The Examiner Vol. 6 No. 5

The Examiner

Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms

Volume 6, No. 5

May 1998

An Award Winning Publication

China Lake Corpsman Chosen
as the Top Bluejacket of 1997

By HM3 Donna Tenney
Staff Writer

Chalk another up on the list of
achievements for HM2(FMF)
Huben Phillips. Some of you
may remember him as the Sailor of
the Quarter for Naval Hospital Twen-
tynine Palms October-December
1997. It could be that you may know
him as the Leading Petty Officer
(LPO) of the Ambulatory Care Clinic
and Medical Records Department at
Branch Medical Clinic China Lake.

In a recent ceremony sponsored by
the Indian Wells Valley Council of the
Navy League, HM2 Phillips was
awarded the Senior Bluejacket of the
Year for the Naval Air Warfare Cen-
ter at China Lake. Along with this
honor comes many benefits. The
mayor of the city of Ridgecrest was
on hand to present the winner with a
city proclamation and keys to the city.
The benefits don't stop there. The
winner was also presented with an
$1,100 check for his efforts that
helped him earn this distinguished
award.

HM2 Phillips was chosen from a
list of candidates representing various
commands aboard the base. During
his acceptance speech, a surprised
Phillips thanked his chain of com-

Letters

Page 2 I

HM2 Phillips of Branch Medical
Clinic China Lake.

mand, community sponsors, and the
Navy League. He added, the cash
award will come in handy and an-
nounced plans to use it for his wed-
ding in August.

Phillips was nominated for this
award due to his extensive work on
the base colorguard, his involvement
in Moral Welfare and Recreation as
the president of the command recre-
ation committee for his clinic and his
outstanding leadership abilities as the
LPO for the ambulatory care clinic
and Medical Records Department.

"We know that this award is well
earned and we extend our sincerest
congratulations to HM2 Huben
Phillips for being selected as the Se-
nior Bluejacket of the Year for Naval
Air Warfare Center Weapons Division
China Lake," said Captain Joan M.
Huber, Executive Officer, Naval Hos-
pital Twentynine Palms.

Newsletter places in Navy-wide contest

± y r

aval Hospital Twentynine Palms
now has another reason to be proud
of itself.

The command's newsletter The Ex-
aminer placed 2nd in the Chief of Na-

val Information Merit Awards Contest
in Category E: Newspaper (Magazine
Format). The Examiner also placed 3rd
in Category N: Special Achievement in

See NEWSLETTER on page 4

History

Page 3

Ripped Fuel

^

Page 7 I

Chaplains Corner...

What Were They Thinking?

We have all experienced those
embarrassing moments
when words have trickled
out of our mouth that we wished would
have remained bouncing around in our
empty cranial regions. It is even more
devastating when those embarrassing
mishaps make their way to paper. Be-
fore the paper goes to press it is always
a good idea to proof read the "devil"
out of it. Here are some actual quotes
from various church bulletins that I
think you will find entertaining and
proves this point:

1. Don't let worry kill you- let the
church help.

2. Thursday night potluck supper.
Prayer and medication to follow.

who are sick of our church and com-
munity.

4. For those of you who have chil-
dren and don't know it, we have a nurs-

ery downstairs.

5. The rosebud on the altar this
morning is to announce the birth of
David Allen Belzer, the sin of Rev. and
Mrs. Julius Belzer.

6. This afternoon there will be a
meeting in the south and north ends of
the church. Children Will be baptized
at both ends.

7. Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. there will
be an ice cream social. All ladies giv-
ing milk will please come early.

8. Wednesday the ladies liturgy will
meet. Mrs. Johnson will sing "Put me
in my little bed,"accompanied by the
pastor. ... . .

9. Thursday at 5:00 p.m. there will
be a meeting of the Little Mothers club.
All ladies wishing to be "Little Moth-
ers" will meet with the pastor in his
study.

10. This being Easter Sunday, we
will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward

Letters...

A Great Doctor
Dear Captain Kayler,

I am writing to let you know about
our experience during the last five
months with Dr. Richey in the
Pediatrics department. Dr. Richey is
the most wonderful military doctor
that has ever treated our children.
Our daughter Caitlin, 5, and son
Connor, 3, both love going to see her.
Dr. Richey goes out of her way to
make sure that our children receive
outstanding medical care. She has
called after hours and on weekends to
check up on our children. She is
responsible for my son finally
receiving the treatment he needed for
recurrent ear infections.

As a parent, often I have experi-
enced doctors who do not want to
take the time to answer my questions
or dismiss me as a worried mother.
Dr. Richey has always taken the time
to listen to my concerns and answer
any questions that I might have. She
also does not prescribe unnecessary
medication, which we have experi-
enced in the past. She always takes
time to talk to Caitlin and Connor.

2

She has even shown me my son's ears
to make sure that I understand exactly
what is going on.

I can't say enough good things
about her and I hope that she will
receive the recognition that she
deserves for being a wonderful
Pediatrician.

Yours Sincerely,
Adrienne P. Downing

Wonderful Hospital
Dear Captain Kayler,
On a recent trip to the emergency
room, I was diagnosed with pneumo-
nia. So, I had a 4-day stay in your
wonderful hospital.
The care that I received was outstand-
ing. My profound thanks to the
emergency room crew, Dr. Cunard
and the wonderful staff and person-
nel, nurses, corpsmen, and etc. I
can't thank each one by name, but to
all for the utmost professional care

again. Ihanks.

Sincerely,
Milton Murray
CWO-2 Retired U.S. Army

LTD. Dudley, Command Chaplain
and lay an egg on the alter.

11. Next Sunday, a special collec-
tion will be taken to defray the cost of
the new carpet. All those wishing to
See CHAPLAIN on page 4

The EXAMINER Newsletter is an
authorized publication of Naval
Hospital, Twentynine Palms, CA
92278-8250. The views expressed in
this publication are not necessarily
those of the Department of the Navy.

Commanding Officer

CAPT R.S. KAYLER, MSC, USN

Executive Officer

CAPT J. M. HUBER, NC, USN

Public Affairs Officer/Editor

DAN BARBER

Staff Writers

HM3 Donna Tenney

HM3 Christina Hunt

The EXAMINER welcomes your
comments and suggestions. Dead-
line for submission of articles is the
15th of each month for the follow-
ing month's issue. Any format is
welcome, however, the preferred
method of submission is by e-mail
or by computer disk. The Public
Affairs e-mail address is:
tnpldmb@tnplO.med.navy.mil. The
Public Affairs Office telephone
number is: DSN 957-2362, Comm
(760) 830-2362, Fax: (760) 830-
2385.

The EXAMINER is printed, un-
der contract, on 1 00 percent recycled
paper by Monument Printing, 57832
Twentynine Palms Hwy., Yucca Val-
ley, CA 92284. Tel: (760) 365-5655,
Fax: (760) 365-4936.

The EXAMINER editor would
like to thank all those who partici-

From the Desk of the Command Master Chief

On the history of the Hospital Corps

During the time period between
World War I and World War II,
the Hospital Corps became one
of die outstanding corps of military ser-
vice. Despite a drawdown due to the
end of the war, there were still numer-
ous opportunities for Hospital Corps-
men to excel. In 1927 Nicaragua was
added to the list of assignments for
Marines and their Hospital Corpsmen.
More schools were provided, qualifica-
tions for advancement in rate were
raised, and a high degree of technical
skill and knowledge was expected of
all members of the Hospital Corps.

-As the United States entered World
War II, the Hospital Corps grew from a
peacetime level of near 4,000 to over
132,000. This was to meet the huge
increase in demand for medical care and
to implement new technologies of the
time. Corpsmen found themselves serv-
ing in the forefront of every invasion
and were involved in every action at
sea.

The war in the Pacific taught many
lessons. On New Georgia while rush-
ing between the lines to administer first
aide to a badly wounded Marine,
PHM2/c Thaddeus Parker was killed
instantly by a burst of enemy fire. His
brave act, a source of inspiration to his
fellow corpsmen and to the men of his
company, served, however, to point out
the importance of training troops to
crawl back from the lines when
wounded. On many occasions, men

only slightly wounded called for help,
and when their buddies or corpsmen
when to their aid they too were shot and
injured or killed. On Iwo Jima the ex-
periences of the Medical Department
are typified by the following account.
"Landing with the troops, immediately
following the assault group, the Chief
Pharmacist's Mate was shot in the jaw
as he stepped out of the landing boat.
The medical party, carrying seabags
filled with medical supplies, pushed
inland some 75 yards and picked a spot
for their station in an antitank ditch.
They left some of the bags on the beach
on that first trip, and when they returned
to get them, many of the bags had been
ripped by shell bursts. Boxes of valu-
able plasma were smashed, but the
worst blow came when the boat carry-
ing all the litters was sunk on the way
in. Wounded men were lying all
around. It was impossible to stand erect
on the beach, and the corpsmen crawled
from casualty to casualty to bandage
wounds and administer morphine and
plasma."

The struggles in the Pacific were not
the only area that Hospital Corpsmen
saw action and not all of the time was
spent in battle, as this account of a
young Hospital Corpsman describes.
"Almost every afternoon while on con-
voy duty in the Atlantic, we corpsmen
sat in sickbay with our needles and
thread and scissors. We made the sur-
gical masks for use in operations. We

made the glove cases in which the rub-
ber gloves for operating were put. We
folded the gauze squares, or "sponges",
used in operating, and were taught to
fold the gauze so that all cut edges
would be inside, and no loose thread
could get into an incision. We even
made our own pills. We did not even
have aspirin tablets onboard. Instead,
the powders were mixed with a sort of
spatula on a metal surface. We filled
the capsules by pressing the two empty
halves into the powder and then press-
ing the halves together."

On 22 January 1943, women were
first enlisted into the Hospital Corps.
This action was taken to allow more
men to be available for combat service.
The majority of the new enlistees were
already trained in some facet of medi-
cal care. On 12 January 1944, the first
Hospital Corps School for women was
commissioned at the Naval Hospital,
Bethesda, MD. The first class consisted
of 230 enlisted women.

The role of submarine corpsmen
developed into one of great importance.
The most dramatic of their accomplish-
ments were three incidents where they
had to perform surgery while sub-
merged. Pharmacist's Mate First Class
Wheeler "Johnny" Lipes performed a
successful appendectomy aboard the
USS Seadragonon 1 1 September 1942.
Lipes, who had been a surgical techni-
cian, used improvised instruments made
from mess deck utensils and instructed
assistants as the procedure went on in
the Officers' Wardroom. PliMl/c Harry
Roby performed the same act on the
See HISTORY on page 4

Naval Hospital Birthday Ball Committee
Sponsors First Annual Ridge Run in June

By HM3 Donna Tenney
Staff Writer

Are you a runner looking for a
challenge and you can't seem
to find one in tliis area? Then
maybe you're ready for the First An-
nual Ridge Run to be held at the Ma-
rine Corps Air Ground Combat Center
on June 12.

The Naval Hospital Corps is cel-
ebrating their 100th birthday this year,

Chaplain...

Continued from page 2

do something on the new carpet will

come forward and do so.

12. The ladies of the church have
cast off clothing of every kind. They
can be seen in the church basement Sat-
urday.

13. A bean supper will be held on
Tuesday evening in the church hall.
Music will follow.

On a more serious note, remember
that the last Monday of this month is
Memorial Day. It is a day to remember
all of the soldiers who have died in
battles upholding the foreign policy of
the United States, and the obligations
of the United Nations Charter.

May God's eternal light be your
beacon of hope always!

Newsletter... —

Continued from page 1
Print Media for The Examiner Strate-
gic Plan Edition.

The Examiner was only entered into
these two categories this year, and
judged in some very stiff competition
with other Navy publications from com-
mands around the globe.

This special achievement would not
have been possible if it weren't for the
myriad of people who submit articles
to the newsletter each month... and the
wondrous achievements of the various
staff members of this command whose
stories are told in the pages of The Ex-
aminer each month. Special recogni-

4

and a spectacular celebration is planned.
In an effort to raise funds to help de-
fray ticket costs, the Hospital Corps
Birthday Ball Committee is sponsoring
a competitive and demanding race ap-
propriately named the Ridge Run.

This race is divided into a short dis-
tance (1.5 miles) category, and a long
distance (5 miles) category. Long dis-
tance race will begin at 6:30 a.m., with
the short distance race to follow at 6:40.
The start/finish line is at the base stables
located behind the Naval Hospital and
takes a strenuous hike back up into the
desert ridges, guaranteeing an ex-
tremely challenging run. This is not
your average early morning jog.

This race will require that you be
very well hydrated, and physically and
mentally prepared. There will be aid
stations available along the route to pro-
vide any assistance that may be needed.

The competition is actually divided
into several -categories. Two age

History...

Continued from page 3
USS Grayback, as did PhMl/c Thomas
Moore aboard USS Silversides, both in
December 1942.

The valor and courage of the corps-
men throughout the conflict prompted
Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal
to bestow a special "Well Done" Com-
mendation in 1945 to the Hospital
Corps. ". . .That others might live, your

tion also needs to be given to the
hospital's Management Information
Department because without their tech-
nical support in computer hardware and
software, and fixing all of those "op-
erator malfunctions" on the Public Af-
fairs Computer, a quality layout of The
Examiner would not be possible.

As part of the folio line... in between
the volume number and date above, we
will place the statement "An Award
Winning Publication" for the next
year... with some hard work and good
stories, maybe we can keep that state-
ment next year.

groups; under 20 years of age, and over
20 years of age. Another option is the
platoon competition consisting of two
categories. 10-20 people and platoons
with 20 or more members.

Cost to enter this event is $ 1 0.00 per
individual. The price includes a t-shirt,
or a $2.00 entry fee per person for the
platoon category. Early entry deadline
is May 4, but late entries will be ac-
cepted up to the day of the race at a
slightly higher entry fee. Day of race
registration will be available from 5:30-
6:15 a.m.

Individual winners will receive med-
als and platoon winners will receive a
team trophy.

Volunteers are needed to assist with
timing, water handling, and various jobs
at the aid stations. If interested in help-
ing or would like more information,
please contact HM3 Bill Hayes at 830-
2213/2301 or HM3 Tawnya Swank at
830-2279.

fellow corpsmen have given their lives;
889 of them killed or mortally wounded.
Others died as heroically from diseases
they were trying to combat. In all, the
Hospital Corps casualty list contains
1 724 names, an honor role of special
distinction because none of them bore

arms The Hospital Corpsmen

saved lives on all beaches that the Ma-
rines stormed You Corpsmen per-
formed foxhole surgery while shell
fragments clipped your clothing, shat-
tered plasma bottles from which you
poured new life into the wounded, and
the sniper's bullets were aimed at the
brassards on your arms." No other in-
dividual corps, before or since, has been
so singled out and honored.

Of the 15 Navy men to received the
Medal of Honor during World War II,
seven were Hospital Corpsmen and four
of those received the Medal for action
on Iwo Jima. Hospital Corpsmen also
received 66 Navy Crosses, 465 Silver
Stars and 982 Bronze Stars. 1 , 1 70 Hos-
pital Corpsmen gave their lives during
World War II to save others. 143,826
combat casualties were treated by
corpsmen.

Hospital Takes Gol d in CG's Volleyball Championships

BYHM3D. Tenney
Staff Writer

The season proved to be a lot of
ups and downs for the Naval
Hospital Intramural team. There
were times that you wondered why they
lost or how they won. There was a lot
of evident talent, but sometimes it
wasn't all there at the same time. Fin-
ishing the regular season with a 3rd
place finish, the team never lost confi-
dence that they could still take the CG
championship. All they would need to
do is utilize each person's strengths and
play like a team.

That's exactly what they did. In the
first round they met CSSG-1 and put
them away with an impressive victory
that let the other teams know that they
were there to win. Second round
brought the 2nd seed team of 1st Tanks
who were put away in two games and

sent to the losers bracket. The semifi-
nal round brought 3rd LAR with it who
had sent MCCES, the 1st seeded team
to the losers bracket in an exciting
match the night before. The team was
aware that it would be a tough match
and mentally prepared one another for
the match ahead. The hospital team
gave another impressive performance
putting them away in two games.

Championship round brought a
hyper CSSG-1 back for a re-match. The
first match was an exciting one. It went
three games and the hospital ended up
on the losing end. After a half an hour
break and an intensive warm-up session
it was time for the championship game.
Thanks to a lot of cheering, from the
wonderful fans, the team went into the
championship game with a winning and
determined attitude. There were a lot
of exciting rallies and the two teams
played an intense match. The team

pulled together, played their hearts out
and the fans cheered with excitement.
The match ended with the taste of sweet
success. The hospital had come to-
gether as a team and fed off of each
other's strengths to claim the base
championship.

Team members include:
Co-captain/coach: HN Avery (CPD)
Co-captain: LCDR Larcombe (FPC)

HM3 Johnson (PT)

SK3 Nino (Supply)

HM3 Fregoso(Ortho)

LT Garcia (MIW)

HN Peau (MSC)

HMCM Bettis (CMC)

HM3 Smith (MH)

HM2 Barron (OR)

HM3 Tenney (Peds)

CPL Aspen Greiy (AAV)
Congratulations on a job well done
and a championship well deserved!

People of the Quarter...

HM2 Arnold Roach of Branch Medical Clinic, China
Lake has been selected as Senior Sailor of the Quarter.

HM3 Dawn Wilson of the Maternal Infant Ward has
been selected as Junior Sailor of the Quarter. She was
later selected as MCA GCC JSOO.

5

Healthwatr.h...

Relaxing addition to fitness program

By Vera Ando-Winstead
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

After a rough workday, do you
want a quiet place to unwind?
Such a haven is nearby-in the
sauna at your local gym or health club.

To relieve stress the sauna helps you
relax. To supplement a fitness program,
the sauna produces reactions similar to
mild exercise such as a brisk walk. The
high heat and low humidity give your
heart a cardiovascular workout.

Saunas promote the body's natural
cleansing through perspiration to main-
tain clear, healthy skin. Some people
believe the sauna helps them lose
weight, but the loss is mostly water.
When tlie body replenishes water stores,
the "lost weight" returns.

"Basically healthy people of all ages
can enjoy a sauna as long as they exer-
cise common sense. If you have high
blood pressure or chronic heart disease
or suffered a heart attack, you should
not use the sauna because of the car-
diovascular strain from the heat," said
CDR Joseph Moore, MC, head of
Sports Medicine, Camp Pendleton Na-
val Hospital and Specialty Leader to the
Surgeon General for Sports Medicine.
"Pregnant women should not use tlie
sauna because it increases the heart's
workload. Also, high maternal body
temperature can adversely affect the
fetus."

Planning to use the sauna? Here are
some guidelines:

1 . If you have special health con-
cerns (such as diabetes, arteriosclero-
sis, varicose veins), check with
your doctor beforehand.

2. Cool down from a strenuous
workout before entering the sauna. Your
heart rate should be normal.

3. Do not exercise in the sauna.

4. For safety, use the sauna with a
health buddy when possible.

5 . Use tlie sauna on an empty stom-
ach to avoid indigestion.

6. Shower before you enter the
sauna to clean and open your pores.

7. Wear as little as possible.

Clothes impede the evaporation of wa-
ter (sweat) from the skin.

8. Never wear water-imperme-
able material, such as rubber suits,
which can lead to dangerously high
body temperatures and even death.

9. Sit or recline on tlie highest
level you can tolerate; stay in as long
as you comfortably can (generally 8 to
1 5 minutes).

1 0. Cool down quickly in open air
outside the sauna or under as cool a
shower as you can handle.

11. After your heart rate returns to
normal, you can repeat the heating and
cooling procedure two or three times.

12. Most importantly, before, dur-
ing and after the sauna, drink plenty of
fluids, especially water.

As always, heed your body's signals.
How you feel determines how long you
remain in the sauna and how long you
take to cool off.

If you feel dizzy, nauseated or faint,
get out of the sauna. Stand up carefully
and slowly. Walk cautiously as you
leave the sauna.

Remember, replace the fluids you
sweated out; drink plenty of water.

Used recklessly, the sauna can lead
to death. However, used correctly, the
sauna augments an exercise program
and provides overall health benefits.
"Many people report physical and men-
tal relaxation and a sensation of gen-
eral well being after talcing a sauna,"
said Moore. So, relax, treat yourself to
tlie sauna-enjoy!

It's Not Sugar,

By Kimberly Allen Rowlings
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

Instead of asking how many sugars do
you take in your coffer or tea, the ques-
tion could easily be how many Sweet
N Low or Equal packs do you use?

Sugar substitutes, often called arti-
ficial sweeteners or non-nutritives, are
used more commonly in society. More
and more soft drinks, foods and desserts
contain sugar substitutes to satisfy the
craving for sweets but not calories.

Artificial sweeteners, saccharin and
aspartame are appealing because they
offer a sweet taste but contribute virtu-
ally no calories. These sugar substitutes
are 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar.
The caloric content of the artificial
sweeteners is negligible and almost
non-existent in one teaspoon compared
with the 20 calories in one teaspoon of
sugar.

Although sugar may contain calo-
ries, it's all natural and causes no side
effects. "No matter how much sugar
you take in, if it exceeds your body's
maintenance needs for calories it can
be stored as fat," said LT Todd Medley,
MSC, a registered dietician at Naval
Medical Center, San Diego.

but it's Sweet

Saccharin, used in Sweet N Low
sugar substitute, has been in use for
nearly a century. No evidence has been
linked to human health problems, but
some laboratory studies have shown an
increase in bladder tumors in rats that
have been fed large amounts. The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration recom-
mends limiting saccharin use as a table-
top sweetener.

Another artificial sweetener, aspar-
tame, commonly known as Nutrasweet,
has been available since 1983. The
name brand Equal uses Nutrasweet.
Aspartame is closely related to naturally
occurring body chemicals and is con-
sidered extremely safe by researchers.
It can not be used in baked goods, be-
cause prolonged heat causes it to break
down. However, aspartame can be used
with some stove top food preparations.

According to Medley, the decision
to use artificial sweeteners will vary
widi people's taste and their disease
state. For instance a person suffering
with diabetes or obesity can benefit
from using the low-calorie sweetener.
But a person suffering with an ailment
that demands an increased need for
calories may need tlie caloric value that
sugar offers.

Sec SWEET on page 7

Ripped Fuel. . . Friend or Foe?

By HM3 Christina Hunt
Staff Writer

Recently there have been reports
on the metabolic enhancer
"Ripped Fuel" regarding sus-
pected deaths in conjunction with its
use. Although it is unclear what role
"Ripped FueF actually played in the
deaths, it is highly recommended that
usage of the product discontinue until
further notice.

"Ripped Fuel" contains a Chinese
herbal form of Ma Huang which, ac-
cording to a recent article in The Los
Angeles Times, is "described by one
drug expert as 'an atom away' from il-
legal methamphetamine." According
to TwinLab, the manufacturer of
"Ripped Fuel," this "is another great
thermogenic product containing ma
huang (herbal form of ephedrine which
in some states has already been banned),
guarana (herbal form of caffeine) I-car-
nitine, and chromium picolinate." This
product advertises "Scientifically re-
searched and tested ingredients... a
combination proven effective in reduc-
ing body fat while maintaining lean
body mass."

"Ripped Fuel" with its potent con-
tents, should in all respects be treated

Sweet-

Continued from page 6

People suffering from an extremely
rare genetic disease called phenylketo-
nuria (PKU) should not use aspartame.
PKU is an inherited recessive trait that
is characterized by mental retardation,
seizures, eczema and mousy odor.

"Both saccharin and aspartame do
not affect the blood sugar. But because
of the warnings associated with saccha-
rin, Navy dietitians need to assess and
recommend the appropriate use of all
sugar substitutes," said Medley.

Many foods on the market today use
sugar substitutes to give us the taste we
love without the calories of sugar. But
limiting sugar is only one part of build-
ing healthy eating habits. It is still im-
portant to eat a variety of low-fat foods,
including plenty of fresh fruits, veg-
etables and whole grains.

as a drug. As a direct result of the ques-
tionable deaths that may be linked to
the usage of this and other similar prod-
ucts, the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has begun an investigation.
Currently, the product has been re-
moved from the shelves of the Marine
Corps Exchange, pending investiga-
tions into its alleged involvement in
several deaths.

This product may lead to high blood
pressure, heart attacks, strokes and sei-
zures when taken in excess. One such
possible victim was a 15-year-old girl
who took it prior to soccer practice in

April of this year. She collapsed to
never regain consciousness before be-
ing pronounced dead three days later.
Another death, confirmed to be a direct
result of the usage of "Ripped Fuel,"
was a 23-year-old graduate student. The
product caused his heart to beat irregu-
larly and then stop. This thermogenic
formula appears to be quite a danger-
ous addition to a person's diet.

While the exact involvement of
"Ripped FiieF is still in question, Na-
val Hospital Twentynine Palms strongly
discourages the use of this, and other
similar products, until further notice.

Dental Technicians
Celebrate 50 Years of Service

By HMCS Mark Hacala
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

i

Navy Dental Teclinicians celebrated their golden anniversary April
2. The creation of a separate dental rating was authorized in
1948.

In previous years, dental assistants were Hospital Corpsmen who were
trained as assistants or prosthetic technicians. Their number grew to over
1 0,000 in World War II. Dental technicians served admirably during the
wars in Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, and the Persian Gulf. One techni-
cian, Dentahnan Thomas Christensen, earned a posthumous award of
the Navy Cross for gallantry in Korea.

Currently, there are 3,021 active and 679 reserve dental technicians.
They serve in nine Navy enlisted codes including basic technicians, ad-
vanced teclinicians, dental laboratory teclinicians, surgical technicians
and Fleet Marine Force technicians, equipment repair personnel, admin-
istrative technicians, dental hygienists and maxillofacial technicians.
They are assigned in the United States, outside the continental United
States, aboard ships, and with the Marines.

Senior dental technicians have served as command master chiefs of
surface ships and other non-dental commands. DTC Hazelann K. Teamer
won one of the Navy's highest accolades with her selection as the Chief
of Naval Operations 1997 Shore Sailor of the Year.

Happy Birthday 23rd Dental Company!
From the Staff at Naval Hospital
Twentynine Palms

More Hardchargers . . .

JillPigoofthe
OB/GYN Clinic
has been
selected as
Junior Civlian
of the Quarter.

SCOQ Aldo Amaranto of the Hospital's
Radiology Department has been named Senior
Civilian of the Quarter.

Total Quality Online in the Lab

By ENS Rodriguez
Naval

Clinical laboratories are one of the most regulated work areas in a health care
environment.

The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
(JCAHO), College of Pathologists (CAP), Food and Drag Administration (FDA)
and the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) are just some of the regu-
latory bodies that can shut down a laboratory for any one of several hundred
possible violations.

Consequently, quality control is one of the highest priorities for clinical labo-
ratories. However, documentation of quality control has traditionally been a te-
dious and laborious task.

The laboratory has taken steps to improve the accuracy and cut down on the
time required to document quality control by using CHCS as its database. HM1
Domingo Capistrano, the chemistry section supervisor, created quality control
files for all sections of the laboratory. These files allow the laboratory to accu-
rately and immediately monitor trends and shifts of test reagents and controls.
Furthermore, the laboratory can update and print the files with just several key-
strokes. The reports CHCS generates automatically perform all the complex sta-
tistical functions that were previously done manually. This dramatically cuts down
on paper waste and the log books technicians had to painstakingly maintain. The
quality control files are now linked to corresponding test files that allow the labo-
ratory to capture quality control workload that was previously unaccounted for.
Petty Officer Capistrano's efforts now allow the laboratory to more accurately
plan budgets, forecast staffing and improve the quality of care the command de-
livers.

Volunteer of the Quarter.

Look for the complete
story on the People of the
Quarter in next month 's
Examiner.

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