Social Work Division, Clinical Care Management Department

Social Work is a consultation service to multidisciplinary teams in the primary and specialty clinics and inpatient units. Social workers help patients and families cope with chronic, acute or terminal illness, handle problems that may interfere with recovery or rehabilitation, plan for patients’ needs after discharge and connect with agency and community resources. They provide the following services to patients and families whose lives are impacted by medical issues:

• Medical crisis counseling for new diagnoses and exacerbation of illness
• Bereavement services for end of life issues and other losses
• Psychosocial support
• Discharge planning
• Admission prevention
• Resource Management
  ° Help in obtaining durable medical equipment
  ° Referrals to home health servicesand hospice
  ° Placements in nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities
  ° Transition from independent living to another level of care
  ° Initiation of transition process to a ong term care facility

Speech Language Pathology

Speech Language Pathology provides a broad spectrum of diagnostic and treatment services such as pre- and post-operative assessments, language and cognitive-linguistic assessments, communication therapy, swallowing and feeding therapy; as well as continuity of care for patients through their schools, other hospitals, community speech pathology clinics, rehabilitation centers and nursing homes. Speech Language Pathology offers a wide range of services to both in- and outpatients. Priority of care is given to active duty members, active duty dependents, inpatient populations, and pre/post surgical patients. Assessments and therapy are offered for disorders of voice, articulation, language, cognitive-linguistics, fluency/rate of speech, and social speech skills (pragmatics). We offer assessment and therapy for swallow/feeding disorders. The causes of such deficits can be caused by developmental problems, post stroke, head injury, cancer, post surgery, infections/de-conditioning, degenerative diseases, emotional/psychological problems, etc. Support to the Traumatic Brain Injury Program, to include polytrauma injuries is a priority for both in- and outpatients. Efforts are made to provide continuity of care from our clinic to other locations where the patient may be transferred or receive ongoing care (rehabilitation centers, schools, Tricare network providers, short term nursing settings, hospice, or home).

Sterile Processing

Sterile Processing provides decontamination, sterilization, and the redistribution of sterile surgical instrumentation and medical devices for NNMC and tenant commands, including the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the U.S. Capitol, and the White House. Skilled professionals monitor, receive and transport regulated medical waste to a secured storage area awaiting pick-up by a designated authority. Sterile Processing is also the collecting point for outpatient disposal of used syringes and needles.

Substance Abuse Department

The Substance Abuse Department administers and coordinates the Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation Program (SARP) that provides screenings, assessments, outpatient treatment, and continuing care services in the Naval District Washington area and other remote locations for patients diagnosed with substance-related disorders. A full range of individual and group therapy services are provided in all program areas. Intensive early intervention education is provided to those members who have had an incident, but have not been diagnosed with a substance-related disorder. Also provided are administrative assistance, drug and alcohol information, preventive education and referral assistance as part of an on-going outreach program.

Surgical Inpatient

This department provides warm, personal care combined with modern, state-of-the-art facilities for patients’ comfort, safety and successful surgical outcomes. Services include:

• Bedside care before and after operations
• Advanced wound care
• Patient education
• Discharge planning

Transfusion Services

Transfusion Services provides and manufactures blood components based upon the unique needs of our patients in Obstetrics & Gynecology; Hematology & Oncology; General; Orthopedic; Cardiothoracic Surgery; Internal Medicine Clinics; Neonatology and Neurosurgery. NNMC’s blood bank transfuses 4,200 blood products annually and is staffed around the clock, including weekends and holidays.

Urology

Urologic Surgery provides specialized medical and surgical care for problems of the urinary tract for men, women, and children. Specialists evaluate and manage conditions of the genitourinary tract for patients of all ages and genders. Services include comprehensive care for all cancers of the urinary tract and male genital tract; voiding problems in men, women, and children; incontinence of urine; male infertility; diagnosis and treatment benign and cancerous prostate diseases; stones within the urinary tract; and the evaluation and treatment of neuro-urologic voiding disorders through our Voiding Dysfunction Center. We are a center of excellence utilizing minimally invasive surgical techniques such as laparoscopy and robot-assisted surgery for benign and cancerous conditions in children and adults. The staff is committed to preventive urologic health care for patients and has particular emphasis on benign and cancerous conditions of the prostate gland. We collaborate with other military, federal, and civilian medical institutions to maintain a keen focus on state-of-the-art treatment of these conditions. A prostate cancer support group is also available and is open to all who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and their family members. In addition, this department has a specialist in pediatric urology to investigate problems such as birth defects of the urogenital system and to provide care for children with bedwetting problems and urinary tract infections.

Vascular Surgery

Vascular surgeons are specialists in diseases involving the arteries, veins, and lymphatics throughout the body with the exception of the heart and brain. The Vascular surgeons at NNMC have all completed training as general surgeons before pursuing a two-year fellowship to specialize in vascular surgery. The modern vascular surgeon is able to treat vascular disease not only with traditional open surgical methods, but also through minimally invasive catheter based therapies. Examples of this include carotid artery stenting and minimally invasive endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms. At NNMC, the vascular surgery team is committed to providing high quality and timely care to our beneficiaries. We provide the full range of vascular services to patients, including prevention, education, diagnosis, non-operative management, vascular lab services, endovascular procedures, and traditional open operations. Having this full “toolbox” allows us to individualize treatment to achieve the best results for patients, whether that means surgery, catheter-based intervention, or medical management. Areas of expertise include:

• Peripheral arterial disease
• Carotid artery disease
• Aortic and all other aneurysms
• Venous disease (DVT, varicose veins, IVC filters, etc.)
• Thoracic outlet syndromes
• Dialysis access procedures
• Angiography with balloon angioplasty and/or stenting

Your Rights & Responsibilities as a Patient
At National Naval Medical Center, we demonstrate our support and commitment to Patients Rights through the day-to-day processes and standards by which our staff interacts with patients. These interactions reflect a fundamental respect for our patients’ dignity and are guided by the staff’s awareness of the ethical issues surrounding patient care. For a detailed explanation of your rights and responsibilities, ask for a Patients Rights brochure the next time you visit NNMC. (El libro de derechos de paciente es disponible tambien en espanol.)

Your Rights:
1. To Receive Quality Care
2. To Receive Explanations of Care
3. To Receive Pain Management
4. To Participate in Your Care
5. To Provide Informed Consent
6. To Refuse Treatment
7. To Arrange for an Advance Directive
8. To Know the Identity of Health Care Staff
9. To Receive Respectful Treatment
10. To Be Provided Privacy, Security and Safety
11. To Express Your Feelings
12. To Refuse Participation in Research
13. To Receive Visitors and Communications
14. To Understand Rules and Regulations
15. To Voice Your Concerns

Your Responsibilities:
1. To Provide Information About Your Health
2. To Provide Information About Advance Directives
3. To Follow NNMC Rules and Regulations
4. To Be Respectful and Considerate of Others
5. To Comply with Recommended Medical Care
6. To Arrive on Time for Appointments
7. To Return Medical Records