The Official USU Newsletter

Learning to Care for Those in Harm’s Way

Volume 11, Issue 3 n March 14, 2016

www.usuhs.edu
2 the pulse March 14, 2016

Boris Lushniak, MD, MPH, 

chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics in 

USU’s F. Edward Hébert School of 

Medicine, has been selected as the 

2016 Federal Preventive Medicine 

Medical Officer Award recipient by 

the American College of Preventive 

Medicine.

“The awards committee was 

humbled, honored, and very appreciative of all that you have done 

to improve the health of the nation 

and contribute to the field of PreOn the cover

Sharon Holland

Deputy Vice President for External Affairs and Managing Editor

Eric Ritter

Writer and Editor

MC3 Laura Bailey

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 

eric.ritter2@usuhs.edu or by calling 301-

295-3791.

By Sharon Holland

Dr. Charles Rice (left), the president of the 

Uniformed Services University of the Health 

Sciences (USU), passes the brigade colors to 

Army Col. Jerome Buller (right), the new 

brigade commander, during the university's 

11th brigade change of command ceremony 

at USU, March 4, 2016. (photo by Air Force 

Staff Sgt. Stephanie Morris) 

The F. Edward Hébert School 

of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) has been granted the 

maximum eight years of reaccreditation by the Liaison Committee for 

Medical Education (LCME).

The school was the first U.S. 

medical school to be evaluated using the LCME’s new accreditation 

standards. The LCME describes 

its accreditation as “a voluntary, 

peer-reviewed process of quality 

assurance that determines whether 

the medical education program 

meets established standards. This 

process also fosters institutional 

and programmatic improvement. 

To achieve and maintain accreditation, a medical education program 

leading to the M.D. degree in the 

United States and Canada must 

meet the LCME accreditation standards contained in the LCME document, ‘Functions and Structure 

of a Medical School.’ Programs are 

required to demonstrate that their 

graduates exhibit general professional competencies that are appropriate for entry to the next stage of 

their training and that serve as the 

foundation for lifelong learning and 

proficient medical care.”

LCME accreditation is also a 

condition of licensure of most U.S. 

medical school graduates and a 

prerequisite for graduate medical 

education training.

“This accomplishment of the 

maximum accreditation is particularly noteworthy because this 

recognition follows a major overhaul of our medical school curric- See AWARD page 6

Hébert SOM receives full 

LCME reaccreditation

ulum,” said USU President Charles 

L. Rice, M.D. “It is the result of 

phenomenal efforts by the entire 

faculty and staff and, as always, it 

is our students and alumni who 

are living proof of the high quality 

education provided in the School of 

Medicine.”

Lushniak to 

receive award

By Sharon Holland

Dr. Boris Lushniak (courtesy photo)
3 the pulse March 14, 2016

Brigade holds change of command ceremony 

By MC3 Laura Bailey 

The Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences 

(USU) held a change of command 

ceremony at USU, March 4. 

Army Col. Jerome L. Buller 

relieved Air Force Col. Kevin Glasz 

as USU’s brigade commander.

The president of the university, 

Dr. Charles Rice, gave the ceremony's keynote address. 

"For the eleventh time in our 

university’s history, we celebrate 

today the transfer of authority from 

one Brigade Commander to the 

next – with honor, tradition and 

respect,” said president Rice. “Col. 

Glasz has done an excellent job in 

ensuring every Soldier, Sailor and 

Airman was superbly trained and 

prepared to meet the demands of 

their military careers. He cared 

about their physical and mental 

well-being and led by example. I 

am especially grateful for the way 

he reinforced the key pillars of the 

USU strategy so that all of our uniformed personnel understood and 

embraced them. We say goodbye 

to Col. Kevin Glasz and welcome a 

new leader, Col. Jerome Buller. The 

brigade will be gaining a truly great 

leader in Col. Buller. I’ve heard 

nothing but great things about his 

abilities. He respects and values 

his team, and I have no doubt he’ll 

bring great ideas and enthusiasm to 

the Brigade and to 

the university. 

The brigade 

flag was ceremoniously transferred 

from Col. Glasz 

to the new commanding officer, 

Col. Buller. 

“The transfer of the brigade 

colors is significant 

in many ways,” 

said Army 2nd Lt. 

Emad Madha, a 

student at the F. 

Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine 

(SOM) and the 

master of ceremonies. “The history, 

traditions and 

accomplishments 

of the brigade are 

embodied in the 

colors. With the 

transfer, the unit’s 

legacy is passed 

as a building 

block for future performance and 

achievements.”

"I stand before you today as a 

humble airman," said Glasz. "I love 

the enthusiasm of our students as 

they arrive. I’m so proud of them 

as I have watched them go from 

the interview process to matriculation, to the white coat ceremony 

and then to convocation. To the 

nursing students, medical students, 

military and civilian, I could not 

be prouder of what they are doing 

– for choosing to come here and 

for many just simply choosing to 

Air Force Col. Kevin Glasz (left) is relieved of his duties as brigade commander of the Uniformed Services University 

of the Health Sciences (USU) by Army Col. Jerome Buller (far right) during USU's 11th brigade change of command 

ceremony at USU, March 4, 2016. (photo by Staff Sgt. Stephanie Morris) 

See COC page 7
4 the pulse March 14, 2016

DVCIPM helps to take away pain By Eric D. Ritter

Pain is a basic part of life, 

but understanding it and knowing 

how to properly treat it is a recent 

focus that is gaining attention in the 

medical world.

The Defense & Veterans 

Center for Integrative Pain Management (DVCIPM) at the Uniformed 

Services University of the Health 

Sciences (USU) seeks to better understand and treat specific pain-related issues that are affecting servicemembers and other wounded 

warriors. 

According to DVCIPM program director and USU professor, 

COL (ret) Chester “Trip” Buckenmaier, MD, the need to address pain 

issues with service members has 

been an important topic forged over 

the past 14 years of conflict in Iraq 

and Afghanistan.

“This organization got started shortly after the conflicts began 

as a way to improve the situation 

from a pain perspective for service 

members who were coming back,” 

he said.

Buckenmaier said he was 

receiving reports that wounded 

servicemembers were coming off 

the plane in agony early in the war. 

“That was very disturbing to me that 

that was an issue with a modern, 

21st century military,” he explained. 

“We knew we had some things that 

could help like regional anesthesia 

which blocks pain on certain parts 

of the body, so we used that where 

we thought that would be most useful.”

Buckenmaier continued 

that regional anesthesia, which is 

essentially local anesthetics (like 

novocaine at the dentist) delivered 

by needle next to nerves to block 

pain from a wound, helps many of 

the battlefield injuries we face today such as amputees who have lost 

limbs due to improvised explosive 

devices (IEDs). Morphine used to be 

the standard treatment for pain that 

goes back to the days of the Civil 

War. However, morphine treatment 

has side effects and limitations.

“Morphine has been the 

‘gold standard for so many years and 

is great in a static situation where 

the patient isn’t necessarily moving,” he said. “But, today’s battlefield 

treatment is about stabilizing the 

patient to move to the next level of 

treatment. Morphine is not the best 

treatment in the fast-paced environment of being shuffled through 

those many treatment levels, because one of the main draw-backs 

of Morphine is respiratory distress, 

and that may not be recognized 

through the busy treatment process.”

Part of the research at 

DVCIPM is determining how different treatments may work on different parts of the body. “Sometimes 

a regional anesthetic may work on a 

limb well, but won’t be the best option for a bullet wound to the stomach. Our organization has evolved 

from just focusing on regional anesthesia and started to understand 

that we had to have a broader understanding and influence in pain 

management in general.”

That desire for a broader pain-management organization 

didn’t happen overnight. “Initially, 

we didn’t have a home,” he said. “We 

didn’t have an organization that we 

really fell under. Luckily, [USU] recognized the importance of the program and took us on as one of their 

Centers. One of the requirements 

from USU was for us to seek status 

as a Defense Center of Excellence 

which provides oversight from a 

medical standpoint for the Military 

Health System.” He added that it 

was an easier process for them, because they were already a functioning organization. They have become 

the seventh Center of Excellence for 

pain. 

A focus of the organization has been the consequences 

of opioid-only pain treatments on 

wounded service members. We recognized that chronic pain was interfering with patient recovery and rehabilitation, particularly when pain 

treatments used a preponderance 

of opioids that interfered with the 

quality of life of the patient and also 

often lead to misuse and abuse.

The issue of opioids in 

America has become so pervasisve 

that President Obama has identified 

it as a national crisis and has charged 

federal medicine to recommend options to combat the wide-spread dependency that currently is gripping 

the country.

“I think it’s really telling that 

the military recognized this issue 

a decade ago,” Buckenmaier said. 

“We’ve developed new educational 

tools for the use of opioids, specifically. The DoD is also influencing 

the National Pain Strategy that will 

soon be released by NIH in response to the national pain crisis.”

Buckenmaier added that DVCIPM 

has teamed up with the VA to collaboratively work on mutual pain 

management issues. 

This effort began with the 

Pain Management Task Force. “It’s 

a Tri-service and VA initiative that 

came out in 2010,” he said. “I think 

it’s interesting that we started this a 

year before the Institute of Medicine 

See Pain page 5
5 the pulse March 14, 2016

Pain, from Page 4

(IOM) released their national report about the management of pain. 

Our report, along with the IOM’s, 

addressed the opioid-only medical 

treatment practice was not serving 

our pain patients and that we had 

to take a broader biopsychosocial 

perspective when dealing with pain 

patients and recognize that pain is a 

very complex problem and that it is 

a disease problem in and of itself.”

Buckenmaier pointed out 

that people have been hoping for a 

“magic pill” to help fix this problem.

“Treating Pain should actually be 

treated the same way as treating 

cancer,” he explained. “Just like 

treating cancer, you have to treat it 

from a multi-discipline, multi-drug 

approach. Pain is a fundamental 

sensation that we need for survival. 

Pain isn’t bad. It protects you. Acute 

pain, for example, helps you prevent 

the further injuring of yourself after an injury. However, if you have 

a body part that is blown off, your 

body isn’t really set up to deal with 

that, and that can lead to chronic 

pain and can become a lifetime debilitation. The importance of effective pain management in preventing 

the disease process of chronic pain 

was recognized by the Pain Management Task Force.”

Part of the Pain Task Force’s 

mission is to standardize and optimize pain management throughout 

the DoD. “We want to have people 

be able to go to a facility and receive the same standard-of-care 

they would receive anywhere else,” 

he said. “This effort really does require a cultural change in the way 

we do business. There are a lot of 

forces against this effort, because 

we are a consumerism society, and 

medicine is part of that. You’re 

bombarded by television ads, constantly by drug companies trying to 

sell you the next best drug to take 

care of an issue, and sometimes the 

issue is even made up to sell you 

their product. I’m not against drug 

companies. They are needed, but we 

can’t solve everything with a pill.” 

In this regard, Complementary and 

Integrative Medicine (acupuncture, 

massage, Yoga, etc.) are now seen as 

viable and underutilized adjuncts 

for effective pain care. 

To help measure pain, patients used to be asked what their 

pain intensity level was on a scale 

of one to ten. The focus on pain intensity is not enough to accurately 

assess and treat pain, Buckenmaier 

said. “We can get the servicemembers pain to zero, but then they may 

be on the couch with the TV on 

all day, drooling because they are 

on so many drugs. Is getting that 

zero pain level a success? The Pain 

Management Task Force said ‘no.' 

Getting the pain to zero should not 

be the only focus. We have a new 

Functional Pain scale called the Defense & Veterans Pain Rating Scale 

(DVPRS) that includes how the 

pain is impacting on key indicators 

of quality life like activity, sleep, 

stress, and mood. This scale focuses on the biopsychosocial impact of 

pain, thus providing a more detailed 

understanding of pain, particularly 

in relation to other common war issues like PTSD and traumatic brain 

injury. So, we also need to address 

the psychological state of the patient when dealing with pain. That’s 

a much greater challenge than just 

getting a patient’s pain level to zero.”

Along with DVPRS, 

DVCIPM has also developed another tool called The Pain Assessment 

Screening Tool and Outcomes Registry (PASTOR) which is a 15-20 

minute survey that produces a comprehensive three-page clinician report of a patient's chronic pain. The 

information obtained from DVPRS 

and PASTOR is stored and used by 

clinicians to study patient progress 

over time. 

Buckenmaier said he enjoys 

seeing the progress being made in 

pain management today. “Pain went 

from being treated as a symptom of 

an injury to an actual disease condition we see today,” he said. “We’ve 

developed a curriculum that can be 

used by every provider in the management of pain patients.”

He also added that they are 

indoctrinating other methods of 

pain management such as massage, 

acupuncture, yoga and physical 

therapy. “We were actually driven to 

study battlefield acupuncture from 

Special Forces medics who were using it in the field, which drove us to 

pay attention to this very effective 

modality.”

Buckenmaier explained that 

he feels the federal system of health 

may be in a better position to create models for pain treatment. “We 

don’t have the same financial pressures from insurance companies, 

pharmaceutical companies, and 

device makers like the civilian system does. It frees us up to focus on 

making those models of care that 

are best for patients. I think this is 

something that we will eventually be 

able to offer the civilian sector as the 

appropriate model of care, and this 

is how we will respond to the challenge presented by the CDC and the 

President to deal with this problem.”

Buckenmaier concluded by 

noting these initiatives toward pain 

management will continue to evolve 

in order to optimize the care available to service members and sustain 

the fighting strength of the military. 
6 the pulse March 14, 2016

By Sharon Holland

Dr. Irwin Lucki to lead Pharmacology, Molecular Therapeutics Dept.

Irwin Lucki, Ph.D., has been 

named as the new chair of the F. 

Edward Hébert School of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology 

and Molecular Therapeutics at the 

Uniformed Services University of 

the Health Sciences (USU). Previously, Lucki served as the director 

of the University of Pennsylvania’s 

Behavioral Psychopharmacology 

Laboratory. 

Lucki, a former professor in 

the Departments of Psychiatry and 

Pharmacology at Penn, was selected 

following an extensive nationwide 

search and began his new position 

March 7.

“Dr. Lucki brings an exciting 

new dimension to our basic science, applied research and graduate 

education programs,” said Arthur 

Kellermann, MD, MPH, dean of 

the Hébert School of Medicine at 

USU. “His successful recruitment 

represents another important milestone in the ongoing development 

and growing impact of ‘America’s 

Medical School’ and the Uniformed 

Services University of the Health 

Sciences.”

Lucki will play a pivotal role in 

both drug discovery and discernment of underlying mechanisms 

for the efficacy of pharmacological 

agents, with particular emphasis on 

findings that will improve the care 

of service members, their families 

and retirees. In addition, he will 

also oversee a newly-established 

radioprotectant division that will 

work collaboratively with scientists 

from USU’s Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute to develop 

effective and deployable agents to 

help protect and treat radiation-exposed service members and civilians.

Lucki earned his Ph.D. in biopsychology from the University of 

Iowa in 1979 and completed postdoctoral training in psychopharmacology at Penn from 1979-1982. 

In 1984, he was appointed assistant 

professor in the Departments of 

Psychiatry and Pharmacology at 

Penn. His research focuses on the 

investigation of neural mechanisms 

underlying the behavioral effects of 

psychiatric medications. Research 

in his laboratory focuses on the 

pharmacological effects of antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, 

and his research led to the development of vilazodone as a clinical 

antidepressant.

Lucki is a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and the American Psychological Association, and is the 

principal editor for Psychopharmacology and serves on the editorial 

boards for Neuropsychopharmacology, Journal of Psychopharmacology and Neurobiology of Stress.

Courtesy photo

AWARD from Page 2

ventive Medicine and the College,” 

said Elizabeth Tilson, MD, MPH, 

chair of the ACPM Awards Committee, in the award notification.

The Federal Preventive Medicine Medical Officer Award “recognizes a physician who, while in 

federal service, has distinguished 

himself or herself and the profession through his or her contributions to one or more of the fields 

of preventive medicine (Aerospace 

Medicine, Occupational Medicine, 

Preventive Medicine), resulting in 

significant and enduring improvements in the health of the population he or she serves,” according to 

the ACPM. 

Lushniak was nominated for 

the award based on his service to 

the nation as the acting Surgeon 

General of the United States prior 

to his arrival at USU.

“I am truly honored to receive 

this award from ACPM as recognition of my federal service and in 

working to expand the prevention 

message as acting U.S. Surgeon 

General,” said Lushniak. “After 27 

years as an officer in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public 

Health Service, I reflect on the 

importance of the mission of protecting, promoting, and advancing 

the health and safety of our nation. 

That mission continues for me as 

a professor and chair of Preventive 

Medicine at USU, as we prepare the 

next generation of federal health 

leaders.” 
7 the pulse March 14, 2016

serve in the United States military. 

As I look around today, I see the 

finest brigade in all of America. I 

see your sons and daughters who 

choose freely to serve. Thank you 

for allowing me to be part of your 

team. It’s up to you now to lead 

them and guide them. This is the 

finest brigade in the military health 

system. This is the capstone 

assignment.”

Following the reading of 

Col. Buller’s assumption of 

command orders, Buller gave 

his remarks. 

"Col. Glasz, your work 

here has been nothing short 

of spectacular," said Buller. "I 

have big shoes to fill. Through 

your example, your visiting 

senior leader forums and 

especially the shaping of the 

USU strategic framework, you have 

created an enduring roadmap that 

ensures the future leadership of the 

Military and Public Health System 

is ready. Thank you for your many 

contributions to the development 

of our students as leaders and for 

assisting me with my transition in. 

To the students in formation, the 

best and brightest our nation has 

to offer, you represent the future 

COC, from Page 3

Air Force Col. Kevin Glasz, is relieved of his duties as brigade commander of the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences 

(USU) by Army Col. Jerome Buller 

during the university's 11th brigade 

change of command ceremony at 

USU, March 4, 2016. (photos by 

Staff Sgt. Stephanie Morris) 

of the Military and Public Health 

systems and I would have to say, the 

future looks bright. You will, just 

as members of the military health 

system have since 1775, remain 

combat multipliers for combatant 

commanders and key enabler of 

our national security.”

Prior to his new role as USU's 

brigade commander, Buller served 

as the executive officer to the Surgeon General at the Office of the 

Surgeon General, US Army Medical Command, Washington, D.C. 

He is a fellow at American College 

of Healthcare Executives and the 

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology. He holds 

two masters degrees in national 

resource strategy and medical 

services management. He received 

his medical degree from Louisiana 

State University School of Medicine 

in New Orleans in 1994. 
8 the pulse March 14, 2016

Final Frame

Navy Capt. (Dr.) Barbara KnollmanRitschel was presented the USU 

Exceptional Service Medal by 

President Charles L. Rice, MD, and 

School of Medicine Dean Arthur L. 

Kellermann, MD, MPH, on March 3, 

2016. Knollman-Ritschel, an associate 

professor in the Department of Pathology, 

was awarded for her contributions as 

acting department chair from Jan. 2, 

2014 until Jan. 10, 2016. According to 

her award narrative, she "enhanced the 

department’s outstanding educational 

and research missions, led the critical 

foundational teambuilding that enabled 

an integration of the USU department 

with the Department of Pathology at the 

Walter Reed National Military Medical 

Center and the Joint Pathology Center 

and projected a most positive image of 

our medical school at a national level 

and beyond." (photo by Tom Balfour, 

photographer)

Navy Capt. (Dr.) Jeffrey Quinlan, 

associate professor of Family Medicine 

was called to serve as acting chair of 

the Department of Medical and Clinical 

Psychology from March 1, 2014 until 

Nov. 15, 2015. Quinlan was presented 

the USU Exceptional Service Medal 

at the University Council meeting 

on March 3, 2016, by USU President 

Charles L. Rice, MD, and School of 

Medicine Dean Arthur L. Kellermann, 

MD, MPH. According to the award 

narrative, "The department is much 

stronger and better positioned to make 

significant contributions to the science 

and practice of military psychology, the 

broader discipline of psychology, and 

the Nation’s health because of Capt. 

Quinlan’s unwavering dedication and 

leadership." (photo by Tom Balfour, 

photographer)