Friday, March 31, 2000

Northeast Gate gets new sign

NMCRS fund drive
underway in GTMO

The annual Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) fund drive officially got underway March 28.

According to NMCRS Fund Drive Chairman LT Stephanie J. Moser, U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay has just over a month to raise over $17,600 before the May 1 deadline.

Moser said many different events are being planned to help accomplish this goal. “In conjunction with the craft fair, a NMCRS book sale is currently slated for April 8 at the Windjammer Club,” said Moser. “We are asking the community for book donations to help with this sale.”

Many other events are still in the planning stage but Moser said the Radiothon fund drive is tentatively scheduled for sometime in late April.

“The Navy Marine Corps Relief Society is such a worthy cause because all the money we raise goes right to our Sailors and Marines,” said Moser, who serves in U.S. Naval Hospital’s emergency room. “Historically, people here in GTMO have really supported this fund drive.”

For more information on the fund drive or to donate books, call Moser at 72690 or LCDR Donna J. Stafford at 72380. To donate money, contact your department or division NMCRS fund drive key person.

Hospital upgrades services
for Guantanamo Bay patients

As medical technology advances, the U.S. Naval Hospital constantly upgrades its equpment to provide the best quality healthcare to all base residents. Some of the most recent additions include an exercise stress test machine, a Holter monitor, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring capabilities, an ultrasound unit and a new x-ray room.

The exercise stress test machine is used for patients who have recently recovered from a heart attack or for detection of silent heart disease in selected patients. Some of the new features of this machine include a report printing function and blood pressure monitoring while the patient is running. Dr. Dan Fisher, Internal Medicine physician, states, “It is a long awaited addition to our facilities.”

Other new equipment includes the Holter monitor, which is used for patients with unexplained passing out “spells” or palpitations and a new computer-linked spirometer. The spirometer is used to detect lung disease from smoking and to monitor smoking-induced lung damage.In addition, the hospital has added non-invasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. This involves the patient being sent home with a special blood pressure cuff for 24 hours. The special cuff will automatically take readings at scheduled times and will be able to provide an average blood pressure reading for the period that the patient had the cuff. Information obtained from this cuff will help your doctor determine if your medication is working or if you have true high blood pressure versus high blood pressure only when around doctors, also known as white coat hypertension. While most patients may not need this service, it will be a definite benefit for those patients where the need for this type of monitoring is indicated.

Recent acquisitions in the radiology department include a renovated X-ray room and a new ultrasound unit. The new X-ray room features full capability for all standard radiographic studies (“X-rays”) and a digital fluoroscopy unit for studies that require real-time examination by the radiologist. Such real-time studies include barium examination of the gastrointestinal tract and evaluation of the urinary bladder.

The new ultrasound unit represents state-of-the-art technology that allows for evaluation of a wide variety of clinical problems. Common studies include evaluation of abdominal and pelvic organs, evaluation of the fetus in pregnant women and evaluation of the vascular system (arteries and veins).
Color Doppler imaging for detecting blood flow uses technology that is similar to weather radar reports. The ultrasound unit is also fully digital, which allows for electronic storage and transfer of images and further reduces the need for x-ray film. Good ultrasound equipment is especially important at an isolated command such as GTMO and is relied upon heavily by the radiologist.

Meet our Commander,
U.S. Naval Base,
Captain
Larry E. Larson

Meet our Chief Staff Officer,
CDR Jack H. Van Zandt

Meet our Command Master Chief,
PRCM(AW/PJ) Gary M. Gattis



The History of Guantanamo Bay - Read the stories of how our base came to be. A complete transcription of the original book.

U.S. Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay

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