Volume 7, Issue 11• July 12, 2012

www.usuhs.mil

The Official USU Newsletter
On the cover

The Bataan Memorial Death March is a 

26 mile course across New Mexico’s desert 

terrain. It honors the World War II veterans 

captured by Japanese soldiers and forced 

to walk more than 80 miles. Vince Cozza, 

a USU volunteer, and his father, Stephen 

Cozza, M.D., professor of psychiatry at USU, 

walked the course this year with wounded 

warriors Vince helped train. 

Courtesy Photo

Sharon Willis

Deputy Vice President for External 

Affairs and Managing Editor

Christine Creenan-Jones

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 

swillis@usuhs.mil or by calling 

301-295-3578.

2 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter

USU father and son run for honor, 

remembrance

By Christine Creenan-Jones

Twenty six miles on foot across the 

sweltering desert terrain is a grueling 

course for anyone. Still, Vince Cozza, 

a USU volunteer in the Department 

of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, 

felt more humbled than accomplished 

when he crossed the finish line in 

New Mexico last March. 

Although Cozza’s challenge was 

significant – the Bataan Memorial 

Death March at White Sands Missile 

Range is meant to be difficult – he 

completed the marathon on two good 

legs, unlike most of his teammates.

Cozza, a top-ranking high school 

athlete, has been running with 

wounded warriors – mostly Soldiers 

who’ve lost their limbs in war – at 

Walter Reed for close to three years 

now. Inspired by their resolve, he 

recently joined them on a much 

longer journey, 2,000 miles away. 

The treacherous desert course tested 

everyone’s mettle, but each of them 

persevered, despite intense fatigue. 

“We started the race in the morning, 

when it was still dark and cold outside. 

The path was long and parts of it were 

unpaved too, which made the course 

really difficult to navigate. I thought it 

was hard, almost impossible at times, 

and I’ve been running cross country for 

many years,” Cozza said. “Imagine finishing on a leg that isn’t yours. A lot of my 

teammates did. They’re amazing, and I 

feel honored to have raced with them.”

The march itself was special, too. 

The desert run lauds World War II 

veterans captured by Japanese military 

and led on a forced march out of 

Bataan in the Philippines. The course 

they followed was treacherous. American prisoners walked for 12 days 

and travelled 86 miles. Thousands 

were beaten and killed along the way. 

Many survived, though, and some 

even came to the Memorial Run at 

White Sands to cheer Cozza and his 

teammates on. 

“Military families have always made 

huge sacrifices for our country,” said 

Cozza. “For me, doing this march was a 

way of showing my immense appreciation for their service.”

His gratitude reaches far and wide, 

and it resonates strongly at home, too. 

Cozza’s father, Stephen, is a retired 

Army colonel who spent his entire 

uniformed career healing warriors 

as a military psychiatrist. Now, he 

works at USU’s Center for the Study of 

Traumatic Stress, creating new military 

programs that are designed to improve 

psychological health for servicemembers everywhere.

Dr. Cozza, motivated by the 

wounded warriors his son helped train, 

ran with the team at White Sands 

Missile Range, too. Their spirit inspired 

him. So did his son.

“I’ve spent a lot of time working with 

injured servicemembers in my professional life. Engaging with them in a 

whole new way was incredible. They 

didn’t let their injuries hold them back 

at all. It was really amazing to watch 

them persevere through a tough physical and mental course and come out on 

top,” Dr. Cozza said. “It was also a great 

experience to see Vince incorporate his 

passion for running into meaningful 

volunteer work.”

Vince Cozza, a volunteer at USU, marches 

with a teammate at the Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile 

Range in New Mexico.

Courtesy Photo
 July 12, 2012 3

 Although Eric Schoomaker, former 

Surgeon General of the Army, is 

USU’s first scholar in residence, he’s 

been an important part of the university’s fabric for many years. In fact, 

the retired lieutenant general has been 

shaping scholarship at USU since 

the late 1970s, when the university’s 

first administrators were still carving 

USU’s path from a humble campus 

with a few dozen students.

Back then, Jay Sanford, the 

university charter president, sought 

Schoomaker’s advice on ways to 

comprehensively tie human genetics instruction into the curriculum 

effectively. Armed with a PhD in 

human genetics, a medical degree 

and clinical training, Schoomaker 

helped matrix the original program 

so new students would gain a more 

thorough understanding of the body’s 

basic building blocks by integrating 

genetics instruction across multiple 

departments and disciplines.

“When I first visited the campus, 

USU was still a work in progress 

with Buildings C and D still in the 

construction phase. But even then, 

I knew it was going to be something 

great. Military medicine needed a 

place like USU, because it used a 

specially designed curriculum with 

uniformed physicians and graduate 

researchers in mind to help address 

some of the knowledge gaps existing among servicemembers graduating from civilian medical schools,” 

he said. “Jay Sanford and other early 

architects of USU’s educational 

experience had a very far-sighted 

vision when it came to this place.” 

Besides helping fine-tune the 

military’s medical curriculum in 

Bethesda, Schoomaker was busy with 

other important work at the Walter 

Reed Army Institute of Research 

in Washington, D.C. Schoomaker 

conducted basic and applied clinical 

research on different aspects of blood 

disorders affecting American troops. 

“I’ve always loved my work, because 

I help warriors and their families, who 

quite frankly, are some of the finest 

people I’ve ever met,” he said. “I had the 

opportunity to leave Army medicine 

pretty early on, but thank goodness, 

I was well-advised by wiser mentors 

and smart enough to realize that I was 

already working with a very talented 

and dedicated group of men and 

women.”

Schoomaker’s focus on Soldier 

wellness continued at Walter Reed 

Army Medical Center, his next duty 

assignment, while serving as the 

hospital’s Assistant Chief of Medicine 

and Program Director for the Internal 

Medicine Residency. While there, he 

also maintained a close relationship with 

USU, mentoring the medical students 

who passed through his wards and 

collaborating with other professors as 

the university’s Faculty Senate President.

“USU had matured significantly 

by now, and I could already see how 

well the founding vision was playing 

out thanks to the bold leaders and 

dedicated faculty members on this 

campus,” he said. “I was proud to be a 

part of USU’s growing legacy.” 

Like the university, Schoomaker’s 

reputation was spreading too. An 

accomplished physician and officer, 

he was offered leadership positions 

on Army posts across the globe, 

where he helped develop improved 

standards for military medicine, 

from creating new hospital protocols 

centered around patient-focused care 

to changing the business model for 

military medicine to jumpstarting 

novel research investigations targeting complex wounds and expanding the training opportunities for 

military health care providers like 

USU graduates.

After serving as Commanding 

General of the Walter Reed Army 

Medical Center and Chief of the 

Army Medical Corps, Schoomaker’s 

trailblazing work soon caught the 

attention of top-ranking government 

officials, including President George 

Photo by Thomas C. Balfour

Eric Schoomaker M.D., Ph.D.

Top Army doctor returns to USU 

By Christine Creenan-Jones

Important USU 

Security Notes: • USU badge identification 

(ID) cards are to be worn at 

all times while on University 

property. Your ID badge 

should be displayed on your 

front between your shoulders 

and waist. If you see someone 

without their ID badge challenge 

them. Remember—security is 

everyone’s responsibility.

• USU badge ID cards should not 

be worn off site. You should not 

advertise where, and by whom, 

you are employed. OPSEC, 

OPSEC, OPSEC!

• Is your security investigation/

clearance up to date? If you 

are unsure, inquire at the 

Security Office.

• When you renew your USU 

badge ID card, check your CAC 

expiration date as well.

• If you are a contractor and you 

need to renew your USU badge 

ID, please bring with you a signed 

memorandum of employment on 

USU letterhead.
4 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter

USU contributed to the health and wellness of the 

defense community in a new way recently, when the first 

class of postgraduate dental students walked the graduation stage at the Walter Reed National Military Medical 

Center on June 1.

The first class of dental students to earn Master of Science 

in Oral Biology degrees from USU’s Naval Postgraduate 

Dental School marks the beginning of a new era of superior 

dental education provided by the armed services, for the 

armed services.  

As the class of 2012 prepared to embark on their dental 

careers, leaders in the field expressed admiration of their 

dedication to their chosen profession.

“Your creativity and professionalism never ceases to amaze 

me,” Navy Capt. Lee L. Cornforth, commanding officer of 

the Navy Medicine Professional Development Center, Navy 

Medical Service Corps said.  “Regardless of service, you are a 

credit to dentistry and military medicine.”

Navy Capt. Robert M. Taft, Deputy Chief, Bureau of 

Medicine and Surgery, Navy Dental Corps and former dean 

of the Naval Postgraduate Dental School at USU said he was 

humbled to have the opportunity to attend the graduation as 

the keynote speaker.

“This graduation represents a culmination of hard work in 

specialized training where these officers have spent time away 

from family and loved ones in order to support our warfighters,” Taft said.  “It is a spectacular occasion for me and for all 

of us in military dentistry.”

Navy Capt. Glenn Munro, Dean, Naval Postgraduate School, said the graduation is just a starting point for 

the students as they prepare to disperse across the military 

medical community in their new duty stations.

“This new program at USU is a force multiplier for dental 

and oral health for all the services,” Munro said.  “We are 

preparing our students for success both within military 

dentistry and when they leave the service as civilian practitioners.  Many of these students will return here to teach and 

share their experiences and knowledge.”

Munro said the lessons the students take away from the 

University encompass more than what they learned in class.  

“These students are leaving here with a solid base in 

the customs and traditions that set us apart as military 

dentists,” he said. 

First class of Navy Postgraduate Dental School students graduate

By Emily Greene

After two years of hard work and dedication, USU’s 

first class from the Air Force Postgraduate Dental School 

walked across the commencement stage and received a 

Master of Science in Oral Biology on June 21. 

They proved themselves by mastering a rigorous curriculum that melds traditional benchmarks with unique military 

training, dynamic residency opportunities and research – an 

important piece of the learning program, according to Air 

Force Colonel Thomas Schneid, D.M.D., M.S., dean of USU’s 

Air Force Postgraduate Dental School.

“Conducting original research gives the residents a sound 

scientific basis for the information learned in their programs 

and sets the course for lifelong learning,” he said.

Less than a month after graduation, USU’s newest alumni 

have already assumed various leadership positions at duty 

stations across the globe. They’re harnessing the diverse 

skills they learned at the Air Force Postgraduate Dental 

School to care for military families – the central focus of 

most USU learning threads.

“Our residents are immersed in the military throughout their 

training,” Schneid said. “They participate in readiness exercises 

during their program orientation and complete various training 

requirement during the course of their residencies.”

This formula mirrors the academic framework of many 

USU programs and helps cultivate the sophisticated 

dentists military medicine needs.

First class of Air Force Postgraduate Dental School students graduate

by Leeann Ori

Courtesy Photo Courtesy Photo
HPRC Health Tips

The Human Performance 

Resource Center Health Tips is 

intended to provide the USU 

community with information 

to help develop and maintain a 

healthy lifestyle. Check out the 

HPRC website at: http://human

performanceresourcecenter.org.

Exercise and sleep

Many people believe exercise 

wards off the effects of sleep loss, 

but it turns out that exercise only 

mitigates sleepiness and fatigue for 

an hour and doesn’t seem to have 

 July 12, 2012 5

USU 40th Anniversary Trivia #3

Many university graduates return to 

USU’s campus as instructors, eager 

to share their knowledge with new 

generations of healthcare professionals 

following in their footsteps. These 

professionals are some of USU’s most 

effective instructors, because they 

offer students a unique, first-hand 

perspective about the challenges of 

military medicine.

Name a USU alum currently 

teaching in the School of Medicine, 

Graduate School of Nursing and 

Graduate Education Programs. The 

first person to e-mail at least three 

faculty members (one from each 

program) to Christine.CreenanJones@usuhs.edu wins a large 

coffee and doughnut courtesy of 

USU’s cafeteria.

W. Bush, who named Schoomaker 

the 42nd Surgeon General (SG) of the 

Army and Commander of the Army 

Medical Command in 2007.

Although a huge accomplishment, 

Schoomaker’s new job came with many 

heavy responsibilities. More than three 

million Soldiers and their families fell 

under his care. He was also responsible for managing almost every other 

aspect of Army Medicine, including 

serving on USU’s Board of Regents. 

“Being an SG and commanding 

the Army’s medical force during war 

was very stressful, but I got out of 

bed motivated to go to work every 

day, even in the midst of challenging situations, because I felt strongly 

that I was doing something meaningful, something important for Soldiers 

everywhere,” said Schoomaker.

His drive continues, even after 

retirement.  Schoomaker, at USU 

full time now, is harnessing all of his 

unique medical and leadership experiences to continue making positive 

changes for warriors and their families 

everywhere. This includes exploring 

the use of non-traditional or complementary medicine for treating injuries 

and illnesses. This approach opens the 

aperture of effective care--and more 

fundamentally--moves the central 

focus from improving healthcare alone 

to optimizing health.  

Schoomaker’s work at USU evolved 

from projects he started as the Army 

SG.  He had observed the effective 

use of complementary medicine – 

acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga, 

meditation and other non-traditional 

methods – on military wards. As a 

result, Schoomaker helped establish 

DoD-funded programs to learn which 

alternative therapies work. 

Today, Schoomaker continues collaborating with several members of USU’s 

extended family, including Dr. Wayne 

Jonas and the Samueli Institute, leaders 

in the integrative medicine movement. 

Together, they’re pushing for a more 

holistic, patient-focused medical 

Top Army Doctor...

continued from page 3

any effect on boosting performance 

throughout the day. Although regular 

exercise—both strength training 

and high-intensity endurance—does 

help you sleep better, it can’t replace 

sleep loss—only actual sleep will do 

that. The loss of sleep affects physical 

performance, primarily by reducing your motivation to exercise—so, 

when thinking about your workout 

plan for the week, include a plan to 

get enough sleep.

Visit http://hprc-online.org for 

information on how to improve the 

quality and length of your sleep. Visit 

the “Mind Tactics Sleep Optimization” and “Physical Fitness” sections of 

HPRC’s website as well.

approach that emphasizes health and 

well-being. 

Schoomaker is working to explore 

this nexus of health practices and 

policy and to further integrate the 

most effective non-conventional 

therapies into mainstream practice, so 

vexing injuries can be tackled from all 

possible angles, and every warrior can 

be made whole again – a mission both 

Schoomaker and USU have embraced 

together for several decades now.

Photo by Thomas C. Balfour
6 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter

The Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems (AMDIS) 

recently presented its 2012 awards and 

USU graduate Army Col. (Dr.) John 

Scott (SoM ’90), a pediatric cardiologist, was among this year’s recipients.

AMDIS, a non-profit organization, 

was founded in 1997 as a professional 

organization for physicians interested in and responsible for healthcare 

information technology. According to 

the organization, the AMDIS awards 

are presented annually to individuals or organizations that demonstrate 

excellence and outstanding achievement in applied medical informatics, 

and honor those who have successfully applied information systems and 

computer technology into the practice 

of medicine. Awards are presented 

during the annual AMDIS-sponsored 

Physician Computer Connection Symposium, and recipients are 

featured in Modern Healthcare and 

Modern Physician magazines.

Scott, who is the clinical informatics and accession medical policy 

program director in the Office of 

the Assistant Secretary of Defense 

for Health Affairs, received the 

award for his work in moving patient 

records from Walter Reed Army 

Medical Center to the new, consolidated Walter Reed National Military 

Medical Center and transferring 

them from one system into another 

in a very short period of time. His 

accomplishments were featured in a 

June 23, 2012, article from Modernhealthcare.com, www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20120623/

MAGAZINE/306239957/1140.

USU alumnus wins AMDIS Award

By Sharon Willis

Collegiate Professorship 

Named for GSN Dean

By Sharon Willis

The American Academy of Nursing 

recently named Ada Sue Hinshaw, 

Ph.D., a “Living Legend,” and now the 

Graduate School of Nursing dean has 

achieved another distinction.

The “Ada Sue Hinshaw Collegiate 

Professor of Nursing” award was 

recently established at the University 

of Michigan, where Hinshaw served 

as professor and dean of the school 

of nursing prior to coming to USU. 

Collegiate professorships are funded 

by the University, are competitively 

awarded to senior faculty and are 

considered to be one of the highest 

honors bestowed upon faculty at the 

University of Michigan. The Collegiate Professorship is named in honor 

of a former faculty member who has 

made substantial contributions.

 “Since this is a Collegiate Professorship,” said Hinshaw, “it is a particular 

honor because the senior faculty in the 

Chair names it for a professionallyrecognized colleague of their choosing. 

Being honored by ones colleagues is 

the highest tribute.”

The first Ada Sue Hinshaw Collegiate Professorship was awarded to 

Dr. Richard Redmond, whose expertise is in the area of nursing and 

health services research.

The Commission on Collegiate 

Nursing Education (CCNE) has granted 

the maximum 10 years accreditation to 

USU’s Graduate School of Nursing for 

its master’s degree program, following a 

recent site visit. The award extends the 

school’s accreditation to June 30, 2022.

“I am delighted - but not surprised - 

that the CCNE has reaccredited the GSN 

for a full ten years,” said USU President 

Charles L. Rice, M.D. “There is no doubt 

that this excellent result is due to the 

hard work of our dedicated faculty and 

our outstanding students. The strong and 

steadfast support of the Federal Nursing 

Chiefs has also played an important part 

in this excellent outcome.”

The CCNE’s Board of Commissioners determined that the program met 

all four accreditation standards with 

no compliance concerns. 

“I believe the reason why the GSN 

got the maximum accreditation with 

no compliance issues is because the 

faculty worked together to establish 

a solid foundation to prepare,” said 

Sandra Bibb, Ph.D., associate dean for 

Faculty Affairs in the Graduate School 

of Nursing, who spearheaded the GSN’s 

accreditation efforts. “We formed a 

steering committee and researched and 

collected documents, and implemented 

an action plan that involved faculty, 

staff and students. We all worked 

together, were well informed, and it 

made a lot of difference.”

The next on-site evaluation by the 

CCNE Board of Commissioners will 

be in the fall of 2021.

GSN Receives 10-Year 

Accreditation

By Sharon Willis

Ada Sue Hinshaw, Ph.D.

Photo by Thomas C. Balfour

Photo by Thomas C. Balfour
 July 12, 2012 7

40th 

Anniversary 

Celebration 

Save the Date • Sept. 20-22

The Uniformed Services University of 

the Health Sciences will hold its second 

annual Festival of Cultures next month and 

organizers are seeking volunteers to assist.

The Festival, which is sponsored by 

USU’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) office, will be held Thursday, 

August 2, beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the 

USU cafeteria. Retired Army Command 

Sergeant Major Althea Dixon will be the 

featured guest speaker for the day’s event 

that will also include food, games and 

other culturally-enriching activities.

The Festival of Cultures is open to 

all USU personnel and their families. 

Members of the university community with 

items representing their cultural heritage 

are invited to participate in the Festival.

“The Festival of Cultures event is a 

great opportunity for our community 

to come together and enjoy the proud 

diversity of our University,” said Patricia 

Burke, USU’s EEO Officer.

Volunteers are also being sought to 

assist with display set-up and other minor 

tasks. Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to contact Edmund Burke in 

the Administrative Support Division, at 

eburke@usuhs.edu, or Mr. Ernest Green 

in the Environmental Health and Occupational Safety office, at dgreen@usuhs.edu.

Volunteers sought 

for annual Festival 

of Cultures

By Sharon Willis

Tar Wars

Volunteers for USU’s Tar Wars program travel to local high schools and teach 

young students about the health risks associated with tobacco products. Navy 

Ensign Jordan Lyons, a member of the group, uses a visual aid to demonstrate 

how these products can adversely effect oral health and physical appearance.

Photo by Anne Dimke