486 military, civilian contractors and civil service 

personnel. The command deploys an 

average of 24 staff members to meet the 

needs of our deployed warriors and humanitarian missions. 

During a typical day, there are 353 

medical visits, 69 dental visits, 1,205 

prescriptions filled, 26 radiology exams 

conducted and 458 laboratory tests. 

NHCCC San Antonio Detachment 

Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi 

Detachment (NHCCC) San Antonio 

is focused on expanding support to the 

Navy and Marine Wounded, Ill and 

Injured (WII) at San Antonio Military 

Center, including consolidating Navy 

assets onsite under one directorate, the 

Director of Branch Clinics. Office space 

was acquired to allow Navy personnel 

to consolidate in one central location, 

allowing for better access and support 

of Navy and Marine WII. Additionally, 

five new contract positions were created 

and a Manning Change Request was 

generated to allow for the shift of billets 

from NHCCC to San Antonio to better 

support mission requirements. 

Naval Hospital Jacksonville

Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Fla. is 

composed of a hospital and five branch 

health clinics in Florida (Jacksonville, 

Key West, Mayport) and Georgia (Albany, Kings Bay). The 2,750 active, reserve 

and civilian staff serves 57,000 enrolled 

patients and 215,000 beneficiaries. 

As the fourth largest medical command, NH Jacksonville provides the 

entire continuum of care: primary care 

through 14 Medical Homeport teams, 

surgery, maternity, wellness, deployment 

health, dive and aviation medicine, 

pharmacy, laboratory, radiology and 

other specialties. Each year, NH Jacksonville cares for 500,000 outpatients, 

sees 82,000 dental patients, admits 

4,100 inpatients, treats 32,000 in the 

ER, performs 3,900 same-day surgeries, 

fills 1,300,000 prescriptions, conducts 

1,250,000 lab tests and delivers 900 babies – as one of only three DoD MTFs 

certified as Baby Friendly by WHO/

UNICEF. 

Naval Health Clinic New England

Naval Health Clinic New England 

comprises command headquarters in 

Newport, R.I., and three branch health 

clinics in Groton, Conn.; Portsmouth, 

N.H.; and Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 

Newport provides care for 35 tenant 

commands on Naval Station Newport 

such as the Naval War College, Officer 

Training Command, Naval Academy 

Prep School, Naval Undersea Warfare 

Center, Navy Supply School and Surface 

Warfare Officers School. BHC Groton 

provides care to 70 tenant commands at 

Naval Submarine Base, New London, 

Conn., which is homeport to 18 submarines, and BHC Portsmouth is located 

at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard where 

the primary mission is the overhaul of 

Los Angeles and Virginia Class submarines. They are also the engineering center for new submarines. BHC Saratoga 

Springs supports the medical and dental 

needs of the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit in Ballston Spa, N.Y. 

Naval Hospital Pensacola

Naval Hospital Pensacola, established 

in 1826, is one of the oldest naval medical facilities. It is a community-sized 

teaching hospital composed of 34 beds 

with 10 branch health clinics spanning 

five states: Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, 

Mississippi and Tennessee. NH Pensacola services over 154,000 beneficiaries 

and staffs over 2,100 military and civilian personnel. We are a fully deployable unit of more than 1,100 personnel 

who could be called upon to support 

operational and humanitarian missions 

worldwide. 

NHP has successfully implemented 

Medical Home Port in all of its primary 

care clinics resulting in reduced ER utilization for non-urgent needs, improved 

Lt. Alicia Warnock discusses her plan of care on her patient, Sherry Schumaker, in NHP’s 

internal medicine clinic. The internal medicine clinic is a part of Medical Home Port and is 

composed of two teams who see over 5,000 patients. (Photo by Stan Jones)
The Almanac | 2013 15

health outcomes, increased continuity 

of care, and soaring patient satisfaction. 

NHP continues to evolve the Medical 

Home Port concept through secure messaging and improved access to the health 

care team. NHP has earned seven Level 

3 accreditations, the highest recognition 

possible from the National Committee 

for Quality Assurance, the most in all of 

the Department of Defense. 

U.S. Naval Hospital 

Guantanamo Bay

The staff at U.S. Naval Hospital 

Guantanamo Bay have the reputation for sustaining one of the highest 

patient satisfaction rates providing the 

highest quality health care to the more 

than 5,500 base residents on Guantanamo Bay. The hospital provides care to 

everyone living on the installation, including active duty, government civilian 

employees, contractors, special category 

residents, foreign nationals, visitors, 

migrants, detainees, and all family 

members. This also includes Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo personnel charged 

with the Operation Enduring Freedom 

detainee mission, and Coast Guard 

personnel who carry out the interdiction 

mission in the Caribbean region.

U.S. Naval Hospital Naples

U.S. Naval Hospital Naples comprises the main hospital in Gricigiano, 

Branch Clinic Capodichino and a 

detachment at Landstuhl, Germany. 

The naval hospital’s staff totals 400 

active duty; and 183 civilians, contractors and local nationals, who serve 

more than 8,000 beneficiaries. The 

hospital has 20 inpatient beds (expandable to 40) and had 521 admissions and 56,776 ambulatory visits.

A unique aspect of USNH Naples 

is how the command collaborates 

with the local medical community 

within the Preferred Provider Network. The PPN is composed of medical specialists in the local economy, 

with whom we coordinate care for our 

beneficiaries. The PPN is used only 

when we cannot provide a specialty 

service and every effort to care for the 

patient within has been exhausted. 

The PPN has created a lasting partnership with the local Italian medical 

community, and has strengthened 

medical diplomacy throughout the 

region. 

U.S. Naval Hospital Rota

U.S. Naval Hospital Rota, Spain has 

2,746 enrolled beneficiaries, and an average of 40,920 annual patient encounters. 

There are 317 active duty, 83 civilian (U.S. 

& local national) and 15 contract personnel. In fiscal year 2012, there were 14 individual deployments. 

Specialty care services include General 

Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dermatology, Urology, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, 

Optometry, Oral Surgery and Endodontics.

U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella 

U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella, Italy is a 

22-bed community hospital with one satellite clinic in Sicily and two branch health 

clinics located in the Kingdom of Bahrain 

and on the island of Crete that support 

approximately 8,500 personnel assigned 

to NAS Sigonella, NSA Souda Bay and 

NSA Bahrain including headquarters staff 

of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, 

as well as ships transiting the FIFTH and 

SIXTH Fleets areas of operations.

The hospital is a medevac receiving and 

staging area for the eastern Mediterranean 

Sea and the Middle East. Beneficiaries 

include active duty, active duty family 

members, retirees and their eligible family members, as well as support elements 

including DoD civilians, contractors and 

their families. 

Naval Dental Center Camp 

Lejeune/2d Dental Battalion

Naval Dental Center Camp Lejeune/2d 

Dental Battalion is composed of five 

branch dental clinics and six annex clinics 

located onboard Marine Corps Base Camp 

Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry 

Point, and Marine Corps Air Station New 

River. There are also six state-of-the-art 

mobile dental units. The command’s staff 

consists of 270 active duty and 215 civil 

service and contract personnel who provide 

a wide range of General Dentistry Services, 

as well as Prosthodontics, Periodontics, 

Endodontics and Oral Surgery Specialty 

care to an active duty patient population of 

52,248. 

During fiscal year 2012, the Naval 

Dental Center had 178,858 patient encounters and delivered dental care valued 

in excess of $56.4 million.

A hospital corpsman attached to Naval Hospital Beaufort’s Branch Health Clinic (BHC) 

Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Parris Island draws blood on a recruit newly 

arrived to MCRD for basic training. (Photo by Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Octavia Davis)
16 Navy Medicine

Navy Medicine West

Navy Medicine West’s (NMW) mission is to lead a functionally integrated 

regional health system known for its 

readiness, responsiveness, and reliability. 

NMW provides oversight and program 

guidance for integrated health care delivery, medical treatment facility (MTF) 

performance, human resource strategy, 

system optimization and innovation, 

contingency response and future strategies and growth. NMW is comprised of 

12 commands (10 MTF accredited by 

the Joint Commission and two Naval 

Dental Clinics).

NMW is staffed by 16,900 activeduty enlisted Sailors and officers, Navy 

civilians, Reserve component and contract personnel who provide outstanding 

health services to more than 768,000 

patients with approximately 3.8 million 

patient encounters each year. 

In 2012, NMW deployed 953 personnel in support of various missions 

and training exercises enterprise wide, to 

include individual augmentee requirements, Pacific Partnership 2012 (nearly 

500 NMW embarked), EMF Kandahar, 

two afloat surgical team rotations Operation Enduring Freedom, 1st and 2nd 

Medical Battalions, and augmented various ships to include aircraft carriers USS 

Stennis, USS Nimitz and USS Lincoln.

Naval Medical Center San Diego

Naval Medical Center San Diego’s 

(NMCSD) mission is to deliver topquality and patient-centered health care, 

to prepare and deploy military personnel 

in support of Combatant Commander 

requirements and to shape the future of 

military medicine through education, 

training, and research.

NMCSD is a 277-bed multispecialty hospital and ambulatory complex 

adjacent to San Diego’s historic Balboa 

Park, with a staff comprised of more 

than 6,500 personnel. The hospital and 

its branch health clinics treat more than 

95,000 enrolled beneficiaries from Miramar to El Centro, Calif. With its vision 

of being the nation’s premier military 

medical center and providing world 

class care anytime, anywhere, NMCSD 

is the amputee center of excellence for 

the Western Pacific caring for Marines 

assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion West, Soldiers assigned to Warrior 

Transition Unit, and Sailors in medical transition. NMCSD has achieved 

national acclaim for many of its clinical 

and research programs including refractive surgery, post-traumatic stress, and 

hearing and balance disorders. NMCSD 

personnel routinely deploy as individual 

augmentees, in support of humanitarian 

missions afloat and ashore, and in support of the missions of overseas medical 

facilities in various areas of combat operations. In 2012, 329 staff deployed in 

support of Pacific Partnership, Djibouti 

and Afghanistan. 

Naval Hospital Bremerton

Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB) 

is a community-based acute care and 

obstetrical hospital, offering expert 

primary care, emergency care and a 

broad range of medical and surgical 

specialties to more than 24,000 enrolled 

beneficiaries. NHB is parent command 

for three branch health clinics located 

at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Naval 

NAVY MEDICINE WEST

Marine Sgt. Lam Le, assigned 

to Naval Medical Center San 

Diego’s (NMCSD) Wounded 

Warrior Battalion-West 

detachment, performs step 

exercises during NMCSD’s 

Comprehensive Combat 

and Complex Casualty 

Care (C5) program agility 

clinic. The clinic is part of a 

weeklong schedule of events 

commemorating C5’s fi ve 

years of rehabilitating WII 

service members. (Photo by 

Mass Communication Specialist 

2nd Class Sean P. Lenahan)
The Almanac | 2013 17

Base Kitsap Bangor and Naval Station 

Everett and the Puget Sound Family 

Medicine Residency Program. NHB and 

its clinic staff consist of more than 1,400 

military, civilian, contract and volunteer 

personnel. In fiscal year 2012, NHB 

had approximately 119 active-duty staff 

deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan, Kuwait and other commands 

such as Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, 

Black Sea Rotational Force, and with 

Pacific Partnership 2012.

Naval Hospital Lemoore

Naval Hospital Lemoore (NHL) is 

a 16-bed community hospital located 

onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore approximately seven miles west of 

Lemoore, Calif., in the central San Joaquin Valley. Under the NHL command 

umbrella are two branch health clinics: 

Naval Branch Health Clinic (NBHC) 

in Fallon, Nev., and Branch Dental 

Clinic (BDC) in Monterey, Calif., as 

well as Naval Medical Administration 

Unit (NMAU) also in Monterey, Calif. 

Naval Hospital Yokosuka

Naval Hospital Yokosuka (NHY) is 

the largest U.S. military treatment facility on mainland Japan: a 47-bed core 

Navy Medicine West 

by the Numbers

953

Annual patient encounters

16,900

768,000

3.8 million

Patients

Active Duty, Reserve and 

Civlian personnel

Individual deployments

Ensign Gina Denjen explains the steps needed to stabilize a patient to instructor 

Sherwood Cox during the fi rst Navy Advanced Trauma Nursing Facilitator Course 

(ATNC) held at Naval Medical Center San Diego. ATNC is a two day course that 

combines lectures, practical experience and helps nurses expand their management 

and team skills while treating a patient with multiple traumas. NMCSD plans on 

implementing the course as a pre-deployment requirement for nurses and will expand 

on the existing Advanced Trauma Life Support Provider Course which is a required 

course for primary care physicians before deploying. (Photo by Mass Communication 

Specialist 1st Class Anastasia Puscian)
18 Navy Medicine

hospital in Yokosuka, near Tokyo. Branch 

health clinics are located in Sasebo, 

Iwakuni, Atsugi, Camp Fuji, and Yokohama in mainland Japan; Chinhae, Korea 

on the southern tip of South Korea; and 

Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. NHY 

serves 42,000 beneficiaries throughout 

the western Pacific and provides quality 

patient and family-centered healthcare by 

empowering staff, using efficient business 

practices and partnering with other Navy, 

Army, Air Force and host nation hospitals 

and clinics. 

Naval Hospital Guam

Naval Hospital Guam (NHG), a 38-

bed community hospital with full-scope 

primary care, emergency services and 

limited specialty services, is comprised of 

the main hospital in Agana Heights and 

two branch clinics, medical and dental, 

on Naval Base Guam. NHG’s staff of 557 

active duty and 189 civilians and contractors serve more than 11,657 enrolled beneficiaries. NHG offers full-scope primary 

care, Emergency Department care, and 

limited specialty services.

Naval Hospital Okinawa

Naval Hospital Okinawa (NHO) is the 

largest overseas MTF in the Navy. Located 

on Camp Lester in the town of Chatan, 

Okinawa, the 82-bed facility is staffed by 

active duty personnel from all branches 

of service, U.S. and Japanese civilians, 

and American Red Cross volunteers. The 

hospital serves a beneficiary population 

of 55,000 active duty personnel, family 

members, civilian employees, contract 

personnel, and retirees living in Okinawa. 

NHO also provides specialty care and 

referral services for more than 189,000 

enrolled beneficiaries throughout the 

Western Pacific area of operation, including garrison forces, family members, and 

operating forces deployed to the region. 

NHO operates branch medical clinics on 

Camp Kinser, MCAS Futenma, Camp 

Foster, Camp Courtney, Camp Hansen, 

and Camp Schwab.

3d Dental Battalion

U.S. Naval Dental Center Okinawa 

3d Dental Battalion U.S. Naval Dental 

Center (3D DENBN/USNDC) Okinawa, 

Japan is the Navy’s largest OCONUS dental command providing care to a patient 

population of 48,900 in eleven different specialties; comprehensive dentistry, 

endodontics, exodontics, general dentistry, 

dental hygiene, operative dentistry, oral 

surgery, orthodontics, pedodontics, 

periodontics and prosthodontics. 3D 

DENBN/USNDC Okinawa consists of 

391 personnel assigned to a headquarters 

and 13 dental facilities; 10 of which are 

located on Okinawa, one in Iwakuni, Japan and two in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Its 

mission is to “ensure dental readiness and 

optimize dental health for all beneficiaries 

and support operation and expeditionary 

missions.”

Naval Medical Center San Diego Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse Lt. j. g. Linda Duque checks on newborn. More than 1,000 active duty 

and civilian nurses provide patient care throughout NMCSD. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John O’Neill Herrera)
The Almanac | 2013 19

Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton

Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton 

(NHCP), a 72-bed facility, provides outpatient and inpatient care for active duty 

and retired personnel and family members. Services available include internal 

medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, 

otolaryngology, cardiology, pulmonology, 

audiology, urology, optometry, ophthalmology, gynecology, gastroenterology, 

allergy, obstetrics, dermatology, orthopedics, sports medicine, mental health, general surgery, nuclear medicine, emergency 

ambulance, and emergency room. 

Naval Hospital Oak Harbor

Naval Hospital Oak Harbor (NHOH) 

is a 12-bed hospital located on Naval 

Air Station, Whidbey Island, Wash. It is 

one of three rural community hospitals 

within a 40-mile radius. The hospital is a 

TRICARE Prime facility that serves active 

duty and family members, as well as eligible retired military personnel and their 

families. Services provided included dental 

care, urgent care, family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, labor and 

delivery, laboratory, pharmacy, radiology, 

mental health, obstetrics and gynecology, 

occupational health, flight medicine, deployment health, optometry, orthopedics, 

pediatrics, same-day surgery, physical therapy, preventive medicine, and a Substance 

Abuse and Rehabilitation Program.

Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms

Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms 

(NHTP) was surveyed by the Joint Commission in January 2012 that resulted in 

a 3-year accreditation. The hospital also 

underwent the Navy Bureau of Medicine 

and Surgery’s Inspector General Survey at 

the same time. NHTP listens to suggestions of patients in order to provide high 

quality and convenient care. In fiscal year 

2012, the hospital established a mental 

health pain management group. Additionally, its Multi-Service Ward restarted the 

infusion center for referred patients. This 

service allows patients to receive intravenous infusions and therapeutic injections 

in a safe, professional, and comfortable 

environment. NHTP provides exceptional 

healthcare to eligible beneficiaries working and living in the Combat Center, the 

Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, 

and the Marine Mountain Warfare Center 

Bridgeport, Calif.

Naval Health Clinic Hawaii

The Naval Health Clinic Hawaii 

(NHCH) team is committed to operational readiness and accessible, coordinated, compassionate and patient-centered 

care. Outpatient care includes aviation 

medicine, behavioral health, chiropractic, 

dental, deployment health, dermatology, 

family medicine, hearing conservation, 

industrial hygiene, obstetrics and gynecology, occupational medicine, optometry, 

orthopedics, physical therapy, preventive 

medicine, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Therapy Center, Substance Abuse 

and Rehabilitation Program and undersea 

medicine. In fiscal year 2012, NHCH 

received the Blue H Navy Surgeon General’s Health Promotion and Wellness 

Award (12th consecutive); conducted first 

CNO-directed Navy Influenza Vaccination Exercise in 2012 immunizing active 

duty military and eligible DoD population achieving 78% compliance (8% over 

established goal); was accredited by The 

Joint Commission and College of American Pathologists; and improved access to 

care with a renovated Behavioral Health 

building.

Hospital Corpsman Apprentice Justin Ross checks seven year-old Gionni Rameriez’s 

temperature in Naval Medical Center San Diego’s pediatric inpatient ward. The pediatric 

ward provides comprehensive medical and surgical care with staff focus on family-centered, 

multidisciplinary care and treatment. (Photo by Mass Communication

Specialist 1st Class Anastasia Puscian)
20 Navy Medicine

NAVY MEDICINE 

NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA Navy Medicine 

National Capital Area

Navy Medicine National Capital 

Area (NCA) is comprised of the main 

medical center, Walter Reed National 

Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), 

Bethesda, Md., the NCA health clinics: 

Naval Health Clinic Annapolis, Md., 

Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River, 

Md., Naval Health Clinic Quantico, 

Va., and their branch clinics.

Walter Reed National 

Military Medical Center

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., is the world’s 

largest military hospital, located on 

the Naval Support Activity-Bethesda 

243 acre campus, the Medical Center 

has more than 2.4 million square feet 

of clinical space, provides outpatient 

care and services to nearly 1 million 

beneficiaries per year in addition to 

inpatient care and services. Walter 

Reed Bethesda, the flagship of military 

medicine, also known as the President’s 

hospital, represents hope to those who 

enter its doors. As the construction and 

renovation was completed to create the 

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, all quality of care, patient 

and staff satisfaction, and patient safety 

metrics were maintain at or above national bench marks. Our Patient and 

Family Centered Medical Home care 

model allows patients to take charge 

of their health. We provide 24/7 support, guidance, care, and counseling to 

our wounded warriors and their family 

members. Our philosophy is to lift them 

up and support them from the minute 

they arrive at Walter Reed Bethesda so 

that they feel as if their feet never hit the 

ground. As important as the brick and 

mortar of these buildings is, it pales in 

comparison to the importance of the care 

and compassion delivered by our staff 

within them.

Statistics

• 2.4 Million Square Feet 

• 345 Total Beds 

• 9,837 Total Admissions Less 

Births (2012) 

• 1,133 Total Births (2012)

• 225 Average Daily Census (2012)

• 5.2 Average Length of Stay 

(2012) 

• 19,028 Total Emergency Department Visits (2012)

• 6,904 Total Staff Members (including 2,531 Civilian, 1,304 

Contractor, 1,315 Enlisted, 1,713 

Officer, 41 Reserve) 

Enlisted personnel from the Navy and Army work together at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to provide world-class care for 

patients and their families. (Photo courtesy of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Public Affairs)
The Almanac | 2013 21

Our Vision 

• We are the Nation’s Medical Center. 

• We create extraordinary experiences for patients, families, and 

staff, while driving tomorrow’s 

healthcare advances. 

• We provide the nation’s best warrior care. 

• We value our patients and staff. 

• We maximize readiness and promote wellness for our Uniformed 

Services 

• We provide quality Patient and 

Family-Centered care 

• We develop and export innovation 

in healthcare 

• We lead the way in integration for 

the National Capital Area healthcare system 

• We provide robust education and 

professional development programs 

• We serve as a resource for homeland defense and humanitarian 

assistance 

• We care for the President and the 

Nation’s leaders 

WRNMMC’s primary mission is 

to ensure the readiness and care of the 

Uniformed Services and their families. 

Walter Reed Bethesda leads military 

medicine through outstanding patientcentered care, innovation, and excellence 

in education and research. We provide 

comprehensive care to prevent disease, 

restore health, and maximize readiness. 

We are: Accountable to our Patients 

and Staff, Preferred for our Performance, and Admired for our Service. 

WRNMMC also provides care for the 

President and Vice-President of the 

United States, Members of Congress, 

and Justices of the Supreme Court. In 

addition, when authorized, WRNMMC 

provides care for foreign military and 

embassy personnel. 

Deploying to Support Missions 

WRNMMC staff members provide 

care around the world via hospital ship 

USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) and several 

other operational platforms. In 2003, 

nearly 800 NNMC staff deployed 

aboard USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) to 

support Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 

2005, more than 500 NNMC staff 

members deployed on a six-week mission aboard USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) 

to support Hurricane Katrina Relief 

efforts in the Gulf. At any given time, 

dozens of NNMC staff are deployed 

around the globe to places like Iraq, 

Afghanistan, and Kuwait to support 

the Global War on Terrorism. In 2011, 

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. is the world’s largest military hospital, located on the Naval Support 

Activity-Bethesda 243 acre campus. (Photo courtesy of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Public Affairs)
22 Navy Medicine

323 WRNMMC staff deployed aboard 

USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) to support 

Operation Continuing Promise. 

Leadership 

WRNMMC is an active status 

facility with an active duty command 

leadership. 

WRNMMC receives resources and 

technical support from Navy Medicine 

NCA and is under operational and 

tactical control of the Joint Task Force 

National Capital Region Medical. 

Patient Services

• 3-D Medical Applications

• Addiction Treatment Services

• Adolescent Medicine

• Allergy/Immunology/Immunization

• Ambulatory Procedure Unit

• Ambulatory Surgery Center

• Anatomic Pathology Labs

• Anesthesia

• Armed Forces Center for Child 

Protection (AFCCP)

• Armed Services Blood Bank Center

• Assistive Reproductive Technologies 

• Audiology and Speech Pathology 

Center

• Behavioral Health Care

• Breast Care Center/Mammography

• Cardiac Rehabilitation

• Cardiovascular Health and Interventional Radiology Center 

(CVHIR)

• Cardiology

• Cardiothoracic Surgery

• Child and Adolescent Behavioral 

Health Services

• Chiropractic Services

• Clinical Case Management

• Clinical Nutrition Services

• Colon Health/Virtual Colonoscopy

• Comprehensive Cancer Center

• Comprehensive Dentistry – Naval 

Postgraduate Dental School

• Defense and Veterans Brain Injury 

Center (DVBIC)

• Dental Readiness and Primary Care 

Dentistry

• Deployment Health Center

• Dermatology

• Dialysis Center/Nephrology

• Diabetes Care Center/Endocrinology 

• Ear, Nose and Throat/Otolaryngology

• Emergency Medicine Endodontic – 

Naval Postgraduate Dental School

• Exceptional Family Member Program

• Executive Medicine

• Gastroenterology

• General Surgery

• Gynecological Cancer Center of 

Excellence

• Health Promotion and Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA)

• Health Readiness 

• Hearing Conservation/Occupational Audiology

• Hematology / Oncology

• Hospital Dentistry

• Infectious Diseases

• Intensive/Critical Care Internal 

Medicine Interventional Radiology

• Immunizations 

• Industrial Hygiene

• Infection Prevention & Control 

Services

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center provides a number of services and procedures to help correct hearing loss, often 

experienced by troops returning from combat. (Photo courtesy of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Public Affairs)
The Almanac | 2013 23

• Inpatient Medicine

• Laboratory Services

• Mother Infant Care Center (MICC)

• Medical Home

• Medical & Reproductive Genetics

• Military Advanced Training Center 

(MATC)/Amputee Center

• Military Medical Records 

• Naval Post-Graduate Dental School

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 

(NICU)

• Nephrology

• Neurology

• Neurosurgery

• Nuclear Medicine

• Nutrition Management

• Obstetrics/Women’s Health

• Occupational Medicine

• Occupational Safety

• Occupational Therapy

• Oncology

• Operating Room

• Ophthalmology (Eye Clinic)

• Optometry

• Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology – 

Naval Postgraduate Dental School

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• Oral Medicine/Radiology 

• Orofacial Pain – Naval Postgraduate 

Dental School 

• Orthodontics 

• Orthopaedics/Podiatry

• Orthotics/Prosthetics 

• Otolaryngology Surgery (ENT)

• Pain Management

• Pediatric Medicine

• Pediatrics Neurodevelopmental 

Division

• Periodontics – Naval Postgraduate 

Dental School

• Prosthodontics and Maxillofacial 

Prosthetics – Naval Postgraduate 

Dental School

• Pharmacy

• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

• Physical Therapy

• Podiatry

• Plastic & Reconstructive Services 

(Pediatric & Adult)

• Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

• Preventive Medicine & Environmental Health Services

• Prostate Disease Research 

• Psychological Health and

• Traumatic Brain Injury (PH-TBI)

• Pulmonary Medicine

• Radiation Oncology 

• Refractive Surgery 

• Reproductive Health

• Rheumatology

• Sleep Lab

• Social Work/Clinical Care Management Speech Language Pathology

• Sterile Processing

• Substance Abuse 

• Surgical Oncology 

• Transfusion Services

• Urogynecology

• Urology

• Vaccine Healthcare 

• Vascular Surgery

• Vision Center of Excellence (VCoE)

NCA Branch health clinics:

Carderock, Dahlgren, Earle, Indian 

Head, Lakehurst, Mechanicsburg, NAD 

Washington, Naval Research Lab, Philadelphia Business Center, Sugar Grove, 

USUSHS, Washington Navy Yard and 

Willow Grove.

Annapolis

Outpatient Visits 116, 420

Lab Test 74,811

Dental Visits 83,544

Prescriptions Filled 122,829

Patuxent River

Outpatient Visits 113,564

Lab Test 78,447

Dental Visits 59,183

Prescriptions Filled 96,598

Quantico

Outpatient Visits 193,703

Lab Test 163,811

Dental Visits 162,342

Prescriptions Filled 134,889

NCA Totals: 

Outpatient Visits 423,687

Lab Test 317,069

Dental Visits 305,069

Prescriptions Filled 354,316

Open Sports Day is held at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center twice a year, allowing 

wounded warriors an opportunity to learn about the many recreational activities available at the 

medical center and throughout the community. (Photo courtesy of Walter Reed National Military 

Medical Center Public Affairs)
24 Navy Medicine

Navy Medicine Education 

and Training Command 

Navy Medicine Education and Training Command (NMETC) was renamed 

and re-scoped from the Navy Medicine 

Education and Training Command 

(NMETC) during a ceremony at Naval 

Air Station Jacksonville, Fla, July 11, 

2012. The new NMETC is focused on 

the education and training mission and 

functionally aligned to BUMED M7. 

The new NMETC command headquarters is located on board historical 

Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, 

Texas, the hub of military medical education and training. NMETC directly 

supports the Navy Surgeon General’s 

priorities of readiness, value and jointness through its 21 commands, activities 

and detachments located across the 

United States. The command manages 

and executes medical and operational 

training for Navy, joint and allied military personnel.

Examples of NMETC readiness, 

value and jointness include managing 

Navy Medicine’s Modeling/Simulation standardized training scenarios and 

equipment purchase, helping ensure 

Navy Medicine personnel have the 

tools to meet their mission of providing 

healthcare and maintaining a healthy 

and fit force. NMETC develops training content delivered globally via MTF 

Staff Education and Training or Navy 

eLearning. NMETC directly supports 

readiness, Joint Commission accreditation, and deployed platforms by monitoring internal metrics specific to the 

Navy Medicine Education and Training 

enterprise, and external measures that 

monitor compliance with education and 

training standards for Navy Medicine 

staff. NMETC Academics maintains 

oversight of curricula at Navy Medicine 

NAVY MEDICINE EDUCATION 

AND TRAINING COMMAND

(Left) Logistics Specialist 2nd Class (EXW/SW/PJ) Robert Colson, a San Diego native, and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (SW) Cedric 

Gaines, a Tifton, Ga., native, transport a patient during the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) portion of the inaugaral Kandahar Role 3 

Operational Medical Training Progam. The Kandahar Role 3 Operational Medical Training Program is designed to provide necessary current 

professional skills training before the nearly 200 service members participating in the course deploy to Kandahar's Role 3 Hospital. (Photo 

courtesy of Navy Medicine Education and Training Command)
The Almanac | 2013

Learning Centers and the tri-service 

Medical Education and Training Campus (METC), which provides education 

and training programs for Navy, Army 

and Air Force medical personnel.

NMETC Reserve Unit

NMETC Reserve Unit (NRNMETC) is a 70-person unit drilling 

in Jacksonville and supporting reserve 

component training globally. NRNMETC is transitioning from a rapid 

response unit to a unit that is responsible for coordinating and integrating the 

training plan for Navy Medicine Reserve 

Component. NR-NMETC has participated in exercises such as Tropic Care in 

Hawaii, Arctic Care in Alaska, and Alabama Black Belt in Selma, Demopolis 

and Hayneville, Ala. These joint-service 

exercises provided readiness training 

for Navy, Army and Air Force medical 

personnel who in turn supported the 

underserved local population with medical and dental care. 

Subordinate Echelon-4 Commands 

NMETC has three subordinate echelon-4 commands – Navy Medicine Operational Training Center (NMOTC) in 

Pensacola, Fla.; Navy Medicine Training 

Support Center (NMTSC) at Fort Sam 

Houston; and Navy Medicine Professional Development Center (NMPDC) 

at Bethesda, Md.

Navy Medicine Operational 

Training Center 

Navy Medicine Operational Training 

Center (NMOTC) is a CNO-Designated Warfare Center of Excellence that 

provides readiness, value and jointness 

by training approximately 24,000 line 

Navy and Marine Corps personnel, and 

over 300 international students annually. NMOTC also performs 43,000 

aeromedical dispositions, 9,000 ASTBs 

(psychological testing), and up to 500 

evaluations annually for Navy, Marine 

Corps, Army and Air Force repatriated 

POWs.

NMOTC has oversight of six detachments and nine training centers in 46 

facilities spread across the U.S. More 

than 600 personnel support some 65 

instructional programs within aviation, 

surface and undersea warfare, expeditionary forces, and special operations.

Navy Medicine Training 

Support Center 

Navy Medicine Training Support 

Center (NMTSC) is Navy’s component 

command to the tri-service METC. 

NMTSC provides administrative and 

operational control of over 580 Navy 

Medicine instructors and support staff, 

and 2,500 students assigned to the 

METC and San Antonio-area medical 

education programs. Approximately 

5,000 Corpsmen representing about 

20% of today’s Navy active duty Corpsmen are graduates of the consolidated 

Navy and Air Force Basic Medical Technician Corpsman Program (BMTCP) at 

METC.

 

Navy Medicine Professional 

Development Center 

Navy Medicine Professional Development Center (NMPDC) supports Sailors and Marines by educating, training 

and supporting Navy Medicine personnel to optimize the health and readiness 

of the Warfighter. NMPDC manages 

Navy Medicine’s graduate professional 

educational programs, dental residency 

and fellowship programs, postgraduate 

education programs, officer corps graduate programs and continuing education, 

officer commissioning programs for 

MSC and NC, board certification and 

maintenance reimbursement, scholarly 

research, and leadership and professional 

development courses. NMPDC actions 

that directly impact Navy Medicine’s 

readiness, value and jointness priorities 

include maintaining collaborative relationships with more than 100 military 

and civilian activities, and training 

approximately 3,000 personnel from 

the federal uniformed services, civilian 

employees, and allied foreign military 

members annually.

 

25

Naval Aerospace Medical Institute fl ight surgeon Lt. Cmdr. Charles Johnson, center, provides 

student fl ight surgeons Lt. Jennifer Hunt, left, and Lt. John Jackson feedback during an 

Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support block of instruction at NAMI in Pensacola, Fla. The 

ACLS is an American Heart Association-credentialed course which Navy Medicine deployers 

are required to take. (Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Bruce Cummins)
26 Navy Medicine

NAVAL MEDICAL 

LOGISTICS COMMAND

Naval Medical Logistics Command 

(NMLC) is the center of logistics expertise for Navy Medicine and naval 

operational forces designing, executing 

and administering individualized stateof-the-art solutions to meet customer’s 

medical material and health care needs. 

Headquartered at Fort Detrick, Md., 

NMLC supports the U.S. Navy with 

acquisition and logistics systems training, health care services strategies, operational forces support, medical equipment and logistics solutions, acquisition 

management, deployable platforms and 

eyewear fabrication. 

NMLC has responsibility as the 

technical manager of the Navy’s Direct 

Health Care Services Contracting Program and provides medical logistics and 

material management information and 

medical mobilization planning assistance for the U.S. Marine Corps and the 

U.S. Coast Guard. 

NMLC has three areas of responsibility under its command; the Naval 

Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity, located at Naval Weapons Station, 

Yorktown, Va., the Naval Expeditionary 

Medical Support Command, located at 

Cheatham Annex, Williamsburg, Va., 

and the NMLC Pirmasens Germany 

Detachment.

Programs

• Naval Medicine contracting, logistical support and consulting for 

medical and dental services, medical supplies and equipment

• Operational Forces Authorized 

Medical/Dental Allowance Lists – 

consumables for ships, health care 

facilities and med-kits

• Shipboard equipment replacement, new ship construction and 

overhaul programs

• Navy health care contracting 

analysis

• Biomedical and clinical engineering technical support and program 

management for Navy medicine 

and dental procurement

• Navy Medicine clinical image 

management systems (Digital Imaging Network/Picture Archiving 

and Communications Systems

• Design, construction, acquisition and maintenance of Navy 

expeditionary, deployable medical 

platforms

• Prime Vendor Program (pre-negotiated process for common medical quick-fill consumables)

• Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support (DMLSS), Wide 

Area Work Flow (WAWF) and 

Standard Procurement System 

(SPS) program management and 

execution for Navy Medicine

• Equipment, technology and medical maintenance management

• Pandemic Influenza and Vaccination Program

• Eyewear fabrication for military 

personnel 

• Military Tri-Services Optician 

School

• Combat eyewear – inserts for gas 

masks and protective eyewear for 

combat forces

• Navy’s Frames of Choice and GEyes eyewear program

• Preventive law in areas of OGC 

practice

Members of the Naval Medical Logistics Command Picture and Archiving

Communication Systems team demonstrate a PACS workstation at the 2012 Audit

Readiness Training Symposium, Lansdowne, Va. (Photo by Sheila A. Gorman)
The Almanac | 2013 27

Navy and Marine Corps Public 

Health Center (NMCPHC) is the Navy 

and Marine Corps’ center for public 

health services. NMCPHC is headquartered in Portsmouth, Va. It provides 

leadership and expertise in the development of policy and guidance in occupational and environmental medicine, 

disease surveillance, monitoring prevention, public health emergencies, and 

risk communication. Its core product 

lines are: Deployment Health, Disease 

Prevention, Public Health Response, 

Health Promotion and Wellness, and 

Health Information Management. Its 10 

field activities provide further depth to 

our services through the Naval Dosimetry Center, Navy Bloodborne Infection 

Management Center, Navy Preventive 

Medicine Units (Norfolk, San Diego, 

and Hawaii; Rota Spain – set to open 

in Summer 2013), Navy Drug Screening Laboratories (Great Lakes, Ill., San 

Diego, and Jacksonville, Fla.) and the 

Navy Entomology Center of Excellence. 

The NMCPHC enterprise will focus efforts on further shaping evidence-based 

programs that are more responsive by 

building a collaborative joint-focused 

network to effectively address global 

public health concerns. 

NMCPHC professionals will continue to interface with policy makers both 

within and external to the Department 

of Defense, public health practitioners, 

and medical personnel to provide effective Force Health Protection measures to 

warfighters ashore and afloat.

Successes and Accomplishments

• NMCPHC’s Navy Drug Screening 

Laboratories (NDSL) processed 

more than 2.3 million urine 

samples from active duty, reserve, 

recruit, and military applicants 

(MEPS) for all Services of the 

Armed Forces. The NDSLs located 

in San Diego, Jacksonville, and 

Great Lakes were consistently able 

to report negative drug test results 

within two days of sample receipt 

and positive drug test results within 

four and a half days.

• Formally re-established the 

Navy Environmental Preventive 

Medicine Unit Seven (NEPMU-7), 

Rota, Spain. 

• The Navy Entomology Center of 

Excellence (NECE) and Centers for 

Disease Control (CDC) teamed up 

to complete several projects aimed 

at increasing an understanding of 

important integrated pest management techniques used in global humanitarian efforts and in deployed 

settings.

• NEPMU-2 developed a norovirus 

testing kit to support Navy Medicine’s efforts to get a better assess 

the burden of norovirus outbreaks 

and subsequent loss of manpower 

throughout the Fleet.

• NMCPHC collaborated with 

Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) in the 

deployment of the Navy Operational Fitness and Fueling System 

(NOFFS) Navy-wide, including 

the development of an iPhone application for use anytime/anywhere.

• NMCPHC continues work with 

Navy Medicine’s Wounded, Ill 

and Injured (WII) Program. WII 

Project 141 has identified metrics 

and best practices that assist our 

deployed war-fighters and their 

families prior to, during and after 

deployments. The WII 141 projects include: 

• Health Analysis – providing Navy 

Medicine leaders with public health 

informatics to assist in making 

decisions about all aspects of health 

care of WII services members.

• Epidemiologic Analysis – provides 

information to medical and operational leaders on communicable 

and infectious diseases that impact 

military readiness.

• Health Promotion – provides Navy 

Medicine with evidence-based 

health promotion programs and 

services that facilitate readiness and 

resilience, prevent illness and injury, hasten recovery and promote 

lifelong healthy behaviors.

• Successfully completed the annual 

certification Forward Deployable 

Preventive Medicine Units (FDPMUs) as required for deployment 

readiness.

• The Navy Bloodborne Infection 

Management Center (NBIMC) 

processed HIV testing on 629,193 

individuals and Hepatitis Testing 

on 72,952 individuals.

NAVY AND MARINE CORPS 

PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER

Two Comprehensive Industrial Hygeine Labs provide analysis of industrial hygiene 

samples to identify, quantify, and report the occupational exposures to chemical and 

biological substances. (Photo courtesy of the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center)
28 Navy Medicine

 California

 NMC San Diego

 NEMTI Camp Pendleton

 NH Twentynine Palms

 NH Camp Pendleton

 NH Lemoore

 NHRC San Diego

 USNS Mercy

 SWMI San Diego

 Conneticut

 NSMRL Groton

 NUMI Groton

 Florida

 NAMI Pensacola

 NH Jacksonville

 NH Pensacola

 NMETC Detachment 

 Jacksonville

 NOMI Pensacola

Hawaii

 NAMRU-2 Pearl Harbor

 NHC Hawaii

 Illinois

 Captain James A. 

 Lovell Federal Health 

 Care Center

 Maryland

 Walter Reed NMMC, 

 Bethesda

 NHC Annapolis

 NHC Patuxent River

 NMLC Fort Detrick

 NMRC Silver Spring

 North Carolina

 NH Camp Lejeune

 NHC Cherry Point 

 Ohio

 NAMRU Dayton

 Rhode Island

 NHC New England

 South Carolina

 NH Beaufort

 NHC Charleston

 Texas

 NAMRU - San Antonio

 NHC Corpus Christi

 NMSTC San Antonio

 NMETC San Antonio

 Virginia

 BUMED Headquarters

 NMCPHC Portsmouth

 NMC Portsmouth

 USNS Comfort

 Washington

 NH Bremerton

 NH Oak Harbor

NAVY MEDICINE LOC

HEADQUARTERS NAVY R

MED

CEN

MILITARY SEALIFT 

COMMAND 

HOSPITAL SHIPS

NMC San Diego

NH Twentynine Palms

NH Camp Pendleton

NH Lemoore

NHRC San Diego

Captain James A. Love

Federal Health Care Cente

NH Oak Harbor

NH Bremerton

NMSTC San Antonio NAMRU - San Antonio NAMRU 2

Pearl Harbor

USNS Mercy

NOMI P

SWMI San Diego

NEMTI Camp Pendleton

NMETC San Antonio

NHC Corpus Christi

NHC Hawaii
The Almanac | 2013 29

CATIONS

REGIONAL 

DICAL 

NTERS

NAVAL 

HOSPITALS/

HEALTH CLINICS

NAVY MEDICINE 

SUPPORT UNITS

NATO ROLE 3 

HOSPITAL

NAVY MEDICINE 

RESEARCH 

UNITS

SYMBOLS

ABBREVIATIONS

NSMRL Groton

BUMED Headquarters

NH Jacksonville

NH Pensacola

ell 

er NMRCD Great Lakes

OVERSEAS LOCATIONS

EGYPT

NAMRU-3 

CAIRO, EGYPT

NH Yokosuka, Japan

JAPAN CUBA

NH Guantanamo Bay, 

Cuba

GUAM

NH Guam

ITALY

NH Naples, Italy

NH Okinawa, Japan

PERU

NAMRU-6 

LIMA, PERU

NH Sigonella, Italy

SPAIN

NH Rota, Spain

NMC Portsmouth

NH Beaufort

NHC Charleston

NH Camp Lejeune

NMLC Fort Detrick

NAMRU Dayton

NMRC Silver Spring

AFGHANISTAN

NATO Role 3 Hospital

Kandahar 

BUMED - U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and 

 Surgery

NAMI - Naval Aerospace Medical Institute

NAMRU - Naval Medical Research Unit

NEMTI - Naval Expeditionary Medical 

 Training Institute

NH - Naval Hospital

NHRC - Naval Health Research Center

NMC - Naval Medical Center

NMCPHC - Navy and Marine Corps Public 

 Health Center

NMETC - Navy Medicine Education and 

 Training Campus

NMLC - Naval Medical Logistics Command

NMMC - National Military Medical Center

NMPDC - Navy Medicine Manpower, 

 Personnel, Training and 

 Education Command

NMRC - Naval Medical Research Center 

NMTC - Navy Medicine Training Center

NOMI - Naval Operational Medicine 

 Institute

NSMRL - Naval Submarine Medical 

 Research Laboratory

NUMI - Naval Undersea Medical Institute

SWMI - Surface Warfare Medicine 

 Institute 

USNS - United States Navy Ship

USNS Comfort

Pensacola NAMI Pensacola

NUMI Groton 

NMCPHC Portsmouth

NMETC Detachment Jacksonville

NMPDC Bethesda

Walter Reed NMMC 

NHC Annapolis

NHC Patuxent River

NHC Cherry Point

NHC New England

NHC Quantico
30 Navy Medicine

Naval Medical Research Center

The Naval Medical Research Center 

(NMRC) is a global enterprise conducting health and medical research, development, testing, evaluation and surveillance to support DoD personnel worldwide. With a cadre of scientific leadership and technical expertise focusing on 

force health protection and enhancing 

deployment readiness, the NMRC team 

represents years of experience in science, 

medicine and the military. In support of 

the Navy, Marine Corps and joint U.S. 

warfighters, researchers study infectious 

diseases; biological warfare defense; 

bioeffects of directed energy; combat 

casualty care; operational dental needs; 

environmental health concerns; bone 

marrow transplantation; aerospace and 

undersea medicine; medical modeling, 

simulation and operational mission 

support; warfighter performance; and 

epidemiology and behavioral science. 

NMRC has an outstanding network of 

national and international research partnerships along with cooperative agreements with strategic security partners 

and host nations to meet the mission of 

supporting the warfighter. The NMRC 

headquarters is located in the Inouye 

Bldg. on the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Forest Glen Annex in Silver 

Spring, Md.

CONUS and OCONUS Laboratories 

Naval Medical Research Center

The main areas of study for NMRC 

are infectious diseases, operational and 

undersea medicine, bone marrow research, and biological defense research. 

Scientists are conducting research on 

infectious diseases that are considered 

to be significant threats to deployed 

warfighters. Researchers are working to 

minimize the impact of these diseases by 

preventing infection or clinical disease, 

and in most cases the best approach is 

the development of new vaccines. Researchers are developing novel strategies 

to prevent and treat combat casualties 

with early, far forward interventions. 

Other researchers are developing new 

technologies and interventions to improve performance and reduce injury to 

Navy submariners and military divers. 

The bone marrow research effort is developing treatment methods for marrow 

damaged by radiation and chemical 

weapons. In the area of biological defense, researchers are discovering ways to 

protect military personnel from biological attack by developing agent-specific 

identification assays, vaccines and therapeutics. 

Research

• Malaria vaccine development

• Enteric diseases countermeasures and 

vaccine development

• Dengue vaccine development

• Rickettsial Diseases diagnosis, assessment and vaccine development

• Wound infections studies

• Operational and Undersea Medicine

• Performance improvement and injury reduction in personnel engaged 

in undersea occupations 

• Novel strategies to prevent and treat 

combat casualties

• Unique initiatives in regenerative 

medicine

• Manage the C.W. Bill Young Marrow 

Donor Program 

• Bone marrow treatment for radiation 

and chemical weapon exposure

• Functional genomics and bioinfromatics

• Immunodiagnostics

• Vaccine and medical countermeasures

• Molecular diagnostics

• International field microbiology

• Significant accomplishments:

• Advances in acute blast overpressure 

pathology and repeated blast effects

• Working with the Bill and Melinda 

Gates Foundation to develop malaria 

vaccines 

• Vaccine trials for dengue, shigella, e. 

coli and malaria

• Laboratory models of decompression 

sickness oxygen toxicity

• Predictive biomarkers of wound 

healing

• Innovative hand-held assays for biowarfare detection

• Only Navy laboratory with OSP 

34/17025 accreditation for production of polymerase chain reaction 

and antibody reagents to detect biowarfare agents

Naval Health Research Center

Naval Health Research Center 

(NHRC), located in San Diego, is 

meeting the expeditionary operational 

medicine needs of the Navy and the 

Marine Corps, as well as Army and Air 

Force personnel. NHRC works closely 

with operational units to conduct medical modeling and simulation analysis; 

monitor the effects of combat exposure 

on psychological heath; manage careerspan deployment health and readiness 

programs, improve warfighter performance, and assist in the implementation of military-specific HIV prevention 

programs around the world. 

Roy Dory fastens a dummy into the Vertical Linear 

Accelerator. (Photo by Ashley Turnmire)

NAVAL MEDICAL

RESEARCH CENTER
The Almanac | 2013 31

Research

• DoD Combat Trauma Registry – 

Expeditionary Medical Encounter 

Database

• Shipboard and ground casualty projection algorithms 

• Estimating Supplies Program (ESP) 

• Tactical Medical Logistics Tool 

(TML+)

• ReSupply Validation Program 

(RSVP)

• Warfighter Performance

• Environmental stress studies

• Physical stress, load and impact studies

• Physical fitness and weight standards 

studies

• Cognitive neuroscience of stress and 

performance studies

• Behavioral trends that impact readiness

• Focused intervention strategies

• Behavioral needs assessment survey

• PTSD/TBI studies

• Career-span health and wellness 

studies

• Deployment Health Research

• Millennium Cohort Study

• Birth and Infant Health Registry

• Recruit Assessment Program

• Post-vaccination epidemiological 

studies

• Operational Infectious Diseases

• Global Emerging Infections System 

(GEIS)

• Surveillance of all DoD training sites

• Adenovirus vaccine clinical trial

• Military-to-Military Education & 

Awareness Strategies

• President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS 

Relief (PEPFAR)

• Department of Defense HIV/AIDS 

Prevention Program assistance in 

over 70 countries

Naval Submarine Medical Research 

Laboratory 

Naval Submarine Medical Research 

Laboratory (NSMRL), located at New 

London Submarine Base, Groton, 

Conn., conducts research into submariner wellness, psychological fitness, 

shipboard health and performance, 

underwater bioeffects and submarine survival and escape, and human 

systems. Researchers work with many 

partners including the Naval Undersea 

Warfare Center, Naval Medical Center 

San Diego, NASA, NAVSEA, Navy 

Experimental Diving Unit, U.S. Army 

Research Institution of Environmental 

Medicine and others. NSMRL has a 

memorandum of agreement with Commander, Submarine Forces to serve as 

their human technology laboratory. 

Research

• Research and evaluation on carbon 

dioxide technologies

• Submarine disaster survival and escape procedures and guidance

• New submarine atmosphere limits 

for mixed gender crews and deep 

submersibles

• Investigation of submariner bone 

health and vitamin D levels

• Submarine atmosphere monitoring

• Lead on psychological selection and 

classification of submariners, gender 

integration into submarines and 

other unique environments

• Bioeffects of underwater sound

• Documenting underwater hearing in 

humans 

• Development and testing of dive 

side nose measurements

• Hearing conservation procedures

Naval Medical Research Unit 

— San Antonio 

Naval Medical Research Unit—San 

Antonio, (NAMRU-San Antonio), 

located at Fort Sam Houston, San 

Antonio, Texas, conducts medical and 

dental biomedical research addressing 

combat operations, and focuses on enhancing the health, safety, and readiness 

Ms. Nermeen Fahmy (middle) 

provides hands on polymerase chain 

reaction (PCR) training to Liberians 

on molecular detection of dengue 

and Chikungunya viruses in vector 

samples at NAMRU-3 Vector Biology 

laboratory. (Photo by Rafi George)
32 Navy Medicine

of Navy and Marine Corps personnel. 

NAMRU-SA operates two facilities. The 

Battlefield Health and Trauma building houses the dental and biomedical 

research department, alongside the U.S. 

Army Institute for Surgical Research and 

the Air Force’s Dental Evaluation and 

Consultation Service. The Tri-Service 

Research Laboratory building is used for 

inter-service applied research with the 

U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. 

Research

• Effects of directed energy on living 

systems studies

• Protection, resuscitation and stabilization of in-theater combat casualties 

studies

• Primary and pre-clinical trials of 

drugs products and advanced therapies for hemorrhagic shock

• Identification and mitigation of 

operational stressors to improve survivability

• Restorative dental materials

• Dental diseases, microbiology, immunology etiology

• Evaluation of systems and technologies

Naval Medical Research Unit – Dayton 

The research efforts of Naval Medical Research Unit - Dayton (NAMRUDayton), located at Wright-Patterson 

Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, focus 

on maximizing warfighter performance 

and survivability through aeromedical 

and environmental health research to 

deliver solutions to the field, the Fleet 

and for the future. Researchers conduct 

aerospace-relevant basic and applied research in the biomedical and behavioral 

sciences. Devices such as the Reduce 

Oxygen Breathing Device and the new 

Disorientation Research Device provide 

unique capabilities for research. Toxicology researchers are studying exposure 

issues related to mixed submarine atmospheres (CO2, O2, and CO) and many 

jet fuel studies. They are evaluating a variety of exposure effects including limb 

strength, pupil function, simple learning, memory and anxiety-like behavior. 

The laboratory is active in the field of 

in vitro toxicology, using human cells to 

evaluate effects of exposure by specific 

chemicals or mixtures. 

Research

• Hypoxia research

• Operational stress and resilience 

studies 

• Training and evaluation studies

• Cognitive neuroscience studies

• Fatigue modeling and countermeasures

• Personnel selection studies

• Vibration studies

• Color vision studies

• Motion sickness studies

• Spatial awareness and spatial disorientation studies

• In vitro screening of fuels

• Munitions and toxic load modeling

• Toxicities studies of burn pit emissions

• Mixed gender crew studies in submarine atmospheres (CO2, O2, and 

CO)

• Particulate matter and traumatic 

brain injury studies

• In vivo toxicity of jet fuel studies

U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 

2 – Pacific 

U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit 

No. 2 – Pacific (NAMRU-2), located 

at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, 

Hawaii, conducts basic and applied 

biomedical research to prevent, mitigate, 

and control infectious diseases of military relevance in Southeast Asia. The 

laboratory supports U.S. interests in 

the Pacific Theater. NAMRU-2 implements a variety of classical, modern and 

next-generation scientific methods sustainable in low-resource environments. 

Researchers form partnerships with 

regional governments (Cambodia, Lao 

People’s Democratic Republic, Singapore and Vietnam), international health 

organizations, and U.S. government 

agencies to complement NAMRU-2 

testing capacity, surveillance networks, 

and scientific investigation of infectious 

disease. NAMRU-2 supports host-nation capacity building to monitor and 

mitigate diseases to reduce infectious 

disease risk to U.S. service members deployed to the region. 

Research

• Investigation of outbreaks of acute 

diarrheal diseases

Capt. Stephen Savarino, head of the NMRC Enteric Diseases Department (left), and Dr. Daniel 

Isaac, U. S. Naval Academy professor and NMRC guest scientist. (Photo by Makeda Knott)
The Almanac | 2013 33

• Etiologic agents of febrile and vector 

borne infections

• Influenza and respiratory infection 

surveillance

• Emergence of antimicrobial resistant 

organisms and mechanisms of resistance

• Malaria surveillance, resistance, and 

treatment studies

• Development of sites for evaluation 

of new vaccines, e.g. dengue virus

• Collaborations with U.S. and foreign national militaries, public and 

private health research agencies, 

non-governmental organizations and 

academia

U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 

U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit 

No. 3 (NAMRU-3), located in Cairo, 

Egypt, studies, monitors and detects 

emerging and re-emerging disease 

threats of military and public health 

importance in the Middle East, Southwest Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. 

Researchers develop mitigation strategies 

against these threats in partnership with 

host nations and international and U.S. 

agencies in CENTCOM, EUCOM, 

and AFRICOM areas of responsibility. 

Current studies focus on influenza-like 

illness, acute febrile illness, diarrheal diseases, hemorrhagic fever, HIV and infection control. NAMRU-3 works closely 

with the Egyptian Ministry of Health, 

NIH, WHO, USAID, and CDC. 

NAMRU-3 is also a WHO collaborating center and reference laboratory.

Research

• Diarrhea and influenza like research 

in Djibouti

• Collaboration, training and reference 

laboratory for Egyptian Ministry of 

Health

• Capacity building in partnership 

with DTRA

• Areas acute febrile illness, infection 

control, HIV/STI and TB studies 

• Integrated human animal vector 

surveillance, acute diarrheal illness, 

acute respiratory illness

• MOH capacity building

• Field and lab research on sand flies, 

mosquitoes, ticks, pesticide resistance, pest control, personal protection, surveillance methodologies

• Capacity building in Egypt, Libya, 

Ghana, South Sudan and Liberia 

on identification of vectors, vector 

surveillance techniques, specimen 

processing, biology/ecology of arthropod vectors

• Arbovirus surveillance (Dengue, Rift 

Valley fever, Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever, Chikungunya, TickBorne Encephalitis, Hantaviruses)

• Outbreak response

NAMRU-3 Ghana Detachment:

• Influenza surveillance: mil-to-mil at 

six sites

• Projects on malaria resistance and 

diarrhea surveillance

• Collaboration with Burkina Faso, 

Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo

U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6

U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit 

No. 6 (NAMRU-6), located in Callao, 

Iquitos, and Puerto Maldonado, Peru, 

conducts research on infectious diseases 

in Central and South America, with an 

emphasis on those with the potential to 

affect military operations. Today NAMRU-6 partners with host nation military 

organizations, government agencies, 

and prestigious academic institutions 

throughout Latin America. NAMRU-6 

established productive relations with the 

Ministries of Health of several countries 

and collaborates closely with AFHSCGEIS, CDC, NIH, PAHO, USAID 

and numerous U.S. universities and 

non-governmental organizations. These 

partnerships yield a robust research 

agenda that includes work in prevention strategies, clinical management 

trials, immuno and molecular rapid 

diagnostics, epidemiology, and disease 

ecology as well as projects measuring the 

social and economic impact of disease. 

NAMRU-6 focuses research and surveillance on infectious diseases of military 

and public health significance in the 

region, including malaria and dengue 

fever, yellow fever, viral encephalitides, leishmaniasis, Chagas’ disease, and 

enteric diseases such as shigellosis and 

typhoid fever. NAMRU-6 is the only 

U.S. military command in all of South 

America.

Research

• Diarrheal diseases studies

• Vaccine development

• Febrile illness and surveillance

• Sexually transmitted infections surveillance

• Antimicrobial resistance studies

• Disease surveillance

• Influenza working group

• Vector research and control

• Malaria surveillance and studies

• Leishmaniasis and other parasitic 

infection surveillance and studies 

• HIV and sexually transmitted infections surveillance

• Viral respiratory diseases studies 

• Vector-borne diseases studies

Lt. Cmdr. Hong Gao evaluates a study participant’s vision in a NAMRU-D lab. 

(Photo by Ashley Turnmire)
34 Navy Medicine

T-AH (HOSPTIAL SHIP STAFFING CAPABILITY)

Operating Rooms

Intensive Care Unit Beds

Intermediate Care Beds

Minimal Care Beds

Ancillary Capabilities 

COMPLEMENT (STAFFING FOR 1000 BEDS)

Medical Corps

Nurse Corps

Medical Service Corps

Dental Corps

Hospital Corpsmen

Non-Medical Offi cer

Non-Medical Enlisted

HOSPITAL SHIPS (T-AH) 

Hospital ships are operated by a 

Military Sealift Command (MSC) 

and are designed to provide emergency, onsite care for U.S. combatant 

forces deployed in war and other operations. The mission of the T-AH is 

to provide a mobile, flexible, rapidly 

responsive afloat medical capability 

to provide acute medical and surgical 

care in support of carrier and expeditionary strike groups and Navy/

joint forces elements. Functioning 

under the provisions set forth in 

the Geneva Convention, they have 

capabilities equivalent to a CONUS 

general hospital. The T-AHs secondary mission is to provide full mobile 

hospital services by designated government agencies HA/DR or limited 

humanitarian care to these missions 

worldwide or peacetime military 

operations.

12

100 (includes 20 post-surgical 

recovery beds

400

500

Laboratory, x-ray, pharmacy, 

CT scanner, blood storage

66

168

20

14

4

698

244

The Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), lead vessel for Pacifi c Partnership 2012, transits through the Pacifi c toward Guam. 

(Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael Feddersen)

AFLOAT MEDICAL 

CAPABILITIES
The Almanac | 2013 35

 CVN Capability Staffi ng

Operating Rooms

Intensive Care Unit Beds

Ward Beds

Ancillary Capabilities

 

 

Complement (Ship’s Company and Air Wing)

Medical Corps

Dental Corps

Nurse Corps

Medical Service Corps

Hospital Corpsmen

AIRCRAFT CARRIERS (CVN)

The mission of the CVN is to operate offensively in a high density, multi-threat environment as an integral member of a carrier strike group (CSG) or expeditionary strike group (ESG); and to provide credible, sustained forward presence, conventional 

deterrence, and support aircraft attacks in sustained operations in war. Supportive missions, including medical support of the crew 

members aboard, are facilitated by a self-sufficient carrier hospital, which is a 52-bed, level “2-plus” facility. The carrier’s medical 

department also serves as a consultative and primary MEDEVAC facility for the other vessels within CSG/ESG, which may consist 

of another six ships and some 2,000 crewmembers.

The CSG/ESG is a tactical organization of surface and subsurface combatants, maritime aviation, assault and transport troops 

and their equipment for expeditionary operations. The notional ESG elements are:

• Amphibious assault ship 

• Amphibious transport docks 

• Surface combatants (guided missile cruisers, destroyers or frigates)

• Attack submarine

Sailors assigned to the medical department aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) roll a dummy onto a stretcher 

during a medical emergency drill. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Lorenzo J. Burleson) 

1

3

52

Laboratory, x-ray, pharmacy, preventive medicine, 

biomedical repair, aviation physical examinations, 

radiation health, spectacle fabrication

6* - * Includes embarked physicians

5

2** - **Includes certifi ed registered nurse 

anesthetist if anesthesiologist is not on board

5

47
36 Navy Medicine

AFLOAT MEDICAL 

CAPABILITIES

Operating Rooms

Intensive Care Unit Beds

Ward Beds

Ancillary Capabilities 

 

 

 

AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT SHIP 

(LHA, GENERAL-PURPOSE)

LHAs can transport approximately 1,900 troops 

along with the helicopters, boats, and amphibious 

vehicles required for landing them. LHAs are capable 

of receiving casualties from helicopter and waterborne 

craft and are designed to function as primary casualty 

receiving and treatment ships in amphibious operations.

SHIP’S COMPANY/FST/ 

MAP

LHD/LHA (AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT SHIP) SHIP’S COMPANY/FST

CAPABILITY

1 4

3 15

12 45

Laboratory, x-ray, pharmacy, 

preventive medicine, 

biomedical repair, aviation 

physical examination

COMPLEMENT SHIP’S COMPANY FST MAP

2 3 11

1 1

3 22

1 1 1

19 9 49

Medical Corps

Dental Corps 

Nurse Corps

Medical Service Corps

Hospital Corpsmen

Sailors 

assigned 

to the 

amphibious 

assault 

ship USS 

Bonhomme 

Richard 

(LHD 6) 

practice CPR 

techniques 

in the ship’s 

medical triage. 

(Photo by Mass 

Communication 

Specialist 2nd 

Class Adam M. 

Bennett)

AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT SHIP 

(LHD, MULTI-PURPOSE)

LHDs are the largest and most versatile amphibious assault 

ship. Externally, it resembles an aircraft carrier. The LHD is 

capable of transporting approximately 1,800 troops along 

with the helicopters, boats, and amphibious vehicles required 

for landing them. LHDs have the largest medical capability 

of any amphibious ship currently in use. LHDs are capable 

of receiving casualties from helicopter and waterborne craft 

and are designed to function as primary casualty receiving and 

treatment ships in amphibious operations.
The Almanac | 2013 37

 LSD Capability Staffi ng

 Operating Rooms

 Intensive Care Unit Beds

 Ward Beds

 Ancillary Capabilities

Medical Corps

Dental Corps

Hospital Corpsman

 LCC (Amphibious Command Staffi ng 

Ship) Capability

 Operating Rooms (minor surgeries)

 Intensive Care Unit Beds

 Ward Beds

 Overfl ow Beds

 Quiet/Isolation Beds

 Ancillary Capabilities

 Complement

 Medical Corps

 Dental Corps

 Nurse Corps

 Medical Service Corps

 Anesthesia Provider

 Hospital Corpsmen 

 Dental Technicians

LPD (Amphibious Transport) Staffi ng

 Capability

Operating Rooms (minor surgeries)

Ward Beds

Dental

 

Operating Rooms

Intensive Care Unit Beds

Ward Beds

Ancillary Capabilities

Medical Corps

Medical Service Corps

Independent Duty Corpsmen DOCK LANDING SHIP (LSD) 

The mission of the dock landing 

ship (LSD) is to transport and land 

Marines, their equipment and supplies 

either by embarked landing craft or 

amphibious vehicles augmented by 

helicopters and to support amphibious operations including landings via 

landing craft air cushion (LCAC). 

Although called a landing ship,’ the 

LSD does not beach. These ships are 

similar to LPDs with larger well decks 

but limited troop and cargo carrying 

capacities. LSDs offer limited use as 

CRTSs if augmented with medical 

personnel and supplies.

AMPHIBIOUS TRANSPORT DOCK (LPD) 

The mission of the LPD is to 

transport and land Marines, their 

equipment and supplies by embarked 

landing craft or amphibious vehicles 

augmented by helicopters. The LPD 

San Antonio class contains enhanced 

command and control features and a 

robust communications suite that improves its ability to support embarked 

landing forces, joint and friendly forces. They could be used as emergency 

or overflow CRTSs if augmented with 

medical personnel and supplies.

AMPHIBIOUS COMMAND

SHIP (LCC) 

LCCs serve as command centers 

for amphibious operations. These 

ships are equipped with sophisticated electronic and communications 

equipment and normally serve as the 

flagship of both the CATF/ESG and 

CLF. LCCs have adequate medical 

facilities to care for embarked personnel but their limitations preclude use 

as CRTSs.

The surface combatant ships, cruiser 

(CG), destroyer (DD/G), and frigate (FF) 

have limited medical capabilities and staffing. Their ancillary capability consists of 

basic laboratory. They are manned by at 

least one Independent Hospital Corpsman 

(NEC 8425) and one general duty junior 

hospital corpsman.

Cruiser (CG)

Destroyer (DD/G) 

Frigate (FF)

Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)

SURFACE COMBATANTS

2

24

2

1

20

4

Laboratory and x-ray

1

12

8 (2 isolation beds)

Laboratory and x-ray

1

1

9

1

12

Laboratory, x-ray and pharmacy

2

1 (Radiation Health)

2

 Complement

AS (Submarine Tender) 

Staffi ng

Complement

Sailors practice 

applying a 

splint during 

a medical 

training team 

drill aboard 

the guidedmissile cruiser 

USS Hue 

City (CG 66). 

(Photo by Mass 

Communication 

Specialist 

Seaman Darien 

G. Kenney)
38 Navy Medicine

A Brief History

On March 3, 1871, the 41st Congress enacted the Appropriations Act 

which established the Medical Corps 

as a separate entity and as a Staff Corps 

of the U.S. Navy. However, the term 

“Medical Corps” and the existence of 

Navy physicians, long pre-date this 

Congressional Act. Early in 1798, the 

first physicians were awarded commissions in the U.S. Navy as “Surgeons” 

and “Surgeons Mates.” Their mission 

was simple: provide medical care aboard 

ships and shore stations.

This early Navy Medical Department 

was a crude institution that did not 

yet include permanent Navy hospitals. Navy physicians served at Marine 

(later Public Health) hospitals and other 

makeshift facilities spread throughout 

the eastern seaboard. A bill establishing 

permanent Navy hospitals was signed 

into law on Feb. 26, 1811. Some twenty 

years later, the first of these hospitals 

went into commission at Portsmouth, 

Va. On Aug. 31, 1842, the Bureau of 

Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) was 

created to oversee administration of 

hospitals and medical supplies. And 

1871, the title of “Surgeon General of 

the U.S. Navy” was created for the chief 

of BUMED. 

The Medical Corps’ scope has grown 

in complexity since 1871. Navy physicians now serve with the Marine Corps, 

in the Attending Physician’s Office to 

Congress and the White House. They 

also serve in the aviation and undersea 

medical communities, and as astronauts 

exploring the frontiers of space. The Navy Medical Corps continues to pave new 

frontiers in biomedical research, medical 

education and training, and patient care 

delivery at our clinics, hospitals, aboard 

our afloat platforms, and in combat 

theaters.

Primary Responsibility of 

Medical Corps Officer

The Navy Medical Corps is broad 

and diverse. It is comprised of physicians 

who are practicing or training in dozens 

of medical and surgical specialties with 

over 200 subspecialties. 

Manpower

Active Duty: 3,813 

Reservists: 560

Areas of Specialties

• Family Medicine

• Internal Medicine

• Pediatrics

• General Surgery

• Orthopedics

• Otolaryngology

• Ophthalmology

• Emergency Medicine

• Radiology

• Psychiatry

• Obstetrics/Gynecology

• Preventive Medicine

• Occupational Medicine

• Aerospace Medicine

• Undersea Medicine

• Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

• Neurosurgery

• Neurology

• Anesthesiology

• Urology

• Pathology

• Physical & Rehabilitative Medicine

• Dermatology

• Over 200 subspecialties

Possible Locations of Service

Navy physicians are stationed at our 

major tertiary care teaching facilities, 

clinics, and hospitals located within 

the United States and various overseas 

locations. They are at research units, in 

various joint commands, and in other 

federal institutions. Navy physicians are 

assigned as operational medical officers 

providing direct support to Navy and 

Marine Corps commands, squadrons, 

battalions and units. On very short notice, Navy physicians deploy in support 

of combat operations, disaster relief, and 

humanitarian assistance missions, providing patient care ashore and afloat.

Special Pays Associated with 

the Medical Corps

Navy physicians are offered a number 

of special pays commensurate with their 

specialty, years of service, and intention 

to remain on active duty. These medical 

special pays include:

• Variable Special Pay

• Board Certified Pay

• Additional Special Pay

• Incentive Special Pay

• Multiyear Special Pay

Cmdr. Sharon Marshall interprets x-rays from the fl eet at the National Military Medical 

Center in Bethesda, Md. The hospital receives digital x-rays from many Navy ships and 

bases that do not have radiologists on staff. The x-rays are evaluated and the evaluation 

is returned by encrypted e-mail. (Photo by Chief Warrant Offi cer 4 Seth Rossman)

MEDICAL CORPS
The Almanac | 2013 39

NURSE CORPS

A Brief History

Nurses have contributed to the care 

of the ill and wounded in the Navy long 

before the establishment of the corps. 

During the Civil War, Catholic nuns 

served as volunteers aboard the Red 

Rover, the Navy’s first commissioned 

hospital ship. In 1898, nurses were employed by the Naval Hospital Norfolk, 

Va., to care for the sick and wounded 

from the Spanish-American War. Finally, after years of effort, the bill to 

establish the Navy Nurse Corps was approved by Congress and became law on 

May 13, 1908. By October of that year, 

the first nurses, later called “The Sacred 

Twenty,” reported for duty at the Naval 

Medical School Hospital, Washington, 

D.C., formerly the home of the Bureau 

of Medicine and Surgery.

Since then, active duty and reserve 

Navy nurses have advanced steadily 

in military and professional standing. 

From the original 20, the Nurse Corps 

expanded to over 11,000 during its peak 

in World War II. Nurse Corps officers 

have served worldwide; flying with the 

wounded from battle-torn areas, working in the fleet on large vessels and hospital ships, establishing native nursing 

schools, clinics, and small hospitals in 

remote areas of the world, and practicing, teaching, supervising, administering 

or commanding Navy medical treatment facilities of all sizes.

Today approximately 3,900 active 

and reserve Nurse Corps officers serve 

in the grades of ensign through rear 

admiral. They care for many patients 

whose illnesses and injuries are no 

different from those found in civilian 

facilities. They can also care for those in 

deployment settings with battle injuries. 

A primary mission of the Navy Nurse 

Corps is to teach and develop the hospital corpsmen. Nurse Corps officers 

can function in positions ranging from 

staff nurse to commanding officer, from 

quality improvement coordinator to 

nurse researcher, and as primary health 

care providers such as nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and nurse 

midwives. They serve aboard sea-going 

vessels, pierside, on deployments or 

humanitarian missions, and at clinics or 

inpatient facilities. 

The Navy Nurse Corps provides 

unique challenges and assignments in 

settings ranging from expeditionary 

medical facilities to teaching hospitals; 

from Marine Corps medical battalions 

to surgical support teams; from recruiting assignments to headquarters staff 

and executive management of a health 

care region. Wherever they are assigned, 

Navy nurses find unique opportunities to exercise their special knowledge, 

abilities, and skills as they optimize the 

well-being of their patients and family 

members.

Primary Responsibility of 

Nurse Corps Officer

Provide care or support either 

through direct patient care at the bedside or as a provider, in an administrative role, as an instructor, recruiter, quality management manager, or researcher. 

Manpower

 Nurses: 4,112

 Active Duty: 2,948

 Reservists 1,164

Areas of Specialties

• Medical-Surgical

• Manpower

• Education and Training

• Nursing Researcher

• Maternal/Infant 

• Pediatrics

• Public Health

• Mental Health

• Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

• Emergency Room/Trauma

• Perioperative

• Critical Care

• Certified Nurse Anesthetist

• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

• Family Practice Nurse Practitioner

• Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner

• Nurse Midwife

Possible Locations of Service:

Medical treatment facilities, clinics, 

recruiting centers, hospital corps school, 

the White House, expeditionary medical 

facilities, forward operating bases fleet 

surgical teams, aircraft carriers, Navy 

Medicine headquarters, and the Bureau 

of Naval Personnel. 

Special Pays Associated with 

the Nurse Corps

• Accession Bonus for Direct Accession

• RN-Incentive Specialty Pay (RNISP3

• Certified Registered Nurse 

• Anesthetists Incentive Specialty Pay 

(CRNA-ISP)

Naval Medical Center San Diego nurse Ensign 

Madeline Gillette checks seven year-old Gionni 

Ramerez’s cast and intravenous (I.V.) line in the 

pediatric inpatient ward. More than 1,006 active 

duty and civilian nurses provide patient care 

throughout NMCSD. (Photo by Mass Communication 

Specialist 1st Class Anastasia Puscian)
40 Navy Medicine

DENTAL CORPS

A Brief History

In August 1912, the second session 

of the 62nd Congress passed an act later 

signed by President Taft that established the Dental Corps. The Secretary 

of the Navy was authorized to appoint 

no more than 30 acting assistant dental 

surgeons to be a part of the Medical 

Department. 

Just over one year later, the Surgeon 

General reported to the Secretary of the 

Navy that the Medical Department now 

had the ability to provide dental care 

that would allow the Navy to accept recruits who would otherwise be rejected 

for defective teeth. 

In 1927, Navy regulations authorized dental treatment to officers and 

men on the retired list; before that only 

enlisted were treated. During this era, 

Navy dentistry began to focus heavily on 

prevention of disease, unique at the time 

and a quality that distinguishes their 

Corps today.

In February of 1945, the first selfcontained mobile dental treatment unit 

began operation. Mobile units were 

developed to provide dental treatment to 

small groups of naval personnel in isolated areas or pier side, a practice common 

today at many Fleet support areas. 

Revolutionizing the field of dentistry 

worldwide, researchers at the Naval 

Dental School developed pioneer models of the dental air turbine hand piece 

and ultrasonic vibrating instruments. 

These concepts were a tremendous 

leap forward for the dental profession. 

Today, these prototypes are currently 

displayed at the Smithsonian Institute.

In July of 1984, The Navy began 

conversion of two supertankers to hospital ships. The USNS Mercy and the 

USNS Comfory were placed in service 

in December of 1986. With 1000 beds 

and 12 operating rooms, each ship can 

provide dental services in two operating 

rooms, four dental treatment rooms and 

a dental laboratory

In March of 1986, the Naval Dental 

School moved into its new spaces in 

Building 2 on the Bethesda Complex. 

What had begun as the Dental Department of the United States Naval 

Medical School in 1923 has evolved into 

a state of the art, fully accredited, postgraduate dental school, recognized as 

one of the best in the world. 

Today, the Dental Corps continues 

to maintain high operational readiness 

for operations in Operation Enduring 

Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. 

Dental is aggressively integrating 

with both Medical and Line communities to prepare for our latest challenge 

— homeland defense. They deploy routinely with Marine Expeditionary Units 

and aboard ships, where beyond their 

dental duties they assume roles in triage 

and surgical support at Marine battalion 

aid stations and battle dressing stations. 

Dental personnel continue to play 

a significant role in peace keeping and 

nation building through humanitarian 

assistance and disaster relief missions in 

third world countries.

Primary Responsibilities

Mission: Ensure dental readiness while 

optimizing dental health.

Vision: Dental health for those entrusted to our care.

Manpower

 Dentists: 1,351

 Active Duty: 1,083

 Reservists 268

Locations of Services

28 Medical Treatment Facilities

3 Marine Battalions

11 Aircraft Carriers

34 Amphibious

 2 Hospital Ships

 2 Support Ships

9 Seabee Detachments

Possible Special Pays

• Additional Special Pay (ASP)

• Variable Special Pay (VSP)

• Incentive Special Pay (ISP)

• Board Certified Pay (BCP)

• Multi-Year Special Pay

Lt. Patrick Hunter, a dental offi cer aboard the amphibious dock-landing ship USS Gunston 

Hall (LSD 44), performs dental work on Cryptologic Technician (Technical) 3rd Class Donovan 

Miller in the ship’s dentist offi ce. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class 

Jonathan Sunderman) 
The Almanac | 2013 41

A Brief History 

During World War II, 1,429 officers 

were given temporary appointments in 

the Hospital Corps and a total of 845 

pharmacists, optometrists, and other 

specialists allied to medicine and dentistry were given temporary appointments as Naval Reserve officers. These 

two groups emphasized the need for a 

permanent officer category to complement officer corps then comprising the 

Medical Department.

The Army-Navy Medical Service 

Corps Act of 1947 provided a permanent commissioned corps of specialists 

to complement the existing Medical Department officer categories. The original 

legislation provided for the Corps to be 

comprised of four sections: Supply and 

Administration, Medical Allied Sciences, 

Optometry and Pharmacy and authorized the Secretary of the Navy to create 

other sections, as necessary. The Women’s Specialist Section was established 

in 1952, and in 1965, was re-titled the 

Medical Specialist Section to permit the 

appointment of male officers. The Podiatry Section was established in 1953. 

During Operations Desert Shield/

Storm 317 Reserve Medical Service 

Corps officers were recalled to replace 

those deployed and to provide the additional manpower in theater necessary. 

Since 1991, the Reserve component of 

the Medical Service Corps has continued to work alongside active duty personnel to administer and provide quality 

health care throughout the world. 

Primary Responsibilities

Mission: The Medical Service Corps 

community supports Navy Medicine’s 

readiness and health benefits mission.

Vision: One Corps of many specialties 

meeting today’s needs and tomorrow’s 

challengers. 

Manpower

 Active Duty: 2,622

 Reservists 332

Specialties

The Medical Service Corps, the most 

diverse corps within Navy Medicine, is 

comprised of 31 subspecialties, organized under three major categories:

Healthcare Administrators : 

• Financial Management 

• Education/Training Management 

• Patient Administration 

• Health Care Info Systems 

• Manpower, Personnel 

• Healthcare Facility Planning 

• Operations Analysis 

• Plans, Ops, & Med Intel 

• Healthcare Administration 

• Material Logistics 

Clinicians: 

• Audiology 

• Clinical Psychology 

• Occupational Therapy 

• Optometry 

• Pharmacy 

• Dietetics 

• Physical Therapy 

• Physician Assistant 

• Podiatry 

• Social Work 

• Scientists: 

• Entomology

• Environmental Health 

• Industrial Hygiene 

• Medical Technology 

• Aerospace Physiology 

• Aerospace Exp Psych 

• Research Psych 

• Radiation Health

• Physiology 

• Microbiology

• Biochem/Toxicology 

 

Locations of Services

 Navy medical treatment facilities

 Naval branch clinics

 Ships 

 USMC battalions

 Fleet Marine Force

 Seabee detachments

 Research centers and laboratories

 EMF Kuwait and EMF Djibouti

 Iraq and Afghanistan

 Staff positions throughout the 

Navy and Marine Corps

Possible Special Pays

 Members of the Navy Medical 

Service Corps are offered a number of 

special pays commensurate with their 

specialty, years of service, and intention 

to remain on active duty. These medical 

special pays include:

• Accession Bonus 

• Incentive Pay 

• Retention Bonus

• Board Certified Pay 

• Optometry Special Pay 

• Optometry Retention Special Pay 

• Pharmacy Accession Bonus 

• Pharmacy Officer Special Pay

MEDICAL SERVICE CORPS

Lt. William Martin, a pharmacist at 

Naval Hospital Jacksonville, takes Zoe 

Sieber, a college preparatory medical 

arts magnet high school student 

attending a Science, Service, Medicine 

and Mentoring (S2M2) program, on a 

tour of the inpatient pharmacy. (Photo 

by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd 

Class Gary Granger Jr.) 
42 Navy Medicine

HOSPITAL CORPS

Hospital Corps History

Established by Congressional Law 

on June 17, 1898, the Hospital Corps 

is the only enlisted corps in the military. 

They are the most decorated singular 

group of enlisted men and women with 

22 Medals of Honor, 174 Navy Crosses, 

31 Distinguished Services Medals, 946 

Silver Stars, and 22 ships named in their 

honor. In the early 1900’s the Hospital Corps numbered less than 2,000, 

but that is stark contrast to the nearly 

26,000 of today, honorably serving in 

support of the Navy and Marine Corps. 

The essence of a hospital corpsmen is 

the honor they carry of the sacred trust 

of treating their fellow injured and ill 

service members, the unspoken bond. 

The HM rating is the largest and 

most diverse in the Navy. Because of the 

broad spectrum of Navy enlisted classifications (NEC) available to a hospital 

corpsman, the performance of their 

duties span from the special operation 

environments of Afghanistan, under the 

sea, to most advance hospitals in the 

world utilizing the most advanced technology and sciences, and scores of other 

environments. Where ever there are 

Sailors and Marines, a Navy corpsman 

will be there. 

All corpsmen attend boot camp for 

10 weeks and then HM ‘A’ School for 

14 weeks. After completion of A school, 

corpsmen may go directly to Fleet, or 

medical treatment facilities, or Field 

Medical Training Battalion (eight weeks) 

for duty with the Fleet Marine Force. 

Within the rating, there are 38 occupational specialties, which require further 

technical training via C-schools. Most 

specialty training is long and intense; 

many are at least one year in length. 

Some of the most demanding specialties, 

such as independent duty corpsmen, go 

through a series of schools as their career 

progresses. One of the specialties, morticians, requires civilian licensing prior to 

entry into the Navy.

The HM rating has 25,481 on active duty and is manned at 97%. The 

Reserve Full Time Support strength is 

638. There are more than 700 Hospital 

Corpsmen supporting Health Service 

Augmentation Program and Indiviual 

Augmentee missions, more than 6,500 

supporting Fleet Marine Force, and 

more than 5,000 in serving on ships, 

submarines, SEABEES, and other sea 

duty platforms. At any given time, 

there are more than 2,700 in training. 

As a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure, which completed 

in 2011, the Navy moved a majority of 

enlisted medical education to Fort Sam 

Houston, Texas in conjunction with the 

Army and Air Force making the Medical 

Education and Training Command the 

largest military medical training facility 

in the world. 

The diversity of the HM rating is 

evident with the NEC listing.

NECs and school locations

HM-0000 - Hospital Corpsman Basic- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8402 - Submarine IDC- Naval 

Undersea Medical Institute (NUMI) 

Groton, Conn.

HM-8403 - Recon IDC- Fort Bragg 

N.C.

HM-8404 - Fleet Marine Force- FMTB Camp Lejeune, N.C.

HM-8406 - Aerospace Medicine 

Technician- FMTB Camp Pendleton, 

Calif.

HM-8401 - SAR Medical TechsNaval Operational Medical Institute 

(NOMI) Pensacola, Fla.

HM-8409 - Aviation PhysiologyNOMI Pensacola, Fla.

HM-8407 - Radiation Health Technician- Naval Undersea Medical Institute Groton, Conn.

HM-8408 - Cardiovascular Technician- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8410 - Biomedical Equipment 

Technician- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8416 - Nuclear Medicine Technician- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8425 - Surface Force IDCNOMI San Diego, Calif.

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Scott Holmes, and Hosptialman Rueben Ruiz, both assigned 

to U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka, assist a simulated patient played by Gas Turbine Systems 

Technician (Mechanical) Fireman Seth Patterson during a drill at Fleet Activities, Yokosuka. 

(Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Mackenzie P. Adams) 
The Almanac | 2013 43

HM-8427 - Recon Corpsman- Fort 

Bragg N.C.

HM-8432 - Preventative Medicine 

Technician- San Antonio, Texas 

HM-8434 - Hemodialysis Technician- Portsmouth, Va.

HM-8452 - Radiographer- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8454 - Electronneurodiagnostic 

Technician- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8463 - Optician- Naval Ophthalmic Support & Training Activity 

(NOSTRA), Yorktown, Va.

HM-8466 - Physical Therapy Technician- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8467 - Occupational Therapy 

Technician- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8482 - Pharmacy TechnicianSan Antonio, Texas

HM-8483 - Surgical TechnologistSan Antonio, Texas

HM-8485 - Behavior Tech- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8486 - Urology Technician- San 

Antonio, Texas

HM-8489 - Orthopedic Castroom 

Technician- San Antonio, Texas

Independent Duty Corpsman (IDC)

8425- Surface Force, 8402- Submarine, 

8494- Dive

 Independent Duty Corpsman (IDC) is the rating’s master level NEC. 

They are trained to work in remote locations without direct supervision 

of a physician. Their operational environment is dependant on how each 

are trained. Every IDC is the medical department representative (MDR) 

on their platform or unit in which they serve. The largest group are the 

Surface IDCs, and they work aboard surface ships, with the units of the 

Fleet Marine Force, or the SEABEEs. Submarine IDCs serve aboard fast 

attack and Trident missile submarines. Dive IDCs are stationed with 

various dive and special operational units. All can be found at various 

isolated duty stations ashore independent of a medical officer. Although 

IDCs are responsible directly to the commanding officer for the health 

and care of the crew, they perform a myriad of functions as it relates to 

their role as the MDR. A few functions associated with their duties are 

shipboard or unit administration, health education and training, logistics, 

preventive medicine, and industrial health surveillance. Senior personnel 

assigned to shore and operational staffs provide medical assistance, training, 

and inspection services to operational forces and component units. 

Additionally, when assigned ashore, they serve primarily as nonphysician 

health care providers at fixed medical treatment facilities. IDCS are truly 

the best of the best within the Hospital Corps.

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Julia 

Doswell, left, and Hospital Corpsman 3rd 

Class Neal Mendoza help a simulated 

casualty during a training exercise 

aboard the amphibious transport dock 

ship USS New York (LPD 21). New 

York and the embarked 24th Marine 

Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) are part of 

the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group 

with currently deployed to the U.S. 5th 

Fleet area of responsibility in support of 

maritime security operations and theater 

security cooperation efforts. 

(Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 

2nd Class Ian Carver) 
44 Navy Medicine

Fleet Marine Force Reconnaissance Corpsman/Independent Duty Corpsman 

HM 8427/8403

Provides medical and operational services for Fleet Marine Forces, Special Operations Forces and Special Operations 

Command personnel engaged in direct action, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, irregular and unconventional 

warfare independently of a medical officer. Performs clinical diagnostics, advanced paramedical skills, Advanced Cardiac Life 

Support (ACLS), basic surgical anesthesia, basic dental exams, and other routine and emergency medical health care procedures 

as required. Performs associated operational administrative and logistical duties. Supervises and manages field medical activities 

in a conventional or unconventional warfare environment. Orders, stores, catalogs, safeguards and distributes medical supplies,

equipment, and pharmaceutical supplies. Supervises clinical and field long term care and treatment during peacetime, CONUS 

and OCONUS split detachment operations. Advises and provides tactical and technical guidance to the Detachment Commander, 

indigenous and allied personnel. Responsible for the planning, execution and supervision of cross training of detachment members 

in medical skills. Required to maintain skills and certifications in Advanced Tactical Casualty Care with a greater than 96 hour 

patient sustainability without evacuation or augmentation. In unconventional warfare environment, instructs medical personnel, 

manages guerilla hospitals and field evacuation nets; coordinates the operation, interaction and activities of medical facilities 

within an area of operation; manages battalion size troop medical clinic and its administrative and logistical support. Establishes a 

base stock of medical supplies and equipment, internal or external procurement, storage, security and distribution of those items. 

Coordinates veterinary training and support for area requiring animal transportation or use. When directed, conducts operational 

and intelligence planning, preparation and execution of detachment missions. Maintains Special Operation Forces Advanced 

Tactical Practitioner (ATP) requirements to include Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), USSOCOM Tactical Trauma 

Protocols, Basic Life Support (BLS), Prehospital Professionals (PEPP), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Tactical 

Medical Emergencies Protocols (TMEPS). Provides health care as a non-physician health care provider when assigned to fixed 

medical treatment facilities.

Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Michael Soto, the corpsman for Bridge Platoon, Alpha Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, guides 

the litter-bearers to the landing zone during a medical evacuation of a Marine who was injured during construction of a bridge in the district 

of Garmsir, Helmand province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Marine Corps Cpl. Bryan Nygaard)

HOSPITAL CORPS
The Almanac | 2013 45

HM-8493 - Dive Medicine TechnicianDSTC Panama City, Fla.

HM-8494 - Dive IDC- NOMI San Diego, 

Calif.

HM-8496 - Morticians- a dozen Navy 

wide- Must have civilian licenses-Recruited as 

Morticians

HM-8503 - Histology Technician- San 

Antonio, Texas 

HM-8506 - Medical Laboratory Technician- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8541 - Respiratory Therapy Technician- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8701 - Dental Assistant- San Antonio, 

Texas

HM-8702 - Advanced Dental AssistantSan Diego, Calif.

HM-8708 - Dental Hygienist- PJC Pensacola, Fla., CCC Camp Lejeune, N.C.

HM-8752 - Basic Dental Laboratory Technician- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8753 - Advanced Dental Laboratory 

Technician- San Antonio, Texas

HM-8765 - Maxillofacial TechnicianBethesda, Md.

Hospital Corpsman Dental Laboratory Basic/Advanced

HM 8752 and 8753

Basic Dental Laboratory Technicians perform basic 

and intermediate level prosthetic laboratory procedures. 

Fabricates and finishes dental prostheses: complete 

dentures, removable partial dentures and other prescribed 

protective and restorative intraoral appliances. Repairs, 

reconstructs, and relines dental prostheses. Conducts 

routine and prescribed equipment maintenance. Advanced 

Dental Laboratory Technicians perform and supervise 

procedures and techniques required in the construction 

of complex and precision dental prostheses: fixed partial 

dentures, porcelain fused to metal systems, dental ceramic 

arts, precision attachment prostheses, and the arrangements 

of artificial teeth for aesthetic, phonetic and functional 

requirements. Coordinates technical and clinical application 

and dental technology training. The Hospital Corpsman 

Dental Laboratory Basic and Advanced technicians deploy 

onboard U.S. Navy Ships and with the Fleet Marine Force. 

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class David Hernandez instructs his assistant, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Asterik Knotts, on the molding

of a set of prosthetic teeth in the dental laboratory aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). 

(Photo by Seaman Dagan Alexander) 
46 Navy Medicine

GLOBAL HEALTH 

ENGAGEMENT

Established in October 2012, the 

Navy Global Health Engagement 

(GHE) Office advises the Navy Surgeon 

General and Deputy Surgeon General on matters involving global health 

policy, humanitarian assistance (HA), 

disaster relief (DR), health related stability operations, security cooperation/

assistance and health diplomacy. The 

Office of the Special Assistant serves in a 

coordinating manner for Navy Medicine 

with DoD, the inter-agency, specific 

Host Nations and other organizations 

that facilitate mission execution of GHE 

related issues.

 A focus on health has the potential to bridge all nations, cultures and 

institutions and builds a common 

denominator in order to create bilateral 

and multilateral relationships in a collegial and non-threatening manner. 

These relationships can lead to longterm stability, security and economic 

prosperity in communities, nations 

and regions around the world. Health 

discussions and engagement continue 

to be an important conduit to accessing 

and expanding peaceful cooperation 

with potential host nations and partner 

nations. In addition, health—whether 

through health diplomacy, humanitarian assistance or disaster relief—serves 

an access point for the Navy to discuss 

other issues. The use of health may 

open access that facilitates the creation 

of enduring partnerships and influences 

positive policy decisions in specific host 

nations and partner nations. From a 

strategic perspective, the Navy possesses 

and utilizes unique and substantial assets 

for global health engagements, including 

extensive geographic reach, historic and 

prominent partnerships with foreign 

actors, an ability to rapidly mobilize resources, scientific and technical expertise 

and a unique group of health professionals accustomed to providing care in 

austere environments.

The Navy Medicine lines of personnel and organization effort have 

a world-wide reach, touching every 

Combatant Command (COCOM), all 

of the respective Fleets and Marine Expeditionary Forces. These include:

• Health Affairs Attaches (HAAs): 

Navy Medicine via GHE supports 

two health attaches embedded in 

embassies in Vietnam and Papua 

New Guinea. Their mission is to 

advise the ambassador on health 

matters in that country, engage local 

populations on regional health issues, facilitate overall SC efforts and 

build partnership capacity where 

possible. The GHE office serves as a 

central point of support and coordination for HAAs. 

• Liaison Officers (LNOs): Navy 

Medicine via GHE supports LNOs 

that work in positions involving 

global health as an SC tool. These 

positions include OSD(Policy), USAID, Health and Human Services 

(HHS), CDC, the World Health 

Organization (WHO) in Geneva 

and Copenhagen, Office of Assistant 

Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) 

International Health Division, the 

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Kevin Malone takes a blood sample from a Cambodian woman during a medical civic action project at 

Kandol Dom Primary School. (Photos by Kristopher Radder)
The Almanac | 2013 47

Defense HIV Aids Prevention Program (DHAPP), Defense Institute 

of Medical Operations (DIMO) 

and the Center for Disaster and 

Humanitarian Assistance Medicine 

(CDHAM). 

• Navy-NGO Partnerships: Since 

March 2012, the GHE office has 

worked with a core group of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) 

and Navy leadership on ensuring a 

standard memorandum of understanding exists among the respective 

Fleets and NGOs, creating open 

communication, developing a professional skills repository, integrating 

training and orientation, and facilitating a transition plan post HA/DR 

missions. This initiative builds on the 

lessons learned on HCA, HA/DR 

missions from 2005 to the present. 

APAN, an open-source collaboration tool, was instituted to engage 

military, NGOs and academia on 

topics of interest in a transparent 

manner. Moving ahead, this office 

seeks approval of the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief 

Partnership Working Group and 

to work in support of the Fleet and 

Marine Forces in the development of 

a Memorandum of Understanding 

with NGOs.

• DEFCOM South Africa: The South 

African Government and US Government established a Bi-National 

Commission in 1994 comprised 

of nine committees that include a 

Defense Committee. In 2000, the 

Defense Committee added a Military 

Health Working Group to address 

health issues spanning the spectrum 

of the operational continuum, but 

emphasizing disaster response and 

regional peacekeeping operations. A 

rotating co-chair plan was promulgated, whereby the U.S. co-chair 

rotates between the Army, Air Force 

and Navy. As of October 2012, the 

Navy assumed co-chairmanship.

• Missions Involving GHE: Many of 

the HCA related missions include a 

significant health component. These 

include Pacific Partnership, Continuing Promise and Africa Partnership 

Station. 

• Security Assistance: Navy Medicine 

has trained/educated services members from the following nations:

American Samoa

Australia

Belize

Canada

Finland

France

Germany

India

Israel

Italy

Maldives

Marshall Islands

Mexico

Micronesia

Netherlands

New Zealand

Northern Marianas

Pakistan

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Peru

Philippines

Samoa

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

Spain

Timor-Liste

Tonga

Thailand

Vanuatu

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Kristen Forsgren rubs the head of a four-month-old Indonesian girl that received a surgery to repair 

her cleft lip aboard USNS Mercy (T-AH 19).
48 Navy Medicine

MEDICAL HOME PORT

Medical Home Port

The Navy’s Medical Home Port 

(MHP) model transforms the delivery 

of primary care to an integrated, teambased approach. The MHP team offers a 

comprehensive suite of services to meet 

the needs of Navy Medicine’s beneficiaries. The goal is to provide patientcentered care that protects the patients’ 

relationship with their PCM and MHP 

team, improves access to health care 

services and quality of care, increases 

patient and staff satisfaction, and controls the cost of care. MHP ensures that 

beneficiaries have enhanced access to 

top-quality primary health care services 

including readiness, prevention, behavioral health, and disease management. 

Focus on Team-Based Care, Provider 

Continuity, and Access

One unique aspect of MHP is its emphasis on team-based care. MHP teams 

work collaboratively to meet patient’s 

needs. The core team is comprised of 

a provider, nurse, medical assistant or 

hospital corpsmen, and clerk. Based 

on patients’ demand for health care 

services, MHP teams can also integrate 

behavioral health provider, pharmacist, 

case manager, or other integrated staff. 

The team structure allows each member 

of the MHP team to operate at the top 

of his or her license and work more 

efficiently and effectively. Through standardized guidance, patients are scheduled to their assigned PCM and MHP 

team to ensure provider continuity.

Patients benefit from the team 

structure and provider continuity. By 

ensuring patients see their PCM and 

healthcare team, MHP encourages the 

development of trusting, productive 

patient-provider relationships. As provider continuity increases, patients are 

more likely to follow healthcare advice 

and comply with treatment regimens. In 

addition, the team structure enhances 

clinic efficiency. The MHP team is better able to address the needs of their 

enrolled patient population, thereby 

improving patient access to care. The 

team also expands access by leveraging information technology tools such 

as Tri-Service Workflow to standardize 

documentation of care and secure messaging to provide patients virtual access 

to the MHP team. Military treatment 

facilities review key access and continuity performance measures to monitor 

MHP success.

Emphasis on Health 

MHP aims to improve population 

health by emphasizing preventive care, 

proactive intervention, care coordination, and chronic disease management. 

MHP provides a wide array of health 

care services, positioning them as a comprehensive clinic for patient’s primary 

care needs. By integrating of behavioral 

health (BH) providers, the MHP team 

can address the unmet BH needs in 

primary care. BH providers can support 

the management of chronic medical and 

behavioral health conditions to improve 

health outcomes and control cost. 

Goal of Decreasing Costs

One of the most significant ways 

MHP lowers costs is through promotion of responsible use of the Emergency 

Room (ER). When patients know they 

can easily access their MHP team, they 

are less likely to go to ER for primary 

care needs. By ensuring access to their 

PCM and MHP team, patients are also 

less likely to use costly network care. 

By encouraging the patient relationship with their MHP provider, there 

has also been a reduction in unnecessary ancillary tests, as well as, avoidable 

hospitalizations and specialty care visits. 

MHP teams can identify, diagnose, and 

treat conditions before it advances to a 

tertiary care state. Medical Home Port is a model of care that emphasizes a team-based, coordinated, and proactive 

approach. (Photo by Stan Jones) 
The Almanac | 2013 49

Traumatic Brain Injury 

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has 

been called one of the “signature injuries” of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. A blow or jolt to the head or 

a penetrating head injury can disrupt the 

brain’s normal functioning. TBI is normally associated with blast exposures in 

theater, but can also occur aboard ships 

and in garrison, especially in training 

environments. The leading causes of TBI 

in the military are:

• Explosive blast, bullets, and fragments

• Falls

• Motor vehicle crashes 

• Assaults

TBIs are classified as mild, moderate, 

severe, and penetrating, with mild TBI 

(mTBI) being the most common. Mild 

TBIs are also known as concussions. 

The most common symptoms of mTBI 

are:

• Headaches 

• Dizziness

• Fatigue

• Problems concentrating

• Memory problems

• Irritability

• Balance problems

• Changes in vision

• Trouble sleeping

DoD requires deploying “boots on 

the ground” Sailors and Marines to 

take the Automated Neurocognitive 

Assessment Metrics (ANAM) prior to 

deployment, and screening questions 

to identify service members who have 

sustained a TBI during deployment are 

part of the mandatory Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) and 

Reassessment (PDHRA). In theater, 

service members with potential TBI are 

screened by corpsmen using the Military 

Acute Concussion Evaluation (MACE) 

and sent for further medical assessment 

as needed. 

The Navy has several initiatives to 

assess and care for Sailors and Marines 

with TBI. Navy Medicine’s Wounded, 

Ill, and Injured (WII) Program oversees several clinical initiatives to help 

identify service members with clinical 

symptoms and BUMED Instruction 

6310.12 has defined the level of care 

provide at all Navy medical facilities and 

NAVMED POLICY 11-004 defines the 

level of training required for providers taking care of patients with TBI. To 

better identify cognitive and physical 

symptoms in service members that may 

not be found in traditional testing, the 

Naval Health Research Center is testing a Computer-Assisted Rehabilitation 

Environment (CAREN) system that allows medical personnel to assess the patient in a variety of settings (i.e. urban, 

mountain, maritime). 

In addition to Navy-unique TBI 

programs, Navy Medicine works closely 

with operational medical leaders and 

our Army, Air Force, Veterans Affairs, 

Defense and Veterans Brain Injury 

Center (DVBIC), and Defense Centers 

of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological 

Marine Cpl. 

Toran Gaal, 

assigned to the 

Marine Wounded 

Warrior 

Battalion-West 

detachment at 

Naval Medical 

Center San 

Diego (NMCSD), 

walks on his 

new prosthetics 

in the 

Comprehensive 

Combat and 

Complex 

Casualty 

Care facility 

at NMCSD. 

(Photo by Mass 

Communication 

Specialist 3rd 

Class Jessica L. 

Tounzen) 

WOUNDED WARRIOR CARE

Ill d I d (

WOUNDED WARRIOR CARE
50 Navy Medicine

Marine Cpl. 

Michael Fox pets 

Tommy, Naval 

Medical Center 

San Diego’s 

Comprehensive 

Combat and 

Complex 

Casualty Care 

(C5) facility 

service dog 

during his 

physical therapy 

appointment. 

Tommy, a 4-yearold black lab 

golden retriever 

mix, provides 

emotional 

support to 

patients during 

their physical 

therapy 

appointments. 

(U.S. Navy 

photo by Mass 

Communication 

Specialist 2nd 

Class John O’Neill 

Herrera)

WOUNDED WARRIOR CARE WOUNDED WARRIOR CARE

Health and Traumatic Brain Injury colleagues to provide the best care possible 

to our Sailors and Marines.

Concussion Restoration 

Care Center (CRCC)

Navy Medicine has worked closely 

with the Marine Corps to staff and 

equip a Concussion Restoration Care 

Center (CRCC) at Camp Leatherneck, 

Afghanistan. The CRCC is a new concept created to provide musculoskeletal 

and post-concussion care in theater to 

service members who can likely return 

to duty after a short period of rehabilitative care, but whose injuries are not 

severe enough to require medical evacuation. 

The CRCC is staffed with a sports 

medicine family physician, physical 

therapist, occupational therapist, and 

a psychologist. This team augments 

the Combat Operational Stress Team 

(COST) and Marine medical staff attached to the Medical Battalion.

The Role of Case 

Management in the Care of the 

Wounded Warrior

Navy Case Managers provide services 

to the Wounded Warrior that span the 

entire care continuum from point of 

injury to either return to active duty service or medical separation from service. 

The journey from theatre to stateside 

care is only the beginning of a long road 

of recovery for returning WII Warriors 

who are often facing extensive care and 

rehabilitation for life-changing physical, 

psychological and cognitive injuries. The 

complexity of medical health care and 

military systems is often overwhelming to the WII service members, thus 

driving a critical need for someone to 

coordinate care and support services. 

Case managers are the “SOS or 1-800” 

contact for the patient and family 

throughout the continuum of care. The 

case managers of Clinical Case Management along with Navy Safe Harbor 

and the U.S. Marine Corps Wounded 

Warrior Regiment working together has 

allowed for a more holistic transition 

of the WII into the VA or civilian care 

systems by addressing both the medical 

and the non-medical needs concurrently 

to help reduce the stress and confusion 

of transition. 

Military case management, both 

medical and non-medical, is at the heart 

of ensuring the development of comprehensive plans of care for each patient 

and then linking all communications, 

hand offs, support services and smooth 

transitions for these WII service members and their families.

Comprehensive Combat 

and Complex Casualty Care

The Comprehensive Combat and 

Complex Casualty Care (C5) rehabilitation program is located at Naval 

Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD). 

Working in concert with other services 

at NMCSD and with community partners, C5’s continuum of care addresses 

the physical, emotional, spiritual, and 

mental health well-being of its patients.

Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care (C5) is a program of 

care that manages severely wounded, ill 

or injured patients from medical evacuation through inpatient care, outpatient 

rehabilitation, and eventual return to active duty or transition from the military. 

Program components include:

• Trauma Service--coordinates overall 

inpatient clinical management of 

injured service member 

• Orthopedic, reconstructive plastic 

surgery, and wound care 

• Amputee care, prosthetics, and re-
The Almanac | 2013 51

habilitation 

• Physical, occupational, and recreational therapy 

• Mental health assessments and care 

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) care 

• Pastoral care and counseling 

• Family support and career transition services

Prosthetic services include:

• Casting, fitting, and alignment for 

amputees by certified prosthetists and 

prosthetic technician staff.

• Lamination station to fabricate carbon interfaces for both definitive and 

temporary prosthetic sockets

• Advanced bionic technology room 

to fit power knees, microprocessor 

knees, powered ankles, and upper 

extremity myoelectric arms.

• In house lab to facilitate everyday 

prosthetic adjustments.

• Advanced patient casting room 

with Computer Assisted.

• Design and Manufacturing (CADCAM) system. 

• Laser technology for scanning 

the anatomical residual limb (eliminates the need for plaster casting).

• Hand held scanner for visual tracing and mobility.

• Modification of limb shapes with 

most advanced computer software 

technology.

My Ongoing Recovery 

Experience (MORE)

The online program called Navy 

MORE (My Ongoing Recovery Experience) rolled out in August 2010. While 

it is on line, it is only available to those 

enrolled in the program. The Navy 

MORE program will provide neverbefore-achieved continuity of care for 

military personnel, family members and 

retirees in early recovery from addiction 

anywhere in the world, at anytime. 

The online Navy MORE program – 

created in collaboration with Hazelden, 

one of the world’s largest and most 

respected private, non-profit alcohol and 

drug addiction treatment centers – is a 

customized, interactive and confidential 

recovery tool. 

It is available free-of-charge to 

military personnel, family members and 

retirees who are in the Navy Substance 

Abuse and Rehabilitation Services program in recovery anywhere in the world 

where Internet access is available. 

Project C.A.R.E. (Comprehensive 

Aesthetic Restorative Effort)

As a result of combat trauma and 

training accidents, a great number of 

service members suffer major life altering injuries, to include limb loss and severe disfigurement. Although wounded 

Sailors, Marines and Soldiers receive 

cutting-edge, state-of-the-art care; the 

consequences of these injuries lead to 

emotional distress and an altered selfimage.

To help traumatically wounded recover, both physically and emotionally, 

Project C.A.R.E. was born. Its mission 

is to provide emotional support along 

with surgical and non-surgical care in an 

effort to improve appearance and restore 

function. It has been found that even 

the slightest improvement can dramatically increase self-esteem and quality of 

life.

Utilizing a team approach with multiple surgical, medical, and supportive 

services, each patient is individually 

evaluated and a treatment plan is formulated. Depending upon the circumstances, a combination of surgical and nonsurgical treatments is planned, along 

with an emotional recovery plan to 

include support groups, mental health 

counseling, or both.

Wounded Warriors participate in wheel chair basketball practice as part of the fi rst Wounded 

Warrior Pacifi c Trials at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Gym. Nearly 50 seriously wounded, 

ill and injured Sailors and Coast Guardsmen from across the country are competed for a place 

on the 2013 Warrior Games Navy-Coast Guard team. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 

2nd Class Daniel Barker) 
52 Navy Medicine

Operational Stress Control (OSC) 

Resources

Navy Operational Stress Control 

(OSC) is a program supported by Navy 

Medicine. The foundation of OSC is the 

Stress Continuum Model that provides 

Sailors, leaders and family members a 

visual tool for assessing stress responses 

and practical steps to take to mitigate 

stress injuries. 

The Naval Center for Combat and 

Operational Stress Control was created 

to improve the psychological health of 

Navy and Marine Corps forces through 

training, education, care system improvement and facilitating research and 

information distribution. For more information, visit www.nccosc.navy.mil.

Operational Stress 

Control and Readiness 

(OSCAR) Teams

The Marine Corps, in collaboration 

with Navy Medicine, has deployed the 

Operational Stress Control and Readiness (OSCAR) program, which embeds 

physichological health professional 

within operational units. OSCAR provides early intervention and prevention 

support throughout all of the phases of 

deployment. The OSCAR program is 

now available at all three active Marine 

divisions. Each OSCAR team consists of 

two specially trained psychiatric technicians. These teams provide education 

and consultation to commanders, entire 

units and individual Marines.

OSCAR team members are embedded with units both in garrison and in 

field training evolutions and provide a 

variety of non-clinical support activities 

including psychological health surveillance, command liaison, preventative 

psychological health training, and coordination with external mental health 

services.

Special Psychiatric Rapid 

Intervention Team (SPRINT)

Special Psychiatric Rapid Intervention Teams (SPRINT) are Navy 

Medicine’s primary response resource 

in providing rapid short term support 

following operational mishaps and 

critical events involving loss of lives. 

The mission of SPRINT is to provide 

individuals with educational and supportive services in group and individual 

settings that are designed to facilitate the 

normal recovery process and reduce the 

potential for future problems that can 

impact operational readiness. Critical 

events for which a SPRINT is activated 

tend to be low frequency but high 

magnitude and dynamic occurrences 

that affect a command or community. 

SPRINT activation incidents include 

aviation mishaps, motor vehicle accidents with death resulting, natural 

disasters such as earthquakes, tornados, 

etc., and attacks on Navy vessels. A full 

team is typically comprised of a psychiatrist and/or psychologist, social worker, 

psychiatric nurse practitioner, chaplain, 

and neuropsychiatric technicians. Team 

composition is flexible and scalable by 

design which allows team composition 

to be built according to the nature and 

size of the event.

SPRINTs are located at Walter Reed 

National Military Medical Ceneter 

Bethesda, Md.; Naval Medical Center 

Portsmouth, Va.; and Naval Medical 

Center San Diego, but the flexible composition of the team means that mission 

specific teams can be created and deployed on very short notice. The addition of having trained and experienced 

medical personnel in forward deployed 

areas ensures that Navy Medicine not 

only has the correct medical capabilities, 

but also the flexibility that allows appropriate medical assets to be integrated 

from different areas to provide timely 

care in response to dynamic requirements. 

Overcoming Adversity and Stress Injury Support (OASIS)

The OASIS Program has developed 

a unique model of treatment incorporating evidenced-based therapies and 

integrative treatment approaches. The 

program begins with a comprehensive 

two week intensive stabilization process 

by providing treatment focused solely 

on developing coping skills. Trauma 

therapy begins after that time to ensure 

patients are better able to tolerate distress. 

Along with highly trained and experienced treatment staff, integrative 

approaches are provided by experienced 

community volunteers specializing in 

various practices, offering a comprehensive program to treat mind and body. 

Current courses offered are yoga, meditation, spirituality, recreation therapy, 

and art therapy. In addition, OASIS patients provide valuable time giving back 

to the community through volunteerism 

and working with the Veteran communities. Upon stabilization, patients 

partake in therapeutic passes allowing 

in-vivo exposure to specific post traumatic stress disorder triggers and continuously working towards goals identified 

in treatment. OASIS operates within a 

military treatment setting to ensure that 

the military culture is maintained, minimizing incongruence transitioning from 

civilian care and treatment back into a 

military setting. 

Behavioral Health 

Integration Program

The Behavioral Health Integration 

Program (BHIP) in the Medical Home 

is:

SPECIALTY MILITARY CIVILIAN CONTRACTOR

Psychologist

Psychiatrist

Social Worker

Mental Health Nurse

Mental Health Nurse 

Practitioner

Other Licensed MH 

Provider

Tech/Counselor

Total

129

106

48

71

26

0

377

757

107

39

96

16

2

22

39

321

72

27

66

47

8

28

165

413

TOTAL

308

172

210

134

36

50

581

1491

Operational Stress Control (OSC) variety of non-clinical support activities 

Na

Be

Po

Ce

po

sp

plo

tio

MENTAL HEALTH 

CAPABILITIES
The Almanac | 2013 53

• An innovative way to combine two 

best practices for behavioral health 

integration in the primary care setting.

• The creation of three new Medical 

Home Port team members whose 

sole responsibility is to assist the 

MHP team in addressing the behavioral health needs of all patients (active duty, dependents and retirees).

• Internal Behavioral Health Consultant – a licensed independent mental 

health provider who provides same 

day and scheduled appointments at 

the request of the PCM. The goal is 

to support the PCM in addressing 

the behavioral health needs of the 

population.

• Care Facilitator – typically a nurse 

who provides care facilitation at the 

request of the PCM. The primary 

focus is on patients with depression 

and/or PTSD.

• External Behavioral Health Consultant – a licensed independent psychiatric prescriber who is located remotely but remains readily available 

to the MHP team for consultation

The Behavioral Health Integration 

Program was developed to address the 

following concerns:

• A significant number of patients with 

unmet mental health needs.

• Due to limited access the majority of 

retirees and dependents are sent out 

of the military health system for care 

which increases cost.

• Inconsistency in the quality of care 

delivered in primary care.

• A desire to meet the quadruple aim 

as outlined by the Tricare Management Agency (TMA).

• Stigma associated with seeking mental health services.

USMC Wounded Warrior 

Clinical Services Staff

It is essential that wounded, ill and 

injured Marines and Sailors receive 

coordinated care for a successful recovery. Effective treatment programs for 

injured Marines and Sailors, assigned to 

Marine Corps units, are individualized 

and complex. The course of recovery 

can be long, may require multiple and 

repetitive needs assessments, complex 

documentation, and include medical 

and psychological health (PH)-related 

interventions as the injured Marine or 

Sailor makes the transition back to a 

functional and productive life, either 

back to military duty or to civilian life. 

Many specialists may be involved—including but not limited to trauma surgeons, mental health providers, physical 

therapists, occupational and vocational 

therapists, etc. The USMC Wounded 

Warrior Regiment (WWR) is the one 

over-arching program that follows an injured Marine or assigned Sailor through 

this entire transition which often takes 

more than a year. 

To ensure success with Marines 

and Sailors with significant injuries 

that impact their psychological health 

and well-being, BUMED developed a 

contract, in conjunction with, and to 

support the USMC WWR, to provide 

Licensed Clinical Services Staff, primarily experienced clinical social workers 

and nurses, and experts in PH, especially 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), 

and in Traumatic Brain Injury(TBI). 

Currently, a total of 11 BUMEDcontracted staff members support this 

comprehensive program world-wide at 

the WWR Headquarters, East and West 

Coast Battalions and their Detachments 

for injuries related to PH and TBI to 

ensure that every Marine and Sailor, 

assigned to the Marine Corps units, 

receive the best prevention, identification, and treatment that is available. In 

addition, they assist USMC leadership 

in developing policies and procedures 

for PH and TBI, facilitate clinical assessments, and support the successful case 

management of individuals assigned to 

the WWR. Currently, staff are assigned 

at Camp Lejeune (1); Camp Pendleton 

(1); Marine Corps Base Hawaii (1); and 

Quantico (4). At Quantico, there is also 

a TBI program coordinator, a PH program coordinator, and 2 administrative 

assistants. WWR staff, Marine Corps 

units and families are also provided support. Program objectives include increasing Marines and Sailors awareness of PH 

and TBI symptoms and resources and 

improving the continuity and coordination of care for the wounded Marines 

and Sailors transitioning back to military duty or civilian life.

Reserve Psychological Health 

Outreach Program (PHOP)

The Psychological Health Outreach 

Program (PHOP) was established in 

September 2008. There are 30 staff; 

10 Outreach Coordinators and 15 

Outreach Support Team Members, 

co-located with Reserve Component Command staff in six regions: 

Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Southwest, 

Northwest and Midwest. The U.S. 

Navy Reserve PHOP does not provide 

Chandra Upshaw, a member of the Operational Stress Control Mobile Training Team, 

teaches a front line supervisor training class to Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS 

Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz successfully completed the ship’s Joint Task Force Exercise 

(JTFEX), designed to test a strike group’s ability to operate in hostile and complex 

environments with other U.S. and coalition forces. (Photo by Mass Communication 

Specialist 3rd Class Devin Wray)
54 Navy Medicine

direct treatment or counseling. PHOP 

staff provides Resource Management 

service. The dynamic teams of clinically 

licensed professionals provide thorough 

therapeutic Behavioral Health Screening 

(BHS). Comprehensive BHS allow the 

Service Member and loved one to fully 

assess the individual’s current degree of 

functioning on several levels including: psychological, physical, social, 

and family well-being. In addition to 

psychological health services, the PHOP 

Resource Specialist also assists with concrete service referrals, which can include, 

but are not limited to housing, food and 

employment assistance.

After the initial screening PHOP 

teams provide intense follow-up which 

includes linking the client with “good 

fit” providers that can be military or 

community based depending on the 

clients location, socio-economic status, 

and health insurance eligibility. PHOP 

Outreach Support Team Members also 

provide Outreach calls to recently demobilized Service Members as well as 

Psycho-educational briefings on a variety 

of topics including BUMED approved 

suicide and Operation Stress Control. In 

addition to calls and briefings, PHOP 

staff is also on occasion called to assist 

with local crisis and national disasters. 

For more information on PHOP, visit 

http://www.navyreserve.navy.mil/pages/

phop.aspx.

Returning Warrior Workshops (RWWs)

Making a successful transition from 

the war zone to the home front is the 

focus of Returning Warrior Workshops 

(RWW), a well-received program for 

Navy and Marine Corps Reservists. The 

workshops are expense-paid weekend 

events for about 200 service members 

and their spouses or significant others. 

In addition to presentations from senior 

military leaders who have been in combat, there are breakout sessions where 

participants discuss and help learn to 

resolve stressful situations arising in deployment and reintegration. A number 

of support services are available at the 

workshops along the with counselors, 

psychological health outreach coordinators and chaplains to assist service 

members in re-acclimating with their 

families and to civilian life. For more 

information on workshops in your area, 

visit https://www.navyreserve.navy.mil/

reservefamilies/Pages/YellowRibbonRedirect treatment or counseling. PHOP 

ff d

includes linking the client with “good

fi ” id h b ili

th

foc

(R

Na

MENTAL HEALTH 

CAPABILITIES

Navy Medicine has a variety of resources to address mental health concerns of service members and their families. (Photo by Marine 

Corps Cpl. Bryan Nygaard)
The Almanac | 2013 55

integrationProgram.aspx. 

Through the provision of engaging 

personal processes in a carefully planned 

flow of plenary and breakout sessions, 

which have been developed and refined 

for increased effectiveness and fit over 

time, a unique non-stigmatizing environment of healing is created that:

- Assists demobilized service members 

and their loved ones in identifying immediate and potential issues or concerns 

that often arise during post-deployment 

reintegration.

- Provides Chaplains and PHOP 

team members to provide appropriate 

resources to resolve issues and mitigate 

stress (both from deployment and from 

their life experiences).

- Encourages reserve members to 

share common experiences and challenges in a safe, supportive and nonthreatening environment.

- Honors service members and their 

loved ones for their sacrifices in a formal 

Banquet of Honor -- a peak experience 

of the weekend.

- Engages service members and their 

families in process improvement both to 

improve the deployment cycle support 

process by commands, and the reintegration experience for the reservists and 

their loved ones. It provides encouragement and support that allows them to 

develop a greater awareness of ways to 

move forward and make plans for the 

future. Service members often realize 

Post-Deployment Growth and identify 

critical changes they want to make in 

their lives as a result of the weekend 

experience. 

Evaluations show that Reservists and 

their families or significant others are 

being positively impacted by attending 

the RWWs and that they would recommend them to others. 

Project FOCUS

Project FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) is designed for families 

needing to ramp up their resiliency to 

best handle the demands of a deployment and combat and operational stress. 

Through parent, child and family sessions, FOCUS helps Navy and Marine 

families develop strong skills in problem 

solving, goal setting, communication 

and emotional regulation. The free 

program is offered through BUMED 

in collaboration with the University of 

California, Los Angeles. For details and 

a list of FOCUS locations, go to www.

focusproject.org or call (310) 794-2482.

Substance Abuse 

 Rehabilitation Program

Navy Medicine’s Substance Abuse 

Rehabilitation Program (SARP) provides 

substance use screenings for potential 

alcohol and drug problems among all 

active duty, retired, & qualified family 

members across the enterprise. SARP 

provides education, Intensive OutPatient (IOP) Substance Abuse Treatment 

and case manages addictions treatment. 

The program works closely with Navy 

Drug and Alcohol Program Advisors 

(DAPA), Marine Corps Substance 

Abuse Control Officers (SACO), and 

U.S. Coast Guard Command Drug & 

Alcohol Representatives (CDAR) to provide care.

Additional Resources

Navy Suicide Prevention Website: 

www.suicide.navy.mil

Combat operational stress control/

management, resiliency materials and 

programs designed specifically for the 

Navy population are accessible at www.

nmcph.med.navy.mil/healthy_living/

psychological_health/stress_management/operandcombatstress.aspx.

Synthetic Drugs and Your Health: 

http://www.med.navy.mil/Pages/Spice.

aspx

Project FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) is one of Navy Medicine’s programs for service members and their families. It is 

designed for families needing to ramp up their resiliency to best handle the demands of a deployment and combat and operational stress. 
56 Navy Medicine

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORATE

7700 ARLINGTON BLVD

FALLS CHURCH VA 22042-5122

OFFICIAL BUSINESS