The Official USU Newsletter

Volume 8, Issue 15 · September 30, 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

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President Rice covers broad 

topics at Town Hall Meeting 

By Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

 Uniformed Services 

University president Dr. 

Charles Rice hosted a 

town hall meeting to 

discuss various issues 

affecting USU personnel, Sept. 12. His talk 

covered diverse topics, 

from sequestration and 

leadership changes to 

cafeteria renovations 

and the search for a new 

registrar system.

 Rice also used the 

meeting as a platform to 

formally introduce the 

new dean of USU’s School of 

Medicine, Dr. Arthur Kellermann.

 Kellermann said he was excited 

to join USU’s mission and believes USU will continue catalyzing positive change.

 “Our teaching of practitioners 

of medicine, nursing, public 

health and biomedical science 

are the change agents for 

healthcare in the Department of 

Defense, the Public Health Service, and for our country to move 

forward,” he said.

 Rice also talked about USU’s 

possible collaboration with the 

Medical Education and Training 

Campus in San Antonio. The 

Texas campus provides 

healthcare training to enlisted 

medical personnel, and USU is 

exploring the possibility of 

providing academic credit for 

METC programs.

 In other, lighter campus news, 

Rice announced a new “Name the 

Cafeteria Contest” during the 

town hall meeting. The winning 

entry receives a $10 gift card that 

can be used in the cafeteria or 

coffee shop. Refer to the last 

page of the Pulse for contest 

rules.

 Before ending the town hall 

meeting, Rice mentioned upcoming USU events, including the 

Graduate School of Nursing’s 

20th anniversary celebration, Oct. 

29, during which the school will 

be named for the late Senator 

Daniel K. Inouye. 

Save the Date

October 29, 2013 at 7 a.m.

Graduate School of Nursing 20th Anniversary 

Celebration and the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate 

School of Nursing Naming Ceremony

On the cover

Drs. Patricia Deuster and Marni 

Silverman are collaborating on 

The Green Road Project to benefit 

wounded warriors. Read more 

about The Green Road Project on 

page 3.

2 The Pulse · The Official USU Newsletter Photo by Thomas Balfour

Dr. Arthur Kellermann, dean of the School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University, was a

guest speaker at the Town Hall Meeting, Sept. 12.

Photo by Christine Creenan-Jones
USU researchers explore healing through nature 

By Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

 The Consortium for Health and 

Military Performance, a Defense 

Center of Excellence, at the Uniformed Services University is collaborating with The Institute for 

Integrative Health and other partner organizations to transform a 

parcel of wooded land on the 

grounds of the Naval Support Activity Bethesda into a tranquil 

sanctuary for wounded warriors 

through a program called The 

Green Road Project. 

 The new project is the brainchild 

of Dr. Fred Foote, an adjunct assistant professor in USU’s Department of Preventative Medicine and 

Biometrics and a TIIH Scholar. 

The spacious respite will include 

walking paths, arbors and benches, 

places for meditation, reflection 

and commemoration, and a communal structure for group activities. 

 While the beauty of the new gardens will add to the natural appeal 

of NSAB’s campus, the retreat has 

a larger, more profound purpose. 

The serene gardens are also being 

created to promote healing through 

natural, non-invasive interventions, via the intrinsic restorative 

power of nature. 

 “We hope the Green Road Project 

adds to the evidence base of how 

nature may invoke healing and 

how the physical environment can 

have a profound effect on wellbeing. However, we are also 

thrilled our wounded warriors and 

their families will soon have the 

opportunity to be in a beautiful, 

outdoor healing environment,” 

said Dr. Patricia Deuster, director 

of CHAMP.

 Enhancement of the existing natural woodland into a healing garden will occur in the coming 

months, and will be followed by a 

two-year-long research study to 

investigate its beneficial impact on 

wounded warriors and their families.

 Researchers at CHAMP believe 

the scenic reserve will improve 

some of the more pervasive, hardto-treat symptoms of 

traumatic brain injury 

and post-traumatic 

stress disorder by reducing stress and increasing overall 

health, well-being and 

resilience in a holistic 

manner. The consortium will test its theory through an innovative study that utilizes 

a battery of metrics to 

assess the healing effects of the green road 

experience through 

spiritual, psychological, physiological and 

molecular measures. 

 Research volunteers 

will be asked to keep 

journals, create audio 

recordings and take 

part in structured interviews and questionnaires before, 

during and after they 

use the Green Road. 

These findings will be 

further supported by 

objective biological 

data. Each volunteer will provide 

saliva and sweat samples so cortisol and other stress hormones can 

be measured, and heart rate and 

activity levels will be monitored in 

real-time.

 Researchers at CHAMP will work 

with collaborating institutions to 

analyze the data and determine if 

the research subjects report acute 

changes in mental, emotional, social and physical functioning, and 

if these changes correlate with biological changes. Further studies 

will assess more long-term changes 

in stress reduction and PTSD 

symptoms and improved overall 

health and well-being with prolonged use of the Green Road over 

time.

 “Although many people believe 

exposure to and use of green spaces can offer positive physical and 

mental health benefits, there isn’t a 

lot of hard scientific evidence to 

prove the association and/or causal 

effect. We believe findings from 

The Green Road Project will bring 

new evidence to the forefront, and 

hopefully lead to policy changes 

that incorporate integrative health 

modalities into mainstream medicine, so our wounded warriors get 

the best treatment possible for optimal recovery,” said Dr. Marni Silverman, a senior scientist at 

CHAMP.

 Although The Green Road Project 

is still in its infancy, it’s already 

being lauded by prominent healing 

organizations. The TFK Foundation recently awarded The Green 

Road Project a coveted National 

Open Spaces Sacred Places Award 

this year, which is given to programs that recognize and study the 

transformational power of nature.

 Visit http://www.usuhs.edu/

mem/champ.html for more information about CHAMP research.

Photo by Thomas Balfour

Drs. Patricia Deuster and Marni Silverman are collaborating on research called The Green Road Project, which will 

explore the therapeutics effects of nature.

September 30, 2013 3
USU surgeon commissions at 64 years old 

By Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

 Army Col. (Dr.) Frederick Lough, 

a professor in the Department of 

Surgery at the Uniformed Services 

University, took part in a commissioning ceremony that was both 

reverent and nostalgic, since he’d 

served before, and because his 

commission happened on the 12th 

anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks 

on America. Lough’s ceremony 

was unique, too, since he was 64-

years-old when he was sworn into 

active-duty military service again.

 "I was given the skills by the 

country to be a physician and to 

employ those skills for those that 

are serving in harm's way, to ease 

the burden of their wounds, and 

save lives. That is just a great opportunity and a great gift. I am 

thrilled to be able to do this on a 

daily basis and to be back in the 

Army," he said.

 Lough’s return came on the heels 

of a highly successful career in cardiothoracic surgery. After graduating from West Point and earning 

his medical degree from George 

Washington University, he completed two residencies at Walter 

Reed Army Medical Center in 

Washington, and served as a military physician until 1987. 

 Lough joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps Reserves 20 years later

and deployed to Afghanistan twice. 

On his second deployment, Lough 

was the deputy commander of a 

field hospital near the Pakistani 

border, where the fighting was intense and battle injuries were severe.

 “Colonel Lough's multiple deployments and his successful leadership of the George Washington 

Cardiac Surgery program bring a 

wealth of experience and skill to 

the department,” said Navy Capt. 

(Dr.) Eric Elster, chairman of the 

Department of Surgery at USU.

 Throughout his career, Lough has 

performed or participated in more 

than 10,000 open heart procedures, and soon he will be teaching 

future uniformed physicians the 

same life-saving surgical skills at 

USU as a fellow military officer.

Army Col. (Dr.) Frederick Lough, a professor in the Department of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University, commissioned 

into active duty on Sept. 11, during a ceremony held at USU.

Photo by Denise Susnir, U.S. Army 1st Medical Recruiting Battalion

4 The Pulse · The Official USU Newsletter 
Sleep disorders common in servicemembers, treatment available

By Dana Crudo, writer for health.mil

 Servicemembers returning 

home from combat are increasingly reporting problems with sleep, prompting 

the Defense Department to 

take action to deal with their 

complaints.

 According to Dr. William 

Brim, deputy director of 

the Center for Deployment 

Psychology at the Uniformed Services University, 

the most common complaints shared by servicemembers returning from 

deployment are about the 

quantity and quality of their 

sleep.

 In the 2011 Department of 

Defense Health Related Behaviors Survey of Activity 

Duty Military Personnel, 

less than half of active duty 

personnel reported getting 

the recommended seven to 

eight hours of sleep per 

night. The Army, Navy and 

Marine Corps reported getting the least amount of 

sleep.

 “Sleep is considered one of 

our basic psychological 

needs,” Brim said at the 

2013 Warrior Resilience 

Conference. “But what tends 

to happen within the military is that we will sacrifice sleep to 

get a mission done.”

 This sacrifice has serious consequences.

 “People don’t realize how sleep 

impacts so many areas of their 

lives,” said Dr. Liz Pollock, senior 

family fitness scientist at the Human Performance Resource Center

at USU.

 Sleep is physically and psychologically restorative. Poor sleep affects

memory, attention, alertness, 

productivity, motivation and the 

ability to resolve conflicts and 

manage emotions. It is also associated with increased risk for accidents, relationship problems, 

weight gain and mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

 “The sooner people recover from 

a sleep disturbance, the less likely” 

they will be affected, Brim said.

 Military leaders recognize the importance of sleep and have 

launched several initiatives, including public service announcements, 

making sure that work schedules 

allow enough time for sleep and 

enforcing mandated sleep plans 

that state when a servicemember 

plans to rest and sleep. Sleep is also one of three key components 

that the Army is focusing on to 

keep soldiers healthy. The other 

two are physical activity and nutrition. The Army calls this 

new approach the Performance Triad.

In addition, unit leaders 

can use a special tool developed by the Air Force 

that predicts the levels of 

fatigue and impairment 

servicemembers would 

have with a given work 

schedule. This helps to 

reduce the risk of fatigue.

 Furthermore, the CDP is 

training military and civilian medical personnel to 

recognize common sleep 

disorders among servicemembers and how to treat 

them.

 The number of servicemembers receiving treatment for insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, circadian rhythm sleep disorders and nightmares is 

rising, according to Brim.

Health care professionals 

rely on clinical interviews, 

questionnaires, sleep diaries and tests that measure sleepiness to diagnose 

sleep disorders. Other 

medical conditions must 

first be ruled out first, however.

 Servicemembers are encouraged to talk to medical personnel if they are experiencing sleep 

problems, so they can get the appropriate help.

 They’re also encouraged to practice healthy sleep habits.

 “Sleep is a biological necessity, 

good sleep is a habit,” Brim said.

 Proper sleep habits make a difference and contribute to overall wellness. Brim suggests avoiding nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and naps 

longer than 30 minutes. Getting 

enough exercise and having a 

healthy diet also make a big difference.

 Visit www.deploymentpsych.org/

for more tips on healthy sleeping 

habits.Courtesy photo

Researchers at the Center for Deployment Psychology at 

the Uniformed Services University are training military 

and civilian medical personnel how to recognize and treat 

common sleep disorders among servicemembers.

September 30, 2013 5
USU announces newest members of AOA

By MC2 Brittney Cannady, writer

 The newest members of Alpha 

Omega Alpha from the Uniformed 

Services University’s Class of 2014 

were announced, Sept. 16.

 Fifteen new members were accepted into the Maryland Gamma 

Chapter of AOA, the national honor society founded in 1902. Students representing the head of 

their class were selected to apply 

for membership through a process 

that examines their academic accomplishments, research, publications and contributions to USU 

and outside communities.

 “This fall, each of the applications 

submitted from the top 25 percent 

of the class of 2014 who were invited to apply, were incredibly strong 

and reflected the values of AOA 

incredibly well,” said Air Force 2nd 

Lt. Alexander Knobloch, a medical 

student and president of the AOA 

society at USU.

 Faculty councilor, Army Col. 

(Dr.) Patrick O’Malley, professor in 

the Department of Medicine at 

USU, also shared his thoughts on 

what it takes to be a member of the 

prestigious honor society. 

 “AOA is a marker of quality and 

prestige for both students and faculty that shows the inductees have 

demonstrated leadership in education, teaching and the community,” 

he said.

 Each year AOA holds biannual elections. Half are selected in the 

spring of their third year and half 

are selected during the fall of their 

fourth year. 

 “I'm incredibly humbled by the 

academic accomplishments 

of these fall AOA inductees, as well 

as their dedication to community 

service and leadership,” said Knobloch. “I look forward to their future 

contributions to the Maryland 

Gamma Chapter of AOA, the USU 

community, and the patient populations that will soon 

be fortunate enough to know their 

care.” 

Class of 2014 AOA members

Matthew Byrne

Ian Grasso

Ally Ha,

Neil Halonen

Charlotte Kaplan

Kai Hata

Harris Kashtan

Stephen Kasteler

Alison Lane

Elizabeth Marx

Edward Park

Jared Roberts

Kelly (Rollman) Chohonis

Jason Zack

Alyssa (Zuehl) Dickey

 The Human Performance Resource Center at the Uniformed 

Services University sponsored a 

Human Performance Optimization 

and Wellness seminar at the Marine 

Corps University in Quantico, Va., 

Sept. 25-26. 

 The event was designed to encourage wellness through human 

performance optimization. 

 University personnel who attended the event focused on fuel 

(nutrition), burn (physical activity) 

and recovery (sleep). Each session 

was interactive and customized 

with mid-career Marine Corps officers in mind. 

HPRC hosts wellness 

symposium

Courtesy photo

6 The Pulse · The Official USU Newsletter 
USU researcher seeks injury reduction at national parks

 Most people who visit 

national parks have positive experiences, but the 

rare fatal injuries that do 

occur are particularly 

tragic, said Dr. Deborah 

Girasek, director of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the Department 

of Preventive Medicine at 

the Uniformed Services 

University, during a seminar she hosted in Lecture Hall B, Sept. 18. Fatal accidents at national 

parks tend to affect 

young, healthy people, 

and are often witnessed 

by friends or family 

members. 

 At the seminar, Girasek 

expounded on this safety 

issue by discussing the 

needs assessment she recently 

completed in support of Yosemite 

National Park’s Preventive Search 

and Rescue Program. 

Her research explores ways to reduce unintentional injuries at Yosemite National Park, a popular 

natural attraction that sees more 

than four million visitors a year. 

 In an attempt to curb visitor 

deaths and injuries, Girasek 

launched her study in late June on 

the Mist Trail, a well-traveled hiking path at Yosemite. For 33 days, 

her team observed visitors and recorded how many times people left 

that trail and approached the 

Merced River. Every year, a small 

number of visitors who make that 

choice wind up drowning. 

 “Water isn’t really seen as dangerous, so it can be very deceptive,” 

Girasek explained. She also expressed great admiration for those 

who answer the call to save visitors 

in trouble. “Another benefit of this 

work could be to reduce the need 

for hazardous swift water rescue 

attempts,” Girasek said. 

 Her research included questionnaires completed by people who 

entered one of two “risk zones.” 

They were asked where they had 

received information about the 

Mist Trail before setting out, and 

whether they believed leaving that 

trail to get closer to 

the river was dangerous. Girasek also 

explored how environmental conditions, such as air 

temperature and 

water levels, affected a visitor’s actions. Finally, she 

collected data on 

their motivations. 

 “There can be a 

fine line, a few inches between life and 

death,” said Girasek 

of these seemingly 

innocuous behaviors. That’s why she 

is looking forward to 

sharing her results 

with the park’s management team once 

her analyses are complete. Girasek’s hope is that understanding 

risk behavior patterns and visitors’ 

reasons for leaving the trail will 

point to interventions that could be 

tested in the future. 

 “It has been a very rewarding collaboration,” said Girasek, who is 

excited that her findings will be 

used to inform the park’s future 

safety plans. Since her work was 

funded by the National Park Service’s headquarters in Washington, 

the insights gained at Yosemite 

could be applied to other local national park service units with 

drowning hazards, such as Virginia’s Great Falls Park. 

By MC2 Brittney Cannady

Trivia Answer #2: Graduate School of Nursing 

20th Anniversary

Congratulations to Linda Culp, a graphic artist at the Uniformed Services University, 

who was the first to answer last issue’s trivia question: The Uniformed Services University will name its Graduate School of Nursing after this late senator from Hawaii, 

who was a World War II veteran and a long-time supporter of USU.

Her response, Daniel K. Inouye, is correct.

Photo courtesy of the National Park Service

Dr. Deborah Girasek, director of Social and Behavioral Sciences in 

the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Uniformed Services 

Univeristy, completed a needs assessment in support of Yosemite National Park’s Preventive Search and Rescue Program.

September 30, 2013 7
Graphic created by Christine Creenan-Jones