INTEGRIS Health is celebrating 35 years of kidney transplantation. Surgeons with the INTEGRIS Health Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute have performed more than 2200 kidney transplants since the program began.
The INTEGRIS Health Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center offers superior outcomes for kidney transplants from both living and deceased donors. It consists of one of the largest and most experienced transplant teams in the United States.
E.N. Scott Samara, M.D., is the surgical director of kidney transplant at INTEGRIS Health Baptist Medical Center. He conducted the first kidney transplant at the facility and still practices today. He is proud of what the program has accomplished through the years
“I have been grateful to see over 2000 patients be able to avoid or stop dialysis and live normal productive lives,” says Samara. “In the last 15 years, I have even been able to work with my son, Dr. Shea Samara, and Dr. Jose El-Amm, who is the medical director of kidney transplant and like a son to me, which has been both professionally and personally fulfilling.”
Every ten minutes another person is added to the national transplant waiting list. Of those, 82% are in need of a kidney. There are more than 90,000 people in the United States waiting for a kidney donation. The average wait time for a kidney is three to five years from a deceased donor. With living donation, a patient may be able to receive a transplant much faster. To learn more or schedule an assessment, call 405-949-3816.

Dear Recently,
I’m very sorry to hear about your uncle. The death of a loved of can bring about Whether or not you are required to file a federal income tax return this year will depend on how much you earned last year, as well as the source of the income, your age and filing status.
Here’s a rundown of this tax season’s IRS tax filing requirement thresholds.
For most people, this is pretty straightforward. If your 2022 gross income – which includes all taxable income, not counting your Social Security benefits, unless you are married and filing separately – was below the threshold for your filing status and age, you may not have to file. But if it’s over, you will.
* Single: $12,950 ($14,700 if you’re 65 or older by Jan. 1, 2022).
* Married filing jointly: $25,900 ($27,300 if you or your spouse is 65 or older; or $28,700 if you’re both over 65).
* Married filing separately: $5 at any age.
* Head of household: $19,400 ($21,150 if 65 or older).
* Qualifying widow(er) with dependent child: $25,900 ($27,300 if 65 or older).
To get a detailed breakdown on federal filing requirements, along with information on taxable and nontaxable income, call the IRS at 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you a free copy of the “1040 and 1040-SR Instructions for Tax Year 2022,” or you can see it online at IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf.
Check Here Too – Be aware that there are other financial situations that can require you to file a tax return, even if your gross income falls below the IRS filing requirements. For example, if you earned more than $400 from self-employment in 2022, owe any special taxes like an alternative minimum tax, or get premium tax credits because you, your spouse or a dependent is enrolled in a Health Insurance Marketplace plan, you’ll need to file.
You’ll also need to file if you’re receiving Social Security benefits, and one-half of your benefits plus your other gross income and any tax-exempt interest exceeds $25,000, or $32,000 if you’re married and filing jointly.
To figure all this out, the IRS offers an online tax tool that asks a series of questions that will help you determine if you’re required to file, or if you should file because you’re due a refund. It takes less than 15 minutes to complete.
You can access this tool at IRS.gov/Help/ITA – click on “Do I Need to File a Tax Return?” Or you can get assistance over the phone by calling the IRS helpline at 800-829-1040.
Check Your State – Even if you’re not required to file a federal tax return this year, don’t assume that you’re also excused from filing state income taxes. The rules for your state might be very different. Check with your state tax agency before concluding that you’re entirely in the clear. For links to state tax agencies see Taxadmin.org/state-tax-agencies.
Tax Preparation Help – If you find that you do need to file a tax return this year, you can free file through the IRS at IRS.gov/FreeFile if your 2022 adjusted gross income was below $73,000.
Or, if you need some help, contact the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (or TCE) program. Sponsored by the IRS, TCE provides free tax preparation and counseling to middle and low-income taxpayers, age 60 and older. Call 800-906-9887 or visit IRS.treasury.gov/freetaxprep to locate services near you.
You can also get tax preparation assistance through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide service. Call 888-227-7669 or visit AARP.org/findtaxhelp for more information. You don’t have to be an AARP member to use this service.

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.

Two venues with two different topics will include more education partners

Beginning its eighth year of free educational seminars, the Senior Living Truth Series has announced expansion of its offering with two different workshops each month in two separate locations.
The new locations are in the Atrium at Crossings Community Church, 14600 North Portland Ave, and the Patience S. Latting Northwest Library, 5600 NW 122nd St. Programs at Crossings will be on Thursdays, and programs at the Northwest Library will be on Tuesdays.
“Both new venues offer more education-friendly environments,” said co-moderator Dr. Nikki Buckelew, PhD. “We are hoping to attract a more diverse audience.
“The success of the Senior Living Truth Series is due largely to the support of our education partners.
It is because of them we are able to continue offering the programming at no cost to attendees. In addition to their financial contributions, education partners are selected due to their commitment to providing information and resources to attendees without obligation. That’s right – no sales and no sales pitch – ever. We want people to make informed decisions with no strings attached.” (STORY CONTINUES BELOW)

Attendance has ranged from 150-200 monthly at the past location, Quail Creek Golf & Country Club, but the Crossings location will accommodate even more in an education-friendly environment. While the Northwest Library location is smaller, Buckelew said she was excited to be able to add this educational opportunity to the library’s calendar.
She will remain the primary moderator for the Crossings seminars, but education partners will rotate responsibility at the Northwest Library location. Topics will be more broad-based, and this venue will include more panelists.
One education partner expressing excitement at the expansion was Marilyn Olson, VillagesOKC executive director.
“Professionals and organizations who provide information without a sales pitch give added meaning to the phrase ‘knowledge is power,’ ” Olson said. “Mature adults are seeking trusted information – more than from the internet. This is a free monthly series providing that opportunity. Here attendees learn from a wide variety of professionals and organizations who present, and sessions also allow time for attendees to talk personally with education partners.”
Here are the January series topics:
January 12 in the Atrium at Crossings Community Church
The Truth about Choosing Your ‘Forever’ Home: Staying Put or moving on
Maybe you’ve decided to stay in your current home and “make it work” or is it possible you’ve decided to sell your current home and buy another one in preparation for getting older. Some people call this next home their “Forever Home.” Either way, you’ve made a choice to avoid moving into a retirement community.
January 24 at the Northwest Library
Smart and “Not so Smart” Accessibility Ideas for Your Home
Planning to stay in your current home for the long haul? If so, you’ll want to know the most up to date accessibility features designed to make your life easier. Our panel of experts and education partners will share gadgets, tools, and strategies for helping you live safely and comfortably.
Seminars are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Seating is limited, and pre-registration is required at 405.563.7501 or:
https://seniorlivingtruthseries.com/.
A complete list of monthly topics is located at:
https://seniorlivingtruthseries.com/.
Senior Living Truth Series provides candid conversations concerning today’s senior living issues and options with panelists who specialize in the topic areas. SLTS provides education and resources designed to help people live empowered lives and make informed decisions. Its motto is “Educate. Equip. Empower.”

Story by Bobby Anderson, RN, Staff Writer

The new year has brought a new round of hospital layoffs as healthcare systems nationwide deal with surging labor costs, shortages, and declining revenues.
Locally, the first two weeks of January saw layoffs from Integris Health as well as OU Health.
Integris announced it was cutting some 200 positions while OU announced an equal number of layoffs.
In a statement, OU health announced the layoffs would coincide with its planned restructuring.
“As part of the redesign, OU Health will move from a holding company to an operating company structure with duplicative services and positions being eliminated,” the statement read. “An estimated 200 positions will be reconfigured to the new structure, which integrates the organization into clinical business.”
Integris Health announced its reduction would be the result of a combination of cuts.
“Financial challenges are multifold, but some include a dramatic rise in expenses due to labor shortages and supply-chain disruptions, and significantly lower patient volumes compared to pre-pandemic days,” the statement read.
Integris laid off 140 positions and cut 60 vacant jobs, according to a spokeswoman.
The healthcare industry has suffered from nursing shortages and the winter’s omicron surge, forcing many organizations to turn to contract workers demanding higher rates.
The loss of Covid subsidies from the federal government also impacted the ability to keep up with rising labor costs.
Many systems find themselves in a counter-intuitive role of both cutting positions while trying to recruit and retain nurses.
OU Health announced its organizational redesign to complete the integration from its historic merger on July 1, 2021.
OU Health was created as the flagship comprehensive, integrated academic health system to improve the care and outcomes for all Oklahomans. As the state’s academic referral health system, OU Health plays the unique role of providing critical specialty services with access to advanced technology and expertise.
“OU Health needs to support and enhance the capabilities of the state’s vital rural and regional hospitals as the flagship academic referral center. All care that can remain in a community should remain local, but if the patient needs a higher level of care, OU Health is here to serve,” said OU Health President and CEO Richard Lofgren, M.D., MPH.
The organizational redesign and operational restructure will enable OU Health to improve efficiencies and grow its impact in the state and region as well as create a highly integrated, modern clinical platform, one that serves even more Oklahomans.
“In order to grow and adapt to industry changes, we need to perform in terms of the quality of our services, patient experience, and the efficiency and effectiveness of our processes,” Lofgren said. “Oklahoma needs the unique specialty and sub-specialty services we provide. We are positioned with dedicated physicians and staff to fully realize our special mission of clinical care, education, and research. We are committed to our role of continuing to improve the care and outcomes for the region and beyond.”
Both health systems are still actively hiring bedside nurses offering both recruitment and retention bonuses.

The Oklahoma History Center is pleased to announce a performance in the Kilgen Organ series featuring organist Christian Elliott. He will provide the accompanying music and sound effects to the American western silent film “The Mark of Zorro” (1920) starring Douglas Fairbanks. This performance will take place on Monday, February 27, 2023, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $20 for non-members, and may be reserved by calling 405-522-0765. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Christian Elliott is a prominent concert organist, equally at home performing literature of the church and theater. Elliott’s career has included extensive silent film accompaniment at venues including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Packard Foundation’s Stanford Theatre and the University of California, Los Angeles. Elliott was privileged to be mentored by several world-renowned organists and worked extensively with the “dean” of silent film accompaniment, Gaylord Carter. Elliott was named Organist of the Year by the American Theatre Organ Society in 2009.

By Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready

You’ve just purchased a beautiful, expensive piece of jewelry that you want to protect if lost, damaged or stolen. So, you ask your insurance agent to add a condition to your home insurance policy. As a small business owner, you make an addition to your insurance policy that would exclude or eliminate coverage for your company’s particular type of risk. These examples require changing your current, existing insurance policy; you can do that with an endorsement. An endorsement, also known as a rider, adds, deletes, excludes or changes insurance coverage to increase coverage by way of an endorsement/rider. The endorsement/rider takes precedence over the standard limits of coverage over the original agreement or policy.
TOP CONSIDERATIONS
How an insurance endorsement/rider works. An insurance endorsement/rider is an amendment to an existing insurance contract that changes the original policy’s terms. An endorsement/rider can be issued at the time of purchase, mid-term or at renewal time. An endorsement may affect insurance premiums, and premiums may change as a result.
You can have an endorsement/rider on your homeowners and renter’s policy, life insurance, and auto insurance policies. Endorsements/riders may include adding or deleting people and locations to your current insurance policy. Endorsements/riders are important because they address issues or items not included in the original contract or policy.
* Additional Coverage – An endorsement that adds or includes coverage that would otherwise be excluded.
* Exclusions – Some endorsements exclude coverage for certain types of claims.
* Modification of Coverage – An endorsement can expand the scope of existing coverage.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW – Be informed of any insurance policy changes. An endorsement can vary depending on the insurance company and the type of insurance to which the endorsement applies. If you receive a document stating there is an endorsement to your policy, be sure to compare it to your original policy, and talk with your insurance agent or representative about the changes to make sure you understand them.
Educate yourself on how an endorsement can protect your belongings. If you have expensive jewelry, like a diamond engagement ring or vintage necklace, you might want to consider an endorsement/rider. It will take over and protect these items, where a traditional home insurance policy might end. Other things worthy of an endorsement/rider may include antiques, fine art, and priceless stamp or coin collections, to name a few.
For instance, many home insurance policies exclude coverage for mold or sump pump overflow. An endorsement to your insurance policy could give you that added protection. Many home insurance policies exclude coverage for mold or sump pump overflow. An endorsement to your insurance policy could give you that added protection.
An optional endorsement that protects the rebuild cost of your home is an inflation guard endorsement. These endorsements are common and automatically increase the amount of insurance on your home by a certain percentage each year to account for the disparity caused by inflation.
THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER – An endorsement/rider alters the policy and becomes part of your legal insurance contract.
Always keep a copy of the endorsement and the change notice that accompanies the endorsement along with your copy of the original policy since it remains in force until the contract expires.
Endorsements can reduce or increase your policy premium.
For more information, please contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department at 1-800-522-0071 or visit our website at: https://www.oid.ok.gov/.

by Greg Schwem

“Get off my pickleball court!”
I know, I know. That phrase may never reach pop culture status like, “Get off my lawn,” which curmudgeonly Clint Eastwood famously uttered in “Gran Torino” and, ultimately, became an ode to petulance and turf wars.
But, come on, when did these “kids” start playing the sport that was supposed to be reserved for old farts like me? Former “athletes” with knees that now creak, feet that swell and elbows that throb after completing simple tasks? Like getting out of bed. We took up pickleball because it’s the only sport left that, at our age, produces sweat but not a potential 911 call. If we’re too infirm for pickleball, all that’s left is bowling.
For a while, we were happy. We knew the one or two pickleball courts in our subdivisions would be empty when we rolled up with our posse of fellow retirees and snowbirds. Meanwhile, the Gen Z crowd jogged by, not even trying to hide their snickers and guffaws as they watched four guys flailing at a wiffleball, occasionally yelling, “KITCHEN” or “THREE TWO ON THE ONE” before launching a serve — an UNDERHAND serve. We didn’t care; we’d found our happy place, and, even better, knew it was created exclusively for us. Sort of like early bird dinner at Denny’s.
Or so we thought.
Now we fight for court space with those same Gen Zers, the ones who eventually stopped jogging, picked up paddles and decided to give America’s fastest growing sport a try. Oh, and they did more than try. While our medicated ointment was drying on our aching muscles, they were silently taking over. (STORY CONTINUES BELOW)

On a recent Friday evening at a suburban Chicago tennis club, it was hard to find any actual tennis players. Instead, more than 80 people, me included, converged for open play on tennis courts that had hastily been converted into pickleball courts via brightly colored tape that doubled as boundary lines.
As I waited for a court to open, I scanned the area and estimated at least half the players were younger than 35. The figure was probably higher; my deteriorating eyesight made it difficult to make out shapes on the outer courts.
What’s worse is that, in between drop spins and stacks (OK, I’ll stop with the terminology), they were discussing post-pickleball plans. Some talked of going out for drinks. Or dinner. At 9 p.m.!
After pickleball, the only thing I go out for is Advil.
Thankfully, in pickleball, younger does not necessarily mean better when it comes to skill. I have found the Gen Z set lacking in patience during an extended rally of cross-court dinks, preferring a smash when the ball is nowhere near at “smash level.” Gen Zers, if that sentence befuddles but also intrigues you, grab a paddle and join the fun.
But consider this your warning. “Fun” to grizzled pickleball veterans means you will most likely be on the receiving end of a pickleball hit with full force and aimed directly at your midsection.
It’s not that we hate you personally; rather, we are angry that our sport, almost overnight, doubled in popularity because a younger demographic wanted to be part of our playdates. And what are we supposed to do to exact revenge? Crash your MMOGs? (Massively Multiplayer Online Games). We don’t own Xboxes; we buy them for our grandchildren.
So, we’ll take out our frustrations on the pickleball court, specifically against you, bro with the backward baseball cap, baggy shorts and “Lollapalooza ’22” T-shirt, who took up pickleball because the courts were walking distance to his favorite karaoke bar. We’ll apologize when the point’s over.
Or maybe we won’t. Maybe we’ll do the snickering. Or maybe we’ll high-five our partners as we return to the baseline and get ready for the next point.
On second thought, it’s probably not a good idea if we high-five.
We might sprain something.

(Greg Schwem is a corporate stand-up comedian and author of two books: “Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad” and the recently released “The Road To Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS From a Corporate Comedian,” available at Amazon.com. Visit Greg on the web at www.gregschwem.com.
You’ve enjoyed reading, and laughing at, Greg Schwem’s monthly humor columns in Senior Living News. But did you know Greg is also a nationally touring stand-up comedian? And he loves to make audiences laugh about the joys, and frustrations, of growing older. Watch the clip and, if you’d like Greg to perform at your senior center or senior event, contact him through his website at www.gregschwem.com)

The start of a new year often brings thoughts of renewal, new goals, a fresh start. While planning for this year, if you want to make a difference think about volunteering as a Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO). Many people volunteer during the holiday season, but volunteers are needed every day of the year and LTCO volunteers are in high demand. A LTCO volunteer can assist residents in Nursing Facilities, Assisted Living Facilities, Residential Care Facilities, and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. Volunteers make weekly visits to field resident complaints and help residents advocate for resolution for those complaints. If you are passionate about giving a voice to members of our most vulnerable population this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
If a weekly commitment doesn’t fit in your schedule, consider contacting a facility near you and ask how you can support residents. Facilities can be located by searching online at https://www.medicare.gov/. There are many opportunities to help make a difference in Long-Term Care communities. If you are motivated by helping others, make the call today.
If you have a loved one in a Long-Term Care facility and have any questions regarding care or concerns you may have, you can contact an Ombudsman to assist you.
Areawide Aging Agency’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program advocates for the needs of residents in LTC facilities serving Canadian, Cleveland, Logan, and Oklahoma Counties. You may contact us at (405)942-8500 and ask to speak with an Ombudsman, visit our website at https://www.areawideaging.org/ or find us on Facebook.