The Official USU Newsletter

Volume 11, Issue 16 ■ Dec. 12, 2016

 www.usuhs.edu

A Day in 

the Life of 

Bushmaster

Learning to Care for Those in Harm’s Way
2 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

Sharon Holland

Deputy Vice President for External 

Affairs and Managing Editor

Christopher Austin

Writer and Interim Editor

MC2 Laura Bailey, USN

Writer and Photographer

SSgt. Stephanie Morris, USAF

Writer and Photographer

Sarah Marshall

Contributing Writer and 

Photographer

Tom Balfour

Photographer

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 is published biweekly on 

Mondays. The deadline for submissions is at 4 p.m. Tuesday prior to the 

publication date. Submissions can be 

sent to christopher.austin.ctr@usuhs.

edu or by calling 301-295-3338.

On the cover

Students take part in a casualty 

exercise during Medical Field 

Practicum 202, or Operation 

Bushmaster, at Fort Indiantown Gap 

north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 

The scenarios tested the students' 

medical knowledge in a variety of 

situations. See story on pg. 8. (Photo 

by Tom Balfour)

Honorable Melvin R. Laird, key figure in 

creation of USU, passes away at 94

The Honorable Melvin R. Laird, former congressman and secretary of defense 

under President Richard Nixon, stands center behind the former commanderin-chief as he signs the charter that created the Uniformed Services University 

of the Health Sciences. Laird passed away on Nov. 16. He was 94. (Courtesy 

Photo)

By Sharon Holland

The Honorable Melvin R. Laird, 

former congressman and secretary 

of defense, passed away Nov. 16 at 

the age of 94. Widely touted as one 

of the best defense secretaries the 

nation has ever had, Laird was key to 

the establishment of the Uniformed 

Services University of the Health 

Sciences (USU). 

As secretary, Laird was responsible 

for the successful transition to an 

all-volunteer force (AVF). However, 

as a champion of health care and 

medical research, he recognized 

that medical recruitment was the 

primary weakness in the AVF. When 

he discussed the establishment of 

the nation’s “medical academy” with 

Congressman F. Edward Hébert, 

chair of the House Armed Services 

Committee, Laird recognized

that USU was both the solution 

and the cornerstone of the AVF. 

Hébert had long advocated for 

the establishment of what he 

styled “the West Point of military 

medicine,” but had been rebuffed by 

successive administrations. Hébert 

engineered the passage of the bill 

that established the university and 

created the Health Professions 

Scholarship Program, and Secretary 

Laird persuaded President Nixon to 

sign it. 

Laird recruited both David 

Packard, his deputy secretary of 

defense, as first chair of USU’s 

Board of Regents, and Dr. Anthony 

Curreri, a prominent thoracic 

surgeon from the University of 

Wisconsin, as USU’s first president. 

He assisted them in recruiting other 

regents and led the effort to fund the 

original campus buildings. When 

the next administration questioned 

Continued on pg. 14
3 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

Nurses discuss 'Fearless Leadership' at USU Bagin 

Lecture

Marion E. Broome, Ph.D., a registered nurse, and dean and vice chancellor 

for nursing at Duke University, discusses, "Fearless Leadership: Using Nursing 

Science to Improve Health," during Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences' lecture at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on 

Nov. 10. (Photo by Bernard S. Little)

By Bernard S. Little, WRNMMC 

Public Affairs staff writer

“It’s the time for nursing science,” 

said Marion E. Broome, Ph.D., a 

registered nurse and guest speaker 

during the Uniformed Services 

University’s Daniel K. Inouye 

Graduate School of Nursing’s (GSN) 

Lt. Col. Isabelle Bagin Memorial 

Lecture on Nov. 10 at Walter Reed 

National Military Medical Center.

The dean and vice chancellor for 

nursing at Duke University, Broome 

discussed “Fearless Leadership, 

Using Nursing Science to Improve 

Health,” during her presentation.

She explained nursing science 

includes organized knowledge 

(“collective genius”) which must be 

continually improved upon in order 

to provide the best patient care 

possible. 

“I believe it is the unique role 

of nurse leaders in all areas to colead health outcomes improvement 

initiatives. However, to do that, 

we must mobilize knowledge, 

analytic abilities, expertise and 

most important, the public’s trust,” 

Broome said. “We have to do this 

in partnership with our patients, 

families and the communities we 

serve,” she added.

Broome said environmental 

forces and economic factors will 

drive changes in health care, and 

nurses must continue their legacy of 

“speaking out and advocating” for 

patients. “I think we have to use our 

knowledge and science to be able 

to improve health in this country, 

because frankly, if not us, then 

who?” she asked. 

She explained the issues facing 

health care include “disparities in 

longevity [amongst individuals and 

groups]; social determinants; healthy 

aging and dignified, peaceful dying; 

the role of personalized/precision 

medicine; innovative models of care 

that engage the individual, family 

and community; and data driven 

decision-making goals.”

To face these and other challenges, 

Broome explained that nurse leaders 

must “act now to build nursing 

cultures capable of massive and 

transformational change – change 

that will alter the way education and 

patient care is perceived, delivered 

and evaluated.”

She also encouraged nurse 

leaders to “embrace new thinking 

that gives nurse educators and 

researchers ‘permission to fail’ as 

innovation emerges.” Nurse leaders 

must also be “transformative, 

authentic, empower others, 

challenge themselves, support 

creativity, professional, team players, 

competent, learn from failure, and 

effective communicators. They must 

be able to “see what ‘can be’...not 

just ‘what is.’”

Dr. Carol A. Romano, dean of 

the GSN, agreed, adding that nurses 

should “embrace challenges to their 

roles, exert fearless leadership, and 

improve health care for those we 

serve.”

Air Force Col. Marla De Jong, 

Ph.D., interim associate dean for 

research at the GSN, explained that 

the late Army Nurse Lt. Col. Isabelle 

Bagin, after whom the memorial 

lecture is named, “valued nursing 

education, science, scholarship and 

military nursing practice.” 

To encourage future nursing 

students to pursue careers as 

Army nurses, Bagin bequeathed 

funds to be used for scholarships, 

educational activities, research and 

other scholarly purposes such as the 

Bagin Memorial Lecture.
4 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

Dr. Jonathan Woodson named to USU Board of Regents

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for 

Health Affairs Jonathan Woodson, M.D., was 

appointed by the Secretary of Defense to serve 

on the Board of Regents at Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences. (Photo by 

Boston University)

By Sharon Holland

Jonathan Woodson, M.D., former 

assistant secretary of defense for 

Health Affairs, was appointed by 

the secretary of defense to serve as a 

member of the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences 

(USU) Board of Regents. Woodson 

was officially sworn in as a member 

of the board on Dec. 9, 2016.

“I am very pleased with the 

appointment of Dr. Jonathan 

Woodson to the Board of Regents,” 

said retired Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) 

Ronald Blanck, chair of USU’s 

Board of Regents, former Army 

surgeon general and chairman of 

Martin, Blanck and Associates, who 

administered the oath to Woodson 

at the swearing-in. “He brings a 

wealth of experience not only in 

government, but in the military 

and in academics. We are extremely 

fortunate to have him on the Board.”

Woodson, a vascular surgeon, is 

the director of Boston University’s 

(BU) Institute for Health System 

Innovation and Policy, based in 

BU’s Questrom School of Business, 

and Larz Anderson Professor 

in Management and Professor 

of the Practice. He also holds 

appointments as a School of 

Medicine professor of surgery 

and a School of Public Health 

professor of health law, policy, and 

management at BU. Prior to his 

appointment by President Obama 

as assistant secretary, Woodson 

served as the associate dean for 

Diversity and Multicultural Affairs 

and professor of Surgery at the BU 

School of Medicine.

As assistant secretary, 

Woodson was principal 

advisor to the secretary 

of defense for Health 

Issues and administered 

the more than $50 

billion Military Health 

System (MHS) budget. 

He oversaw the care for 

more than 9.4 million 

beneficiaries worldwide 

and led a force of more 

than 133,000 military and 

civilian doctors, nurses, 

medical educators, 

researchers, health care 

providers, allied health 

professionals, and health 

administration personnel 

throughout the world, 

providing the United 

States with an integrated 

health care delivery and 

expeditionary medical, 

educational, and research 

capability.

Woodson is a graduate 

of the City College of 

New York and the New 

York University School 

of Medicine. He received his 

postgraduate medical education at 

Massachusetts General Hospital, 

Harvard Medical School, and 

completed residency training in 

internal medicine and general 

and vascular surgery. He is boardcertified in internal medicine, 

general surgery, vascular surgery, 

and critical care surgery. He also 

holds a master's degree in Strategic 

Studies, with a concentration in 

strategic leadership, from the U.S. 

Army War College. In 1992, he was 

awarded a research fellowship at the 

Association of American Medical 

Colleges Health Services Research 

Institute.

Woodson is the recipient of the 

2009 Gold Humanism in Medicine 

Award from the Association of 

American Medical Colleges. He 

is a brigadier general in the U.S. 

Army Reserves and was deployed 

in Saudi Arabia in Operation Desert 

Continued on pg. 14
5 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

Retired Rear Adm. (Dr.) William Roberts named 

Uniformed Services University senior vice president

Retired Navy Rear Adm. (Dr.) William Roberts has 

been named senior vice president of the Uniformed 

Services University of the Health Sciences' newlyestablished Western Region office. (Photo by Tom 

Balfour)

By Sharon Holland

The former commandant of the 

Department of Defense’s Medical 

Education and Training Campus 

in San Antonio, Texas, and more 

recently the Military Health 

System’s functional champion, 

retired Navy Rear Adm. (Dr.) 

William Roberts was selected as 

the senior vice president of the 

Uniformed Services University of 

the Health Sciences' (USU) newlyestablished Western Region office 

in San Diego, California. As senior 

vice president, Roberts is charged 

with supporting the University’s 

education and research mission, 

and developing and fostering 

strategic partnerships with Military 

Health System sites throughout the 

Western United States that are key 

to USU student education.

“I am thrilled and humbled to 

be joining the USU team in order 

to support the University’s highperforming, interdisciplinary 

professionals as they educate and 

train the Military Health System’s 

future leaders,” said Roberts, who 

began his new duties on Nov. 1.

“I am very pleased to welcome Dr. 

William Roberts to the USU senior 

leadership team. Bill has had a very 

distinguished career in the Military 

Health System as a clinician, 

educator and administrator. He 

has tremendous experience leading 

complex organizations and has a 

strong commitment to our students 

and our mission. Bill will play a 

key role in USU's future,” said Dr. 

Richard Thomas, USU’s President.

A native of Washington, D.C., 

Roberts was raised in Europe while 

his father served 

as a diplomat in 

the U.S. Foreign 

Service. He earned 

his bachelor's 

degree (cum laude) 

from Princeton 

University, his 

Doctor of Medicine 

degree from George 

W a s h i n g t o n 

University, and a 

Master in Business 

Ad m i n i s t r a t i o n 

degree from 

E d i n b u r g h 

Business School 

in Edinburgh, 

Scotland. He was 

commissioned a 

lieutenant in the 

Navy’s Medical 

Corps in May 1979, 

completed his 

surgical internship 

at the Naval 

Regional Medical 

Center San Diego, 

and graduated from 

the University of 

Chicago Emergency 

Medicine residency, where he served 

as chief resident from 1987-1988.

In addition to his last assignments, 

Roberts’ Navy career included 

serving as senior medical officer 

on the USS New Orleans and USS 

Durham with deployments to the 

Western Pacific and Indian Oceans; 

clinical and leadership positions at 

the Naval Station, Marine Corps 

Recruit Depot, and Naval Training 

Center Clinics in San Diego; and 

emergency medicine staff tours at 

Naval Medical Center San Diego 

and at the U.S. Naval Hospital Guam 

where he also served as director of 

Medical Services and as chief of the 

medical staff. Roberts later served 

as chair of the Emergency Medicine 

Ambulatory Care department at the 

Naval Medical Center San Diego 

(which comprised the Navy’s first 

Emergency Medicine residency) 

and as commanding officer of 

Continued on pg. 15
6 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

University NCO balances duty, writing career

Army Senior Enlisted Advisor for Laboratory 

Animal Medicine Sgt. 1st Class Ruth Hunt, 

balances her career in the military with writing. 

Her second published work was released this year 

in "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors, 

Vol. 5." (Photo by Sharon Holland)

By Christopher Austin

Army Sgt. 1st Class Ruth Hunt is 

known at the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences 

(USU) as the Army senior enlisted 

advisor and non-commissioned 

officer in charge of Laboratory 

Animal Medicine (LAM), but few 

are aware she’s also a published 

author. 

Her most recent publication is a 

poem titled End of Watch, which she 

wrote to cope with peers who had 

passed away. It appears in Proud to 

be: Writing by American Warriors, 

Volume 5, an anthology series of 

writings from Service members.

“[I enjoy writing because] you 

can get every thought, feeling and 

experience out on paper without 

feeling judged. It's your choice 

to share your writings, and you 

choose which specific works you 

wish to make public,” Hunt said. 

“I've found that the stories I'm most 

terrified of telling openly are the 

ones that seem to receive the biggest 

response. Writing connects people 

when readers discover they may be 

experiencing something similar to 

the story you have shared. When 

they see how you made it through, 

it reassures them that they can make 

it as well.”

A writer since grade school, 

Hunt has been pursuing her interest 

alongside her military career. 

Currently, she is enrolled in the 

Bachelor of Arts degree program at 

University of Maryland University 

College, majoring in English. She 

is scheduled to graduate in May 

2017 with the intention to begin her 

master’s degree immediately after.

A high school teacher 

encouraged her interest 

in writing, giving her 

a handmade journal to 

write down ideas.

“The journal was a 

high school graduation 

gift that I’ve kept with 

me. I have different 

journals for different 

things,” Hunt said. “I 

have one for my kids; I 

keep a book of quotes for 

each. I write funny stuff 

they say in there. A lot of 

[the longer things I write] 

are in Word documents. 

The high school journal 

is mostly for short poems 

or experiences I am 

having at that moment.”

While most of her 

work is non-fiction, 

Hunt likes to relax by 

reading works of fiction, 

particularly the works 

of authors such as Kim 

Harrison and Kelly 

Armstrong. 

She cites Maya Angelou, 

particularly her poem Why the 

Caged Bird Sings, as one of her 

influences.

Hunt’s first publication was in 

college. More Than a Soul Mate, 

was a non-fiction short story 

about herself and her adopted son 

as they dealt with her upcoming 

deployment. It appeared in Mothers 

and Other Creatures, a bioStories 

Magazine Anthology.

“Part of the final for my college 

course was to submit a work 

somewhere for publication. 

Whether we got in or not, we had to 

show the teacher that we had done 

all the steps and sent it in. So I just 

searched for a journal that kind of 

fit the story, submitted it and, sure 

enough, they got back to me and 

told me they’d like to publish it,” she 

said. “It was cool that it came out of 

a college assignment.”

Originally from Corpus Christi, 

Texas, Hunt first enlisted in the 

Army 16 years ago. She says she’s 

always cared for animals, and 

decided to pursue a career in the 

Army because it is the only branch 

with veterinary technicians. 

Continued on pg. 15
7 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

VA Patient Safety team offers GSN Doctor of Nursing Practice 

Students lessons on effective leadership, ‘Just Culture’

Gary Sculli, M.S.N., director of the VA National Center for Patient Safety's 

Clinical Team Training Program, recently gave a lecture to Graduate School of 

Nursing students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 

offering lessons on leadership and creating a "just culture." (Photo by Sarah 

Marshall)

By Sarah Marshall

An atmosphere of trust, in 

which individuals are rewarded 

for providing safety-related 

information, is essential to 

fostering a “just culture” – and 

ultimately providing safe, quality 

care, according to members of the 

Department of Veterans Affairs 

(VA) National Center for Patient 

Safety (NCPS), who recently offered 

a seminar to the Daniel K. Inouye 

Graduate School of Nursing (GSN) 

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) 

students at the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences.

The three-hour clinical team 

training seminar was part of 

the Organizational and Systems 

Leadership in Healthcare course, 

taught in the first year of a threeyear DNP program. The seminar 

consisted of scenario-based case 

studies, which incorporated ethical 

dilemmas and decision-making 

challenges. The team emphasized 

the importance of effective 

“leadership-followership” and “just 

culture,” which they explained helps 

create highly reliable organizations 

in support of patient safety and 

mitigating risk. 

The VA Patient Safety team 

included Dr. Robin Hemphill, 

NCPS director; Gary Sculli, director 

of NCPS’s Clinical Team Training 

Program; and Dr. Keith Essen, 

who works in the NCPS’s Office 

of Quality, Safety and Value. The 

team explained a “just culture” 

is an atmosphere of trust, where 

individuals are encouraged and 

rewarded for providing essential 

safety-related information. When 

individuals feel they can report an 

issue to leadership, even their own 

errors, without fear of reprisal, the 

organization is able to learn about 

its failures and will then be able to 

continue improving care delivery. 

A leader is only as good as the 

information they possess, Sculli 

said, and team members should 

be feeding that information to the 

leader. “You, as a leader, want the 

team participating with you,” he 

said.

A nurse and former airline pilot, 

Sculli explained that a team that’s 

engaged will relay pertinent, safetyrelated concerns to its leadership. To 

engage a team, he suggests leaders 

balance their focus on the people 

and the task at hand. At times, it 

might be best to solely focus on 

the task – during a "code blue" (a 

hospital emergency code for cardiac 

arrest), for example, there’s no time 

to pause, and take into account how a 

team member feels about retrieving 

the crash cart. But in other situations 

it’s more important to focus on 

the team – perhaps an employee is 

falling behind in their work. Instead 

of a leader berating them, focus on 

the individual, and whether they’re 

dealing with a personal crisis, that 

might be impacting their work.

Continued on pg. 15
8 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016 9 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

A Day in the Life of Bushmaster

Photo by Sarah Marshall 

From Oct. 8-21, fourth-year 

medical students from the Uniformed 

Services University of the Health 

Sciences' (USU) F. Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine, the Daniel K. 

Inouye Graduate School of Nursing, 

and visiting foreign students, took 

part in Medical Field Practicum 

202, also known as Operation 

Bushmaster. In the mountains at Fort 

Indiantown Gap, north of Harrisburg, 

Pennsylvania, students were tested 

on the skills they've learned over the 

course of their four years at USU.

Exercises included helicopter 

evacuations, simulated injured 

service dogs, and a variety of 

simulated casualty scenarios. While 

the operation is meant to test the 

students' knowledge of military 

medicine, its overall intention is to 

challenge participants’ leadership 

and teamwork skills.

Photo by Tom Balfour

Photo by Sarah Marshall Photo by Sharon Holland

Photo by Sharon Holland Photo by Tom Balfour

Photo by Tom Balfour
10 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016 11 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

Operation Bushmaster, continued

Photo by Sarah Marshall 

Photo by Sarah Marshall 

Photo by Tom Balfour

Photo by Tom Balfour

Photo by Sharon Holland

Photo by Tom Balfour

Photo by Tom Balfour
12 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

On point: USU making strides to integrate battlefield 

acupuncture 

Acupuncture needles protrude from the ear of a patient at the combined aid 

station on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan. (Photo By 

Marine Sgt. Paul Peterson) 

After surviving an IED attack 

that killed several comrades, three 

Soldiers subsequently suffered 

pounding post-concussive 

headaches consistent with mild 

traumatic brain injury, and assorted 

musculoskeletal injuries, along with 

profound grief and anger. Upon 

receiving battlefield acupuncture, 

the Soldiers each reported 

decreased musculoskeletal pain and 

headaches, and a “state of calm and 

relaxation.” In another instance, a 

19-year-old Marine suffering from 

severe low back pain reported being 

nearly pain free – with an increase 

in range of motion and flexibility – 

after receiving just 10 acupuncture 

needles. 

These anecdotal responses from 

the field demonstrate the value of 

integrating this emerging integrative 

therapy throughout the Department 

of Defense and the Department of 

Veterans Affairs (VA). Experts at the 

Uniformed Services University of 

the Health Sciences (USU) recently 

published an article in the American 

Academy of Nursing’s Nursing 

Outlook, highlighting their efforts 

to incorporate integrative medicine, 

including battlefield acupuncture, 

as part of their ongoing efforts to 

continue supporting the warfighter. 

Dr. Patricia Hinton Walker, vice 

president for Policy and Strategic 

Initiatives at USU, was the primary 

author, along with Dr. Arnyce Pock, 

associate dean for Curriculum in the 

F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine 

(SOM), Catherine Ling, assistant 

professor in the Daniel K. Inouye 

Graduate School of Nursing’s (GSN) 

By Sarah Marshall

Family Nurse Practitioner DNP and 

Ph.D. programs, and Kyung “Nancy” 

Kwon, senior research manager, and 

Megan Vaughan, project manager, 

from the Defense Veterans Center 

for Integrative Pain Management 

(DVCIPM).

Battlefield acupuncture, an 

auricular (ear) acupuncture 

procedure, uses small, stud-shaped 

acupuncture needles inserted into 

points on the outer ear, stimulating 

nerves that modify pain signals in 

the brain. This, in turn, ameliorates 

pain and stress associated with 

illnesses or trauma in the body. 

These needles are semi-permanent, 

so they can stay in the ear longer for 

lasting stimulation. Since the ears 

are almost always accessible, this 

therapy can easily be accomplished 

without disrupting other medical 

procedures, and generally the 

patient should experience a reduced 

pain period lasting anywhere from 

a few minutes to several months, 

according to the article. While the 

duration of its effectiveness varies 

between patients, it is quick, safe, 

and easy to learn. It also has minimal 

to no side effects, and there are no 

concerns with drug interactions. 

It’s also cost-effective – the cost of a 

single need is about 50 cents.

The downside, however, has been 

a lack of evidenced-based research 

to show its effectiveness, according 

to Dr. Trip Buckenmaier, DVCIPM 

program director. However, over 

the last several years, this has been, 

and continues to be, an active 

area of research, he said. “We’ve 

been successful at stimulating the 

research community, and have 

made great strides in incorporating 

integrative medicine in the military, 

particularly acupuncture.”

While the use of acupuncture has 

a long history in Chinese medicine, 

and has been widely used to treat 

pain, auricular acupuncture was 

believed to have first been described 

Continued on pg. 16
13 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

Alvarez, Cunningham, selected as employees of 

the quarter 

Nelly Alvarez, deputy director of 

Security, has been selected as the 

senior employee of the third quarter 

of 2016 at the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences.. 

(Photo by Tom Balfour)

Annette Cunningham, program 

support specialist for the F. Edward 

Hébert School of Medicine, has 

been selected as the junior employee 

of the third quarter of 2016 at the 

Uniformed Services University of 

the Health Sciences. (Photo by Tom 

Balfour)

By Christopher Austin

Nelly Alvarez, deputy director of 

Security, and Annette Cunningham, 

program support specialist at the F. 

Edward Hébert School of Medicine 

(SOM), were selected as the senior 

and junior employees of the third 

quarter of 2016, respectively, at the 

Uniformed Services University of 

the Health Sciences (USU). 

Alvarez has worked at USU 

for 18 years, 12 of which were in 

Security. She was selected based on 

her performance of duties during 

her time as acting Security director 

during the selection of the current 

director, Chris Mottler. She also 

implemented a unique peronnel 

screening system that treamlined 

the process for SOM applicants.

In addition, Alvarez implemented 

new processes for overseeing 

suitability and eligibility of security 

investigation packets, served as the 

primary liaison between Security 

and the Admissions and Registrar’s 

offices. Alvarez also served as the 

primary liaison for USU with the 

Office of Personnel Management, 

the Consolidated Adjudication 

Facility, and other security 

agencies. Currently, she monitors 

the Electronic Questionnaires for 

Investigation Processing system 

used by incoming students, 

oversees suitability and clearance 

investigations for all federal 

employees, and manages reinvestigations. 

“Ms. Alvarez has been highly 

efficient in the management of 

time and attendance of the Security 

Department. She effectively 

monitored the department’s leave 

requests, sick leave, and tour of 

duty, ensuring they are recorded 

properly into Defense Agency 

Initiative,” Mottler said in his 

recommendation letter for Alvarez. 

“She worked closely with Civilian 

Human Resources to certify the 

department’s time and attendance 

in a timely fashion.”

Mottler went on to compliment 

Alvarez’s commitment to aiding 

customers and her “can-do” attitude, 

in addition to the quality of her work 

in her many duties.

“Ms. Alvarez’s dedication has 

proven to be an outstanding 

attribute to the USUHS Security 

Department, as well as the 

university. She has demonstrated an 

unwavering professional attitude as 

the deputy director of the Security 

Department,” Mottler said in the 

closing of his letter. “Ms. Alvarez has 

clearly demonstrated the significant 

accomplishments to be nominated 

for the employee of the quarter.”

Cunningham’s selection as junior 

employee of the quarter was based on 

her excellent service to the university 

through the administrative support 

she provides to the Department of 

Medicine’s Clinical Pharmacology 

Division, the Clinical Research Unit 

and associated division members. 

Her duties include providing 

support for division operations, 

handling budgets, movement 

of funds, managing salaries for 

contract personnel, and overseeing 

expenditures to support the 

department’s research and education 

mission. 

“She expertly coordinated 

the removal of unserviceable 

Continued on pg. 16
14 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

Melvin R. Laird, continued from pg. 2

the expense and need for the 

University, Laird called President 

Carter’s Defense Secretary Harold 

Brown to discuss the challenges of 

physician recruitment and retention, 

their importance to maintaining the 

AVF, and to emphasize that USU 

was the backbone of the physician 

recruitment and retention plan 

– a theme he reiterated on many 

subsequent occasions.

Laird was always among USU’s 

strongest supporters. Despite being 

years out of office, he continued to 

demonstrate his commitment and 

dedication to the USU mission. 

In fact, each time the University 

faced the threat of closure, former 

Secretary Laird, on his own 

initiative, would weigh in with 

whoever the secretary of defense 

was at the time to voice his support 

for the University. 

He was a WWII Navy veteran and 

a Purple Heart recipient for injuries 

sustained during a kamikaze attack 

on the destroyer on which he was 

assigned. He served for more than 

16 years in Congress, where he was 

a member of the House Defense 

Appropriations Subcommittee and 

ranking member of the Labor and 

Health, Education and Welfare 

Subcommittees, before becoming 

secretary of defense in 1969 under 

President Richard M. Nixon. He was 

largely credited with securing the 

return of U.S. prisoners of war from 

Vietnam. In 1973, he left the position 

and returned to government service 

as counselor to the president for 

Domestic Affairs. 

In addition to his expertise in 

defense, Laird was also extremely 

passionate about health care and 

medical research. While a member 

of Congress, he formed a bipartisan 

alliance to expand federal funding 

for the National Institutes of Health, 

National Library of Medicine and 

the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention, as well as research 

programs. In 1964, he was presented 

with the Lasker Foundation’s Albert 

Lasker Award for his advocacy of 

medical research, and later the Laird 

Center for Medical Research at the 

Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin, his 

home state, was named for him. He 

also continued his commitment to 

health care and research by serving 

on the council of directors of the 

Henry M. Jackson Foundation 

for the Advancement of Military 

Medicine from 1984-1996. 

Defense Secretary Ash Carter 

called the passing of Laird “a 

loss for the United States and 

the Department of Defense,” in a 

statement released Nov. 18. Laird, 

he said, “demonstrated an unfailing 

commitment to protecting our 

country, strengthening our military, 

and making a better world.”

“He accomplished many things in 

his career, but his role in establishing 

USU may be one of his most 

enduring and life-saving legacies,” 

said Dr. Arthur Kellermann, dean of 

USU’s F. Edward Hébert School of 

Medicine.

Woodson, continued from pg. 4

Storm, in Kosovo, in Operation

Enduring Freedom and Operation

Iraqi Freedom. He is a former

senior medical officer with the

National Disaster Management

System, where he responded to

the Sept. 11 attack on the World

Trade Center. Woodson’s many

military awards and decorations

include the Department of Defense 

Distinguished Public Service Medal, 

the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star 

Medal, and the Meritorious Service 

Medal with oak leaf cluster.

Edmund Burke, equal employment opportunity assistant at the Uniformed 

Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), guides runners on the path 

for USU's Combined Federal Campaign 5k Walk/Run on Nov. 10. (Photo by 

Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Dillon, U.S. Army)
15 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

William Roberts, continued from pg. 5

the Medical Treatment Facility of 

the USNS Mercy. In 1998, he was 

appointed deputy commander of the 

Naval Medical Center San Diego, 

and subsequently served as the force 

surgeon to the commander of the 

Naval Surface Forces in Coronado, 

California. Roberts’ commanded 

the Naval Hospital in Bremerton, 

Washington from 2003 to 2006.

Following a one-year tour as 

deputy director of the Medical 

Resources, Plans and Policy 

Division (OPNAV N931) at the 

Pentagon, Roberts was promoted 

to rear admiral and was assigned as 

the Medical Officer of the Marine 

Corps from 2007 to 2008. He then 

returned to the Pentagon and to 

OPNAV N931, where he served as 

the director 2008 to 2010, followed 

by a tour as fleet surgeon for the 

U. S. Fleet Forces Command in 

Norfolk, Virginia. Roberts also 

served as consultant in Emergency 

Medicine to the Navy Surgeon 

General and as chief of the Navy’s 

Medical Corps. He has been named 

a “Hero of Emergency Medicine” by 

the American College of Emergency 

Physicians and was selected for 

their “Excellence in Emergency 

Medicine” Award.

Writing career, continued from pg. 6

“I’m very impressed by Sgt. 1st 

Class Hunt’s creative talent and her 

ability to achieve this and other 

professional and personal goals," 

said Army Lt. Col. Larry Shelton, 

Jr., director of LAM at USU. 

“This is particularly significant 

given her current service in two 

significant leadership roles at USU. 

Very inspiring, above and beyond 

accomplishment!”

VA Patient Safety, continued from pg. 7

“What you have to think about 

as a leader – the way you interact 

with your team – is really situationdependent ... balancing that focus 

on people and task,” he said. 

He also suggests leaders engage 

their teams by using interpersonal 

skills. 

“Greet your team at the start of 

the day,” he said. “Being polite and 

being interpersonal is a great way 

to loosen up the team, so they feel 

relaxed enough to speak up. That’s 

what you want.”

It’s also crucial to encourage your 

team to speak up when something 

doesn’t seem “right,” or if something 

doesn’t look safe. You must invite 

participation, and it needs to be 

done frequently, he said. Much 

like an airline pilot would brief the 

crew before each flight, he said, you 

should brief your team at the start of 

each shift, encouraging everyone to 

speak up if they have a concern.

And as part of “just culture,” 

individuals shouldn’t fear they’ll be 

punished for speaking up, nor should 

they be punished for speaking up, 

NCPS Director Hemphill added. 

Of course, when an individual 

makes a deliberate mistake, they 

should be held accountable and 

the appropriate action should be 

taken. However, when they make an 

unintentional error, it’s important to 

look deeper into what went wrong 

and why – perhaps it’s a flaw in the 

system. 

If a nurse gives a patient a snack, 

when that patient “clearly” had a sign 

above their bed, warning they could 

not ingest food by mouth – and then 

that patient falls ill – it’s important 

to take a step back, and judge 

the outcome, not the procedure, 

Hemphill said. By looking into what 

went wrong, perhaps you’ll discover 

that the “sign” above the bed was 

not an effective barrier. When you 

find such vulnerabilities, she said, 

correct them in a timely manner, 

or take them out of the system. This 

will allow you to continue fostering 

a safe environment, while providing 

high quality care.

Air Force 1st Lt. Rachael Antone, 

a Family Nurse Practitioner student, 

was among the many who attended 

the lecture. She appreciated the 

opportunity, and said it helped her 

understand the importance each 

individual has as part of a team. 

“It was an excellent class, and the 

information was clearly presented, 

and very applicable,” she said.
16 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

Battlefield Acupuncture, continued from pg. 12

in 1950 as a micro-acupuncture 

technique by Paul Nogier, a 

physician in France. Nogier coined 

the concept of using an inverted 

fetus homunculus, or “map,” on the 

outer ear. This “map” is used today as 

a visual guide of the ear acupuncture 

points, used to relieve symptoms 

effecting various regions of the 

body. Over the years, research has 

supported the connection between 

medical diagnosis and the “body” 

represented on the outer ear. Today, 

both in the military and civilian 

sectors, ear acupuncture is practiced 

by interdisciplinary providers.

Historically, though, the military 

and civilian medical communities 

had primarily emphasized an 

opioid-based approach to pain 

management, but that began to 

change as providers gained a 

deeper understanding of pain 

and pain management. In 2003, 

the Comprehensive Pain Center 

of Excellence evolved, ultimately 

becoming the now DVCIPM – 

the Defense and Veterans Center 

of Excellence for Pain – at USU. 

Based on concerns of opiate 

overuse, in 2008, the military began 

exploring options to reduce opioid 

dependence. In 2009, under the then 

Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. 

Eric Schoomaker, the Army Pain 

Management Task Force was created. 

Subsequently, under the Task Force 

leadership of then Maj. Gen. Richard 

Thomas, holistic, multimodal 

approaches were developed. Today 

at DVCIPM, Buckenmaier and an 

inter-professional team continue to 

focus on pain research, policy, and 

training, to include development 

of complementary integrative pain 

management approaches within 

military health care, Walker said. 

Through their continued efforts, 

DVCIPM has initiated education 

and training programs throughout 

the Military Health System and 

VA, implementing battlefield 

acupuncture training to keep 

addressing the national opioid 

crisis. Their efforts have also led to 

nearly every DoD facility, and an 

increasing number of VA facilities, 

now having at least one individual 

trained in battlefield acupuncture. 

Additionally, in collaboration with 

the VA, USU continues to develop 

large-scale research studies on 

proposed initiatives to assess the 

impact of pain on patient function 

and quality of life, with changes 

in the use of opioids and other 

drugs, emphasizing the use of 

complementary health approaches. 

They’ve also been able to collaborate 

with the VA to develop, test, and 

implement the Standardized Pain 

Assessment Tools, such as the 

Defense and Veterans Pain Rating 

Scale. The center also serves 

USU and DoD as the federal 

medicine representative on the 

NIH Interagency Pain Research 

Coordinating Committee that was 

responsible for the recently released 

National Pain Strategy document.

Employee of the quarter, continued from pg. 13

equipment, old files, excess furniture 

and other material from hallways, 

offices and lab spaces,” said Dr. 

Louis Pangaro, professor and chair 

of the SOM, in a recommendation 

letter for Cunningham’s selection. 

“Her herculean efforts did not go 

unnoticed, earning high praise 

for the much-improved work 

spaces from department, SOM and 

university leadership on a tour of 

the facility this last August.”

Cunningham’s actions have 

directly contributed to extending 

the research capability of USU, 

Pangaro said. She did this by 

working closely with Clinical 

Research Unit managers to 

coordinate logistical support for 

researchers and patients across 

USU, Walter Reed National Military 

Medical Center and the Walter Reed 

Army Institute of Research. She also 

coordinated support for a Hepatitis 

C therapy study and a nonalcoholic 

steatohepatitis study. 

“Ms. Cunningham has displayed 

great initiative; she is a creative 

problem solver, highly dedicated to 

the mission of the department and 

has been invaluable in the growth of 

the department’s research mission,” 

Pangaro said. “Without question, 

she is clearly deserving of the honor 

of being named junior employee of 

the quarter.”

Cunningham has worked at the 

SOM for the last 28 years.
17 the pulse Dec. 12, 2016

Final Frame

Navy Seaman Angel Jones and Marine Capt. Ronald Calloway cut a cake at Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences' ceremony to celebrate the Navy's 241st birthday at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, Nov. 10. It is 

Navy custom for the first piece of cake to be passed from the oldest to the youngest to signify the passing of experience 

and knowledge from the old to the young. (Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Laura Bailey, U.S. 

Navy)