INTEGRIS and Mayo Clinic announced today that INTEGRIS has joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a national network of health care providers committed to better serving patients and their families through collaboration.
INTEGRIS is the first health care organization in Oklahoma to join the network. The formal agreement gives INTEGRIS access to the latest Mayo Clinic knowledge and promotes physician collaboration to benefit patients. Through shared resources, more patients can get answers to complex medical questions — and peace of mind —while staying close to home.
“While INTEGRIS works with some of the most accomplished and preeminent physicians in the region, we are constantly striving for ways to provide our patients with the best care possible,” says Bruce Lawrence, president and CEO, INTEGRIS. “This collaboration between INTEGRIS and Mayo Clinic brings together two trusted names – each with unique strengths – to the betterment of all Oklahomans.”
As a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, INTEGRIS will work with Mayo to share medical knowledge in ways that will enhance patient care. Network products and services include:
· eConsults that enable INTEGRIS physicians to connect electronically with Mayo specialists when they want additional input on a patient’s care
· AskMayoExpert database that offers INTEGRIS providers point-of-care, Mayo-vetted information on disease management, care guidelines and treatment recommendations, and reference materials for medical conditions
· Health care consulting that enables INTEGRIS to learn more about Mayo’s clinical, operational and business models, including the models’ design and implementation
· eTumor Board conferences that enable INTEGRIS physicians to present and discuss management of complex cancer cases with a multidisciplinary panel of Mayo specialists and other network members.
INTEGRIS providers also have access to Mayo’s extensive library of patient education materials, and can view archived Mayo Clinic grand rounds presentations that feature Mayo physicians and scientists.
“We are pleased to welcome INTEGRIS to the Mayo Clinic Care Network,” says David Hayes, M.D., medical director, Mayo Clinic Care Network. “This relationship brings together two like-minded organizations committed to patient-centered care. As we’ve worked toward today’s announcement, it’s been clear that we share many important values and at least one essential goal: to improve the delivery of health care in a way that benefits patients.”
Formed in 1995, INTEGRIS is a nationally recognized health care system with a wide presence in Oklahoma. Approximately 6 out of every 10 Oklahomans live within 30 miles of a facility or physician included in the INTEGRIS organization. INTEGRIS has eight hospitals, more than 2,500 physicians and more than 9,000 employees.
INTEGRIS and other members of the Mayo Clinic Care Network remain independent, but share Mayo’s commitment to improve the quality and delivery of health care. Launched in 2011, the Mayo Clinic Care Network has more than 35 member organizations in the U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico and Singapore.

The flu virus can spread like wildfire. It kills roughly 36,000 Americans annually and makes many more miserable.
Even with the potential danger posed by the virus, why do as many as 60 percent of Americans forgo the annual flu shot?
A big factor is the long-held belief that the flu shot itself can give you the flu. But according to scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, this simply is false.
“The flu vaccine that we use now does not have live flu virus in it,” said OMRF President Stephen Prescott, M.D. “The vaccine cannot infect you.”
The vaccine is made from proteins in a lab, not from the virus itself. However, your body’s immune system sees these proteins as foreign and makes antibodies that bind to them to prevent the influenza virus from infecting cells and spreading. This process prepares the body for a rapid immune response to the actual flu virus, often preventing the illness.
But a flu shot can cause mild side effects, and this is where some of the misunderstandings start.
OMRF immunologist Eliza Chakravarty, M.D., said the most common side effects are soreness, redness or swelling around the site of the injection, and some people may occasionally experience a low-grade fever. But, according to Chakravarty, this is no cause for alarm, “It’s just your body doing its job and developing protective immunity.”
These symptoms, though, won’t be anything like the full-blown flu, said Prescott, a physician and medical researcher. “The flu will give you a high fever and muscle aches all over your body. Those symptoms are usually severe, and the disease can be life-threatening.”
Very rarely, a person might get the flu after receiving the flu vaccine, but Chakravarty says not to blame it on the shot.
“In these instances, a person was already exposed to the virus,” she said. “Most likely, they were in an incubation period without symptoms, but the vaccine didn’t cause the illness. This is just coincidental and unrelated to receiving the shot. Essentially, it would just be bad luck.”
If you haven’t gotten vaccinated this year, Chakravarty urges you to do so.
“It’s never too late to get the flu shot,” she said. “We’ve found that the flu can linger within a community longer than we expected, so it’s always a good idea to protect yourself and your loved ones.”

by Vickie Jenkins

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12. This is a scripture that has been the driving force behind the success of Golden Age Home Health, Inc. and its staff,” comments Lydia N. Sowah, RN and Administrator of the facility.
In 1996, Golden Age Home Health, Inc. was established, owned and operated by a registered nurse, Lydia N. Sowah, RN and Administrator.
Lydia has been a nurse for over 36 years. She spent 15 of those years working in critical care as a critical care nurse at Southwest Medical Center. She and her husband, Nathan Sowah, co-own Golden Age Home Health. The company’s mission is to provide quality, safe, timely and cost effective health care in the privacy of the patient’s residence.
Lydia and her team strive to create a lasting bond with every patient while ensuring their safety in the comfort of their own home. Golden Age Home Health offers skilled nursing services, home health aide services, speech therapy, occupational therapy, social services, physical therapy, and Advantage Case Management.
Lydia’s vision for her home health agency has always been to provide excellent care to each patient and their families, and to improve outcomes and prevent frequent readmissions to the hospitals. Because of this vision, Golden Age consistently focuses on continued staff education and coordination of care.
The golden Rule of treating others the way you wish to be treated is the foundation on which Lydia has built her business. Golden Age Home Health is proud of their professional staff. As the Administrator, Lydia is goal driven, hard-working and a perfectionist and she has a way of instilling those qualities into each of her employees. Recently, Lydia was honored with the 2015 Home Health and Hospice Home Health Executive Award in the state of Oklahoma for her hard work in the industry.
Lydia’s success and career can be attributed to her upbringing as a young girl born and raised in Accra, Ghana. Lydia attended elementary and high school in Ghana. Her family moved to Stevenage, in Hertfordshire England in 1962. In 1974, Lydia joined her family in England, where she completed her final year at Heathcote Secondary School. “I always had a dream of being a fashion designer and knew this was what my future would hold,” said Lydia. “Little did I know that my father had different plans for me and his words of wisdom would change my life forever.”
“I had just graduated high school in 1975 when on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, my father wanted to meet with me and my 2 sisters.” Lydia explained. “Standing in front of him, he said that he wanted one of us to be a nurse, though he had no preference at the time on which one of us would become one. It was up to my sisters and me to decide and get back with him. My immediate thought was that I don’t want to be a nurse; I want to be a fashion designer. My sisters didn’t want to be a nurse either. I was confused and all I could think to myself was, what’s going on here?”
“A week later, the 3 of us met with my father again. Not knowing what was going to happen, my father handed me an envelope. Inside, was a filled out application for me to get into a nursing program. All I had to do was sign it and return it to him. I wasn’t sure why he handpicked me, but I assumed it was because of me being the eldest of the 6 children. I simply did as my father said.”
“Six weeks later, I received a phone call from the School of Nursing at Lister Hospital for an interview. My interview lasted less than 10 minutes. The Dean of Nursing, who conducted the interview, asked me why the signature on the completed application was in a different handwriting. I told her it was because my father completed the application and asked me to sign it. I left the room, knowing that I would never be accepted. Six weeks later, I received a letter that read, ‘We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the school of nursing at Lister Hospital in Stevenage, England.’ Apparently, God knew what He wanted me to do. It was my destiny. This is how I got into nursing.”
“I started the nursing program and received my LPN Certificate within the required 18 months. My first clinical experience was on the Orthopedic Unit, where I had the opportunity to develop a one-on-one relationship with patients, most the elderly population. I felt so much compassion, taking care of the sick and critically ill patients and it was at that time when I really fell in love with nursing as a career.“ While working full-time and managing a family, Lydia received her RN License in 1984.
Today, Lydia’s business is a huge success and has been for the last 20 years. She took her father’s advice and became an LPN and loves every minute of her job. Although it was not meant for her to be a fashion designer, caring for others and servicing others in their time of need became the calling of her life. She is thankful for her loving parents and knows that because of them, she is where she is today. Her biggest blessings thus far have been her faith in God, her family and her amazing staff.
Apart from various community services, Lydia is actively involved in volunteering at Crossings free clinic on behalf of St. Luke’s United Methodist church where she serves on the medical team. She enjoys spending time with her family and has been blessed with two children and two granddaughters. Her hobbies include traveling, dancing and watching sports. Along with her husband, they are supporting 3 orphan boys, living in Ghana after the death of their parents. The Sowahs have big hearts and lots of love that they share with others.
When asking Lydia what qualities make a good nurse, she replied, “A nurse has to have a good heart and a genuine interest in caring for patients. The love and compassion has to come from within. They have to have a desire to take care of sick people, have strong work ethics and be knowledgeable about any situation that they may encounter.”
I admire Lydia for her dedication and determination through the years. Lastly, Sowah wants to share the fact that she owes everything that she has accomplished in her life to her Heavenly Father above.

The Fountains at Canterbury, in conjunction with Right at Home of Edmond, will host Virtual Dementia Tours Jan. 19 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Jan. 22 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Both events will be held in the conference room at The Inn of The Fountains at Canterbury, 1402 NW 122nd Street, in Oklahoma City.
The Virtual Dementia Tour is a simulation scientifically proven to help individuals better comprehend what life is like with an impairment such as Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Participants are equipped with vision disrupting goggles, headphones emitting loud, garbled sounds, latex gloves with fingers taped together and shoe inserts to hamper walking. These obstacles are designed to simulate the struggles of age-related ailments, as the participants are asked to complete a short series of everyday activities such as clearing a dining room table.
“This is such a unique opportunity, we think everyone can benefit from personally experiencing what people who have this ailment suffer through every day,” said Scott Steinmetz, executive director at The Fountains at Canterbury. “It really puts things into perspective, and helps families and caregivers better understand what’s really going on in the mind of someone living with dementia.”
As reported by the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, making up 60 to 80 percent of cases. With the number of individuals age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease estimated to reach 7.1 million by 2025, creating awareness of the difficulties one faces when living with dementia is critical. A better understanding fosters empathy from families and caretakers, improves communication and provides insight on how to better assist those suffering.
The Fountains at Canterbury offers a variety of affordable care options with resort-style amenities, 24-hour staffing and Watermark’s Thrive Memory Care program that cultivates personal well-being.
The Fountains at Canterbury is dedicated to being the first choice in senior living, providing a continuum of care including independent living, assisted living, memory care, innovative rehabilitation therapies and skilled care. The Fountains at Canterbury is managed by Watermark Retirement Communities and is committed to creating an extraordinary community where people thrive. To learn more, please call (405) 381-8165 or go online to www.watermarkcommunities.com.

Dear Savvy Senior, Will I have to pay federal income taxes on my Social Security benefits when I retire?  Approaching Retirement

Dear Approaching,
Whether or not you’ll be required to pay federal income tax on your Social Security benefits will depend on your income and filing status. About 35 percent of Social Security recipients have total incomes high enough to trigger federal income tax on their benefits.
To figure out if your benefits will be taxable, you’ll need to add up all of your “provisional income,” which includes wages, taxable and non-taxable interest, dividends, pensions and taxable retirement-plan distributions, self-employment, and other taxable income, plus half your annual Social Security benefits, minus certain deductions used in figuring your adjusted gross income.
How To Calculate
To help you with the calculations, get a copy of IRS Publication 915 “Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits,” which provides detailed instructions and worksheets. You can download it at irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915.pdf or call the IRS at 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you a free copy.
After you do the calculations, the IRS says that if you’re single and your total income from all of the listed sources is:
· Less that $25,000, your Social Security will not be subject to federal income tax.
· Between $25,000 and $34,000, up to 50 percent of your Social Security benefits will be taxed at your regular income-tax rate.
· More than $34,000, up to 85 percent of your benefits will be taxed.
If you’re married and filing jointly and the total from all sources is:
· Less that $32,000, your Social Security won’t be taxed.
· Between $32,000 and $44,000, up to 50 percent of your Social Security benefits will be taxed.
· More than $44,000, up to 85 percent of your benefits will be taxed.
If you’re married and file a separate return, you probably will pay taxes on your benefits.
To limit potential taxes on your benefits, you’ll need to be cautious when taking distributions from retirement accounts or other sources. In addition to triggering ordinary income tax, a distribution that significantly raises your gross income can bump the proportion of your Social Security benefits subject to taxes.
How to File
If you find that part of your Social Security benefits will be taxable, you’ll need to file using Form 1040 or Form 1040A. You cannot use Form 1040EZ. You also need to know that if you do owe taxes, you’ll need to make quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS or you can choose to have it automatically withheld from your benefits.
To have it withheld, you’ll need to complete IRS Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request (irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4v.pdf), and file it with your local Social Security office. You can choose to have 7 percent, 10 percent, 15 percent or 25 percent of your total benefit payment withheld. If you subsequently decide you don’t want the taxes withheld, you can file another W-4V to stop the withholding.
State Taxation
In addition to the federal government, 13 states – Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia – tax Social Security benefits to some extent too. If you live in one of these states, check with your state tax agency for details.
For questions on taxable Social Security benefits call the IRS help line at 800-829-1040, or visit an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center (see www.irs.gov/localcontacts) where you can get face-to-face help.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Research from the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has identified new culprits that may be responsible for the development of arthritis.
The study found that growing older increases the production of a pair of inflammation-producing proteins. It suggests that targeting these inflammatory proteins might provide a path for future development of arthritis therapies.
The new findings, published in the Journal of Gerontology, provide a snapshot of age-related changes in a crucial area of soft tissue in the knee.
A team led by OMRF’s Tim Griffin, Ph.D., and Yao Fu, Ph.D., examined the knee joints of rats as they aged. In particular, the researchers studied the animals’ infrapatellar fat pad, the soft fatty tissue that lies beneath the kneecaps of both rodents and humans.
Scientists have known that these fat pads are a source of inflammation in osteoarthritic knees. And they’ve believed that this inflammation contributes to osteoarthritis, which occurs when cartilage breaks down and wears away.
“It’s actually the most common form of arthritis, often affecting the hips, hands and spine, in addition to the knees,” said Griffin. According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 27 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis.
Griffin and Fu wanted to look specifically at how aging affects inflammation in the fat pads. Griffin says he anticipated that as the animals grew older, the amount of inflammation produced by the fat pad and the size of the animals’ fat pads would increase.
“But our findings were not quite what we expected,” said Griffin. Specifically, the fat pads actually shrunk while producing higher levels of two inflammatory proteins.
“Our study suggests the fat pad is a contributor to a general increase in knee inflammation that occurs with age,” said Fu. This points toward future treatments to limit the inflammation, which might then prevent osteoarthritis from developing.
However, the researchers did find a benefit to aging in biological conditions that simulated an acute injury—such as a fall that causes damage to a joint. In this condition, the older fat pads decreased their production of leptin, a protein secreted by fat that also contributes to the break down of cartilage.
“We know there is acute inflammation that occurs after injury and can have long-term consequences,” said Griffin. “This study taught us that under certain conditions aging can actually limit the amount of leptin produced by the knee fat pad. This might help us develop new strategies to reduce post-traumatic osteoarthritis, a common cause of the disease in younger active adults.”
Janet Huebner, Ph.D., and Virginia Kraus, Ph.D., of Duke University also contributed to the research, which was supported by grants from the National Center for Research Resources (number RR018758), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (number GM103441), the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (number AR066828), and the Arthritis Foundation.