Volume 5, Issue 9 n June 28, 2010

www.usuhs.mil

The Official USU Newsletter
2 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter

On the cover

Jennifer Markol assists her fiancé, 

Navy Ens. Matt Hall, during the annual 

“white coat ceremony” that signifies the 

progression from first to second year for 

medical students. See story on page 4.

Photo by Thomas Balfour

Photo by Thomas Balfour

Sharon Willis

Acting Vice President for External 

Affairs and Managing Editor

Ken Frager

Public Affairs Specialist

Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine

Production Editor

MC1 Chad Hallford

Writer

Christine Creenan

Contributing Writer

Lori Fields

Layout and Design

Production

Editorial content is edited, prepared 

and provided by the USU Office of 

External Affairs unless otherwise 

indicated. The Pulse staff may 

include or exclude articles based 

upon news value, impact on the 

university and space availability.

Submissions

The Pulse will be published 

bi-weekly on Mondays. The 

deadline for submissions is at 4 p.m. 

Tuesday prior to the publication 

date. Submissions can be sent to 

usunewsletter@usuhs.mil or by 

calling 301-295-0895.

Surgery Chair receives top military award

by Ken Frager

Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. (Dr.) 

Eric Schoomaker presented Col. (Dr.) 

David Burris, Chair, USU Department 

of Surgery, with the Legion of Merit 

medal in a special ceremony in June. 

The Legion of Merit is awarded for 

exceptionally meritorious conduct in 

the performance of outstanding services 

and achievements.

“You are a symbol of Army 

medicine,” said LTG Schoomaker, 

addressing Dr. Burris, his family and 

the crowd of supporters gathered for 

the presentation. “You are someone 

we all can take great pride in here at 

USU as I know you speak with pride 

about your place and your service to 

the university and this country. You 

are a great soldier and medic and you 

are quite deserving of this honor.”

Burris has been associated with 

the USU since his days as a medical 

student, graduating in 1982 from the 

F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine. 

Among his military service awards, 

Col. Burris has received the Joint 

Meritorious Service, Army Meritorious Service with oak leaf cluster, Joint 

Achievement Medal, Army Achievement with oak leaf cluster, Army 

Commendation Medal, and Parachutists Badge.

“It has been my pleasure and 

honor to serve the nation’s warriors 

and their families for 31 years,” said 

Col. Burris. “This award comes as 

a well appreciated surprise. It is not 

due to just my efforts, however, and 

I thank my Lord for the opportunities He has given me, my family, 

colleagues, students, patients and 

friends for their support. A special 

thanks to Lt. Gen. Schoomaker for 

thinking this important enough to 

support, and reminiscing on what a 

true soldier physician is.”

Army Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker presented Army Col. (Dr.) David Burris, Chair, USU 

Department of Surgery, with the Legion of Merit medal recently. Schoomaker, the 42nd 

Surgeon General of the Army and commanding general, U.S. Army Medical Command, was 

the presiding officer for the award ceremony. He also served with Colonel Burris, who has 

been associated with USU since his own graduation from the University in 1982.
June 28, 2010 3

Wasn’t the Legion of Merit Award Ceremony for Dr. David 

Burris and his family a true tribute to one of the University’s 

giants? One could not help but be awestruck by the outpouring of USU family members to recognize a man and what he 

has given to the Army Medical Department and this great 

University. General Schoomaker’s presence and his humble 

remarks said mountains about his own personal professional 

relationship with him, and the Army Medical Department’s 

appreciation for what Dave Burris, the soldier, has given 

to his country, to the military services and to our terrific 

University. It was clear to everyone in the audience that 

Colonel Dave Burris is a true leader, an authentic patriot, 

and a model for those who will follow in his footsteps. 

But I saw something else today, just a small wonderful indication that we, as a family, are on the right path 

in developing Dr. Burris’ protégés. Just before the beginning of the ceremony I observed a simple, but powerful, 

message from the student body present at the ceremony. 

I watched many of them stand up, move to the side rails, 

and offer the senior faculty and staff an opportunity to sit 

in the comfort of a chair. Perhaps to some this might have 

gone unnoticed, but for me it said a lot about the spontaneous and symbolic recognition and respect that our 

students demonstrated for their faculty, the staff and the 

importance of the USU as a family unit.

To Dr. Burris and his family may I add my personal thanks. 

To the students, your awesome recognition of Dr. Burris and 

all the USU faculty and staff did not go unnoticed. Thank you. 

Letter to the USU Family 

Courtesy Photo

Army Col. Francis G. O’Connor, M.D., M.P.H., accepts the American 

Medical Society of Sports Medicine’s presidential gavel from 

outgoing president, Dr. Kim Harmon, during the AMSSM 

conference. O’Connor became the organization’snew president 

in April. He is an associate professor of Military and Emergency 

Medicine and medical director for the USU Consortium for Health 

and Military Performance. 

O’Connor named AMSSM President

Class of 2013 don their white coats

Photo by Thomas Balfour

The Annual White Coat Ceremony, according 

to Larry Laughlin,M.D., Dean of the F. Edward 

Hebert School of Medicine at USU, recognizes 

“humanism in medicine.” In her address to the 

class of 2013 on 28 May, Inger Lerra Rosner, MD 

(USU SoM ‘97), a urologist at the Walter Reed 

Army Medical Center, reminded the students, 

their families and other attendees that medical 

education is not an “individual” effort. “The 

families, friends and classmates here today and 

that you will interact with during your time at 

USU will last a lifetime,” she said. “These are the 

people who will help you throughout your career 

in medicine and through life. When you are 

caring for your patients, remember those who 

are closest to you and try to treat your patients 

with the same level of care and compassion.”

— Stephen Henske, Assistant Vice President for Accreditation
4 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter

USU hosts Pediatrics, Surgery symposium

By Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine

The USU Departments of Surgery 

and Pediatrics hosted the 24th Annual 

Pediatrics/Pediatric Surgery Symposium and the 11th Annual C. Everett 

Koop Distinguished Lecture in 

Sanford Auditorium, June 10.

More than 100 people attended the 

event, which highlighted four visiting 

lecturers along with former Surgeon 

General of the United States, Dr. C. 

Everett Koop and his wife.

The educational event is geared 

towards pediatricians and pediatric 

surgeons.

Michael L. Nance, M.D., spoke 

about mild traumatic brain injury in 

pediatric populations. Nance is the 

Josephine J. and John M. Templeton, 

Jr. chair in pediatric trauma at the 

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 

Pa., and an associate professor of 

surgery at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine.

The featured lecturer, Joseph J. 

Tepas III, M.D., presented, “Sarah Jane 

and the iPhone: Who is in control of 

childhood traumatic brain injury?” 

Tepas is a professor of Surgery and 

Pediatrics at the University of Florida 

College of Medicine and a clinical 

associate professor of Surgery at USU.

To show the effects of TBI, Tepas 

focused on the story of Sarah Jane. 

Born perfectly healthy, she was shaken 

badly by a nurse, which caused three 

broken ribs, a broken collar bone and 

a TBI. Sarah Jane lost 60 percent of the 

rear cortex of her brain. At age 3, she 

could not sit up, eat solid food, and 

could not speak or understand words.

Tepas highlighted the fact that 

TBI is the number one killer of U.S. 

children ages zero to 14. He also spoke 

about the National Pediatric Acquired 

Brain Injury, or PABI plan, which 

was an effort begun by Sarah Jane’s 

father, Patrick, and a national push to 

address the more than 1.5 million new 

brain injuries that occur every year 

domestically. He also discussed the 

importance of treating TBI, citing the 

military’s successes in Operations Iraqi 

Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

“The survival rates from OIF 

and OEF are remarkable,” Tepas 

said. “The military is an astounding 

example of how things can be done 

and should be done.”

The all-day program also included 

Stacy J. Suskauer, M.D., who presented, 

“Disorders of Consciousness after 

Pediatric Brain Injury: Definition, Assessment and Treatment,” 

and Barbara Craig, M.D., FAAP, 

who highlighted the number two 

leading cause of death in children 

– “Non-Accidental Abdominal and 

Thoracic Trauma.”

Koop, a pediatric surgeon and 

retired Public Health Service Admiral, 

underscored the importance of understanding and education concerning 

TBI. “This will be one of the landmarks 

that will change our understanding of 

TBI in the years to come,” he said.

Koop told the audience he suffered 

from a brain injury during his sophomore year in college. The injury left 

him with double-vision, which has 

affected the rest of his life.

Dr. Koop also offered praise for the 

University’s symposium.

“I hope you know how much I 

appreciate being represented by this 

distinguished lecture every year,” he 

said. “One of the driving factors that 

helps keep me motivated is USU. I 

cherish my relationship with you and 

your predecessors. If I were a young 

man again, as I advise many young 

people to do, I would go to military 

medical school. God bless you.”

Former Surgeon General of the United 

States, Dr. C. Everett Koop speaks to the 

audience following the 11th Annual C. 

Everett Koop Distinguished Lecture at 

Sanford Auditorium.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine

Debas presents Research Week lecture

Photo by Thomas Balfour

Haile T. Debas, M.D., a USU Board 

of Regents member, receives a 

USU memento from Dr. Charles 

L. Rice, USU president, after his 

Research Week lecture on global 

concerns. Debas is the executive 

director for global health sciences 

at the University of California, San 

Francisco. “There are enormous 

challenges and unmet needs in 

global health,” he said. “But there 

are unprecedented opportunities 

for United States universities to 

redefine a more effective role in 

global health.”
NOC branch chief graduates from 

Executive Potential Program

By Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine

A USU senior-level civilian recently 

graduated from the Executive Potential Program. 

Network Operations Center branch 

chief Steve A. Davis completed the 

year-long competency-based leadership 

program that is designed to develop 

senior-level public service employees 

into more effective leaders. 

“The program was wonderful,” he 

said. “It is designed to improve you as 

an individual leader. It forces you to 

bring out your leadership.” 

The EPP is based on the Office of 

Personnel Management’s Executive Core 

Qualifications or ECQs and the Graduate School’s Leadership Effectiveness 

Inventory or LEI. 

Students engage in classroom 

discussions, group exercises, learning 

teams and independent studies. The 

curriculum for the EPP is based on 

learning by experience. It is supported 

by classroom instruction. 

The individual components of the 

program include: 

n A 360-degree feedback 

assessment Leadership 

Effectiveness Inventory (LEI) 

n A leadership development plan 

n Action Learning Teams/projects 

n Senior executive mentor 

n Four one-week residential sessions 

n Developmental work assignments 

n Senior executive interviews and 

shadowing assignments, and 

n Benchmarking

The EPP places students into teams and

gives them a variety of tasks and projects

that need to be completed. 

“They make you step out of your 

comfort zone,” Davis said. “It was really 

good because it provides very good 

insight into how government works 

across the board. Another good thing 

about the program is that you get to 

interview five senior executives and 

travel to interact with civilian leaders. 

They show you a whole different world.” 

The small town Arkansas native was 

able to interact with several prominent 

senior leaders in government including the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the mayor of 

Kansas City and Vice Admiral Regina 

Benjamin, the 18th Surgeon General 

of the United States and USU Board of 

Regents member. 

Students are required to complete 

two 60-day assignments. One of Davis’ 

assignments was with the USDA. His 

second assignment was as the chief 

technology officer for the 18th Surgeon 

General of the US’s office, an assignment that was set with assistance from 

his mentor, retired Gen. Bill Bester, 

acting president of USU.

“I was able to provide them with my 

years of experience and they ran with it,” 

he said. “They did not just take me and 

my experience at face value, they used it.” 

Davis, a retired Army Sergeant 

1st Class, has been in the computer 

“business” for more than 25 years. He 

started as a computer programmer. 

Having completed the EPP, Davis 

attributes much of his success over 

the past year to his home here at USU, 

especially from General Bester. 

“Your mentor is everything,” Davis 

said. “They are the ones who motivate 

you and really keep you going. General 

Bester really made sure I had every 

opportunity to succeed.” 

Davis also interacted with Dr. Steve 

Kaminsky and interviewed Dr. Dale 

Smith. Dr. Charles Rice even offered to 

have the NOC branch chief come to the 

Pentagon to speak with him since he was 

unable to be at the University campus. 

It was this human element of the EPP 

that Davis found to be the most rewarding. 

“The best part of this course is the 

meeting and greeting with people in the 

class,” he said. “Everyone shares in the 

leadership and the work. We became a 

real tight family in that year.” 

With this senior-level leadership 

course complete, Davis is fully prepared 

and confident to take on a more senior 

leadership role here at USU. 

“Now, I have a better understanding 

of the role senior leaders play in the big 

scheme of things here,” he said. “They 

have to do a lot more than ‘just doing 

their jobs.’ They interact outside of the 

University to keep it alive and well. Their 

job is to keep our jobs alive. It was an 

incredibly valuable experience to me to 

be able to see both sides and understand 

that all of our jobs go hand-in-hand.” 

“It was a great pleasure for me to work 

with Mr. Davis throughout his time in the 

EPP,” said Bester “I believe the vast array 

of experiences he encountered during his 

time in the EPP will be extremely beneficial to him professionally and will greatly 

enhance his leadership skills in his important roles here at the University.”

Courtesy Photo

The USU Network Operations 

Center branch chief Steve 

A. Davis poses with Vice 

Admiral Regina Benjamin, 

the 18th Surgeon General of 

the United States and USU 

Board of Regents member. 

Davis worked as the chief 

technology officer for the 

Surgeon General’s office 

while completing the yearlong competency-based 

Executive Potential Program. 

June 28, 2010 5
6 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter

Maj. Gen. Thomas W. Travis 

(USU SoM ‘86), 59th Medical 

Wing commander, received the 

Army’s prestigious Order of Military 

Medical Merit (OMMM) Award 

June 4 during the annual San 

Antonio Uniformed Services Health 

Education Consortium graduation 

ceremony at the University of Health 

Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.

General Travis, who leads 

the Air Force’s largest medical 

wing, was inducted as an honorary member in the Order by 

retired Army Maj. Gen. Patrick 

D. Sculley, the senior vice president for University Programs at 

USU and president of the Order, 

and Brig. Gen. Joseph Caravalho, 

Jr., (USU SoM ‘83) Brooke Army 

Medical Center commander, for 

his exemplary accomplishments 

in merging Air Force and Army 

medical resources in San Antonio.

General Travis was noted for 

his organizational leadership role in 

working with his Army counterparts 

to join Air Force and Army medical 

services while upholding the roles of 

each service, culture and ownership.

One of the few Air Force pilotphysicians with more than 1,800 flying 

hours, General Travis said he was 

“very surprised and extremely moved.”

“I’ve always appreciated how much 

OMMM recipients have accomplished 

for Army medicine in their careers,” 

General Travis said. “So to receive 

this as an Airman, at a time when we 

are establishing a joint medical team 

here in San Antonio that is unsurpassed anywhere in the world, is 

particularly meaningful.”

The OMMM is a unique, private 

organization founded by the 

commanding general of U.S. Army 

Health Services Command in 1982 

to recognize excellence and promote 

fellowship and esprit de corps among 

Army Medical Department personnel.

Members of other military 

services who have made 

USU alumnus inducted into elite Army medical order

by Ken Frager

Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Caravalho, right, commanding 

general Brook Army Medical Center, and retired 

Maj. Gen. Patrick D. Sculley, Sr, the vice president for 

University Programs USUHS and president of the Order 

of Military Medical Merit, confer honorary membership 

in the Order upon Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Travis 

(center), commander of the 59th Medical Wing. The 

ceremony took place during the San Antonio Uniformed 

Services Health Education Consortium, or SAUSHEC, 

graduation at the University of Texas Health Sciences 

Center San Antonio.

Courtesy Photo

distinguished contributions to the 

Army Medical Department can be 

recognized as honorary members.

According to the OMMM website, 

individuals inducted into the elite group 

have clearly demonstrated the highest 

standards of integrity and moral character, displayed an outstanding degree 

of professional competence, served in 

the Army Medical Department with 

selflessness, and made sustained contributions to the betterment of Army 

medicine. These members are generally 

considered to be in the top 10 percent 

of their corps and field.

General Travis was also recognized 

for his successful integration of all 

military graduate medical education in 

San Antonio with two major training 

sites at Wilford Hall and Brooke Army 

Medical Centers and a close partnership with UTHSCSA.

“His selection to the Order was 

the best way to recognize his unwavering commitment to excellence of 

SAUSHEC’s Graduate Medical Education programs,” said Dr. Kenneth 

Torrington, dean of SAUSHEC, 

who nominated the general.

Dr. Torrington said the general’s legacy will be the “highly 

successful integration of internal 

medicine, orthopedic surgery, 

general surgery and transitional 

year programs, which together 

train approximately 190 Army and 

Air Force residents.”

“His support benefitted every 

single Air Force and Army physician training in San Antonio,” said 

Dr. Torrington.

General Travis is also the Department of Defense senior multiservice market manager for TRICARE 

San Antonio. He oversees seven 

medical treatment facilities in the 

San Antonio metropolitan area 

and directs a $1.2 billion budget 

providing healthcare for more than 

218,000 beneficiaries.

As the youngest Soldier at the ceremony, 

Army Sgt. Matthew Baine, right, cuts 

the Army’s 235th birthday cake June 14 

with the help of Army Command Sgt. 

Maj. Donna Brock, who represented the 

oldest Soldier. Baine is a supply NCO in 

USU’s Military and Emergency Medicine, 

and Brock is the Senior Enlisted Leader, 

Army for the Joint Task Force - National 

Capitol Region Medical.

Army Birthday

Photo by HM1 Michael Oliver
June 28, 2010 7

Briefs

Upcoming Classes

The USU James A. Zimble Learning 

Resource Center will be holding several 

upcoming classes in the month of July.

The following classes will be offered 

at the LRC:

n EndNote Web will be held 

July 6 from noon to 1 p.m.

n EndNote Basics will be held 

July 14 from noon to 1 p.m.

n Advanced EndNote will be held 

July 15 from noon to 1 p.m.

n Power of PubMed will be held 

July 20 from noon to 1 p.m.

n Gaggle of Googles will be held 

July 21 from noon to 1 p.m.

n Tech Buzz: Ownership & the Web 

n Copyright & OA will be held 

July 28 from noon to 1 p.m.

People interested in attending these 

classes may sign up for them online at 

http://er.lrc.usuhs.mil/content/training_reg.php.

Classes will be held in the LRC’s 

computer classroom on the first floor.

A Common Access Card, or CAC, 

that is enabled for domain login is 

required to use LRC computers.

Professional activities: 

The Department of Defense and 

USU policy requires that all employees, both military and civilian, receive 

approval for engaging in any activity outside their work environment, 

which involves their professional 

expertise or government occupation 

(whether or not compensated), as well 

as any activity that involves compensation. This includes serving on the 

Board of a Non-Federal Organization.

This approval is required prior to 

engaging in the activity. In order to get 

approval, any employee can complete a 

USU Form 1004. This completed form 

must be approved and signed by each 

department chair or activity head.

These forms are available in the 

General Counsel’s office or online at 

the USU OGC Web site. Completed 

forms must be turned in to the General 

Counsel’s office. The form will be 

routed to the appropriate dean, brigade 

commander or USU president.

Once processing is completed, a 

copy of the approved form will be 

returned to the employee for the 

employee’s records.

RCR Education Conference:

Registration is now open for the Sept. 

28th Responsible Conduct of Research 

Educational Conference being held at 

the USU’s Sanford Auditorium.

The conference is being sponsored 

by the USU Office of the President 

and the Graduate School of Nursing 

in partnership with the new Navy 

Medicine Institute for the Medical 

Humanities and Research Leadership and the Smithsonian Institution’s 

Office of Sponsored Projects.

The free conference, entitled 

“Promoting the Global Good: The 

Social Responsibility of Scientists and 

Researchers,” will address an emergent 

subject in RCR Education—the social 

responsibility of scientists.

This was recently included in new 

NIH RCR education requirements. 

The conference may be able to assist 

individuals with completing RCR 

education requirements.

Full registration information, 

including directions, are available for 

download at: http://www.thechiefinformationgroup.com/conference/

usuhs/index.php?c_id=15

Using Computer Resources: 

Security incidents continue to be 

a drain to limited USU Information 

Assurance manpower. The following 

highlight current DoD policy and 

best practices:

Personnel must not install self-coded 

or non-licensed software on network 

resources; add, remove, configure, or 

attempt to modify USU computer operating systems or programs; move audio/

visual or network cables, computers 

or attempt to connect personal computers to the network including MDL 

and lecture hall spaces; connect personal devices except for those previously 

authorized by NOC; download pornographic material and store or display offensive material, such as racist literature, 

sexually harassing or obscene language 

or material; store or process classified 

information on any USU system. 

Personnel must not permit unauthorized individuals access to a 

government-owned or governmentoperated system or program; access 

online gambling, games and social 

engineering sites.

Helpdesk Closure: 

The NOC helpdesk is closed for training on Thursdays from 10 to 11 a.m. 

During this time, you can leave a 

voicemail message at 295-9800, utilize 

the HEAT Self Service (http://www. 

usuhs.mil/uis/forms/trouble.html), or 

email help@usuhs.mil.

If an emergency should arise, please 

call 295-9870.

Exercise/Fitness Areas: 

Physical Fitness training should be 

conducted in designated areas. 

The only authorized space for PT 

within the university is room G060. 

The campus’ Student Community 

Lounge area is also authorized, but 

only during specified PFT testing 

dates or times.

2010 Bushmaster/Kerkesner:

The USU field exercises, Operations 

Bushmaster and Kerkesner will be held 

July 6 through July 23 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.

Advance personnel will deploy 

July 6. The main body of personnel 

will deploy July 10.

Only emergency leave will be 

granted during this time frame as there 

are over 145 uniformed personnel, 

not including evaluators, needed to 

support this mission.

For further information contact 

Sgt. 1st Class Ronald Wilson by phone 

at 319-8207.