By Anthony Carotenuto, Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, Preventive Medicine staff

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jon Dasbach treads water during the 2nd class petty officer swim qualification at Scott Pool at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist David Rush)

The week before Memorial Day (May 20–26, 2013) is Recreational Water Illness and Injury (RWII) Prevention Week. According to the Centers for Disease Control, thousands of Americans get sick every year with recreational water illnesses (RWIs), which are caused by germs found in places where we swim. The goal of RWII Prevention Week is to raise awareness about healthy and safe swimming.

Have your eyes ever started to sting and turn red while you were swimming in a pool? Did you think it was because of the chlorine in the water? It’s not actually the chlorine that makes your eyes red. It is chloramines. This chemical forms when chlorine used to disinfect the water combines with what comes out or washes off of swimmers’ bodies (e.g., urine, sweat and personal care products) and can irritate the eyes and lungs and can even aggravate asthma.  Chloramines also uses up the chlorine in the pool, which would otherwise kill germs.

These germs get into the water when they wash off of swimmers’ bodies or when infected swimmers have diarrhea in the water. Chlorine and other pool water treatments don’t kill germs instantly. And just one diarrheal incident can release enough germs into the water that swallowing a mouthful can cause diarrhea lasting up to 2–3 weeks.

Swimmers, It’s Our Job to Keep Germs, Bodily Waste out of the Water

We all share the water we swim in, and we each need to do our part to keep ourselves, our families, and our friends healthy. To help protect yourself and other swimmers from germs, here are a few simple and effective steps all swimmers can take each time we swim:

• Keep the bodily waste out of the water.
  • Don’t swim when you have diarrhea.
  • Shower with soap before you start swimming.
  • After taking a long break from the water, take a rinse shower before you return to the water.
  • Take bathroom breaks every 60 minutes.
  • Wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers.
• Check the chlorine and pH levels before getting into the water.
  • Proper chlorine (1–3 mg/L or parts per million [ppm]) and pH (7.2–7.8) levels maximize germ‐killing power
  • Most superstores, hardware stores, and pool‐supply stores sell pool test strips.
• Don’t swallow the water you swim in.

Parents of young children should take a few extra steps:

• Take children on bathroom breaks every 60 minutes or check diapers every 30–60 minutes.
  • Change diapers in the bathroom or diaper‐changing area and not at poolside where germs can rinse into the water.

Remember … Think Healthy. Swim Healthy. Be Healthy!

For more information about healthy swimming, visit http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmcphc/program-and-policy-support/swimming-pools-and-bathing-places/Pages/default.aspx.

By Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SW/AW) Loany M. Saldivar, executive assistant, Primary Care/Branch Health Clinics, Medical Services, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth

Trauma lanes being ran by four instructors, each group treating different types of injuries to include an altered mental status, open chest wound, leg amputation, arm fracture, arterial gunshot wounds to the axillary and inguinal regions, and impaled objects to the chest. Teams are doing final preparations and treatments for MEDEVAC turnover. (Photo courtesy of Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Loany M. Saldivar)

United States Army South recently did an exercise in Guatemala that increases Guatemalan border security in an effort to decrease the War on Drugs. For this mission, the Army requested some facilitator assistance from Navy corpsmen who had field experience or had been to a Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) course. 

I don’t have the field experience, but I have attended the course a few years ago and in my 10 years of active duty service I have been an Individual Augmentee, was stationed on a carrier, and even attended an accelerated Emergency Medicine Technician course at one of the local colleges here in Virginia.

Hospital Corsman 2nd Class Loany Saldivar watches on testing day at the trauma lanes where a patient is moulaged to have a hemorrhage on right thigh and an open chest would on the right chest wall. The team had to demonstrate the ability to differentiate what treatments can and cannot be given under fire and when the enemy has been neutralized. (Photo courtesy of HM2 Saldivar)

I may not have had the actual field experience but I consider myself pretty on point when it comes to emergency response.  To add to my resume, I also feel very comfortable facilitating large crowds. Oh, and did I mention I speak Spanish?  Well, I am originally from Honduras, born and raised until age nine.  So you can imagine that when the mission was offered, I couldn’t jump up and voice my interest fast enough!

When the two other Navy members and I arrived to Guatemala the Army personnel and the Chapines (a nickname for Guatemalan natives) were very welcoming. Honestly, I didn’t expect anything less. In Hispanic cultures everyone is automatically family. We arrived on a Sunday and immediately got to work ─ it was a very exhausting day.

Sunday night we had to prepare the classroom and our material for class and by Monday morning at 0800 we were rolling into our introductions and TCCC material. Our timeline was to review the material in class, hold practicals, and by the end of the week we were testing the students on trauma lanes. 

The responsiveness and eagerness to learn that the soldiers and police showed was more than exceptional. Every day was a long day, sometimes giving break sessions just to grab dinner and return back to the classroom for more hands on practice. The lessons consisted of care under fire, hemorrhaging, airway, open chest wounds, tension pneumothorax with needle decompression, circulation (pulse, motor and sensibility), fractures, and shock.

These lessons were easily abbreviated to MARCH.  March represented each condition in the order of precedence; M- Massivo Sangrado, A- Via Aera, R- Respiracion, C- Circulacion, and Hipotermia/Shock.  The acronym was a new way style of remembering the order of conditions for the Navy folk, but we quickly adapted to it and embraced it. 

Testing day- Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Loany Saldivar provides guidance to one of the testing groups on how to properly and safely administer and intravenous fluids to a patient in the field. (Photo courtesy of HM2 Saldivar)

From my experience in Guatemala and working with the Army, all I can say is that I can’t wait to get another opportunity to do something like this again. To know you are doing something that is going to not just help the troops in another country but to give them a skill that can be utilized in their communities is indescribable. These newly trained soldiers and policemen (don’t be fooled with the generalized representation of the word “men”, there were females there too) will be able to be first responders in emergencies and possibly save a life. Isn’t this why most of us do what we do, to see others project and emulate our hard work? 

As one of my mentors, Master Chief Anna Sanzone told me recently (she will probably come find me once she reads this), “Shipmate – follow through on your leadership and other leaders will begin to follow your lead. Leadership, Leader, Lead. No pressure.”

In closing, if you ever find yourself with an opportunity to get out of your cave- TAKE IT! There is nothing to lose; there is only something to gain. And if nothing, at least you have a few cool and funny stories to tell. Also, when you get the chance, look up Kaibil and read the story of the indigenous Guatemalan leader who escaped Spanish capture.  He was never found (dead or alive), and for this reason his courage and strength is still believed to be roaming in the jungles of Guatemala.  The story was told to us by a Kaibil Special Forces Officer himself (the Red Berets).

Graduation for the first class- Class name Triunfadores (someone who is victorious). (Photo courtesy of HM2 Saldivar)

Story by Josiah Wilson, Defense Media Activity,
Video by U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

As a Navy veteran, I can remember how frustrating the sick call process could be. I’d have to go to medical and either wait to see a physician or wait to make an appointment later in the day (you never knew which option it would be). Thankfully, a few things have changed now that Navy Medicine has rolled out the Medical Home Port health care option.

Medical Home Port helps provide primary care in a way that best meets the needs of Navy Medicine’s beneficiaries. The Medical Home Port team ensures that care is all-inclusive and integrated with all other care provided within the healthcare system. Care delivered in Medical Home Port model includes, but is not limited to, readiness, prevention, wellness, behavioral health, and disease management.

Sounds pretty nice, right? Check out this video; it gives a great explanation of what Medical Home Port is, and what it can do for you.

By Paul Ross, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Joseph Santos, Marine Aircraft Group 24, was recently selected as Pacific Fleet Sea Sailor of the Year. The corpsman has deployed to combat three times — twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy of Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Joseph Santos)

Editor’s note: This is part of a three-part series featuring individuals who serve as Navy hospital corpsmen.

 A 16-year-old picks up a magazine and flips through the glossy pages. He stops at an article about a heroic sailor — a Navy corpsman — who ran through a minefield to save the Marines he served with during Operation Desert Storm.

For some people, the story would be something they forget about as quickly as they read it – just another news article. But for one boy growing up in Guam, it was the catalyst to his career.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Joseph Santos enlisted in the Navy a year after reading that article and moved to the United States in 1999 to begin what is now a 13-year life in the Navy. The corpsman, who is stationed with Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 24 at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, is a Purple Heart recipient and was recently selected as Pacific Fleet Sea Sailor of the Year.

Seeking Adventure

Santos, the youngest of nine children, was the only one of his siblings to join the military and did so because he craved something different from his life on the island nation of Guam.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Joseph Santos poses with his family next to the ocean. The heroic story of a Navy corpsman during Operation Desert Storm inspired Santos to enlist in the Navy become a corpsman. (Photo courtesy of Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Joseph Santos)

“I needed a change of life,” Santos said. “I needed better job opportunities. I wanted to grow up. (Life in Guam) was simple. It was laid back. It was the same old stuff. Just a slow life style — a beach life style. But I wanted more adventure.”

While the Navy would provide the adventure he was seeking, he knew the job of Navy hospital corpsman would provide something greater than adventure.

“I wanted to help people,” Santos said. “I wanted to save lives. I thought about how much I wanted to do a job like that.”

From the Battlefield

Throughout his 13-year career he would find himself deployed beside Marines in combat three different times – twice in Iraq and once in Afghanistan. In 2004, while deployed to Fallujah he earned his Purple Heart.

“I received wounds and shrapnel to my hand and wrist on March 26, 2004 during an ambush in a firefight in Fallujah on the streets,” Santos said.

 But it was later that same year when Santos played a vital role in doing what he became a corpsman to do — save lives.

“On Sept. 6, 2004, a large convoy got hit by a vehicle-borne IED (improvised explosive device),” Santos said. “It hit the second truck, which had the platoon commander, about 14 Marines and 12 Iraqi National Guard. The IED hit the truck and we had a mass casualty. We had about 10 mortally wounded and the rest of the guys were just scattered throughout the zone.”

Santos would be the only corpsman on-scene for the first ten minutes after the attack.

“I was in the third truck,” Santos said. “We pulled up to the scene. We started pulling our guys out. We pulled a bunch of guys out and set up a casualty collection point. We went to work. We were running out of supplies. I was using guys’ individual first aid kits and a lot of tourniquets.”

Soon, other medical personnel arrived to assist and bring more supplies.

| More: No matter the mission, Navy personnel keep Marines fit to fly |

“We saved a lot of guys that day, and unfortunately a lot of Marines didn’t make it,” Santos said. “A lot of close friends were lost.”

For Santos, the respect he has earned from serving beside his Marine brethren isn’t something he takes lightly.

“It’s a great honor to be trusted like that,” Santos said. “It’s something that’s earned from your guys and being there. It’s earned through trust.”

Mother, Mother Ocean

Outside of serving as a corpsman, Santos has another passion — the ocean. Growing up in Guam gave Santos a unique connection to the blue, salty waters that surround his childhood home, and the place he now calls home — Hawaii.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Joseph Santos, Marine Aircraft Group 24, catches a wave in Hawaii. Santos finds respite from his busy life as a corpsman through surfing and spending time at the beach. (Photo courtesy of Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Joseph Santos)

“Growing up around the ocean, it’s everything,” Santos said. “It’s a food source. It’s fun. It’s my happiness.”

His love of the ocean isn’t something he keeps to himself.

“I take guys out and teach them how to surf,” Santos said. “I make them understand what surfing is all about and about the ocean. I coach paddling for beginners and kids.”

Success and Respect

In order to be successful as a Navy corpsman, you have to be a leader — someone who can be trusted.

“HM1 Santos is a sailor’s-sailor,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman Frank Dominguez, lead chief petty officer for MAG-24. “He shows pride in everything that he does. He leads from the front and by example. Part of what makes him a great corpsman is how he treats other. He makes everyone feel like they are family. He is well respected by both Marines and sailors.”

The sentiment is shared by the Marines he has deployed beside.

“Doc Santos is one of the best Navy corpsmen I’ve had the pleasure of serving with,” said Marine Staff Sgt. Joshua Noel, CH-53E crew chief/flightline quality assurance representative. “He always maintains a very high level of professionalism, while at the same time has a very approachable demeanor. No matter how busy he was, he would always take the time to follow-up with his patients and ensure they were receiving the care they needed.”

The Extra Mile

Part of the reason some choose careers in the medical field is because of their unrelenting willingness to help those in need. This was the case when some Marines in Santos’ unit showed signs of suicidal ideation.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Joseph Santos, who grew up in Guam, has a unique love of the ocean. He teaches others to surf and paddle board from his current duty station at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. (Photo courtesy of Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Joseph Santos)

“Doc Santos did an incredible job handling those situations,” said Noel. “I feel he went above and beyond with those Marines. As those Marines were getting separated from the unit and sent back to the States, Doc Santos gave incredible amounts of his personal time to see to it that they left Afghanistan on as much of a positive note as possible.”

There were no “working hours” for Santos as he stayed committed to his Marines — it was 24-hour responsibility.

“He gave up his personal space, privacy and time by allowing them to bunk above him during their last days in country,” Noel said. “This enabled him to be able to be there for them at a moment’s notice and I believe it showed those Marines that there are people who care and will go the extra mile for them.” 

Love of the Job

But for Santos, this is the precise reason he continues to serve. The relationships he has forged are the reasons he loves being a Navy corpsman.

“It’s the camaraderie we develop,” Santos said. “It’s the friendship and the brotherhood.”

If he had it his way, his life would always be the Navy. But what else would you expect from someone who lives to serve others?

“If I can promote and stay in longer I would,” Santos said. “I’d definitely do this for my entire life.”

By Lt. Angelina Brannon, head, emergency department, Naval Hospital Beaufort

I never used to believe that dreams came true or that hope would someday become reality, but I have learned that while life determines the family we are born into, it is our personal courage and will that determine the course we ultimately navigate in life. 

Statistically speaking, the odds were stacked against me from the start.  My mother immigrated to the United States when she was just 13 and spoke no English.  By the time she was 16, I was born.  Growing up in El Paso, Texas wasn’t easy and by the time I was 18, I had become the mother of beautiful baby boy.  I realized then that I had some very important choices to make.  On Jan. 13, 1998 I enlisted in the United States Navy, a decision that forever changed my life.

When I arrived at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois I was in for a huge surprise.  Not only was this was my first time away from home, but it was also the first time I was in a structured environment.  Fortunately, I acclimated well to recruit training and came to appreciate the respect, order, and discipline that we were taught.

As the weeks progressed I received bad news from home, and was ready to quit. After talking to my training commander, a salty chief boatswain’s mate, one of the things he said was, “if you quit now, you will be a quitter your whole life.”  These words resonated to my core because I was no quitter. 

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Brannon receiving an award while stationed at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, where she served as a surgical technician, 2002-2004. Brannon worked hard to excel at Portsmouth and became actively involved at the command, which eventually led to her being selected as Junior Sailor of the Quarter in 2004. (Photo courtesy of Lt. Brannon)

After graduating from recruit training and Hospital Corpsman “A” School, I reported to my first duty station at Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla. I was assigned to the OB/GYN department where I had a great leading petty officer (LPO) and assistant leading petty officer (ALPO) who paved the way to success by introducing me to Master Chief Fraker’s Study Guide.  I began studying, and was promoted to hospital corpsman 3^rd class in 1999. 

Growing up, I’d never had a mentor, someone to guide me and teach me, but in the Navy I found myself surrounded by professionals, corpsman and officers, who inspired me and nurtured my will to succeed.  I knew then that I was either going to be a master chief or an officer one day. 

On May 3, 2007, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Brannon was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps. (Photo courtesy of Lt. Brannon)

After Pensacola, I went to Field Medical Service School (FMSS) at Camp Johnson, N.C. and “C” School at the Naval School of Health Sciences in Portsmouth, Va. to become a surgical technician before heading on to my next assignment at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. in 2001.

Being at a large MTF was definitely not easy, but I was committed to excel.  At Bethesda, a senior enlisted member gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever been given – find the one person who is where I want to be and do as they do. 

In 2004, I was selected as Junior Sailor of the Quarter. My hard work and dedication was also reflected in the letters of appreciation and letters of commendation that I received.  I also began focusing on my academics, taking CLEP tests for college credits and taking classes at a university. 

At this point, I decided to take advantage of two opportunities to advance my career and applied to both the Independent Duty Corpsman (IDC) program and the Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program (MECP), hoping to be accepted to one of them.  When I applied for MECP, I had six years of total service and several people attempted to discourage me based on my time in service, but I figured that it didn’t hurt to try.  Not only was I accepted into the IDC program, but in 2004, when the MECP board results came out, my name was on the list. 

The feeling was surreal!  I had always admired and respected chiefs and officers, hoping to one day become one of them. I chose MECP, amazed that I had been given an opportunity to go back college, earn my bachelors in nursing, and become a naval officer. 

In the fall of 2005, I began nursing school and on May 3, 2007, I was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps.  I had always envisioned wearing khakis one day and was overwhelmed that the day was finally here.  

The journey from corpsman to officer is one that is completely achievable with hard work and dedication, because nothing worthwhile comes easy.  Faith is important too, because faith breeds hope and hope brings change.  I encourage anyone looking to go down this road to find great leaders and mentors who can guide you.  Take advantage of the educational opportunities that the Navy gives you and don’t let anyone discourage you from applying to programs and following your dreams.

Today, I am the head of the emergency department at Naval Hospital Beaufort, S.C., and I wouldn’t be here right now had I not made the commitment to enlist in the Navy on Jan. 13, 1998.  I owe a debt of gratitude to the Navy, because all I ever needed was a chance and the Navy gave me that chance.  As I move forward in my career as a nurse corps officer, I hope to be as good a mentor to the corpsmen I encounter as those who encouraged and inspired me when I was a junior Sailor.

Lt. Brannon, department head for Naval Hospital Beaufort’s emergency department, triages incoming casualties during a recent mass casualty drill. (Photo courtesy of Lt. Brannon)

By Valerie A. Kremer, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs

Navy Medicine is proud to present the May 2013 issue of the Navy and Marine Corps Medical News (MEDNEWS) newsletter. It features various articles and photos highlighting the great work being done across the Navy Medicine enterprise around the world. This month highlights standardization across the Navy Medicine enterprise.

Click here to view the newsletter online. Click here to download MEDNEWS.

By Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SW/AW) Dominique Martin, Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune

*Editor’s note: In support of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the Navy Medicine Live blog will feature three “Sailor in the Spotlight” to highlight the great work that our Sailors are doing to support the Navy and Marine Corps team.

Hometown:  Chicago, IL

When did you join Navy?  February 2003

What are your proudest Navy accomplishment(s)? My proudest Navy accomplishments are earning my two Warfare Qualifications and having served on the USS Kitty Hawk and the USS George Washington in Japan.  Also, I’m proud of the many leadership opportunities that I have been given.

What is your favorite thing about serving in the Navy?  My favorite thing about being in the Navy is the culture of excellence and the diversity of people and places that I encounter.  The Navy also allows me to lead junior Sailors and help shape their future. 

How do you achieve a life-work balance in the Navy?  Careful planning of course!  I get what needs to be done as soon as possible, so that I don’t stress later on.  But, the people in Navy have become part of my family, naturally, because we spend so much time together.  So, finding a balance personally and professionally in the military hasn’t been difficult at all. 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I hope to have completed the Medical Service Corps In-service Procurement Program and to have completed my Masters degree in Health Care Management.

What are your hobbies?  I love to run!  Whether it’s to clear my head or motivate another Sailor, running is a staple in my life.  Photography, cooking and spending time with my family and friends also keep me busy.

To see the first “Sailor in the Spotlight” with HM2 Pham, click here.

 By Vice Adm. Matthew Nathan, U.S. Navy surgeon general and chief, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

On behalf of Navy Medicine, I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation as the Navy Nurse Corps celebrates its 105^th year of service.

Since May 13, 1908, the men and women of the Navy Nurse Corps have honorably served and evolved with the nation’s needs in times of war and peace – at home, abroad, and on the front lines. They continue to selflessly volunteer to serve around the world, often deploying in harm’s way, bringing with them compassionate health care that sets the world’s standards. Our Navy Nurses also play a critical role in our Force Health Protection mission, ensuring we have a fit and medically ready force to meet our duties at a moment’s notice.

The Navy Nurse Corps has grown over the years from the original 20 female members,  known as the “Sacred Twenty,” peaking to more than 11,000 members during World War II.

Today, we honor the brilliant accomplishments, courage, and commitment of Navy Nurses who  helped to set the bar high for military medicine around the world. Our nurses are published and renowned scientists, researchers, teachers, providers and clinicians. Nurse Corps Officers fly with wounded from battle-torn areas, work in the fleet and hospital ships, establish native nursing schools, clinics, and small hospitals in remote areas of the world, and administer or command Navy medical treatment facilities worldwide. Their continued work and dedication have earned them a prominent place in the United States Navy.

Today we honor and celebrate the men and women of the Navy Nurse Corps around the world, who provide medical care to Sailors and Marines, their families, retirees, and those entrusted to their care. To the nearly 4,000 active duty and reserve Nurse Corps personnel, I thank you for your service, sacrifice and dedication.

Happy Birthday Navy Nurse Corps!

VADM Matthew L. Nathan

Surgeon General of the Navy

Military Health System Team,

The need for standardization across the Military Health System is vital to our strength and efficiency as we meet our mission and move forward to provide world-class health care to our Service members and beneficiaries.

After more than a decade of war, we have seen that health care across the MHS has become increasingly joint in nature across the Services, signaling the need for standardized processes and technology so we can continue to meet our mission. The MHS has noted that demand signal and have answered the call.   

The MHS and the Department of Defense (DoD) continue to standardize health care across the Services  through technology, such as the electronic health record; information management/ information technology (IM/IT) governance; financial and resource management; and clinical processes. Great successes have been achieved in combat medicine and in our garrison-based care system back home when we operate as an integrated system with standardized care.

The implementation of the electronic health record across the Services is a crucial facet of standardization and patient-centered care. To meet this need, systems analysts across the Services are working together on the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) DoD Non Active Duty Family Member Health Data Sharing Working Group which aims to develop a standard DoD Policy for sharing family member health data in VLER Health. VLER Health is a multi-faceted business and technology initiative that includes a portfolio of health, benefits, personnel, and administrative information sharing capabilities. It provides Veterans, Service members, their families, care-givers, and service providers with a single source of information for health and benefits needs in a way that is secure and authorized by the Veteran or Service member.

Another way in which the MHS is standardizing care across the enterprise is through the Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) Governance Process. Aligned with the Joint Governance Process, this enhanced process is being designed to reduce the time from initial request to governance disposition. This change also includes a closer alignment of functional managers, project managers, and requestors across the services in support of IT systems requests throughout the lifecycle of projects, as well as higher transparency, clearer accountability, and integrated capability-based portfolio management.

In order to provide standardization in finance and logistics across the MHS, standard operating procedures (SOPs) are being used across the Services to become ready for financial audits by 2014. The SOPs standardize all finance and logistics procedures which use resources and ensure that transactions are documented and use appropriate internal controls. This ensures the MHS is on track to meet readiness gates established by the DoD. The SOPs are role-based and user friendly, so new users or supervisors can use them effectively and sustain audit requirements while staying on mission.

As we move forward, the MHS will continue to meet the need for standardization across health care capabilities and governing structures. We will continue to work together diligently to meet this demand signal – from the battlefield to our military treatment facilities worldwide.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Woodson, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs

Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, Surgeon General, United States Army

Vice Adm. Matthew Nathan, Surgeon General, United States Navy

Lt. Gen. Thomas Travis, Surgeon General, United States Air Force

By Rear Adm. Elizabeth Niemyer, director, Navy Nurse Corps, and deputy chief, Wounded, Ill and Injured, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

As I look at the calendar and see National Nurses’ Week May 6-12 and the 105th Navy Nurse Corps Birthday rapidly approaching on May 13th, I want to take this opportunity to reach out to the entire Navy Nurse Corps team. 

Truly, the work of the military nursing team-active duty and reserve component, and the federal civilian and contracted nurses who partner with us-is not for the faint of heart.  As Florence Nightingale said, “It requires devotion and preparation.”

We are an integrated and highly regarded team of health care professionals, uniquely trained and qualified to provide and lead the delivery of the highest quality care in extremely diverse environments.

We are pivotal to ensuring the overall health, well-being, and operational readiness of our active duty military members and their families, as well as, essential to providing an optimal healthcare benefit for our retirees.

I believe it does take extraordinary ability and innovation to be a nurse. Our profession encompasses the skill of providing care and compassion to those who may be experiencing physical, emotional, or psychological pain. It requires that you lean in to the patient experience and to empathize with their pain in order to better understand what is needed to begin the healing process.  It can be exhausting – physically and emotionally – to care for the lives of others.  Yet, nurses throughout the world continue to care for their patients, 24 hours, 7 days a week.  Not a day, minute, or second passes in which a nurse isn’t somewhere doing extraordinary work.  It does not surprise me that our profession is the most trusted profession in America.

The military nursing team remains highly respected and successful as professionals significantly contributing to the delivery of the highest quality health care in their roles as bedside care givers, licensed independent providers, administrators, clinical educators, and leaders.  But regardless of the specific role, nursing knowledge and clinical excellence remain the very foundation upon which nurses build, advance, and refine the skills necessary for continued success.  This clinical excellence is recognized within all levels of the Military Health System, as well as, professional nursing organizations and educational institutions across the United States.

Last weekend I attended my 35th reunion at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. I was proud to celebrate with around 250 people covering 12 unique class groups, and of course it was fun to reunite with members my Class of 1978.  The Distinguished Graduate Award was bestowed on Ms. Darlene Curley, Executive Director of the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence.  The Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence was founded in 2006 to improve health care through nursing.  They provide grants that advance scholarship, leadership and innovation, and collaborate on initiatives with other leaders in the nursing field with a focus on fostering partnerships across philanthropic, business, policy and education sectors. 

During her acceptance speech, Ms. Curley showed a short news clip video highlighting the work of one of the Jonas scholars.  I was extremely proud to see two of our Navy nurses, Lt Cmdr. Pam Wall (Jonas Scholar) and Cmdr. Sean Convoy on the video speaking to a group of students about the behavioral health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), experienced by our service members upon return from deployment.  This is one example of many that showcases the work we do as Navy Nurses and the recognition of that work throughout the profession of nursing. 

In closing, I want to thank each and every one of you for the work you do every day.  This week, we collectively celebrate National Nurses’ Week and next Monday, May 13th, the 105th Navy Nurse Corps Birthday. 

Please take care of each other and enjoy the many festivities ahead.  As always, please keep our deployed Navy Medicine family in your thoughts and prayers.  It is always my greatest honor and privilege to represent you, the outstanding Navy Nursing Team. 

Happy 105th and stay safe.

Rear Adm. Niemyer

Watch the Rear Adm. Niemyer’s 105th Navy Nurse Corps birthday message below: