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Jason D Marquart, MD
Chief, Dermatology
LTC (P)
|
MC
|
USA
WRB
The mission of the NCR Dermatology Service is
caring for patients; training medical students,
residents, fellows and physician extenders;
and conducting scientific research. It provides
one of the highest volumes of patient
encounters within the MHS, with over 30,000
encounters each year. It also treats over 3,000
skin cancers annually, including over 1,000
Mohs cases and other high-risk skin cancers.
The DoD’s only skin immunofluorescence
reference laboratory receives consult cases
from around the world: it reached a new
milestone in 2016 with over 530 cases
interpreted and processed internally, and
prepared another 120 additional cases for the
Joint Pathology Center. The Dermato-
pathology Service (a combined team of
fellowship-trained pathologists and derma-
tologists) receives and interprets hundreds of
challenging consult cases yearly from DoD
facilities around the world.
Mobile Dermatology Units Don’t Take
Patients to their Appointments; They Take
Appointments to their Patients
The Dermatology Service continues to evolve
in its practice of world-class medicine through
outreach missions and numerous innovations.
Dr. Jason Marquart and Dr. Jeffrey Lackey
expanded the regional dermatology presence
through Mobile Dermatology Units (MDUs)
that have taken enhanced care to FBCH,
Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center and Naval
Health Clinic Annapolis, as well as the US
Capitol, the White House Medical Unit, Camp
David and the Pentagon. In 2016, WRB
Dermatology was awarded the first Regional
Impact Award for innovation in providing
forward dermatologic care in the NCR.
Growth of the Cutaneous Oncology Clinic
and the Tumor Board Helps Optimize Care for
Skin Cancer Patients
NCR Dermatology has partnered with the
Murtha Cancer Center (MCC) to provide
comprehensive care to all patients with
advanced/high-risk skin cancers. Under the
leadership of Dr. Nicholas Logemann, Assistant
Chief of Dermatology, Dermatology has forged
collaborations with the MCC, USU, the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the
National Cancer Center (NCC) to develop an
NCR Cutaneous Oncology Clinic that facilitates
the care of patients with high-risk skin cancer.
This partnership now involves a weekly
Multidisciplinary Cutaneous Oncology Tumor
Board as a means to optimize care of
cutaneous oncology patients.
New, Advanced Imaging Technique Tracks
Moles and Uses Machine Learning to Identify
Skin Cancer and High-Risk Patients
Dr. Jon Meyerle has continued to lead the
National Capital Consortium’s dermatology
residency. As one of the largest derm
residencies in the US, it can support 18
residents—all of whom have had a 100%
board pass rate during his tenure and are
recognized locally and nationally for their
performance. An inspiring researcher and
innovator, Dr. Meyerle is the principal
investigator on numerous protocols that have
evaluated
molecular
determinants
of
melanoma, advanced treatments of trauma-
related amputees using skin replacement
techniques that use autologous cultured
fibroblasts, and clinical projects involving skin
imaging and immunodermatology. One of the
grants he has received to study skin disease
Derm
at
olo
gy
Thomas N Darling, MD, PhD
Chair, Dermatology
USU
19
has resulted in the recent acquisition of an
advanced imaging device that can digitally
acquire standardized images to track a
patient’s moles and potential skin cancers.
The ultimate goal of this device is to use
machine learning to detect skin cancer in
individual patients or identify high-risk
patients
that
need
further
in-person
screening. In response to Meyerle’s example,
dermatology staff and residents have
published more than 20 manuscripts this year,
and have participated in scholarly activities
that resulted in national and international
recognition.
New Protocol Developed at Walter Reed
Bethesda Reduces Sweating at the Stumps of
Amputees by up to 85%
Dr. Joshua Kentosh has been at the forefront
in the NCR of wounded warrior amputee care.
He has developed a protocol that uses a
radiofrequency device to address the
excessive sweating at the stumps of
amputees. In the past, the standard
treatment was numerous injections of
botulinum toxin in repetitive sessions to
reduce sweating in order to promote an
improved prosthetic fit. Kentosh’s protocol
has been shown to reduce sweating at the
stump by up to 85% in one treatment session
alone, and the response appears durable. For
his innovative research, he was awarded the
American Society of Dermatologic Surgery
(ASDS) Cutting Edge Research Grant at the
2016 Annual Meeting to continue his efforts.
Virtualized Acne Care Improves Access and
the Patient Experience for Pediatric Patients
Dr. Brian Green developed a novel approach
to acne care using a virtualized Secure
Messaging encounter system. Acne care is a
cornerstone of dermatology; however, many
encounters do not warrant an in-office visit.
Often,
advice
in
hygiene,
medication
application and reassurance is all that is
needed. Green is the DoD’s only pediatric
dermatologist and an expert in acne therapy.
He has devised a system to triage patients
through Secure Messaging and to provide
virtualized
care,
which
has
received
overwhelmingly positive reviews from both
patients and family members. Appointments
are fluid through a virtualized system. There is
minimal required travel for the patient,
almost instantaneous patient access, and the
results are comparable to face-to-face visits.
Also, for every patient who receives
virtualized care, there is an open appointment
for another DoD beneficiary—which improves
access to dermatologic care throughout the
NCR.
Non-Traditional Therapies Provide
Alternate Approaches to Conditions Such as
Pruritus and Neurocutaneous Syndromes
Dr. Kent Handfield has developed a robust
Integrative Dermatology Service as a means of
providing alternative dermatologic care to
recalcitrant cutaneous conditions. Handfield
completed advanced training in acupuncture
and other non-traditional therapies, which
has optimized treatment of various conditions
from pruritus to neurocutaneous conditions.
His service has provided hope to patients that
have failed traditional medical therapies and
is one of the most popular services in NCR
Dermatology.
Opposite page:
Photodynamic therapy
for the treatment of
actinic keratoses of the
face. The treatment
involves the application
of a photosensitizer
(aminolevulinic acid) to
the target areas, which is
selectively absorbed into
abnormal skin lesions.
The blue wavelength of
light then activates the
solution and eradicates
the lesions.
Direct immuno-
fluoresence: Dr. Meyerle
is one of two military
dermatologists trained in
immunodermatology. He
is reading a DIF (direct
immune-fluorescence)
study, which is a special
skin biopsy that is used
to evaluate various types
of immunobullous
diseases such as bullous
pemphigoid and
pemphigus vulgaris.