In This Issue 

HQ Company COC.........................2 

New GSN Acting Dean.................3 

MLK Jr. Celebration........................3 

Mirror Therapy.................................4 

Profile: 2d Lt Lisa Dang.................5 

GSN NA Class of 2007..................5 

USU Briefs.........................................7 

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 WWW.USUHS.MIL JANUARY 22, 2008 

USU Newsletter 
 

Carol R. Scheman 

Vice President for 

External Affairs and 

Managing Editor 

Tech. Sgt. 

André Nicholson 

Editor 

Mass Communications 

Specialist Third Class 

Jeffrey Hopkins 

Assistant Editor 

Mass Communications 

Specialist 

Seaman 

Raul Zamora 

Assistant Editor 

 

Marla Wright 

Webmaster 

Publishing 

USU Duplicating Office

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. 

PAGE 2 

Cover Photo by 

HM2 Michael Oliver 

USU Newsletter 

Editorial Staff 

 The hails and farewells of any military command 

are bittersweet; with the sorrowful departure of a 

friend comes the excitement of an incoming one. 

The Uniformed Services University of the Health 

Sciences (USU) recently bid farewell to its Headquarters Company commander in a ceremony Jan. 

11. 

 With the departure of Capt Timothy Gerlach, 

USMC, the responsibility for Headquarters Company personnel has been transferred to COL John 

Wempe, MC, USA, USU Brigade Commander, until 

a suitable replacement for Gerlach can be found. 

 Dr. Charles Rice, university president, thanked 

Gerlach for his years of service to both the USU 

Headquarters Company and the U.S. Marine Corps. 

He remarked upon Gerlach’s strong sense of pride, 

and commended him for his participation in seven 

operations Bushmaster, sharing his immense experience with more than 800 medical students. 

 Gerlach said his time as company commander 

gave him a strong idea of the work ethic and intelligence of the U.S. military’s enlisted corps, and that 

it was an experience he won’t soon forget. 

 “It was fun working for the brigade, and now I 

feel more of an appreciation towards the enlisted 

service members,” he said. “I learned a lot about 

their culture. It was my great pleasure to work with 

them, and it will be something that I will treasure 

for a long time.” 

 Gerlach was 

then awarded the 

Defense Meritorious Service Medal 

for his invaluable 

service to the USU 

Brigade. 

 In conjunction 

with the change of 

command ceremony, a change of 

responsibility also 

took place, as SFC 

Donald Peña, 

USA, passed the 

position of brigade Senior 

Enlisted Leader on 

to HMCM Clinton 

A. Garrett, USN. 

 Garrett has served more than 24 years in the 

U.S. Navy in various roles, including director for the 

Health Resources Management Course at the Naval 

School of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., and 

Navy senior enlisted leader at Headquarters, U.S. 

Marine Corps in Washington, DC. 

 During the ceremony Garrett remarked that he 

was eager to assume responsibility of the position, 

and thanked Peña for his service to the brigade. 

USU Bids Farewell to its Lone Marine, 

Welcomes new Senior Enlisted Leader 

By MCSN Raul Zamora 

Assistant Editor, Office of External Affairs 

Photo by HM2 Michael Oliver 

From left to right: SFC Donald Peña, USA, outgoing Senior Enlisted Leader; HMCM Clinton A. Garrett, 

USN, incoming SEL; COL John Wempe, MC, USA, USU Brigade Commander; Capt Timothy Gerlach, 

USMC, outgoing Headquarters Company Commander; and Dr. Charles L. Rice, University President, 

stand at attention while the citation for Capt Gerlach is read. 

Photo by HM2 Michael Oliver 

COL John Wempe, MC, USA, 

congratulates Capt. Tim Gerlach, USMC, on his Defense 

Meritorious Service Medal. 

See COMMAND, page 6 
PAGE 3 

 The Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences (USU) celebrated Martin 

Luther King, Jr. day during a ceremony Jan. 

14. 

 The keynote speaker, Dr. Clifford L. 

Stanley, a retired Marine Corps major general, gave a speech entitled “Remember! 

Celebrate! Act! A day on... Not a day off,” 

 Stanley spoke of his experiences during 

the times when America was slowly abolishing segregation. 

 “It was a different time,” he said. “I remember almost as if it were yesterday 

when Glen Echo Park was integrated; 

when that happened, it didn’t stay open 

long. They closed it because they didn’t 

want people like me there.” 

 “It didn’t traumatize me; it was just the 

way it was,” he said. 

 Stanley’s parents sent him and his siblings to South Carolina each summer to 

work on a farm, cropping tobacco for minimum wages. He said it taught him a lot 

about segregation, and he and his siblings 

had to go to Atlantic Beach rather than 

Myrtle Beach, due to racial restraints. 

 “At that time I remember we didn’t 

care,” he said. “We had more fun than at 

Myrtle, it was a better beach.” 

 Stanley said his family believed firmly in 

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s tenants, in particular, that individual worth is not determined 

by a person’s social status, race, or achievements; that no person is better than another. 

 “I had a family that believed firmly that 

no one was any better than anyone else,” 

Stanley said. “If you acted to the contrary, 

they would remind you very 

quickly. There 

was something 

about that, that 

was very grounding. I remember 

on one occasion 

looking at another kid who 

was different 

than me in some 

way, and laughing, and my 

mother saying something 

about ‘slapping 

the taste out of 

my mouth.’” 

 Stanley also 

spoke of another of King’s tenants, the concept of “one nation,” and cited the employ 

of African American troops during the 

American Revolutionary war as an example. 

USU Celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 

By MC3 Jeff Hopkins 

Assistant Editor, Office of External Affairs 

 With the departure of the Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences’ (USU) acting dean of the Graduate School of 

Nursing (GSN,) a familiar face has stepped up to the challenge 

and responsibility of the education of the military’s top nurses in 

that position. 

 COL Bruce A. Schoneboom, CRNA, Ph.D., AN, USA, has served 

the university in a variety of roles, including research director for 

the Nurse Anesthesia Program, department chair for the GSN, and 

vice dean of the GSN. With retired BG William Bester’s resignation 

from acting dean in December, Schoneboom has agreed to take 

on the role of acting dean until a replacement is found. 

 An alumnus of the university’s neuroscience and graduate education programs, Schoneboom said he’s eager to take on this 

leadership role. 

 “It’s exciting and challenging to be the acting dean of the 

GSN,” he said. “It’s certainly an honor to be in a position to lead in 

a school like this.” 

 Schoneboom said interesting and effective changes are on the 

way for the GSN, to include new programs. 

 “To be an effective organization change has to occur, and 

there are certainly things that will continue to change within the 

GSN,” he said. “The new Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program will matriculate students this summer.” 

 Schoneboom’s new responsibilities will include active participation as a part of the university president’s cabinet, and to work 

with the Federal Nursing Service Chiefs to ensure the quality and 

scope of the new GSN programs will meet the standards of the 

services. He said the responsibility and challenges of the position 

are much larger than those he’s faced in former positions, but that 

he’s ready and eager to take on both. 

 “It’s certainly a larger administrative role than what 

I’ve been in before,” he said. “I 

already had an idea what to 

expect, but you never know 

what it’s like until you’re actually experiencing it. General 

Bester and I worked hard in 

making sure the transition 

would go smoothly when he 

departed. When a permanent 

dean is found, I will go back 

to my previous assignment as 

the vice dean.” 

 Schoneboom said he’s continually impressed with the 

ways in which the university 

continues to progress and 

change for the better, from 

the campus structure, to the 

programs through which the 

students are educated. 

 “The two words that come to mind when I think of the progress USU has made from when I was a graduate student until 

now are ‘bigger and better,’” he said. “This place is very special; 

both the School of Medicine and the GSN have grown in terms of 

size and the programs they offer. The research conducted here is 

very exciting, in terms of improving the health of the nation, and 

particularly the uniformed services. The educational programs are 

top notch, many with high national rankings. It’s an honor to be 

serving this university, and hopefully I’ll be around for a few more 

years, continuing to serve and lead.” 

Graduate School of Nursing Receives New Acting Dean 

By MCSN Raul Zamora 

Assistant Editor, Office of External Affairs 

COL Bruce A. Schoneboom, 

CRNA, Ph.D., AN, USA 

Acting Dean, Graduate School of 

Nursing 

Photo by HM2 Michael Oliver 

See KING, page 6 

“I had a family that believed firmly 

that no one was any better than 

anyone else,” Stanley said. “If you 

acted to the contrary, they would 

remind you very quickly.” 

 Dr. Clifford L. Stanley 

Dr. Clifford L Stanley, 

MajGen, USMC, retired, 

president, Scholarship 

America 
 Congratulations to the following USU alumni, assigned faculty and students who were recently selected for promotion to 

either Colonel or Major, U.S. Army, in the Medical Corps, Nurse 

Corps, Medical Specialist Corps, or Medical Service Corps. 

Major, Medical Service Corps, U.S. Army - 

Jeffery Scott Hogue - Faculty, USU Department of Military and 

Emergency Medicine 

Major, Medical Specialist Corps, U.S. Army - 

Colleen A. Daniels - MPH class of 2004, Asst. Chief, Occupational 

Therapy, NNMC 

Major, Nurse Corps, U.S. Army - 

Michael W. Bentley - current student, Neuroscience Graduate Program, SOM 

Daniel A. Blaz - GSN class of 2006, Nurse Practitioner 

Jessica M. Counts - GSN class of 2006, Nurse Practitioner 

Brad E. Franklin - GSN class of 2007, Nurse Practitioner 

Stacey S. Freeman - GSN class of 2007, Perioperative Clinical Nurse 

Specialist 

Gregory L. Lara - GSN class of 2007, Perioperative Clinical Nurse 

Specialist 

Robert P. Long - GSN class of 2007, Nurse Anesthesia 

Colonel, Medical Corps, U.S. Army -

David M. Benedek - Class of 1991 and Faculty, USU Department of 

Psychiatry 

Steven J. Brewster - Class of 1991, Family Medicine/Preventive 

Medicine 

Arthur B. Chasen - Class of 1992, Surgery 

Kenneth H. Cho - Class of 1991, Radiology 

Paul Duch - Class of 1989, Family Medicine 

Robert V. Gibbons - MPH Class of 1997, Armed Forces Research 

Institute of Medical Sciences, Thailand 

Jess A. Graham - Class of 1990, Nuclear Medicine 

Kurth W. Grathwohl - Class of 1991, Anesthesiology 

Eric R. Helling - Class of 1991, Otolaryngology 

Ronald P. King - Class of 1990, Aerospace Medicine 

Andrew J. Kosmowski - Class of 1991, Emergency Medicine 

Dale H. Levandowski - Class of 1997, Psychiatry 

Michael D. Lewis - Faculty, USU Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics 

Kenneth K. Lindell - Class of 1994, Radiology 

Eric T. Lund - Class of 1990, Preventive Medicine 

Christian Macedonia - Class of 1992, Obstetrics/Gynecology 

M. Shaun Machen - Class of 1992, Orthopaedics 

Albert J. Martins - Class of 1986, Neurology 

Carol A. Moores - Class of 1991, Family Medicine

Kelly A. Murray - Class of 1992, Family Medicine 

Patrick G. O’Malley - Faculty, USU Department of Medicine 

Daniel E. Parks - Class of 1992, Family Medicine 

Paul F. Pasquina - Class of 1991, Physical Medicine and Rehabiliation 

Kris A. Peterson - Class of 1991, Psychiatry 

Michael L. Place - Class of 1991, Family Medicine 

Mark M. Reeves - Class of 1991, Family Medicine 

Daniel J. Schissel - Class of 1993, Dermatology 

Eric E. Shuping - Class of 1991, Family Medicine 

Alexander Stojadinovic - Class of 1991, Surgery 

Michael Sundborg - Class of 1994, Obstetrics and Gynecology 

Donald Taillon - Class of 1991, Pathology 

Kenneth Trzepkowski - Class of 1991, Family Medicine 

Manuel Valentin - Class of 1991, Aerospace Medicine 

David P. Vetter - Class of 1994, Medicine 

Paul W. Whitecar - Class of 1991, Obstetrics and Gynecology 

R. Kevin Winkle - Class of 1991, Ophthalmology 

PAGE 4 

USU Alumni, Faculty, and Student promotions, MAJ and COL, USA 

Mirror Therapy Helps Relieve Amputee Soldiers of Phantom Limb Pain 

 CDR Jack Tsao, MC, USN, looks on as SGT Nicholas Papoure, USA, demonstrates mirror therapy, a therapeutic technique designed 

to aid in the relief of phantom limb pain, a condition suffered by many amputee patients. Phantom limb pain manifests as a painful or 

uncomfortable feeling in an amputated limb, which the patient’s brain insists is still attached. Through the use of a mirror, Paupore is 

able to visualize flexing his missing limb, which helps alleviate the pain. CDR Tsao, an assistant professor of neurology at USU, recently 

published the results of his study entitled “Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain” in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Photo by MC3 Jeff Hopkins Photo by MC3 Jeff Hopkins 
PAGE 5 

GSN Nurse Anesthesia Class of 2007 Graduates 

 Students of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ (USU) Graduate School of Nursing (GSN) Nurse Anesthesia 

Program, Class of 2007, graduated at their respective phase II training sites Dec. 7. Clockwise from top left: Lt Col Adrienne Hartgerink, 

USAF, CRNA, program director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program was keynote speaker for the Navy students’ graduation ceremony 

aboard the USS Midway in San Diego; COL Bruce Schoneboom, USA, CRNA, Ph.D., and Dr. Roopa Biswas present the Program Research Award to graduate CPT Robert Long, USA, during the Army’s graduation ceremony at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; Public Health Service graduate LCDR Jay Bryngelson received the Agatha Hodgins Award for overall excellence during the Public Health 

graduation ceremony; and Dr. Charles Rice presented Capt Kristine Willingham, USAF (third from the right), with the Board of Regents 

Award during the Air Force graduation ceremony at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. 

 It may not take a rocket scientist to be a physician, but it could 

certainly help, and one student at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) fits that description. 

 2d Lt Lisa Dang, MC, USAF, a Los Angeles, Calif., native has 

worked for five companies in the space-propulsion industry, and 

holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Michigan Institute of Technology, as well as a Master 

of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the California 

Institute of Technology. She says her inherent curiosity and thrillseeking nature pulled her towards the study of aerospace engineering. 

 “I love math and science,” she said. “I like to build things, and 

have always been fascinated by science and biology, as well as 

the thought of exploring the new frontier of space. What’s cooler 

than going into space or riding in fighter jets?” 

 Dang said her love of math and science stemmed from her 

childhood, in which she had very little exposure to the English 

language. 

 “My family didn’t speak English, so 

humanities and social studies were a 

problem for me, and I ended up picking 

up on math and science instead,” she 

said. “My parents immigrated to America 

from Vietnam, and their parents had 

immigrated to Vietnam from China; I 

was the first of my family to be born in 

America.” 

 Dang added that her pride of being a 

first-generation American was a major 

factor in her decision to join the U.S. 

military. 

 “I’ve always wanted to serve,” she 

said. “I feel a sense of pride when it 

comes to being part of this country. It’s done a lot for my family; as 

we are immigrants, it sort of defines the American dream. I was 

Student Profile: 2d Lt Lisa Dang, SOM Class of 2011 

By MC3 Jeff Hopkins 

Assistant Editor, Office of External Affairs 

2d Lt Lisa Dang, USAF, 

 SOM Class of 2011 

See DANG, page 6 
PAGE 6 

interested in becoming an astronaut, so the Air Force or the Navy 

were ideal choices.” 

 After completing her bachelor, Dang took a year off to work, 

during which time she was able to take an engineering project 

from paper studies and build a rocket, which she tested at the 

Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, and then presented it to 

NASA. This development inspired her to return to graduate school 

at Caltech for her master, following which she returned to work as 

a propulsion engineer. 

 “I had a lot of fun,” Dang said. “I did a lot of things, was given a 

lot of responsibilities, and all the while I was taking classes and 

studying for the Medical College Admissions Test. As soon as I 

received notice that I had been accepted to USU, I put in my letter 

of resignation.” 

 One may wonder what makes a person so interested in rockets 

and propulsion to decide to study medicine. Dang says she has 

always wanted attend medical school, and that many of the experiences she has had during her work as a propulsion engineer 

have been analogous to medicine. 

 “As an engineer, I believe the human body is the most advanced and efficient machine ever created, and no one can create 

a machine as complex as the human body,” she said. “I’m just fascinated by it. I think a lot about engineering while I study medicine, but I was also thinking a lot about medicine while I studied 

engineering. For my last job with Boeing, I worked with small 

rockets on orbiting satellites, trying to sustain a satellite for it’s orbital lifetime. I found the rocket systems to be analogous to the 

human cardiovascular system; it contained a lot of tubing and 

piping like vasculature, and the onboard computer system was 

much like a nervous system and brain. I basically had to try to assess the health of a satellite that was thousands of miles away; I 

had to use deductive reasoning to understand what was going 

on, and decide how best to extend the life of the satellite. It’s very 

similar to medicine in terms of doing the least intrusive things to 

the satellite to improve it’s life, just as physicians do with humans.” 

 Moreover, Dang commented that the most immediate way to 

affect people is through their health, and despite how interesting 

space propulsion and travel are, she feels medicine is a more immediate concern for humanity. 

 “I have volunteered with medical missions and visited AIDS 

hospices,” she said. “It’s just the little things you get out of that 

human interaction that are so precious. You just can’t get them 

from anything else.” 

 Dang said she’d learned of USU during her time at MIT. 

 “I had spoken with a colonel at MIT,” she said. “I told him about 

my interests, and he put me in contact with a military doctor that 

he knew, but I had also done my own research. If I hadn’t decided 

on USU, I would have likely gone through the Health Professions 

Scholarship Program.” 

 Dang said she’d like to be stationed in the Washington, DC 

area, but lacking that, she’d like to be overseas or deployed. 

 “I’d like to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, so wherever there’s a 

need for my specialty is where I’d like to be. I’m particularly honored to serve the military community; I think it’s a tremendous 

honor to help those who defend our freedoms with their lives.” 

DANG, from page 5 

 “When the war started, George Washington had many African American troops,” 

Stanley said, “and when they brought in 

troops from the South, they wouldn’t stand 

for it, and they stopped letting them serve. 

This put Washington in a bind, however, as 

it was an all volunteer Army, and when a 

soldier’s contract was up, they’d leave. He 

realized without man power, he could not 

succeed, so he had to reinstate the African 

American troops. At that time, necessity 

drove it; there was no way we could have 

succeeded against the most powerful army 

and navy at that time without help. That 

really was the foundation; it started 

women’s suffrage and the civil rights movement.” 

 Stanley and his family have experienced 

racism-related violence firsthand; while in 

Wheaton, Md., in April, 1975, Stanley’s wife 

was paralyzed when she was wounded in 

a racially motivated shooting. 

 “Seven years from the time Dr. King was 

assassinated, my wife was the victim of a 

racially motivated shooting,” Stanley said. 

“She’s still with us, but paralyzed. These 

kinds of things take place every day, although not always so blatantly obvious. I 

remember being around senior leaders 

who pronounced racism as gone.” 

 Stanley concluded by stating that other’s 

opinions of a person don’t limit that person’s capabilities, and that King’s message 

continues to this day. 

 “There are people who want to put you 

in a box, and I’m just not going to fit,” he 

said. “Dr. King’s dream still lives; it was in 

the foundation of this country, and it’s the 

core of any living organism that believes in 

freedom.” 

 Stanley led a 33-year career with the U.S. 

Marine Corps before becoming president of 

Scholarship America, in July 2004. He was 

commissioned as a second lieutenant after 

graduating from South Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 

psychology. In addition, Stanley holds a 

Master’s degree in counseling from Johns 

Hopkins University, honorary Doctor of 

laws degrees from South Carolina State 

University and Spalding University, and a 

Doctorate in Education from the University 

of Pennsylvania. 

 He is married to the former Rosalyn Hill 

of Charleston, S.C. Their daughter Angela is 

a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, 

currently serving as a nurse practitioner 

and clinic manager at the United States 

Naval Academy Clinic in Annapolis, Md. 

KING, from page 3 

 “I look forward to working with everyone and to see them at 

work,” Garrett said. “Working with the Marines has given me the 

confidence I need to carry on as the new senior enlisted leader. 

Sergeant Peña is a gifted leader, and I wish Captain Gerlach the 

best of luck.” 

 Peña received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for his 

exemplary service as acting senior enlisted leader, in charge of 

more than 120 enlisted service members, raising morale, and sharing his combat and medical experience with more than 160 medical students. 

 Dr. Rice commended Peña for his service to the brigade, and 

welcomed Garrett to the university. 

 “Sergeant Peña has served the unit faithfully, with his unique 

style of leadership and warm personality,” he said. “Now we pass 

this guidon to Master Chief Garrett with confidence. As the top 

noncommissioned officer (NCO,) he is going to have to lead with 

creativity and responsibility.” 

 Peña thanked the university community for his opportunity to 

serve in a typical but heartfelt style that defines his personality: 

simple, and to the point. 

 “Dr. Rice, COL Wempe, Capt. Gerlach, the brigade, and the rest 

of the university,” he said, “hooah!” 

 Peña will return to his former position of Academics NCO for 

the Army Platoon. 

COMMAND, from page 2 
PAGE 7 

 

January 23- 3:30 pm– Lecture Room A: 

Molecular Cell Biology Seminar “Role of 

Cellular MicroRNAs in Epstein Barr Virus 

Signaling.” 

January 28– 11:30 am– Lecture Room A: 

Emerging Infectious Diseases Graduate 

Program “Regulation of Memory T Cell Differentiation: Implication for Rational Vaccine design.” 

February 6– 3:30 pm– Lecture Room A: 

Molecular Cell Biology Seminar “Dimensions 

in Cell Migration and Tissue Remodeling.” 

February 13– 3:30 pm– Lecture Room A:

Seminar “Brain Angiotensin II Has a Role in 

Brain Inflammation and Stress.” 

February 20– 3:30 pm– Lecture Room A: 

Molecular Cell Biology Seminar. “Control of 

Cell Metabolism by the Jak/Stat Pathway.” 

Calendar of Events 

New Brigade Senior Enlisted Leader: HMCM Clinton 

Garrett, USN recently reported to USU and replaced 

SFC Pena, USA (BDE) as the Brigade Senior Enlisted 

Leader. Congratulations to SFC Pena on his truly noteworthy accomplishments to the University and the 

Brigade. 

Headquarters Company Change of Command: Capt Gerlach, 

USMC (BDE) recently relinquished his duties to COL Wempe, USA, 

Brigade Commander. The USU Brigade Headquarters Company is 

temporarily disestablished until such time as Capt Gerlach’s successor is named. 

Brigade Awards Ceremony: The next USU Brigade Awards Ceremony will take place Jan. 25, at 1 p.m. in Sanford Auditorium. This 

ceremony will recognize the Enlisted Service Member of the Year, 

as well as other military personnel for their contributions to the 

organization. All department heads, chairs, supervisors, and directors are encouraged to attend this important occasion to show 

their support. 

Soldier Readiness Processing: An important component of Army 

Force Health Protection is Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP). AR 

600-8-101 requires Soldiers to complete the SRP Requirements 

each year. The Walter Reed Army Medical Center will 

conduct the next SRP from March 3 – 7, from 7 a.m. – 

5 p.m. in Bldg T-2 beside Wagner Gym at WRAMC. This 

event is for all Soldiers at USU and AFRRI. Soldiers must 

bring their medical records, yellow shot record, 

blue/green medical Card, CAC Card, ID Tags, and SRP 

checklist. For further info, contact SSG Ward, USA 

(MPO) at (301) 295-9653 or SFC Harris, USA (MPO) at 

(301) 295-3087. 

National Nurse Anesthetists Week—Jan. 20 - 26

Nurse Anesthetist's have been providing anesthesia care in the 

United States for over 125 years? Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) practice in every setting in which anesthesia is 

delivered: traditional hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, the 

offices of dentists, podiatrists, plastic surgeons, ophthalmologists, 

and pain management specialists; and U.S. Military, Public Health 

Services, and Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities? 

CRNAs are the hands-on providers of approximately 65% of all 

anesthetists given to patients each year in the United States? 

CRNAs are the sole anesthesia providers in approximately two 

thirds of all rural hospitals in the United States? According to a 

1999 report from the Institute of Medicine, anesthesia care today 

is nearly 50 times safer than it was 20 years ago? Interested in 

learning more? The Nurse Anesthesia Program of the Graduate 

School of Nursing will have a booth outside the cafeteria this 

week. 

USU Briefs 

1. Why do we need the National Security Personnel System? 

 NSPS strengthens our ability to accomplish the mission in an 

ever-changing national security environment. NSPS accelerates 

the Department's efforts to create a Total Force (military, civilian 

personnel, Reserve, Guard, and contractors), operating as one 

cohesive unit, with each performing the work most suitable to 

their skills. We need a human resources system that appropriately 

recognizes and rewards our employees' performance and the 

contributions they make to the Department of Defense (DoD) 

mission. We need better tools to attract and retain good employees. 

2. What advantages does it offer to me?

 Employees will be recognized and rewarded based on their 

personal contributions towards our Nation's defense. Employees 

will be encouraged to take ownership of their performance and 

successes. Employees and their supervisors will have open communications so that employees know what's expected. Increases 

in pay will be based on employee performance and mission contribution. NSPS promotes broader skill development and advancement opportunities in pay bands. 

3. What criteria are used to classify a position as supervisory in 

NSPS?

 To be considered a supervisor in NSPS, an individual must supervise more than one employee and perform the duties of an 

immediate supervisor, which include: Assign work to subordinates 

based on priorities, difficulty of assignments, and the capabilities 

of employees; Provide technical oversight; Develop performance 

plans and rate employees (or recommend such actions); Interview 

candidates for subordinate positions and recommend hiring, promotion, or reassignments; Take disciplinary measures, such as 

warnings or reprimands (or recommend such actions); Identify 

developmental and training needs of employees, and provide 

and/or arrange for needed development and training. Supervised 

employees may include Federal civilian employees, military members, uniformed service employees, volunteers, or other noncontractor personnel. Positions with oversight responsibilities only 

over private sector contractors do not meet this definition. 

4. Are wage grade employees covered? 

 At this time, DoD has decided to delay the implementation of 

NSPS for wage grade employees. 

NSPS System 

Questions and Answers 
UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY 

of the Health Sciences