Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Md.  –   Research focused on improving the care of Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries was highlighted during the two-day poster competition, May 1-2, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as part of its Department of Research Program’s (DRP) 16th Annual Research and Innovation Month observance.

“Walter Reed proudly stands at the forefront of medical innovation as the preferred [MHS] training and research platform,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Wesley Campbell, director for Education, Training and Research (DETR) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). “At the heart of our mission is a commitment to deliver cutting-edge care and nurture the next generation of medical researchers and health care professionals.”

Campbell added that Walter Reed’s reputation as a leading training and research hub is built on a foundation of excellence and discovery.

“Here, we’re shaping the future of medicine through groundbreaking research and advanced training programs. Our dedicated professionals are not just providing care but pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in medical science,” he shared.

The posters in this year’s competitions, currently on display in the main hospital, includes synopses in investigative works exploring pulmonary edema, vasculitis neuropathy, liver abscess, nodular hyperplasia, idiopathic papilledema, proximal tibia fracture, ocular herpes, post-surgical diabetes management, fibromuscular dysplasia, fertility preservation, screening for sleep disorder breathing pediatric patients with sickle cell disease, rheumatic heart disease, metastatic breast cancer, screening for lead, lipid screening, and more.

Investigators include physicians and their teams from a variety of medical specialties at Walter Reed. They presented their projects in competitions in the categories of Case Reports, Quality Improvement, Evidence-Based Practice and Paul Florentino Patient and Family-Centered Care.

The Paul Florentino Patient and Family-Centered Care “puts patients and their families at the heart of medicine,” said Rachel Jenkins, Ph.D., DRP’s education program specialist and team lead for Research Education Services and Research and Innovation Month.

Florentino’s career took him from his work as an Air Force flight surgeon to deputy commander of medical services at the former National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), a predecessor of WRNMMC. He helped guide the integration of NMMC and the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center to form WRNMMC, and he was a major contributor in shifting the paradigm of care at the hospital from being primarily physician driven to physician, patient and family centered. The poster competition named in his honor continues this legacy.

Jenkins added that evidence-based practice includes “translating research to the bedside.” The Case Report category for fellows and staff, “points the way toward new paths in medicine,” and the Performance and Quality Improvement category “boosts the caliber of care and teamwork.”

“The reason we have the annual research competitions is to remind ourselves that [WRNMMC] is an academic health center,” said retired Army Col. (Dr.) Clifton Yu, deputy director for DETR at Walter Reed. “We do research, we teach, and we do clinical care.” He also noted the variety of specialties represented in the competition, including cardiology, rheumatology, pediatrics, physical therapy, orthopedics and others.

The Walter Reed Vision, established by the medical center’s leadership team, states that WRNMMC is focused on being “…the first choice for our beneficiaries and staff as the world’s premier military medical center for health, readiness, education and research.”