Bella Rose is a 5-year-old therapy pet for INTEGRIS Health Southwest Medical Center and Terry Wulff is her handler. Bella has a very unique skill. She is trained to tuck her tail between her legs while visiting patients in the hospital to keep her wagging tail from hitting medical cords.
INTEGRIS Health has a total of 34 therapy animals walking the halls of our hospitals statewide. They are an integral part of our team, lifting spirits and providing comfort wherever they go.
For more information about volunteer opportunities at INTEGRIS Health visit: https://integrisok.com/volunteer

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/.

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.

If your organization is having an upcoming event, let us know. Email the information to news@okveterannews.com

New general admission prices effective Thursday, February 9, 2023. With more than 1,000 animals to see, immersive habitats and memorable experiences, OKC Zoo remains top destination at best-value among state attractions.

On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, Oklahoma City Council members approved price adjustments to general admission prices for the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. Beginning Thursday, February 9, general adult admission will increase from $12 to $16, and admission for children ages 3 to 11 and seniors 65+ will increase from $9 to $13. Children two and under receive free entry into the Zoo. City Council also approved adjusted admission prices for student field trips which will be decreasing from $6.15 to $6 per student 3 to 11 and from $9.25 to $9 for students 12+. Educators wishing to make a reservation for a field trip can do so online at:
https://www.okczoo.org/self-guided-field-trips.
The Zoo’s last admission increase took effect February 2020.
ZOOfriends’ memberships will also be increasing effective February 9, 2023. Zoo fans are encouraged to join now and purchase memberships at our current prices. All ZOOfriends memberships are good for one year from date of purchase with the same incredible benefits including unlimited Zoo visits for a year and additional discounts. By purchasing a membership, you are also supporting the OKC Zoo, its growing animal family, conservation efforts and expansion including the awaited opening of Expedition Africa this summer! Purchase ZOOfriends memberships online at:
https://www.okczoo.org/membership.
The Oklahoma City Zoo is in its winter hours and open Thursday through Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the last entry at 4 p.m., and closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through February 8, 2023. Purchase advance Zoo admission tickets at okczoo.org/tickets and avoid the entry lines. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Regular daytime admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Stay connected with the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linktree and TikTok, and by visiting our blog stories. Zoo fans can support the OKC Zoo by becoming a ZOOfriends member. Starting at $45, memberships can be purchased at www.okczoo.org/membership and provide access to the OKC Zoo for an entire year plus, additional benefits and discounts. To learn more about Zoo happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit https://www.okczoo.org/.

Annie Laurie (Ivey) Whited

Annie Laurie (Ivey) Whited of Noble was manager of the gift & book shop at the OU Continuing Ed Center before retiring in 1984. She attended Crosspointe Church in Norman and was a member of the Army Officers’ Wives Club. Annie’s words of wisdom: “Love the Lord, exercise, eat well and love others!”

Anna Lee Kurtz

Anna Lee Kurtz of Oklahoma City is now a centenarian. She attended and volunteered at Catholic churches wherever she lived, volunteered with Meals on Wheels and the Homeless Shelter. Anna says “Stay active, be positive and always be willing to help others!”

LaVerne Cox Tucker

LaVerne Cox Tucker of Sweetwater actively engages in her hobbies of reading, quilting & crocheting. She resides in the house built at the turn of the century that she moved into as a new bride & is involved with the decisions of the farming & ranching with her son & grandson. The Tucker Home Place was declared an Oklahoma Centennial Farm in 2022. Four generations of Tuckers have farmed the 160 acres. LaVerne’s life advice: “Be honest and be true!”

Story by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

Our legislators need to “Hear Our Voices” about issues concerning seniors in Oklahoma, especially since COVID-19 restricted the ability to interact with them in person for the last three years. Organizers ask seniors to recruit a friend and attend the Senior Day at the Oklahoma State Capitol on the morning of February 27, 2023.
Seniors can inform their legislators about important issues seniors face while aging in Oklahoma. They can explain their views on securing funding for home and community-based services, senior nutrition programs, transportation, healthcare accessibility, and caregiver support services.
Attendees are invited into the House Chambers in a once-a-year opportunity to fill the members’ seats and House gallery as they hear from their senators and representatives about their legislative agendas this session. This activity can help prompt them to take positive actions on bills addressing the full spectrum of aging that are in the best interest of seniors. (STORY CONTINUES BELOW)

Participants are also encouraged to visit the legislators in their offices and meet their staff for contacts they can follow up on later. Everyone can take a guided tour of the renovated capitol. Seniors will also visit nonprofit and government agencies’ exhibitor booths on the second-floor rotunda providing a wide range of information about senior needs and issues and their services.
Visitors can join hundreds of other seniors that day for a moderated discussion on the top issues facing the aging population throughout Oklahoma and programs designed to help seniors live their lives with dignity and independence.
Registration runs 8-9:45 a.m. with exhibitor booths available: 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Seniors attend an official welcoming presentation in the House of Representative Chambers at 10 a.m. and can visit with their legislative members from noon – 1 p.m. Pease allow a short period before your first event to get through the Capitol Security checkpoint.
The annual event is a chance for Oklahoma’s seniors and their advocates to discuss the needs of the more than 875,877 adults age 60 and older in Oklahoma and approximately 140,000 adults age 80 or older. By 2030, the population of older Oklahomans is projected to increase by 21.3 percent, and for the first time, seniors are expected to outnumber children.
The beginning of a legislative session is the best time for seniors to interact with their elected representatives. This is when new laws are being proposed and discussed and when legislators are more likely to be open to hearing from their constituents.
Organizers say the group of seniors gathered that day should be large enough to show legislators the significant number of seniors affected by the lack of services and resources. “The emphasis on Senior Day is many seniors being present at the Capitol to show Legislators their determination to be heard,” said Trish Emig, president of the Oklahoma Silver Haired Legislature Alumni Association. “We must make sure our voices are heard about treating all Oklahomans well from birth to 60, 80, 90 and beyond.”
Seniors can also provide legislators with specific examples of how the lack of services impacts their community. For example, they can talk about the lack of affordable housing options for seniors, the shortage of home healthcare providers, or the limited access to public transportation in rural areas.
This opportunity to gather at the Capitol also allows seniors to network with other seniors and advocacy groups that share their concerns. They can share information and strategies for effectively communicating with legislators and organizing to make their voices heard.
Seniors can prepare before attending the special event. They can research the current laws and policies that affect seniors and be ready to discuss them with legislators. They can then make specific recommendations for improving services at long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, assisted living and similar adult care homes and seek more funding and support for other vital services for Oklahoma seniors.
Please pre-register at: https://forms.office.com/g/5CYnvwvF1F and open the hyperlink. For more info, contact Alliance on Aging- at 405-943-1895 or https://okallianceonaging.org/.

From Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com
text and photo provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society

You could say that Baltimore is a city designed for Senior leisure. The hop on and off water taxi around the bay is an ideal way to see a lot of the area’s attractions with a minimum of exertion, as it stops at many attractions. The minimal fee is good for the entire day. The small boat captains are eager to answer area questions as to where to eat and museum times. Note, many museums and attractions are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Of course it stops at historic Ft Mc Henry – famous for the inspiration of the Star Spangle Banner composition. (www.nps.gov/fomc) You have to change boats to go the extra distance, but worth the convenience, when you think of the inconvenience of getting a taxi or uber to take you to the far out bay point. The preserved and reconstructed brick fort is informative if you have never visited a fort of this generation. It’s humbling to stand in the area that inspired America’s Anthem.
Once there it’s always good to schedule your visit with a tour by a park ranger for details of the fort. If not, the film is always inspiring, if not a bit nostalgic ,when at the end of the movie, a curtain opens to let you view through a large picture window the Fort in the background as the National Anthem plays.
Back in the downtown area is the Flag House where the American garrison size flag was created. Besides the history of the flag you can take a self-guided tour of a small period house, complete with furniture and staging of the time.
For pure entertainment, although you can’t help but learn something, is the national aquarium centrally located at the base of the Inner Harbor. (www.aqua.org) All levels of this multilevel aquarium is easily accessible with riding the multiple escalators, or if needed there is an elevator. Hosting over 20,000 aquatic animals with a Backtip Reef and Living Seashore, and a couple of large screen animal related movies, and a live dolphin show, make the aquarium one of the Inner Harbors best attraction. Of course they host a extensive gift shop with snack bar.
When you’ve got to eat, Baltimore with its vast seafood menus offers many venues. The off the beaten track funky Little Havana Bar and Grill offers many seafood based foods along with an extensive bar and their famous large Mojito.
Phillips Seafood (www.phillipsseafood.com) is a Baltimore tradition. They offer an upscale indoor or outdoor dining experience with reservations recommended. Their 8 ounce Crab Cake Extreme with Mac and Cheese, made with pure Jumbo Lump Crab with no fillers, is served in a skillet, and guaranteed to fill your Crab Cake desires. ($50.00)
If you plan to visit the Baltimore Museum of Art, be sure you check its times, as it is closed on Monday and Tuesdays. While it was closed the days I was in Baltimore I made sure I dined at Gertrude’s, where the Museum of Art displays culinary arts, under the expert guidance of owner, John Shields, is a must. Shields is a veteran TV host, and author and is called the “Culinary Ambassador of the Chesapeake Bay” with the restaurants opening in 1998. Gertrude’s is Shield’s tribute to his grandmother, Gertie. Shields is a personable entrepreneur and you may want to pickup one of his cookbooks including the 25th anniversary, “Chesapeake Bay Cooking.” Many menu options looked appealing but I chose the Irish Salmon, flown in to Gertrude’s several times a week. This is an example of the attention paid to the high standards that has made John Shield’s reputation.
An evening dining cruise aboard the Spirit of Baltimore, is a relaxing way to see more of the bay’s landscape while enjoying a buffet and beverages served by congenial staff. The cruise departs from the west wall of the harbor and cruises the Inner harbor along the Patapsco river, and includes glimpses of Fort Mc Henry. Come prepared for a casual and enjoyable evening, mixing with other tourist and those celebrating special occasions (www.spiritcruises.com/Baltimore).
While visiting the Fells Point area of the harbor you may want to stop in to the upscale Sagamore Hotel for a respite and beverage, or if your budget allows overnight accommodations. For a budget minded traveler the Days Inn Inner Harbor (www.daysinninnerharbor.com), about 3 blocks away from the harbor, and near the Horseshow Casino Baltimore, Ravens Stadium, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards, can fulfill your travel needs.
As you can guess there is much more to discover in Baltimore than I could cover in just two days, so historic and friendly Baltimore may require repeat visits (http://baltimore.org/).

By Nick Thomas

Before “Grease,” the hit 1978 movie, there was “Grease” the musical theater production first performed in Chicago in 1971 before moving to Broadway a year later for over 3,000 performances.
Adrienne Barbeau, who played Rizzo during the first five months of the show’s run, helped commemorate the 50th anniversary of the production as a co-editor of the 2022 book: “Grease, Tell Me More, Tell Me More – Stories from the Broadway Phenomenon That Started It All.” It features personal anecdotes from the Broadway cast and crew.
“It stemmed from a Zoom meeting that the original cast had when the pandemic first shut everything down,” recalled Barbeau from her home in Los Angeles. “The stories everybody told were just so delightful and touching and funny and most of them all new to me because I left the show early on.” (STORY CONTINUES BELOW)

Barbeau and two others involved in the production began assembling the stories.
“We sent out a questionnaire to over 100 actors, musicians, and crew members who had been involved in the show asking them to write down their stories of working on the production,” said Barbeau. “We put it all together in a terrific tribute to the show.”
Despite her strong connection to “Grease” which opened on Valentine’s Day, 1972, to this day Barbeau still has not watched the popular 1978 movie version which has many differences, including some of the music, from the original play.
“I happened to hear one of the songs from the movie a long time back, which was one of my songs,” she recalled. “It was lovely what they had done with it, but it just was not what we had done. So, I decided never to watch the film so I could keep the memory of our show and not cloud it with another version.”
Though her career began in musical theater, Barbeau left “Grease” to co-star in the TV comedy “Maude” throughout the 70s. But in the early 80s, the actress starred in several horror/sci-fi films (“Swamp Thing,” “The Fog,” “Escape from New York,” “Creepshow”) forever cementing her movie status as a horror sex symbol (see www.abarbeau.com).
“I started out in musical theater and comedy, and the transition to more dramatic roles was never by design,” Barbeau explained. “It’s just that somebody offered me something I wanted to do or needed to do to pay bills. I ended up playing strong women who were not victims and they were often interesting and challenging roles.”
“People always say, oh you were a sex symbol,” she adds. “But I like to remind them my first love scene in film was with a swamp monster!”

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, in Alabama, and has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers. See https://www.getnickt.org/.