By Bernard S. Little Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Hospital Communications
Focused on efforts to enhance patient- and family-centered care (PFCC), quality and performance improvement (Q & PI), healthcare providers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) explained their work during the Department of Research Programs' (DRP) recent Research and Innovation Month presentations.
This is the 18th year Walter Reed's DRP hosted Research and Innovation Month, held annually between April and May to showcase the research and non-research work focused on bettering military healthcare and readiness.
“Research remains the cornerstone of Walter Reed,” said Dr. Chenille Johnson, DRP’s research protocol specialist. She added that the finalists in the PFCC and Q & PI competitions are “stellar examples of the work taking place at the medical center and across the region. Their passion for knowledge and the relevance of their projects to service members, their families and other Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries remind us why military medical research is indispensable. We hope to see more of this work in the future.”
The PFCC competition is named for Paul Florentino, who prior to his death in 2011, served as deputy commander of medical services at the former National Naval Medical Center. He spent more than a decade working for the Uniformed Services University (USU) and played a key role in the 2011 merger of NNMC and Walter Reed Army Medical Center to create WRNMMC, with a special focus on PFCC.
An Air Force flight surgeon, Florentino explained PFCC as “the collaborative approach between patients, families and their providers to improve health outcomes, safety, and satisfaction.” In recognition of his work, Walter Reed’s DRP yearly hosts the poster/presentation competition that bears his name in conjunction with the department’s Q & PI competitions.
Rachel Jenkins, Ph.D., the department’s education program specialist and team lead for Research Education Services and the Research and Innovation Month Committee, said military medical research moves medicine forward. Military medical research has accelerated innovations in trauma care, prosthetics, infectious disease control, and evacuation procedures. Some advancements stemming from military research, such as modern tourniquets, advanced hemostatic agents, and rapid aeromedical transport, have become standard civilian healthcare. “PFCC puts patients and their families at the heart of that care,” Jenkins added.
This year’s projects focused: on establishing a lecture series for cancer survivors; Walter’s Way (a patient’s appointment system designed to allow clinics to handle their appointments in conjunctionwith the Integrated Referral Management and Appointing Center); enhancing pediatric residents' competencies and proficiency in intrauterine device (IUD) procedures; designing and implementing simulation circumcision training; and examining if sodium bicarbonate can enhance physical performance and overall health.
“Cancer survivorship begins at the time of diagnosis and continues through the balance of life,” stated U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Sara Wright, of the Department of General Surgery in discussing her work in establishing a lecture series for cancer survivors. “We identified a need for a forum to introduce patients to survivorship resources at the John P. Murtha Cancer Center (MCC).” The MCC, located at Walter Reed, is the Department of War’s only Cancer Center of Excellence in the MHS. She added these resources focus on the physical, psychological, social and economic impacts of cancer on patients, the families and caregivers.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Elizabeth Simmons and U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. (Dr.) Matthew Tajanlangit, explained that the goal of Walter’s Way is to “achieve a one call solution to optimize the patient experience.”
First launched with the Pediatric and Internal Medicine Primary Care teams in February 2025 with a goal of expanding across other Walter Reed services, Walter’s Way is designed to enhance access, communication, and care coordination through a centralized call center to schedule appointments at the hospital.
To enhance the competency and proficiency of pediatric residents in IUD procedures, U.S. Army Maj. (Dr.) Saira Ahmed explored designing and implementing a multi-modal IUD training curriculum for pediatric residents through self-guided modules and hands-on practice. The training includes four online modules that cover IUD basics, informed consent, insertion/removal procedural steps, and troubleshooting.
U.S. Army Capt. (Dr.) Nikoletta Vargas examined if sodium bicarbonate can enhance physical performance and overall health. She explained while there is a need for more study, “from this review, by incorporating it into a daily diet, sodium bicarbonate has the potential to enhance the physical performance while reducing muscle soreness, fatigue and physical injuries associated with acidic muscles.”
U.S. Air Force Capt. (Dr.) Rebecca Morgis and her team developed a neonatal circumcision training curriculum. She explained that her team worked with Walter Reed’s medical application staff to create a model for hands-on simulation training. “Improvement to [circumcision] training has potential to [enhance] provider confidence and skills, as well as increase the safety of the procedure. Ninety-six percent of our residents were interested in simulated circumcision training and nearly 70 percent felt more training is necessary in residency. This curriculum provides a reproducible framework to strengthen procedural education and advance quality in training.”