New Integrated Clinic Chiefs
National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed Army Medical Center announced integrated clinic chiefs for the Dermatology and Pathology Departments. Army Col. Stephen Krivda will lead Dermatology and Army Col. Thomas Baker will lead Pathology Department. Krivda and Baker were recommended from a number of candidates.

The selection committee who presided over the both tri-service selection processes included members from Bethesda, Walter Reed, Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Graduate Medical Education.

Accredited Success
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education evaluated National Naval Medical Center’s and Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s integrated orthopedic surgical residency program and rewarded it with high praise. The outstanding remarks will allow the hospitals to continue training doctors in orthopedic specialties. The council reviews the medical centers’ residency programs to make sure they are within regulations and in compliance with the standards.

Renovated Pharmacy
The National Naval Medical Center completed a $540,000 renovation its inpatient pharmacy. The upgrades allow pharmacists to increase the quantity, quality and efficiency of producing medications for inpatients. Bethesda’s pharmacy added automated refills, more storage capacity and a clean room. The pharmacy’s new automation system will increase the number of medications the pharmacy can produce and eliminate human error. The system also allows for paper-free prescriptions, meaning paperwork won’t get lost or a prescription won’t be misread. The renovation expedites medications to injured troops on the 5 East Surgical Ward.

New Lab System
The National Naval Medical Center’s Laboratory completed the incorporation of a state-of-the-art pneumatic tube delivery system that allows technicians from various stations throughout the command to deliver and receive lab samples without leaving their clinics.

The system works much like a bank’s drive-thru teller machine. A technician can place a specimen and the proper paperwork in the transport tube, push the button and, seconds later, have it arrive at its destination. The National Naval Medical Center’s laboratory processes approximately1,400 transactions per month and the new system savesnearly 100 man-hours per month.

Emergency Mobile Shelters
The National Naval Medical Center, National Institutes of Health and Suburban Hospital acquired new mobile emergency response shelters. The mobile shelters are inflatable structures that can house 25 beds and be set-up in one hour. The shelters can be used to treat patients prior to them entering the hospital or can be deployed as an infectious ward. The three facilities bought the equipment collaboratively.

New Human Resources Office
The National Naval Medical Center established a centralized human resources department to streamline Bethesda’s employee protocols and hiring processes. The new department combines each command directorate’s administration officer, putting those functions and responsibilities under one umbrella. The new human resources department allows departments to fill job positions in a more timely and efficient manner, and increases continuity, communication andservice. Now, employees are hired two months sooner than before.