Volume 8, Issue 17 · November 18, 2013

 www.usuhs.edu
Sharon Willis

Deputy Vice President for External Affairs and Managing Editor

Gwendolyn Smalls

Chief, Media Affairs

Tech. Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson

Deputy Chief, Media Affairs

Christine Creenan-Jones

Editor and Layout Artist

MC2 Brittney Cannady

Writer

The Pulse is printed by USU’s 

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Services University. It is authorized for 

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Editorial content is edited, prepared and 

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Esteemed physician delivers annual 

John H. Cross Memorial Lecture

By MC2 Brittney Cannady, writer

On the cover

The Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of 

Nursing created a display case in honor of 

its namesake, which includes mementos and 

awards from the late senator’s illustrious 

career. Read more about Daniel K. Inouye 

on page 3.

2 The Pulse · The Official USU Newsletter Photo by Sharon Willis

 The Department of Preventive 

Medicine and Biometrics at the 

Uniformed Services University 

hosted the third annual John H. 

Cross Memorial Lecture, Oct. 30. 

 At the lecture, Dr. Thomas 

Quinn, director of the Center for 

Global Health at Johns Hopkins 

University in Baltimore, delivered 

the keynote speech called, 

“Response to the AIDS Pandemic: 

A Global Health Model,” which 

reviewed the epidemiological evolution of the AIDS pandemic, biological data on viral transmission, 

the international response to the 

AIDS pandemic, and prevention 

strategies aimed at controlling 

HIV/AIDS. 

 Although Quinn highlighted recent groundbreaking discoveries in 

HIV/AIDS research during his 

talk, he also discussed the need for 

more pioneering advancements.

 “AIDS has had a dramatic impact 

around the world, there’s no doubt 

about that. To address the disparities and inequities in the key populations infected will take leadership, governance, financing and a 

health systems workforce,” he said.

 More than 70 million people 

have contracted HIV infections 

since the disease was identified in 

1981, and it has led to more than 

36 million deaths worldwide. 

 Quinn’s work, however, has affected much needed positive 

change. He is an HIV/AIDS consultant to the World Health Organization, a founding member of the

Academic Alliance for AIDS Care 

in Africa, and has been involved in 

HIV clinical and epidemiological 

investigations in 25 countries with 

current projects in Uganda, South 

Africa, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, China, Thailand and Brazil.

 Quinn’s impressive work was the 

basis for his invitation to speak as 

this year’s John Cross lecturer at 

USU. The memorial talk honors 

one of USU’s most accomplished 

and longest-serving faculty members. Cross, who died in 2010, was 

a world-renowned parasitology 

expert. Over the course of his 34-

year tenure at USU, he taught parasitology to more than 5,000 students.

 In another homage to Cross, the 

university formally named A2040 

– his old research space – the John 

H. Cross Memorial Laboratory of 

Parasitology before the memorial 

lecture began.

Courtesy photo

Dr. Thomas Quinn

Save the Date

November 18, 2013 at 11 a.m.

Dedication Ceremony for the Val G. Hemming 

Simulation Center

RSVP at https://einvitations.afit.edu/inv/index.cfm?i=173929&k=03664100795E
USU celebrates 20 years of graduate nursing 

education, honors GSN namesake

By Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

November 18, 2013 3

Photo by Army Spc. Ernest Sivia

 The Graduate School of Nursing 

at the Uniformed Services University recognized an important milestone, 20 years of groundbreaking 

education, with an all-day celebration that included a dedication ceremony to honor the school’s namesake, Daniel K. Inouye, Oct. 29.

 The event began with a retrospective look at GSN history beginning 

in 1993. Back then, only one program existed, and just two students 

comprised the first graduating 

class. 

 The school’s legacy, however, 

quickly multiplied with the matriculation of hundreds of uniformed

nurses over the past 20 years. Like 

the first cohort, every ensuing GSN 

class has received a unique education with a strong focus on military 

medicine. 

 The benefits of this signature approach were highlighted by all five 

GSN program directors, who led a 

panel discussion about the growth 

of their school, which now includes 

both master’s and doctoral-level 

programs in several disciplines of 

advanced practice nursing.

 Dr. Mary Wakefield, the administrator for the Health Resources and 

Services Administration at the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services, further illustrated USU’s 

impact during her morning talk. 

 “This university has a very significant reputation and a unique approach to education and research, 

and your nursing programs have 

become an important resource for 

the health of our military and for 

the nation’s public health,” she 

said.

 Wakefield’s words and the tone of 

the entire day’s discussions validated the goals Inouye – the second 

longest-serving U.S. senator at the 

time of his death in 2012 – had for 

establishing a GSN at USU in the 

first place. 

 The school’s opening was a personal victory for Inouye, a World 

War II veteran, who was grievously 

injured during a firefight with enemy forces. Although his right arm 

had to be amputated, military doctors and nurses saved his life, and 

helped Inouye move past his 

wounds. 

 “Senator Inouye was an American 

hero, a servant leader, an advocate, 

a mentor, and an inspirational 

man, who in the face of challenges 

rose to become a person to embody 

patriotism, resilience and dedication,” said Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, the surgeon general of the Army.

 Horoho – Inouye’s long-time colleague and friend – delivered the 

keynote address at the GSN dedication ceremony. Her emotional talk 

included anecdotes about personal 

encounters with the senator. 

 “I came to know Senator Inouye 

when I was a colonel, and he 

showed me what an impact one 

person can have on the world. He 

would remind me time and time 

again how much gratitude he had 

for nurses and for all of military 

medicine. His stories reminded me 

of why I became a nurse,” she said.

 The commemoration event also 

included talks by Dr. Christine 

Engstrom, acting chief nursing officer at the Department of Veterans 

Affairs; Dr. Marguerite LittletonKearney, the GSN’s associate dean 

for Research; Dr. Sandra Bibb, the 

GSN’s associate dean for Faculty 

Affairs; Dr. Carol Romano, the 

GSN’s associate dean for Academic 

Affairs; Dr. Ada Sue Hinshaw, dean 

of the GSN; Dr. Patrick DeLeon, 

Inouye’s chief of staff for more 

than 38 years and GSN faculty; Dr. 

Dale Smith, a professor of military 

medicine and history in USU’s Department of Military and Emergency Medicine; retired Navy Rear 

Adm. Nancy Lescavage, a Senator 

Inouye Fellow; Ken Inouye, the late 

senator’s son; and Victoria Anderson and Helen Golden, the school’s 

first graduate.

Uniformed Services University President Charles Rice cuts the ribbon as USU Dean 

of the Graduate School of Nursing Ada Sue Hinshaw raises a triumphant fist as they 

officially dedicate the nursing school as the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of 

Nursing. Joining them are (from left to right): Karen McManus, Office of Congressman Chris Van Hollen; Victoria Anderson and Helen Golden, the first two GSN graduates; Ken Inouye, son of the late senator; and Dr. Patrick DeLeon, USU professor

and former Inouye chief of staff.
4 The Pulse · The Official USU Newsletter 

New clinical trials launched for USU-developed antibody, vaccine 

By Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

Photo by MC2 Brittney Cannady

Diwali comes to USU

For nearly 27 years, personnel at 

the Uniformed Services University, 

led by long-time pathology professor Dr. Radha Maheshwari, have 

celebrated the festival of Diwali. 

Diwali, often referred to as the 

"Festival of Lights," is celebrated by 

Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, and is an official holiday in 

India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, 

Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad and 

Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji. Participants at this 

year’s USU Diwali celebration, Oct. 

28, were treated to a variety of traditional foods, including chickpeas 

and curry, samosa, naan, and rice 

pudding. 

 Dr. Christopher Broder, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Uniformed Services University, and his 

colleagues made international 

headlines last year after a human 

antibody and vaccine they developed showed tremendous promise 

as potential treatments for Hendra 

and Nipah virus infections in humans and horses. Since then, his 

groundbreaking work has progressed into new pioneering human 

clinical trials at Queensland Health 

in Australia and the first licensed 

and commercially deployed vaccine 

against a Biological Safety Level-4 

agent. 

 In October, Queensland Health 

received a $1.2 million grant to investigate Broder’s antibody to treat 

people with Hendra virus – a rare 

but lethal bat-borne disease that is 

passed from infected horses to humans. 

 To date, the antibody has been 

used on a compassionate basis on 

four people, who were at risk of 

contracting Hendra or Nipah virus 

infections in Australia and the 

United States. If successful, the 

antibody could save many additional lives, since Nipah – a close relative of Hendra – is a major health 

problem in Bangladesh, India and 

other parts of the world.

 Broder’s research is also an example of the One-Health approach in 

combating infectious diseases 

through use of the horse vaccine,

Equivac® HeV, which prevents 

Hendra infection in animals and 

subsequent virus transmission 

from animal hosts to humans. 

Over the past year, it has been used 

in more than 80,000 horses in 

Australia without any incidences of 

a Hendra outbreak among equine 

subjects or their human handlers. 

Equivac® HeV has been welcomed 

by the Australian veterinarian community, including Dr. Peter Reid, 

an equine veterinarian surgeon 

who collaborated with Broder and 

others to secure the funding of 

horse vaccine trials.

 “Wide-spread use of the Hendra 

horse vaccine could potentially 

eliminate the risk and concern of 

Hendra infection that many veterinarians and staff have when treating ill horses, and the successful 

completion of a Phase I safety trial 

in humans with the antibody may 

allow it to be used in natural or laboratory acquired high-risk infection scenarios on a compassionate 

use basis,” said Broder.

Dr. Christopher Broder and Dr. Peter Reid 

at the Doomben Brisbane Racing Club in 

Australia. Broder and Reid collaborated 

on horse vaccine trials for Hendra, a lethal 

disease that affects humans and animals.
November 18, 2013 5

USU alum becomes first female field grade officer 

by Lance Cpl. Jose Mendez Jr., writer in the 2nd Marine Division 

 For the first time in 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division history, 

a field grade officer billet is being 

filled by a female, and she is a Uniformed Services University alumna.

 After her promotion to lieutenant 

commander, Shannon Stout officially became the first female in 2nd 

Tanks to complete this feat Sept. 4, 

2013, aboard Marine Corps Base 

Camp Lejeune.

 Stout, who is from Sarasota, Florida, holds the billet of battalion 

medical officer, better known to 

some as the battalion surgeon.

 “It’s exciting to be the first female 

medical (field grade) officer with 

2nd Tank Battalion, and I am honored to be holding the plank with 

some other outstanding female Marines and Sailors that were also part 

of the women in combat integration,” she said.

 Stout began this unique journey 

more than a decade ago while attending the University of North 

Carolina Wilmington in 2000. 

Stout was enrolled in a medical 

school preparatory class when she 

met a female Navy corpsman.

 “We were on a sailboat during 

sailing class and she was telling me 

about the amazing opportunities in 

traveling and the amazing things 

she had done in the Navy,” Stout 

said. “So I decided as a travelhappy person that the Navy would 

be a great marriage of both wanting to do medicine and also being 

able to be in a service role.”

 Hearing about the opportunities 

the Navy could provide her was 

just one of the reasons Stout decided to join.

 While applying to medical school, 

she found a second reason to join 

the Navy. On Sept. 11, 2001, the 

World Trade Center was attacked, 

which solidified her decision to 

commission.

 After graduating from UNCW, 

Stout enrolled in USU’s medical 

school.

 “June of 2003 is when I commissioned as an ensign. From there I 

was in medical school in Bethesda 

for four years. Upon graduation in 

May of 2007 I was commissioned 

again as a Lieutenant,” Stout said.

 Stout has been with Tanks for 

more than one year as the battalion 

surgeon and really enjoys being 

with the unit.

 “It is the most fun, the most rewarding and the most frustrating 

thing I have ever done,” Stout said.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Shannon Stout, the 2nd 

Tank Battalion medical officer, is the first 

female field grade officer in 2nd Tanks 

history.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Jose Mendez Jr.

USU students participate in DC Regional Public Health Care Challenge

by Sharon Willis, managing editor and deputy vice president for External Affairs 

 Six medical students from the F. Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University are participating in an upcoming public health case 

competition sponsored by the Institute of Medicine 

and Georgetown University.

 The DC Regional Public Health Care Challenge took 

place on Nov. 15, 2013, and will feature teams from 

USU, American University, George Mason University, 

George Washington University, Georgetown University 

and Howard University. 

 Teams will address a topic that presents a realistic 

public health concern within the Washington, DC, area. This year’s topic is "Gender-Based Violence.” 

 The Hébert-team received its case Nov. 1, and will 

research and craft a systems-approached public health 

solution for presentation to a panel of judges at the National Academy of Sciences on competition day. Each 

case is judged on its creativity, content, feasibility, interdisciplinary nature and strength of evidence base. 

 The competition is held each year to promote interdisciplinary, problem-based learning. The event also 

provides an opportunity for teams to practice for the 

Emory University International Global Health Case 

Competition, held annually in Atlanta. The winning 

team’s case will be published by the Institute of Medicine. 

 Members of the Hébert-team include class of 2017 

medical students Navy Ensign Jun Hu; Public Health 

Service Ensign Yaroslav "Ross" Bodnar; Navy Ensign 

Erin Mack; Navy Ensign Savannah Woodward; Public 

Health Service Ensign Brandon Shumway; and Air 

Force 2nd Lt. Emily Bien. Two Hébert graduate program students – Juleon Rabbani, who is pursuing his 

DrPH degree in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics and Joe Wagman, a PhD student 

in the Emerging Infectious Diseases program – will 

help the team prepare for the competition. Air Force 

Col. (Dr.) Edwin Burkett, assistant professor in PMB’s 

Global Health division, and Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) David 

Blazes, the program director for PMB’s Military Tropical Medicine Course, are serving as the team’s faculty 

advisors. 
6 The Pulse · The Official USU Newsletter 

USU students visit White House Medical Unit

By Tech. Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson, deputy director of Media Affairs

 More than 20 students from the Family Medicine 

Interest Group at the Uniformed Services University 

had a chance to visit the White House Military Office 

responsible for the medical needs of the White House 

staff and visitors. 

 Known as the White House Medical Unit, the team 

provides worldwide medical care to the U.S. president, vice president, and their families.

 “This is an awesome experience,” said Army 2nd Lt. 

Paul Patterson, PhD, a USU medical student and 

FMIG president. “Getting an opportunity to visit the 

White House and getting insight on how these medical 

professionals operate at the highest level is a wonderful opportunity.” 

 Patterson and the rest of his group got a chance to 

tour the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and 

hear how staff members meet unique medical challenges. The students also got a peek at the innerworkings of the WHMU, the EEO Building, and received a compelling glimpse of what goes on inside the 

highest-levels of government, including a unit responsible for the medical needs of approximately 7,000 

people.

 “You get a phone call in the middle of the night, because a White House official is not feeling well. Well if 

you’re the doc on call, you grab your gear, get ready 

and in walks the president of the United States,” said 

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Merlene Horan, the WHMU senior 

medial officer, who has been with the unit for more 

than three years. “You have to get over the fact that it’s 

the president standing in front of you. It’s an awesome 

responsibility, so you have to focus on caring for the 

patient and not get overwhelmed by who they are.” 

 The three-hour tour included many other personal 

stories from WHMU staffers. In addition, students 

were afforded the opportunity to receive mentoring 

and learn from the vast experiences of the WHMU 

staff, who shared insights about their deployments 

and the unique medical practices of different U.S. military services.

 “This was extremely interesting to me because I have 

never sat down and heard stories and deployment experiences from the perspective of military doctors and 

physicians assistants,” said Air Force 2nd Lt. Armando Aguilera, a USU medical student and FMIG member. “So when the internist was telling us about a patient that came in the middle of the night complaining 

of pain, and when she was the only doctor available in 

a foreign country, I started to think about what I 

might be doing in the future. She was talking about 

being a dependable doctor, with limited resources 

available. She spoke of having to do her job skillfully, 

because her patient’s life depended on it. Her story 

hit home for me. That is why I joined the military to 

have the opportunity to go and care for people in 

unique places across the world. I look forward to those 

challenges.”

 For another student, the WHMU experience gave 

her a new perspective about the far-reaching possibilities in military medicine.

 “They made me think about where I wanted to go in 

my career” said Army 2nd Lt. Brooke Pati, a USU 

medical student and FMIG member. “Getting to hear 

about all the unique opportunities available is going to 

help me focus. It’s awesome I go to a school like the 

Uniformed Services University and can have an opportunity to talk to a White House staff doctor and 

realize how broad my options are in the military. 

Sometimes when your head is buried in a text book 

you don’t think of the world you’re studying to step 

into. I really enjoyed this and I would come back if I 

could.”

 USU’s partnership with the White House Medical 

Unit has been ongoing for about a year. This was 

USU’s fourth trip to the medical unit, which officials 

try to facilitate each quarter. According to WHMU officials, the staff looks forward to each visit.

 “All of us were students at one time, sitting where 

they are sitting right now,” said Army Maj. Tom Hettich, WHMU physician’s assistant. “This is an opportunity for us to be mentors and let the students see a 

potential place where they could be stationed. The 

students also get a chance to meet some people they 

may work with in the future and make some points of 

contact. It’s always nice to have resources you can get 

guidance from today or get advice about their careers 

later on in life. We love doing this and we look forward to seeing this partnership with USU continue.” 

Students in the Family Medicine Interest Group at the Uniformed Services University visited the White House Medical 

Unit, Sept. 28.

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson
November 18, 2013 7

By Dana Crudo, writer at health.mil

USU students complete ruck marathon to honor injured servicemembers

 As the sun rose on 

Oct. 27, five Uniformed Services University medical students wearing combat pants, boots, 

school t-shirts and 

40-pound rucksacks 

prepared for a 26.2-

mile trek through 

Washington, D.C., 

determined to carry 

on a school tradition.

 Since 2010, a group 

of USU students 

have “rucked” 

the Marine Corps 

Marathon to show 

support for injured 

servicemembers and 

their families. 

 “Most view this 

marathon as a way to 

support the military 

tradition that our 

school is founded 

on,” said Army 2nd 

Lt. Gregory Lausé, a second-year medical student who 

led the ruck team. “The marathon serves as a small 

reminder of the future population we will be serving.”

 Nicknamed the “Marathon of Monuments,” the race 

course winded through the National Mall, 

Georgetown, the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway 

and the scenic Tidal Basin, hitting all the major museums, memorials and historic sites of the nation’s capital.

 At 7:55 a.m. in chilly weather, Lausé, 26, along with 

his classmates – Army 2nd Lt. Daniel Lammers, Navy 

Ensign Teresa Gilbride, Army 2nd Lt. Thomas Deacy 

and Navy Ensign Clara Lee – joined 30,000 other 

runners at the start line between Arlington National 

Cemetery and the Pentagon hoping to complete the 

third-largest marathon in the United States.

To prepare for this moment, the students took breaks 

from their academic studies on weekends to hike the 

Rock Creek Park and Capital Crescent trails with varying amounts of weighted packs strapped to their 

backs. For most of the USU runners, this was their 

first marathon.

 “We have to maintain slightly below a 15-minute-per

-mile pace in order to complete the race,” Lausé said 

before the start of the marathon. “In years past, every 

member of the team has been able to finish the marathon.”

 The months’ 

worth of Saturday 

mornings the students spent training paid off. They 

finished the 

course in six 

hours and 31 

minutes, beating 

last year’s school 

record of six hours 

and 55 minutes. 

They maintained 

an average pace of 

14.55 minutes per 

mile.

 After overcoming the final uphill 

challenge and 

crossing the finish 

line at the Marine 

Corps Memorial, the 

students were beaming and expressed 

feelings of relief and 

accomplishment at 

completing their goal together.

 “We look forward to being able to ... pass our experiences down to the class of 2017,” Lausé said.

The students credit their achievement in part to the 

spectators who lined up all along the course to encourage the runners.

 “We couldn’t have done it without all the support 

and cheers of everyone along the way,” Lee said.

As the students slowly made their way to collect their 

medals, they were already making jokes and reminiscing about their long journey.

 “Look,” Gilbride said pointing to the towering Washington Monument in the distance. “We were just 

there.”

 Other non-rucking personnel at USU also completed this year’s Marine Corps Marathon, including: Air 

Force 2nd Lt. Arek Hidirsah, Navy Lt. Cmdr. John 

Litchfield, Air Force Maj. Jacqueline Killian, Navy Lt. 

Cmdr. Christopher Martin, Navy Ensign Sean Ouimet, 

Army Capt. Miguel Perez, Navy Lt. Joshua Swift, Navy 

Cmdr. Andrew Hoburg, Navy Ensign Christopher 

Parsell, Army 2nd Lt. Danny Jones, Army 2nd Lt. 

Caitlin Toffler, Army 2nd Lt. Alexandra Shams, Army 

2nd Lt. Briana Lindberg, Army 2nd Lt. Mary Ford, 

Navy Ensign Dale Parsons and Air Force 2nd Lt. 

Haydn Roberts.

Five medical students at the Uniformed Services University carried on a university tradition by completing the Marine Corps Marathon, Oct. 27, while 

carrying 40-pound rucksacks.

Photo by Dana Crudo
Final Frame

The annual Health Benefits Fair at the Uniformed Services University was 

held Nov 13. During the fair, representatives from various health insurance 

companies answered questions about coverage and changes to civilian health 

benefits in 2014.

Photo by MC2 Brittney Cannady