NNMC, Walter Reed Announce 'United We Heal' Motto to Promote Transition to Facility

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Alexandra Snow, National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs

June 10, 2010 - BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- The winner of the National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) sponsored "Joint Interim Motto" contest - seeking a phrase that will promote the time period between now and the final integration of the two facilities - was announced June 3.

The winning phrase, "United We Heal," will appear on banners, signs and buttons during the merge.

The winner, Pamela Porter, is an employee in the Department of Psychology at WRAMC.

When she learned about the contest, which took place in March, she jumped at the opportunity to come up with a phrase that could aid the hospital's transition into the future Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda.

"The goal of the contest was to come up with a motto that would address the time between now, and the actual opening of the future Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda," said Dawn Marvin, department head of the National Naval Medical Center's Marketing and Strategic Communications. She's also the team leader for the NNMC annual plan integration goal team, the group that coordinated the contest. "We have so many exciting team-building plans for this coming year, and we wanted one cohesive slogan that was inspiring, and could pull us all together."

Porter came up with the motto based on her experience working at another hospital undergoing a similar merge.

"After going through [the merger] there, I wanted to come up with a motto that emphasizes the healing mission, but also emphasizes and stresses to all of the staff that we're only going to succeed in our mission if we are united in doing it," said Porter.

Nearly 400 entries were submitted into the motto contest from both NNMC and WRAMC, with the suggestions narrowed down to five semi-finalists. The commanders of the regional medical centers and military treatment facilities chose Porter as the winner of the contest.

"I walked in from taking some vacation, and the front desk person goes, 'Congratulations! You won!'" said Porter about finding out her motto had been chosen.

Porter said that the motto was submitted as a last minute entry after she was sent an e-mail about the contest.

"I'm kind of nerdy and as a child my parents had me convinced that Reader's Digest Word Power was a fun game. You were always kind of commended in my family for coming up with a quick turn of phrase or some fun saying," Porter said.

"I was kind of like, 'you're teasing me!' when I found out [about winning], but I am very happy about being chosen," said Porter. "I just think that the more we focus on being a team together, the better this transition is going to go," she said. "We all have the same goal and we want the same thing — the best care ever for these [service members]."