Learning to Care for Those in Harm’s Way
Sharon Holland

Deputy Vice President for External Affairs 

and Managing Editor

Gwendolyn Smalls

Chief, Media Affairs

Master Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson

NCOIC of VPE and Deputy Chief, Media 

Affairs

Christine Creenan-Jones

Editor and Layout Design

MC2 Brittney Cannady

Writer

MC3 Laura Bailey

Writer

The Pulse is printed by USU’s Duplicating 

Center.

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The Pulse is funded by the Department of 

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Services University. It is authorized for 

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Appearance of anything resembling advertising in this publication does not constitute endorsement by the DoD, USU or 

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The contents of this publication shall be 

made available for use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, 

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other non-merit factor of the user or patron.

Editorial content is edited, prepared and 

provided by the USU Office of External 

Affairs. The editor reserves the right to 

edit articles to conform to DoD policy and 

Associated Press style. All photos are DoD 

photos unless otherwise indicated.

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 ChrisAir Force SAPR director speaks at USU’s 

Women’s History Celebration

By MC2 Brittney Cannady, writer

Third-year students at the F. Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services 

University took part in field training that tested 

their military medical aptitude and leadership 

abilities in an operational environment. Read 

more about the exercise on pages 4-5.

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

 Air Force Brig. Gen. Gina Grosso, director, Air Force Sexual Assault and Prevention Office, was 

the keynote speaker during a celebration observing Women’s

History Month at the Uniformed 

Services University, Mar. 18.

 “There are many women who 

came before me who were pioneers. I’m lucky in the fact that 

gender has never been on my 

mind throughout my career,” 

said Grosso. 

 During her talk, Grosso described her career as a merger of 

good luck and gifted male and 

female mentors who guided her 

toward success over the years. 

But of all of her mentors, Grosso 

credits her mother, a nurse who 

earned a PhD later in life, as the 

person who made the biggest impression on her life and career.

 “I’ve been given every opportunity, and I’m blessed because I 

always had a great role model. 

So I’ve felt like I could do anything I wanted to do,” she said. 

 This has included serving in 

key leadership roles in the military. Before assuming her current position, Grosso was the director of Force Management Policy and deputy chief of staff for

Manpower, Personnel and Services at Headquarters, U.S. Air 

Force, in Washington, D.C. 

 Although Grosso has excelled 

in all of these positions, she admits serving as director of SAPR 

was outside of her comfort zone. 

Still, Grosso is committed to the 

job and making a difference for 

the uniformed personnel she 

serves. 

 “I believe in the saying, ‘To who 

much is given, much is expected.’ 

So I do my job to the best of my 

ability. If you do your best and 

follow your core values, you’ll 

never go wrong. That’s what 

commitment means to me,” she 

said.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Gina Grosso

Photo by Thomas Balfour

USU alumni named “Area’s Top Doctors” by 

Washingtonian Magazine

By Sharon Holland, managing editor

 Every year Washingtonian Magazine 

puts out its "Area's 

Top Doctors" issue. 

 Doctors in more 

than 40 specialties 

are asked which of 

their peers they 

would send members 

of their own families 

to, and those with the 

greatest number of 

recommendations 

make the list. This 

year, several F. Edward Hébert School 

of Medicine alumni 

are on list. They include:

Drs. Richard Morrissey (’85), Michael 

Slack (’83), Thomas 

Howard (’84), George 

Gibeily (’81), Gail 

Seiken (’86), John 

Bosworth (’87) and J. 

Donald Bridges (’87). 
April 7, 2014 3

 Air Force Col. (Dr.) Daniel Balog, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine 

at the Uniformed Services University, was selected as the recipient of the American Psychiatric 

Association’s Nancy C.A. Roeske 

Award for Excellence in Medical 

Student Education for 2013. 

 The award is presented annually 

to APA members and fellows who 

have made outstanding and sustaining contributions to medical 

student education. 

 “Dr. Balog is an invaluable leader in preclinical education. As codirector of our first-year Neuroscience Module, he has done an 

exemplary job as the first face of 

psychiatry to each medical school 

class. He alone has been responsible for transition and reorganization of the preclinical psychiatry curriculum as our school transitioned from a 24- to 18-month 

preclinical course,” said Dr. Robert Ursano, psychiatry department chair at USU. Balog, a 1991 

graduate of the School of Medicine, is “well respected by colleagues, he has consistently 

drawn expert presenters for lectures, and created and managed a 

series of high-quality small group 

exercises in mental status examination,” according to Ursano.

 Balog’s contributions include 

serving as a leader in his department’s medical education efforts 

for the past two years, chairing 

the Medical Education Committee. In this capacity, he revitalized the organizational structure 

and improved recordkeeping of 

medical student education activities. He also enthusiastically took 

on the task of orienting all new 

faculty to the department and 

their roles.

 “Dr. Balog has been a consistently wonderful preceptor and 

role model for clinical clerkship 

students. He applies his wealth 

of military psychiatry experience 

to enhance their clerkship education. As the preclinical module 

director, he is also able to effectively reinforce and expand on 

topics covered in preclinical education. The department is very 

pleased for his success and recognition,” said Ursano.

Balog named 2013 American Psychiatry 

Association Award recipient

By Sharon Holland, managing editor 

Air Force Col. (Dr.) Daniel Balog

DeLeon honored by 

American Academy 

of Pediatrics 

By MC3 Laura Bailey, writer

 Dr. Patrick DeLeon, a distinguished professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School 

of Nursing and the F. Edward 

Hébert School of Medicine at 

the Uniformed Services University, will be awarded the 

American Academy of Pediatrics President’s Certificate for 

Outstanding Service, April 27.

 DeLeon is being recognized 

by the AAP for his work on the 

Emergency Medical Services 

for Children program, which 

has improved the quality of 

pediatric emergency care 

throughout the country. 

 DeLeon was drawn to the 

cause because the EMSC saves 

countless children’s lives every year.

 “The reality is this legislation is the one thing that I’m 

most proud of because it 

makes a huge difference, especially in rural America. That’s 

the wonderful part of it,” he 

said.

Dr. Patrick DeLeon (center, 

right), a distinguished professor 

at the Uniformed Services University, will be awarded the 

American Academy of Pediatrics President’s Certificate for 

Outstanding Service, April 27.

Courtesy photo

Countdown to Commencement

Trivia Question #4

 Commencement at the Uniformed Services University is held on this special holiday each year, a fitting 

tribute to the uniformed officers who graduate from 

USU programs. 

 Do you know the answer? The first person to e-mail 

their response to Christine.creenan-jones@usuhs.edu 

wins a large coffee and donut courtesy of the USU cafeteria.

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

Photo by Thomas Balfour

Students demonstrate military medical know-how at “Gunpowder”

 Third-year medical students at the F. Edward 

Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University completed the military field 

practicum, "Gunpowder," a two-day field exercise 

delivered by the Department of Military and 

Emergency Medicine. The event was held in two 

iterations between March 25-28. Activities were 

embedded in an environment of tactical combat 

casualty care, advanced trauma life support, ethical detainee care and small-group military scenarios. This unique field training developed leadership and communication skills that students 

will be able to utilize in operational military medical environments.

Photo by Thomas Balfour

Photo by MC3 Laura Bailey
April 7, 2014 

5

Photo by Thomas Balfour Photo by MC3 Laura Bailey

Photo by MC3 Laura Bailey
6 The Pulse · The Official USU Newsletter 

GSN seeks to reduce attrition through mentorship program

By Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

 Nurse Anesthesia programs for 

the military – like the one at the 

Daniel K. Inouye Graduate 

School of Nursing – tend to have 

high attrition rates. This problem can be attributed to several 

factors beyond academic standing. Family issues, professional 

failures, health problems and reassessment of personal goals 

have all been linked to higherthan-average dropout rates for 

military NA students.

 In an effort to reduce attrition, 

the GSN created a student mentoring program for NA students. 

The purpose of the program is to 

build espirit de corps among participating members through activities that encourage success. 

 “Our mentoring model is 

flipped upside down. Instead of 

targeting at-risk students, we 

welcome all NA students into our 

program beginning the moment 

they step foot on campus. Furthermore, our program has nothing to do with the NA curriculum 

or grades. Instead, we’re focusing on leadership and how USU 

students in the NA program can 

demonstrate good officership 

while navigating through our rigorous program,” said Navy Lt. 

Cmdr. Kenneth Wofford, an assistant professor in the GSN.

 Wofford and other members of 

the mentorship program shine a 

spotlight on leadership by talking about social and professional 

issues impacting members of the 

NA community. In the past, this 

has included discussions about 

stress management, personal 

wellness and professional life after USU.

 These monthly talks are hosted 

by USU faculty and guest speakers with personal insights about 

the issues military nurses face. 

For example, Army Maj. Matthew Welder, a fellow NA and 

director of Surgical Services Service Line in the Office of the Surgeon General, discussed his deployment experience in Iraq and 

Afghanistan at the November 

meeting. 

 “Major Welder’s talk was especially meaningful because nurse 

anesthetists are prone to frequent deployments, and being 

able to share insider knowledge 

about work conditions on the 

frontlines is a great learning experience for our students,” said 

Wofford.

 Welder’s talk made an impact, 

according to surveys filled out by 

members of the mentorship program, who rate the value of each 

session and choose topics for follow-up meetings through a popular vote. This democratic approach is a way for NA students 

to learn more about subjects that 

interest them. It’s also a promising model for reducing attrition, 

since it targets many of the nonacademic reasons for leaving the 

NA program. 

 “The GSN conducts a yearly 

analysis to study attrition rates 

at USU. While it’s still too early 

to figure out if the mentorship 

program is making a retention 

difference in the GSN, there are 

strong indicators that NA students are benefitting from the 

program. In my opinion, that’s 

good news any way you slice it,” 

Wofford said. 

 Army Col. (Dr.) Mark Kortepeter (left), former director of the Infectious Disease Clinical Research 

Program at the Uniformed Services University, welcomed the new IDCRP director, Army Col. (Dr.) Scott 

Miller, after Kortepeter accepted a new position as 

the associate dean for Research at the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine.

 Like his predecessor, Miller brings extensive research and leadership experience to the IDCRP. Before joining the program as deputy director in 2013, 

he completed an internal medicine residency and an 

infectious disease fellowship at Walter Reed Army 

Medical Center. Miller also served at the Armed 

Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences and 

the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, where 

he worked on clinical trials for antimalarial drugs.

Miller assumes leadership role at IDCRP

Courtesy of the IDCRP

Courtesy photo
April 7, 2014 7

By MC3 Laura Bailey, writer

Members of Class of 2015 lauded for academic performance

 Thirty students from the F. Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine were recognized during an 

academic awards ceremony for outstanding academic performance during the clerkship phase of 

the Molecules to Military Medicine curriculum, 

March 18. 

 The Outstanding Academic Performance 

Award, the Distinguished Academic Performance 

Award, and the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence were given to students who earned honors in four, five or all six of their major core clerkships, respectively. 

 These accolades were especially meaningful because the Class of 2015 was the first cohort to 

begin learning under USU’s reformed medical 

program. 

 “You are the leading edge of the new curriculum. I know some of you refer to yourselves as 

guinea pigs but I prefer to think of you as pioneers. You really are blazing the trail for all of the 

classes that will come behind you,” said Dr. Arthur Kellermann, dean of the School of Medicine. 

 The winners of the Outstanding Academic Performance Award include U.S. Army 2nd Lts. Leonid Belyayev and Elena Zitzman, U.S. Air Force 

2nd Lts. Maggie Castile, Erin Grindlay, Jonathan 

Muldermans, Mark Prats, Claire Widule and Hal 

Willardson, U.S. Navy Ensigns Patrick Engelbert, 

Lisa Herrington, Tracey Honohan, Michael Sullivan and Jessica Winters and U.S. Public Health 

Service Ensign Jaren Meldrum.

 The winners of the Distinguished Academic 

Performance Award include Army 2nd Lt. Caitlin 

Goodin, Air Force 2nd Lts. Robert Lystrup, Meghan Olsen, Shira Paul and Joshua Romain, and 

Navy Ensigns Sara Drayer, Kelly Haeusler, Chase 

Hughes, Lyndsey Kiss, Willis Lyford and Andrew 

Woodhouse.

 The winners of the Dean’s Award for Academic 

Excellence include Army 2nd Lts. Timothy Blood 

and Rowan Sheldon, Air Force 2nd Lt. Lauren 

Halbert and Navy Ensigns Thomas Allen and Michael Tsai.

Dr. Arthur Kellermann (third from left), dean of the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services 

University, congratulates the winners of the Dean’s Award 

for Academic Excellence.

Photo by Thomas Balfour

41st Anniversary of the Air Force Assistance Fund

Courtesy of USU External Affairs

 This year marks the 41st anniversary of the Air Force Assistance Fund. The theme, 

"Commitment to Caring," reiterates the Air Force's heritage of 

taking care of one another, 

whether active duty, retired or 

surviving family members.

 The AFAF is a charitable fund 

by Airmen for Airmen. All monies raised during the campaign 

go to supporting the Air Force's 

four charities: The Air Force Aid 

Society, which takes care of Airmen and their families, with 

emergency assistance, educational loans, spouse tuition and 

base enhancement projects; the 

Air Force Village and Air Force 

Enlisted Village, which provides 

retirees' widows and widowers 

with a home and caring community among fellow Air Force 

family members; and the Lemay 

Foundation, which seeks out 

and provides the same group 

with short-and-long-term financial grants.

 Read the official memorandum

to learn more about this year's 

campaign announcement 

from Secretary of the Air Force, 

Ms. Deborah Lee James; the 

Chief of Staff of the Air Force, 

Gen. Mark A. Welsh; and, 

the Chief Master Sgt. of the Air 

Force, Chief Master Sgt. James 

Cody.

 If individuals are interested in 

contributing to this year's campaign or want more information, 

contact Master Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson, the AFAF campaign 

manager at the Uniformed Services University. This year's 

campaign runs through April 

25.
Final Frame

The Fighting Docs narrowly lost to rival ice hockey team, The Shooters, in 

a 4-3 overtime shootout, March 30.

Photo by Thomas Balfour