A chocolate Labrador Retriever named Penney and a passion for old maps led to a unique business opportunity.
“I am nearing retirement and decided if wanted to retire to the country where Penney would have a place to run, I would need to have a small business to make ends meet,” said Mike Howard, owner of Penney’s Territorial Maps.
After collecting old maps for many years, Howard began copying them and hanging them up at work and in his home. One thing led to another, and before long people were requesting them.
“We have about 30 shops in northeast Oklahoma who stock and sell the maps,” Howard said. “I have really been surprised at how well the maps have been received… The business is expanding to other states, and I now have dealers in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. I should be in New Mexico and Colorado by the end of 2019.”
Howard reproduces the old maps that are artificially aged and then sets them in rustic wood frames. Howard said he loves the reaction his customers have to his maps.
“I love hearing all the stories about their family’s history, looking for long lost towns, or pointing out where their land run claim was,” he said. “I have learned so much history about Oklahoma just talking to customers about the maps. I feel customers love the maps because it gives them a link to the past.”
Established in November 2016, Penney’s Territorial Maps joined the Made in Oklahoma Program this year. To learn more about the business, visit www.madeinoklahoma.net/products/penneys-territorial-maps/ or find them on Facebook.
Can you provide some tips on how to choose a good estate sale company who can sell all the leftover items in my mother’s house? Inquiring Daughter
Dear Inquiring,
The estate sale business has become a huge industry over the past decade. There are roughly 22,000 estate sale companies that currently operate in the U.S., up nearly 60 percent from just 10 years ago. But not all estate sale companies are alike.
Unlike appraisal, auction and real estate companies, estate sale operators are largely unregulated, with no licensing or standard educational requirements. That leaves the door open for inexperienced, unethical or even illegal operators. Therefore, it’s up to you to decipher a good reputable company from a bad one. Here are some tips to help you choose.
Make a list: Start by asking friends, your real estate agent or attorney for recommendations. You can also search online. Websites like EstateSales.net and EstateSales.org let you find estate sale companies in your area.
Check their reviews: After you find a few companies, check them out on the Better Business Bureau (BBB.org), Angie’s List (AngiesList.com), Yelp (Yelp.com) and other online review sites to eliminate ones with legitimately negative reviews.
Call some companies: Once you identify some estate sale companies, select a few to interview over the phone. Ask them how long they’ve been in business and how many estate sales they conduct each month. Also find out about their staff, the services they provide, if they are insured and bonded and if they charge a flat fee or commission. The national average commission for an estate sale is around 35 percent, but commissions vary by city and region.
You may also want to ask them about visiting their next sale to get a better feel for how they operate. And be sure to get a list of references of their past clients and call them.
Schedule appointments: Set up two or three face-to-face interviews with the companies you felt provided you with satisfactory answers during the phone interviews.
During their visit, show the estate liquidator through the property. Point out any items that will not be included in the sale, and if you have any items where price is a concern, discuss it with them at that time. Many estate companies will give you a quote, after a quick walk through the home.
You also need to ask about their pricing (how do they research prices and is every item priced), how they track what items sell for, what credit cards do they accept, and how and where will they promote and market your sale. EstateSales.net is a leading site used to advertise sales, so check advertising approaches there.
Additionally, ask how many days will it take them to set up for the sale, how long will the sale last, and will they take care of getting any necessary permits to have the sale.
You also need to find out how and when you will be paid, and what types of services they provide when the sale is over. Will they clean up the house and dispose of the unsold items, and is there’s an extra charge for that? Also, make sure you get a copy of their contract and review it carefully before you sign it.
For more information on choosing an estate sale company, see National Estate Sales Association online guide at NESA-USA.com, and click on “Consumer Education” then on “Find the Right Company.”
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.
Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of brain cancer with no cure. Even with surgery and chemotherapy, patients typically live only 12-18 months after diagnosis.
But a new discovery from Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist Rheal Towner, Ph.D., offers new hope in fighting this deadly cancer, which claimed the lives of Sens. John McCain and Ted Kennedy.
In pre-clinical experiments at OMRF, Towner discovered that a protein called ELTD1 is present in the most aggressive glioblastoma tumors. Towner then tested how the tumors would react to an antibody known to counteract the effects of ELTD1.
He found that the compound slowed the process of angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, which is key to tumors’ ability to spread and kill.
“This drug seems just as promising, if not better than, what is currently considered the standard of care,” said Towner. “Few therapies exist for treating glioblastoma, but this could provide a step in the right direction.”
If proven effective in further trials, said Towner, “This could provide overall treatment with fewer side effects and better results than we see in current drugs.”
The new findings were published in the journal NeuroOncology.
Towner will continue to look for ways to use the new treatment in combination with other drugs to boost their effectiveness and better target tumors.
“One problem with drug treatments for tumors is that it’s hard to get the drug to the tumor site,” he said. “If we can regulate that process with targeting ELTD1, we might be able to use it to deliver other drugs directly to the tumor and, hopefully, eliminate it.”
If researchers succeed with this tumor-targeting method, Towner said they will begin testing it on other tumors associated with breast, pancreatic or other cancers.
Funding for this research was provided by National Institute of General Medical Sciences, grant number 5P20GM103636-02, and Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the NIGMS, grant number 5P20GM103639. The NIGMS is part of the National Institutes of Health.
At 90, Louise Colbaugh finds joy in helping others in their darkest moments
by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer
On the darkest days, sometimes all it takes is a single ray of light to turn everything around.
For the last 20 years, Louise Colbaugh, 90, has shined in the Oklahoma City metro, volunteering at metro hospitals.
Colbaugh is closing in on three years volunteering at Community Hospital in south Oklahoma City but before that she gave 17 years at Hillcrest and eventually St. Anthony.
“I enjoyed it,” she said of her decades of unpaid service. “I don’t know. It’s just a way of life after awhile, you get up and go. You don’t sit at home and watch television or whatever.”
Colbaugh stayed home until almost 45, rearing a son and a daughter before heading out into the workforce.
Her son moved on to the paper products industry in Houston. Her daughter is close by in Moore and retired herself.
Her great granddaughter has already graduated college and is going on to pursue her degree as a physician’s assistant.
Attending graduation for her great granddaughter was a moment she’ll never forget.
“Wonderful and proud,” beamed Colbaugh, who also has two younger great grandchildren.
After raising kids and before volunteering she went back to school and studied accounting. She worked in the accounting department at Shepler’s western store.
As her husband’s health faltered, she decided she needed better insurance. She worked at Tinker Air Force Base as a civilian in the accounting department, eventually in the AWACs division.
Numbers were numbers, but only a lot more zeroes were at the end of those military budgets.
Colbaugh and her husband celebrated 51 years of marriage before he passed.
“It was bad,” she said of the end. “He had so many heart surgeries before he died. They tried to do surgery on him again and he never came out of it.”
For most who spend time with a loved one during an extended illness, the hospital would be the last place they would want to spend more time. Too many hours of fear and pain.
Colbaugh ran towards it.
“It’s just a way of life. It’s like another home to me,” Colbaugh said. “It gives you a purpose to get up in the morning. You know you’re going to meet people and you’re going to talk. I just like to do it.”
It’s an opportunity for Colbaugh to pour into others. She has stories to share. She’s felt the same feelings.
“It may be something like getting them a cup of coffee or a warm blanket,” Colbaugh explained. “I enjoy doing it and I enjoy talking to the people. It’s satisfying I can help people.”
“Like I say, it’s a way of life for me now.”
Colbaugh’s journey to Community Hospital began when St. Anthony closed its gift shop. A few of her fellow volunteers made the trip as well.
“Some people they’ll sit home and don’t do anything and then they wonder why they feel so bad,” Colbaugh said. “If they only knew how satisfying it was they would run for it really. That includes men and women. I work with both.”
“And there’s always somebody coming in and they see what you’re doing and they want to volunteer, too, but it’s getting farther and farther in between.”
Community Hospital has two campuses featuring a comprehensive range of medical services offering nursing care in a close-knit, compassionate community.
“You get paid. You get paid with gratitude and the thank-you’s you get,” Colbaugh said. “Men especially say ‘thank you for being a volunteer.’ That just makes me feel good.”
“And Roxy (Kostuck) our manager she is so good to all of us. She has Valentine’s parties and she gave me a 90th birthday party and it was wonderful.”
She immediately used the gift certificate she received to splurge on a cashmere sweater.
Colbaugh typically volunteers every Monday and Tuesday, coming in at 8 a.m. and working until 2 p.m.
She grabs the cart filled with complimentary items and goes room to room checking on patients and their families asking if they need anything.
From there she goes to the surgery waiting room.
“I go in and see what I can do for them,” she said. “And then I come back and Roxy always has something. I wrap a lot of gifts. They give away so much I can’t believe a hospital does that.”
As you might expect, Colbaugh is a big fan of volunteering her time. She’s quick to share her experience when others ask.
“I would tell them they would appreciate coming up here once they started,” Colbaugh said. “It would be good for them and they would get lots of exercise. I think they would love it.”
Volunteers are the life-blood of non-profits. They may serve as board or advisory council members, in janitorial or maintenance positions, clerical, fundraisin, communications or as stockers in a food pantry. In other words, any position within the organization. On April 19, 2018, the Independent Sector, in partnership with IMPLAN, announced that the latest value of a volunteer hour is $25.69 – up 2.2% from 2017. That figure, estimated from data collected in 2017, shows the incredible contributions volunteers make to our communities and our country. Currently, 63 million Americans volunteer about 8 billion hours of their time and talent to improve people’s lives and the natural world. With the new value of volunteer time, these Americans are contributing approximately $197.5 billion to our nation.
When someone says, “I am JUST as volunteer”, they are truly missing the significant impact they have on the nonprofit world.
RSVP – Retired and Senior Volunteer Program – has served Oklahoma County since 1973. In 2017, 130 nonprofits in Oklahoma County were the beneficiaries of 136,700 service hours from 707 volunteers; a financial impact of $2.9 million.
Beth Patterson, Executive Director of RSVP of Central Oklahoma, said that the need for more volunteers is critical to help local nonprofits meet their missions and the needs of their clients. RSVP recruits and trains senior volunteers for agencies, such as; American Red Cross, Ronald McDonald House, Project 66 in Edmond, City Care’s Whiz Kids (tutoring), Upward Transitions Travelers Aid at Will Rogers World Airport, and RSVP Provide-A-Ride.
In 1994, RSVP started Provide-A-Ride, a service providing low-income seniors free transportation to medical appointments. RSVP volunteer drivers, age 55 and older, utilize their own vehicles, choose their own schedules, select the geographic areas they want to serve, receive free supplemental accident and liability insurance, and mileage reimbursement. In 2017, 85 volunteer drivers provided 7,476 rides or 261,660 miles driven to medical appointments for 367 seniors.
Provide-A-Ride participants must be 60+ and schedule rides in advance. Maintaining their independence and dignity, being self-sufficient, keeping medical appointments and becoming friends with the drivers are a few of the benefits participants receive through the program. For the drivers, knowing that they performed a much needed and valued service for someone, ensuring that they get their prescriptions filled and alleviating often burdensome transportation costs is what it is all about.
This program is so successful because of the people; that personal touch. One example is RSVP volunteer driver Pat Nebgen, “I do this to give added meaning to my life; to give back; to share my day with someone. The smiles, hugs and lively conversations are added benefits.” Pat began volunteering at RSVP after the death of his wife of 47 years. And, because of Don Blanding, who began volunteering in January 2017; “I enjoy driving and love that I can help seniors live more independently. I greatly enjoy being a part of RSVP. The elderly seniors that we serve are truly dependent on someone else for transportation to their medical appointments. They are always so appreciative of the help they receive. It makes me feel good to see how thankful they are.”
Some participants have shared their thoughts and appreciation:
· Provide-A-Ride volunteers are angels on wheels. Thank you for your kindness in my time of need. Angie G.
· The volunteer drivers are so friendly and courteous. I feel like I’ve made new friends. Now I look forward to my appointments because of them. Mildred M.
· RSVP Provide-A-Ride has made all the difference in ensuring I get the proper care my doctors want me to have. Jerri B.
· I am 91 and have macular degeneration so I can’t drive anymore. Provide-A-Ride volunteer drivers are my eyes on the road now, and I am so grateful. Ida Jean K.
· Provide-A-Ride is a bright cheery ride for those of us who are not able to drive anymore. Nan G.
· I don’t know what I would do for rides to my doctors without Provide-A-Ride. Loretta A.
· If I didn’t have Provide-A-Ride I wouldn’t be able to go to my medical appointments. Deborah M.
· I’ve lost my husband and children, and I don’t have family close enough to help me. Bless you for caring for us! Billie B.
If you are struggling with having reliable and affordable transportation to medical appointments, call RSVP to learn of your options. If you are looking for an avenue by which to give back to the community, what better way than to provide reliable, free transportation for fellow seniors. This is truly a win/win situation and the bonus is making new friends.
RSVP will recognize approximately 300 volunteers at the Annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on April 17, 2019, at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Bennett Event Center. Sponsorships are available. To learn more about becoming a Provide-A-Ride participant, find out more about local volunteer opportunities with RSVP, or become a sponsor for the volunteer recognition, call 405-605-3106 or email beth.patterson@rsvpokc.org.
RSVP is a part of the Corporation for National Service and a United Way of Central Oklahoma partner agency.
Karyl James, MSN, BSN, RN, Mercy Hospital CNO is helping nurses feel safer in her system
by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer
Like many, Karyl James, MSN, BSN, RN, Mercy Hospital CNO watched the frequent headlines marking deadly shootings.
And the reports of violence inside health care showed no signs of slowing down.
But what happens if the two scenarios combined? It was a question James and others in the Mercy system really didn’t want to think about, but one they knew they had to answer.
“With all the public shootings going on our safety team in collaboration with nursing said we have to educate and do something about it,” James said recently.
Through planning, discussion and scenarios Code Roscoe was born.
The code is Mercy-wide, so all 45 hospitals in the system use it for any active shooter situation.
Each unit must have at least two identified safe places that can prevent a shooter’s access to people.
“It’s not just nursing it’s registration, it’s all of those individuals. The front door of the hospital is registration so they need a safe place,” James said.
Planning for the unknown is a constant battle. Knowing who might have a gun is another.
A former ER nurse, James is familiar with both.
“Unknown was just kind of second nature for me and personally, I’ve had a gun pointed at me as an ER nurse many years ago,” James said.
It was an eye-opener to say the least.
“Yeah, I’m going to die. It was frightening,” James said of what flashed through her mind all those years ago. “He was not in his right mind and pulled out the revolver. Luckily, I had a police officer right next to me and he grabbed the gun.”
“The worst we can do is say ‘Oh, that will never happen to me because it might.’”
James knows working without a plan would shortchange everyone. That’s why she’s invested in the planning, hoping it will never be put to use.
The first drill that was run pointed out several instances where locking mechanisms didn’t work the way they should have.
The second time the code was called it wasn’t a drill.
“I got that call on a Sunday afternoon and I just froze,” James said of the scenario where the hospital locked down after a suspect in a nearby neighborhood was seen with a gun. “My stomach just sank because there was no drill.”
Out of instinct the first thing James did was call the house supervisor. That wasn’t protocol.
“The first thing you do is turn your phone off and text only,” James said. “I was the administrator on call.”
The house supervisor did answer and whispered to James she and several others were huddled under a table in the nursing administration offices.
“There was no lock on that door so they had the table pushed against the door,” James said. “The larger space you could just walk in. We’ve since put a badge reader on that door.”
Officials also learned the emergency locking button that seals all doors in the emergency department did not work.
“You could literally walk up and push open our ER so we got that fixed,” James said. “It really kind of opened our eyes to a lot of the safety measures we thought we had but really didn’t.”
Mercy has had Code Roscoe in place for nearly three years now. It’s evolved along the way.
“The reason I feel good about it is because the co-workers feel good about it,” James beamed. “After that actual event I went to the hospital after it was all said and done. It was a grueling 45 minutes because that was about how long it took for police to subdue the individual shooting in the neighborhood. I rounded on staff.”
“They knew exactly what to do. They knew where their safe spots were and the locks worked. They felt safer. For me, that’s a win.”
Planning for the unexpected is challenging to say the least.
“There’s always something new and I think you have to be flexible to understand you don’t have everything figured out and you never will,” she said.
“I get shocked every day with something new. Being open to accepting that and training as much as you possibly can for those bigger events – coworkers will figure out what they need to do and what is right to do for their patients and their safety.”
Sarcoidosis patient David Key donated blood to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation's Saroidosis Unit to make a difference down the line for those suffering with the disease.
The stabbing pains in David Key’s armpits awoke him from sleep one night in 2006. “It was excruciating,” said Key, 53, who lives in Oil Center, about 10 miles northeast of Ada.
He cycled through hospitals and clinics, his condition worsening. He developed uncontrollable tremors and neurological problems and gave up his business. After a pair of strokes, he was forced to go on disability. Years passed, yet still he had no answers.
Finally, one physician thought he recognized Key’s condition. A subsequent biopsy of lymph nodes proved the hunch: sarcoidosis, a rare disease that causes lumps of immune cells – known as granulomas – to form in organs throughout the body.
“Unless patients’ first symptoms are in the lungs, they’re usually misdiagnosed,” said Courtney Montgomery, Ph.D., who studies the disease in her lab at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
Scientists know little about what triggers sarcoidosis. It seems to start in the immune system, eliciting rampant inflammation. The tumor-like lumps can appear in the eyes, liver, heart, skin and brain and, most often, in the lungs.
The disease can strike anyone, but it disproportionately affects African Americans. And, said Montgomery, it can be fatal.
“The most common causes of death are cardiac conditions,” she said. Heart complications claimed the disease’s two most famous victims – NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White and comedian Bernie Mac – at the ages of 43 and 50, respectively.
For Key, doctors have largely managed to control his symptoms through steroids and long list of other medications for the tremors, pain, depression and neurological issues. Still, he continues to experience near-constant pain in his chest. “Sometimes, I can swear I’m having a heart attack,” he said.
Last year, in an effort to help Montgomery and her OMRF scientific team better understand the disease, Key traveled to Oklahoma City to participate in a research study of sarcoidosis at the foundation. After filling out questionnaires detailing his disease and medication history, he donated blood for the researchers to analyze.
“By studying what’s going on at a genetic level in patients with active disease, we hope to identify environmental triggers that initiate sarcoidosis,” Montgomery said. Ultimately, that work might point scientists to an effective treatment.
Key understands that volunteering in OMRF’s research study likely won’t help directly. Still, he said, “If it can help somebody down the road, it’s worth it.”
For more information about sarcoidosis or to participate in research studies of the disease at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, call (405) 271-2504 or email sru@omrf.org.
Some of the dedicated staff of Tealridge Retirement Community.
(L to R) top row- Jim Delzell, Chef Andre Coleman, Katie Martinez and Kristen Moss
( L to R) Seated- Danielle Suggs, Kathy Evans, Michele Woodward and Melissa Mahaffey
by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer
A new chapter is unfolding in the Tealridge retirement community history.
Oklahoma Christian University recently sold its Tealridge retirement community located at 2100 NE 140th Street in Edmond to a local group with big plans for this well-known senior living community on the university campus.
The new group owns and manages the Tealridge Assisted Living & Memory Care Community in Edmond as well as the University Village Retirement Community in Tulsa among other communities.
However, leadership is based locally in Edmond.
“With the addition of the Tealridge independent living community, we are now able to offer our residents a full care campus with housing options ranging from independent living apartments to assisted living and even memory care services – all in one location,” said Jon Paden, who leads the new group.
The sale took almost two years to complete given Oklahoma Christian’s desire to find the right buyer and ensure the community continued to be managed and owned by a group with integrity as well as shared values and beliefs.
The new owners are already starting to reinvest in the community with over $1 million funded for building improvements which will include updating all resident apartments, dining and social areas.
“We are excited to build on the great Tealridge reputation for quality in the Edmond community and we are blessed to be able to invest the money and resources needed to really create a special, yet affordable retirement option.” added Paden.
Daily operations will be managed by Melissa Mahaffey the new Executive Director at Tealridge Retirement Community.
While she has extensive senior living management experience, Mahaffey credits her success from a genuine passion for improving the lives of her senior residents.
She also serves on the Oklahoma Assisted Living Federation.
“I am so excited to be a part of the next chapter at Tealridge.” shared Mahaffey. “We have the resources and vision to really create a place that builds on Tealridge’s great reputation while updating things to be on par with the best rental communities in Edmond.”
In addition to the great residents that already call Tealridge home, Mahaffey is building a team focused on placing a strong emphasis on customer service, hospitality and convenience for retirees regardless of what phase of life they are in, Paden added.
To find out more about Tealridge you can go online at tealridge.com.
INTEGRIS is joining other hospitals and health centers around the country in a national effort to produce a stable supply of generic drugs. The venture is designed to address the growing frustration caused by persistent shortages of simple yet vital medications.
Utah-based not-for-profit generic-drug company Civica Rx is spearheading the initiative. “Drug shortages have become a national crisis, with patient treatments and surgeries canceled, delayed or suboptimal,” says Martin VanTrieste, chief executive officer of Civica Rx. “We thank these organizations for joining us to make essential generic medicines accessible and affordable in hospitals across the country.”
The benefit of the Civica Rx initiative is expected to be two-fold. Hospitals will not only have access to generic drugs that are frequently in short supply, but they will also be able to purchase those medications at a reduced cost. A savings that can then be passed along to patients.
“We are excited to be a partnering member in this venture,” says Tommy, Ibrahim, M.D., chief physician executive at INTEGRIS. “We enjoy a proud tradition of being a leading-edge health care provider known for a pioneering spirit that has paved the way for many medical firsts and technological advancements. We believe this initiative is another example of that. It is an innovative approach to providing quality, accessible, more affordable medicine to the citizens of Oklahoma.”
Civica Rx plans to bring 14 hospital-administered generic drugs to market in 2019. The overall vision is to become a model generic drug company that provides high-quality Food and Drug Administration-approved products at affordable prices.
