Uniformed Services University 

of the Health Sciences 

USU Newsletter 

WWW.USUHS.MIL APRIL 3, 2006 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 6 

In This Issue 

Integration....................1 

Spine Workshop............1 

White Coat Ceremony....2 

NNMC Honors ATL........2 

Local High School Students visit USU.............3 

Dive Lab.......................4 

USU Drivers..................5 

Look who’s Talking.......7 

Letter from the Editor.....7 

Letter to the editor.........7 

Calendar of Events...Back

Uniformed Services University 

of the Health Sciences 

WWW.USUHS.MIL JUNE 19, 2006 

 Integration and us 

 Integration was the focus as representatives 

from the National Capital Area Military Healthcare System met for a two-day integration conference last week at the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences (USU). 

 Col. Thomas Fitzpatrick, director of the Office of Integration, began the conference with 

a question: "Are you ready for the integration 

changes that are about to take place in the 

National Capital Area?" Colonel Fitzpatrick 

said he has heard a range of answers to this 

question when he's posed it in various forums. 

"This is never going to work," and "we can 

make the change when the time is right, like 

around 2010 or 2011," are a couple of responses he has heard. "Then there's another 

group that says, 'Change brings exciting things 

and I want to be part of it,'“ Colonel Fitzpatrick 

added. He said one of the objectives of last 

week's conference was to have attendees become "the keepers of change." He added that 

“the reason you're here is to help make change 

happen.” He called the conference attendees, 

most leaders in one capacity or another at 

their various institutions, "change leaders for 

integration." 

 Maj. Gen. Kenneth L. Farmer Jr., commander of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and North Atlantic Regional Medical Command, described the conference as a "cross 

pollination" of cultures. He reminded people 

that the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 

announcement of the formation of the Walter 

Reed National Military Medical Center had 

occurred a little more than a year ago, and 

that seven months ago the BRAC recommendation became law. General Farmer added 

that a lot of work has gone into the BRAC Business Plan for the NCA military health system. 

He said it is a $1.5 billion plan. He said the 

business plan calls for an approximate 870,000 

square-foot new hospital at Fort Belvoir, and 

about 800,000 square feet of new or totally 

renovated space on the campus now occupied 

by the National Naval Medical Center and USU 

in Bethesda. "I said back in the beginning - 

May 13, 2005, this is the right thing to do, and 

I still believe that," General Farmer went on. 

"I've also said, this is the right thing to do if we 

By Bernard S. Little 

Stripe Newspaper 

See INTEGRATION, page 6 

Summer begins

June 21!

USU hosts international spine workshop 

 Orthopaedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons 

from around the world converged on the Uniformed Services University of the Health 

Sciences recently for the 18th

Annual International Bethesda 

Spine Workshop. 

 The workshop, which is 

divided into three educational 

segments and is open to both 

civilian and military surgeons, 

is the world’s longest running 

spine course and offers handson instruction in peripheral 

nerve, cervical spine and thoraco-lumbar surgery in a 

unique cooperative educational forum. 

 Workshop Director Col. 

(Dr.) James Ecklund (’87), who 

is professor and chair of the 

Neurosurgical Program National Capital Consortium, 

explained that many of the 

world class faculty teaching 

the course are current as well 

as former military doctors. The 

workshop, he said, is a service 

to the military, not only in the 

training offered but in the 

development of faculty for 

military graduate medical education programs. 

 Dr. Ecklund said the Bethesda Spine Workshop differs 

from civilian offerings because 

it emphasizes basic principles 

and techniques for these types 

of spine surgeries. Instructors 

demonstrate the “latest and 

By Sharon Willis 

Contributing Writer 

USU alumni Dr. David Polly 

(left) (‘85) and Dr. Jim Ecklund 

(‘87) serve as directors for 

spine course. 

Photo by Sharon Willis 

See SPINE page 3 
PAGE 2 

Dr. Rice announces university 

reorganization

News 

USU Newsletter 

Editorial Staff 

Carol R. Scheman 

Vice President Office 

of External Affairs and 

Managing Editor 

Tech. Sgt. 

 André Nicholson 

Editor 

Mass Communications 

2rd Class 

Kory Kepner 

Assistant Editor and 

Staff Writer 

Mass Communications 

Seaman Apprentice 

Raul Zamora 

Staff Writer 

 

Sharon Willis 

Director 

Alumni Affairs and 

Contributing Writer 

Marla Wright 

Webmaster

 

Production: 

Editorial content is 

edited, prepared and 

provided by the USU 

Office of External Affairs unless otherwise 

indicated. The Newsletter staff may include 

or exclude articles 

based upon news 

value, impact on the 

university and space 

availability. 

Submissions: 

The USU Newsletter 

will be published biweekly on Mondays 

and deadline for submission is Friday at 4 

p.m. Submissions can 

be sent to usunewsletter@usuhs.mil or call 

301-295-3925. 

ATL Earns Civism Award 

Members from the Anatomical Teaching Laboratory (ATL) received the Civism Award at the Naval Postgraduate Dental School’s graduation held 

at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) June 

2. 

The Civism Award was presented to George 

Holborow, curator of the ATL, and the ATL staff 

who include HM1 Samuel McFall, HM3 Won Chang 

and Yolanda Cross. 

The ceremony began with music by the U.S. 

Marine Corps Band Ensemble and the U.S. Navy 

Sea Chanters. During the graduation several 

awards were received by students and different 

staff members. 

“I have never been to a naval dental school 

graduation,” Mr. Holborow said. “I was pleasantly 

surprised to find out that I had received the Civism 

Award. Even though the award was presented in 

my name, it was important to recognize the ATL 

staff. Without team effort the organization can’t go 

on.” 

The ATL staff earned the award for providing 

courses for the students two to three times a year. 

In the course, the ATL provides specimens, space 

and anything else that the dental officer staff and 

residents of the Naval Postgraduate Dental School 

and NNMC may need. 

“I really enjoyed working with the students,” 

Mr. Holborow said. “Without students or research, 

there would be no need for a university. If we keep 

training students better each time, they will be better practitioners.” 

The ATL has been helping the Naval Postgraduate Dental School since 1990. “It was surely a 

great moment for us, especially for Mr. Holborow,” 

HM3 Chang said. “Military personnel come and go 

all the time, but he's been doing this a long time.” 

“I came to USU in 1976,” Mr. Holborow said. 

“My first assignment here was to ‘build’ the ATL. I 

started working with anatomical labs 35 years ago 

at George Washington University, and I have been 

in USU for 30 years.” 

By MCSA Raul Zamora 

Staff Writer, Office of External Affairs 

(Left to right) HM3 Won Chang, ATL, George Holborow Anatomical Curator, ATL, and HM1 Samuel 

McFall, ATL, all received the Civism Award during the 

Naval Postgraduate Dental School graduation held at 

the National Naval Medical Center June 2. The members were recognized for their support of the residents course. 

 

Photo by MCSA Raul Zamora 

A symbol of the doctorpatient relationship

MS1 students receive their first white 

coat at the end of their first year here, during the White Coat Ceremony, June 1. The 

ceremony recognizes humanism, which is 

the relationship between a patient and 

doctor. 

We could hand out the white coats 

like license plates, but we don’t, and that’s 

because the doctor-patient relationship is 

a very unique and special one,” said Richard MacDonald, M.D., associate dean for 

Student Affairs, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. 

Photo by HM1 Jason Wright 
News 

PAGE 3 

Local high school creates friendship with USU 

The Uniformed Services University of the Heath Sciences 

(USU) hosted a group of students from the Friendship Edison Collegiate Academy (Friendship Charter High School) recently. 

Students from the leadership group at the high school visited 

USU to learn more about the medical career field. This is a group 

of prospective students who are preparing for professional careers 

ranging from performance arts, visual arts, broadcast journalism, 

network engineer, robotics, and medicine. 

“It is very encouraging to know that there are schools and 

clubs that make students feel special about their career choice,” 

said, Navy Capt. Cynthia Macri, vice president for Recruitment and 

Diversity. “We want them to aspire to become doctors.” 

The Friendship Charter School took a tour of the USU Anatomical Teaching Laboratory with Dennis Stutz, director of the 

Multi-Disciplinary Laboratory, then they went to the National Naval Medical Center where they talked to corpsmen, medical officers, and met with doctors on the job. 

The students are required to volunteer 120 hours of community service in order to graduate. “These kids want to volunteer 

their time at the Navy hospital” Captain Macri said. “They would 

not have another opportunity like this anywhere else.” 

The Friendship Charter High School, which opened in 2002, 

has four campuses that are located in the District of Columbia 

area. The school teaches students through uniquely designed 

assessment systems, interactive professional development, integrated use of technology and other program features. 

By MCSA Raul Zamora 

Staff Write, Office of External Affairs 

Photo by MCSA Raul Zamora 

Prospective students from the Friendship Edison Collegiate Academy, visit the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences 

to learn more about the medical career field. 

greatest” techniques and emerging technologies, but also recognize and discuss 

low tech solutions for use by deployed military surgeons and for underdeveloped 

countries when state-of-the-art equipment 

and tools are not available to them. The 

workshop is also unique, Dr. Ecklund said, 

because it is not sponsored by any one 

medical instrumentation company. An 

open invitation is issued and any interested 

company can bring its equipment to the 

course. Each participating company sets 

up a station where students rotate through 

and can thus make their own decisions on 

which tools work best for them. 

 This year ten different countries 

sent representatives to the workshop including the Netherlands, 

Turkey, Italy, Switzerland, England, 

Canada, Philippines, Japan, Dubai, 

and Lebanon. Dr. Ecklund said 

organizers “reached out” to Iraqi 

neurosurgeons, specifically inviting 

doctors from the Sunni, Shiite and Kurd 

communities. Unfortunately, none of them 

could get through State Department restrictions in time to attend, but they plan to 

participate in next year’s course. 

 The workshop lasted seven days. The 

first course was the peripheral nerve 

course, led by Neal J. Naff, M.D., assistant 

professor of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins 

University School of Medicine. The cervical 

spine course, directed by Maj. (Dr.) Michael 

Rosner and Dr. Stephen Ondra, followed. 

Col. (Dr.) Timothy Kuklo and Dr. David Polly 

(’85) served as course directors for the thoraco-lumbar course. Dr. Ecklund said 60 to 

70 percent of attendees take the cervical 

and thoraco-lumbar courses and about 20 

percent attend the entire workshop. A 

number of USU professors and alumni 

served as faculty members throughout the 

program. 

 “The workshop provides a win-win situation for the university,” said Dr. Ecklund. “It 

not only showcases the school, but also 

provides the university with the opportunity to contribute to broader military medicine.” 

 For USU alumnus Capt. (Dr.) Dennis 

Geyer (’00), the workshop provided an 

overview and refresher prior to starting his 

practice as an orthopaedic spine surgeon 

at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. Dr. Geyer anticipates being 

deployed in about a year and he believes 

the discussion about how management is 

different in an environment that is more 

resource constrained will be very beneficial 

to him in that situation. “It’s indispensable,” 

Dr. Geyer said of the training. 

 “This is a course that combines the 

teaching and history of spine surgery. We 

have added new techniques to keep civilian spine surgeons and, more importantly, military spine surgeons 

better informed and educated in a 

non-confrontational manner.” said 

Dr. Rosner. 

 “In my opinion, for private practice neurosurgeons, this is the best 

there is,” said Kaveh Khajavi, M.D., a 

course participant from the Neurosurgery Center in Decatur, Ga. “It’s not like 

a national meeting where some big spine 

guy gets up on stage and speaks and then 

there’s no discussion. This is very interactive. The big (faculty) names here inspire. 

They talk to me and all of the attendees. 

It’s very collegial.” 

SPINE from page one 

 

“The workshop provides a win-win situation for the 

university,” said Dr. Ecklund. “It not only showcases 

the school, but also provides the university with the 

opportunity to contribute to broader military medicine 
“This 

course allows the 

students 

to understand 

how the 

body behaves in 

extreme 

environments.” 

PAGE 4 

Cmdr. Rene 

Hernandez, 

U.S. Navy, 

Ph.D. 

Feature 

Military Applied 

Physiology Course puts 

words into practice 

 There are few medical schools, if any, that include 

spending the afternoon in a pool as part of their 

student curriculum. However, first year medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences (USU) get this opportunity as part of 

their Military Applied Physiology Course. 

 The course is part of the students Military Studies I 

curriculum, which falls under the Department of 

Military and Emergency Medicine. The Military Applied Physiology Course Director is Cmdr. Rene Hernandez, U.S. Navy, who holds a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology, and has a background in undersea medicine. 

 “This course allows the students to understand 

how the body behaves in extreme environments,” 

Commander Hernandez explained. “The feedback 

from the students so far has been great. The labs 

provide the students with the opportunity to experience first-hand what they’ve been taught in class 

and how it actually applies in these environments.” 

 The course extends from April through early June 

and the curriculum includes subjects such as physiology of the battlefield, foot care, immersion hypothermia, blast injury, performance at altitude, lightning 

and electrical injury, and women’s health in the field, 

to name a few. Commander Hernandez invites visiting instructors with a wide range of experience to 

teach the students. The instructor who teaches microgravity, for example, is himself a former astronaut. Col. Jim Bagian, MC, U.S. Air Force Reserve, 

who has been a NASA physician and astronaut on 

two Space Shuttle missions, an Air Force flight surgeon with the elite pararescue jumpers, an engineer 

with the Navy and the Environmental Protection 

Agency and currently works for the Veterans Administration for patient safety. Another instructor is 

retired Rear Adm. Alan Steinman, M.D., MPH, U.S. 

Public Health Service, who teaches immersion hypothermia. He has participated in numerous life-saving 

medical evacuations of injured merchant seaman 

and fishermen during his 25 years of service in the 

Coast Guard and Public Health Service. 

 The students attend three separate laboratories: 

Litter Course, Exercise Physiology, and Diving Physiology. The Litter Course and the Diving Physiology 

Labs are completely run by MEM enlisted staff members along with assistance from volunteer staff members from other departments. The students also have 

the option of visiting the U.S. Air Force and Navy 

Altitude Labs. 

 The overall objective of the Diving Physiology 

Laboratory, for example, is to familiarize students 

with the unique aspects of the underwater environment and its impact on physiologic function. 

 Some of the things students should learn and 

experience in the lab are: the effect of cold water 

immersion on the cardiovascular system; the effects 

of very cold water on manual dexterity; how visual 

perception is different underwater; and how sound 

propagation and hearing is different underwater. 

 The students rotate through five stations in 

groups of four and are given specific instructions on 

what they will or should experience at each station. 

 Commander Hernandez points out that this lab is 

relevant because, for example, any one can suffer 

from hypothermia in any body of water within the 

continental United States if they’re immersed for a 

lengthy period of time. The lab provides these future 

physicians with an understanding of how the body 

reacts to different environments. The Military Applied Physiology Course overall gives the students an 

experiential understanding of the human body’s 

response to environmental stressors so they will be 

better prepared to treat patients, advise line commanders and take care of their troops on the battlefield. 

By Tech. Sgt. André Nicholson 

NCOIC, Office of External Affairs 

Tech. Sgt. Shannon Beach, U.S. Air Force, assists an 

MS1 student during the Immersed Lung Station. This 

station helps the student feel the effect of immersion 

on the cardiovascular system. 

Photo by Tech Sgt. Andre Nicholson 
PAGE 5 

Feature 

Driving smoothly along...

There is a group of people working at the university who 

quietly go about their business to ensure people and parcels get 

to the places they need to be. 

 The Administrative Support Division (ASD) staff at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) provides 

many services that the university needs in order to function. 

 “We have many people on our staff who perform a variety of 

duties but there is one group of men who interact with the USU 

community and public on a daily basis,” said Karen Moore, support services deputy director. 

 A staff of eight men handles some of these duties, such as driving senior leaders to different locations around the District of Columbia and delivering mail around the university. 

 “All of the mail that comes to the university is handled and 

managed by us, it’s a job that has to be done,” said Eugene 

Holmes, who is the most tenured of the staff with 17 years . We 

handle hundreds of pieces of mail every day.” 

 “We also have to drive a lot because in some places you just 

can’t find parking or people are not from the area, they don’t 

want to get lost and they have appointments to keep,” Melvin 

Dunn said. “It’s best to schedule a driver ahead of time but things 

are always popping up so we are always on call.” 

 Marvin Jones added that they also handle Army Post Office 

and Foreign Post Office packages that go overseas. “If a package 

is overweight we have to make sure it has a customs slip on it so 

the inspectors know what’s in it and it doesn’t get held up. It’s 

important that all mail goes out promptly and efficiently.” 

 Mr. Dunn said that the staff does its best to be dependable and 

reliable but things don’t always go as planned. He recalls an incident in February 1995 when he had only been working at USU 

for a couple of days when a request that Dr. James Zimble, President Emeritus, needed a ride to the Pentagon. Mr. Dunn dutifully 

answered the call and they started on their way. As the drive progressed Dr. Zimble asked, “Son, where are you taking me?” 

 “I made a left when I should have gone straight sir,” was Mr. 

Dunn’s reply. 

 Dr. Zimble showed him the proper way to get to the Pentagon 

and he made his meeting on time. While Mr. Dunn wasn’t barred 

from driving Dr. Zimble -- he wasn’t requested either. 

 Because of the nature of their jobs the ASD staff interacts with 

just about everyone at USU. 

 “I enjoy my job, we get to meet – and interact – with just about 

everyone in the university,” Karen Moore said. “We make it a priority to become familiar with the names and faces of the people in 

the USU community because if something comes in for someone 

we need to know who they are and where we can find them.” 

 Danny Ly added some people are constantly moving so it’s 

easier just to know who the person is rather than knowing a room 

number. 

 One downside the drivers mentioned was that they have to 

drive in adverse road conditions and sometimes people are impatient. They all mentioned that they don’t always know about road 

closings, accidents or if the weather has traffic backed up. Their 

customers are important to them and the safety of everyone has 

to come first. 

 “We are given a time to leave and we are always there at that 

time, we are extremely dependable,” Jerome ‘The Enforcer’ Hall 

said. “People need to understand that things happen and that 

they get out of our control. We try to do everything we can to 

make sure people are where they need to be, and on time.” 

 However, there are perils to being on the road and sometimes 

just plain weird things happen during their driving runs. 

 “One time, Patricia Hinton Walker, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, professor 

and former dean Graduate School of Nursing, and I were coming 

back from a meeting and someone, who was talking to himself, 

jumped out in front of the car and I had to slam on the brakes. 

She was scared to death,” Mr. Holmes said. “It was rather amusing 

to me... then, a little further down the road a guy carrying a tree 

ran out in front of us. Who runs across the street with a tree? It 

was just a strange day.” 

 ASD also provides senior oversight for the university’s Equal 

Employment Opportunity program; provides professional travel 

services and serves as the Contracting Officer's Representative for 

the Commercial Travel Office; serves as the Records Management 

Office, developing and maintaining a standard university filing 

system; receives, sorts, meters, and distributes U.S. and in-house 

mail; provides transportation services and arranges for courier 

deliveries; collects, maintains, and distributes federal, DOD, and 

university instructions, manuals and other publications; duplicates 

or arranges for the professional printing of material; provides copier management and engraving services; publishes and distributes 

the university's personnel locator; provides and maintains pager 

services; acquires, develops, and maintains federal, DOD, and university forms; provides information for the university instruction 

web page; provides the university's telephone listing for the DOD 

personnel locator. 

 The Administrative Support Division reports to the Vice President for Finance and Administration. 

By MC2 Kory Kepner 

Staff Writer, Office of External Affairs 

(Left to right )back row – Eugene Holmes, Danny Ly, Marvin 

Jones, Rolando Eustaquio, George Hardy. Front Row – Jerome 

‘The Enforcer’ Hall, Melvin Dunn. Not Pictured is Trenton Barnes. 

Photo by MC2 Kory Kepner 
News 

PAGE 6 

Integration 

do it right and I believe our BRAC 

Business Plan will provide us the 

resources to accomplish that 

goal.” 

 "An awful lot of work has also 

been done concerning integration," General Farmer said. "I suspect we are further along with 

integration than a lot of people 

thought we would be, and probably not as far along as others 

might have hoped that we would 

be." 

 General Farmer explained, "My 

colleague, Rear Adm. Adam Robinson, National Naval Medical 

Center commander, has said, 'If 

we build the right building and do 

not get the right people together 

in the right way, we will fail. If we 

get the right people together in 

the right way but we don't build 

the right building, we will adjust." 

 General Farmer said he agrees 

with this sentiment. He added 

that last week's conference wasn't 

about the buildings, but about the 

people who will occupy those 

buildings - "the people organization." He said integration is about 

"the now and then.” “I have said 

all along that we're going to functionally integrate long before we 

co-locate, and we have already 

begun that integration.” 

 General Farmer continued, 

quoting Admiral Robinson, 

"Walter Reed is closing, and after a 

pause, so is the National Naval 

Medical Center.” He was spot-on 

right," General Farmer said. In 

conclusion, General Farmer said 

functional integration is moving 

from "us vs. them to us. It means 

we become us." 

 Adm. Robinson said he views 

integration success as cultural 

integration between all the 

healthcare systems in the National 

Capital Area (NCA). 

 "The key to success of cultural 

integration is clinical integration," 

he added. "The key to clinical integration is integration of orthopedics, internal medicine and general surgery," 

 He explained that most other 

clinical services are integrated in 

the NCA. "When orthopedics, 

internal medicine and general 

surgery rise up in a new institution, which is neither Bethesda 

nor Walter Reed, then we're going 

to be able to go forward to get to 

the next point," Admiral Robinson 

said. 

 The admiral urged people to 

venture into the "threshold of the 

great unknown," but cautioned 

people "not to leave the best of 

the old behind." 

 Charles L. Rice, M.D. USU president, said being an academic 

medical center means providing 

not only clinical care, but also education and research. He explained 

that in Plato's "Republic," the philosopher says one of the principle 

responsibilities of the state is the 

education of the next generation. 

Dr. Rice said our integration activities in the NCA are fulfilling that 

responsibility. Dr. Rice said he 

views success as having the right 

leadership and people in place, 

regardless of the organizational 

structure of the institute. 

 "Our objective here is to be 

sure, as we choose people for 

leadership positions, whether it's 

for clinic chiefs, department chairs 

or nursing leaders, we have the 

right person who has the ability to 

balance the three principle requirements that we have - clinical 

care of the first quality; education 

of the next generation; and research to address the unsolved 

questions that confront the population we serve," Dr. Rice said. 

 Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Travis, 

commander of the 79th Medical 

Wing headquartered at Malcolm 

Grow Medical Center, Andrews 

Air Force Base, said success to him 

is the "vision of one unified NCA 

military health-care system. That 

in my mind says it all." He added 

that the Air Force will stay strong 

and be an active player in the 

integration process. 

 Navy Capt. Richard Stolz, from 

the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, said all of the military healthcare systems in the NCA have a 

rich history of at least 60 years or 

more and integration may be difficult for some people. "We've been 

in competition with each other. 

Competition can be healthy, but 

in some kinds of competition 

when one team wins and the 

other loses, it can be easy to project false negatives on the competitor. This can become an obstacle when those two teams are 

asked to work side by side.” 

 The second day of the offsite 

was devoted to developing action 

plans designed to accomplish integration of the NCA military treatment facilities. After hearing the 

outbriefings of the action plans, 

the Flag Officers presented their 

vision for the military health system in the National Capital Area. 

 “We envision and are committed to one integrated National 

Capital Area military health care 

system,” Capt. Stolz said The TriService Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda 

will lead the integrated NCA military health care system. The NCA 

integrated military health care 

system, together with the Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences will be a worldwide military medical referral center. This premier academic medical center will focus on the highest quality care, distinguished 

health professions education, and 

exemplary clinical and translational research.” 

 Concluding the integration 

conference, General Farmer 

added, “You are ‘our’ leadership 

team. You can reach out and pull 

others in and I strongly encourage 

you to do so. 

INTEGRATION, from page 1 
As the little ones are 

growing up it’s important to teach them 

things about cleanliness that they can use 

throughout their lives 

to help them and others stay healthy. 

 One of the simplest, and most important, is washing their 

little wings and little webbed feet (for you, 

your hands). Many germs are transmitted 

through improper hygiene. The transmission of disease is easier than you might 

think. Take the simple act of picking up a 

pen. You don’t know where it has been, 

who had it last, or what it rolled into under 

the desk. As George Costaza (Seinfeld) 

knows, it’s been flagged! You pick it up, bite 

the end of it, rolled in around your fingers 

and then touch your mouth or rub your 

nose. Congratulations! You have just contaminated yourself. 

 Here are just a few examples of when 

you should wash your hands: before and 

after contact with a person with whom you 

treated for first aide injuries; before and 

after shift at work; before and after you 

have cleaned bottles, tubing and water 

containers; before and after cleaning up 

treatment areas, trash, and basins; before 

and after you put on gloves; and last but 

not least, whenever you use the restroom 

ALWAYS wash your hands thoroughly! 

 When running around during a hectic 

day it’s easy to forget the simple things that 

can keep everyone healthy and productive. 

‘Honk’ if you live healthy! 

 Sincerely, Gracie the Gray Goose

Letter 

to the 

editor 

Look Who’s Talking... If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?

PAGE 7 

Audrey Hepburn- “A 

highly successful 

actress from Holland 

was aided by UNICEF as a child, later 

she devoted five 

years to humanitarian work with UNICEF until her death 

in 1993.” 

Karen Elberson, 

Ph.D., associate 

dean, GSN 

"My wife, it's self 

explanatory. I 

wouldn't want to 

have dinner with 

anyone else in the 

world." 

Alan Dieringer, 

Finance 

Condoleeza Rice-”She 

has accomplished so 

much. She speaks five 

languages, entered college at 15, graduated at 

19, and has become the 

second woman to hold 

the position of Secretary 

of State.” 

Capt. Michelle Glenn, 

Army Company Commander, SOM 

 As with any new publication, there 

are bound to be questions about policies and procedures. In this letter I 

hope to shed some light on some 

questions that have been brought to 

my attention such as the submission of 

articles, deadline dates, and writing 

style. 

 Some people might be under the 

impression that newspapers, magazines, and newsletters such as 

the USU Newsletter, don’t have specific rules and regulations to 

follow. But contrary to popular belief, there are. 

 The staff in the Office of External Affairs who produce the biweekly newsletter, adhere to the Associated Press Stylebook for 

writing clarification. This manual provides a uniform presentation 

of the printed word, to make a story written anywhere understandable everywhere. It is an eclectic source of information for 

writers and editors of any publication. 

 From this manual, each editorial staff can and should develop 

their own specific editorial policy document that is more conducive to their place of business. That document should include 

things such as submission deadlines, article placement, use of electronic images, and article coordination. 

 As for the university’s newsletter, which is published bi-weekly 

on Mondays, anyone who would like to submit an article can do 

so by e-mailing it to usunewsletter@usuhs.mil. Articles need to be 

received by Friday at 4 p.m. a week before the scheduled publication date of the newsletter. For example, today’s newsletter, 

which was published June 19 had to have all articles submitted 

Friday a week prior, which was June 9. 

 Some articles that are submitted require a rewrite by our staff 

to put into the correct format. We do not change article content, 

just the format in order to make all writing consistent and understandable by our audience, which includes faculty, staff, students, 

spouses, and visitors who might just be looking to find out information about the university. 

 Articles should have a tie to the university or the people who 

make up the university. It is not a publication to market personal 

business endeavors. As the editor, and with the guidance of the 

managing editor, it is my job to screen articles and photos to ensure they meet the standards of good taste and are grammatically 

correct. 

 Since the USU Newsletter is not the size of most newspapers, 

we do not have the space to publish articles that are extensive in 

length. Articles should be between 500 – 750 words (or 1 1⁄2 - 3 

pages single spaced), 12 point, times new roman, in a standard 

Microsoft word document. 

 The newsletter staff strives to present the newsletter in a professional, but creative manner, while following the rules of layout/

design. 

 We are open to suggestions about the newsletter and are always 

looking for contributing writers and ideas for news articles. 

Letter 

from the 

editor 

Air Force Tech Sgt. André Nicholson 
PAGE 8 

USU Calendar of Events 

18 19 20 21 

Toastmasters Meeting 

Room A2052 

Noon –1 p.m. 

22 

Grand Rounds 

“What's expected of 

good teachers?” 

9 a.m. - noon 

Room A2015 

23 

Dept. of Medicine Research Seminar 

To be announced presented by Dr. Matthew 

Pollack 

8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Room A2053 

24 

25 26 27 

Grand Rounds 

‘Survey Research 

Methods” 

1 - 2:30 p.m. 

Rm A2054 

28 

Toastmasters Meeting 

AFFRI Small 

Conference Room 

Noon –1 p.m. 

29 

 

 

 

 

30 

The next issue of the 

USU Newsletter will 

be published June 30 

due to the Holiday 

weekend. Please 

have submissions in 

by 4 p.m. June 23. 

The following issue 

will not be published 

until Aug. 7 due to 

Operation Bushmater/Kerskesner commitments. 

 

1 2 3 4 5 

A/O Department 

Representative Meeting. Time: 11 a.m. 

Place: Lecture Room B. 

USU Toastmasters 

Meeting. 

Time: noon -1p.m. 

Place: USU Campus, 

Room A2052. 

6 7 

8 9 

 

10 

Biodos EPR-2006: 2nd 

International Conference on Biodosimetry 

and 7th International 

Symposium on EPR 

Dosimetry and Applications July 10 -13 

Sanford Auditorium. 

11 

 

12 

USU Toastmasters 

Meeting at AFRRI. 

Time: noon -1p.m. 

Place: AFRRI Small 

Conference Rm. 

 

 

 

13 14 

June 

July

Happy Father’s 

Day! 

Happy 4th 

of July