Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn [email protected]

When one becomes a senior in age and experience, there comes a knowledge of what works for you and what doesn’t, which influences your choices for entertainment and travel. Recently returning from my first cruise of the new decade of 2020, I’ll share some reflections that might prove beneficial to fellow seniors. To add to my professional travel writer credentials, I was not given any special monetary discounts for my editorial evaluations.
As you recall from my Senior News and Living January edition, “To Cruise or Not to Cruise” (https://okveterannews.com/020215/travel-entertainment-to-cruise-or-not-to-cruise/), there were a number of choices one must make when booking a cruise, as it pertains to individual preferences. Even with the convenience of online booking, there is an educational learning time needed as to how each cruise line sets up their own online booking arrangements.
I found the Celebrity online website a bit daunting at first, but after using it first in September of 2019, and becoming familiar with its style, it is a fast and convenient way to book a cruise, with a down payment to reserve your choices. Of course if educating yourself with online booking is not your thing, you might set up a relationship by phone to help you out with many questions that might arise. When I started my booking it was during a bad weather period as some offices were shut down due to the September Hurricanes. With long wait times on the phone, this was not my preferred booking option.
On a peraonl note I chose the Celebrity Equinox Cruise ship as I had a college friend that was employed in their theatrical cast. This gave me a primal interest in the Equinox, so that I might not only enjoy the lux life of cruising the Caribbean but share in the talents of a friend, with his theatrical performances.
With that decision made, and the best specific January dates needed, I got serious as to cabin location and class. Here again many choices and many price levels. With past cruise experiences with upscale lines such as Regent and Royal Viking, I found paying a few hundred dollars more for a high class cabin is a good investment. I discovered Celebrity has an Aqua Class which is just a step down from their top tier of cabins in the suite category. Aqua Class offers the advantage of special boarding and departing options, no extra charge room service, which is so comforting when you are not up to going to one of the many dining options. It is convenient for your time and energy restraints, and Aqua class also offers other exclusive dining options.
Aqua class offers the dining option of the exclusive Blu Dining room with excellent service, gourmet food options and an elegant atmosphere. The only draw back is that it is first come first serve with no reservations, so picking an off peak dining time is recommended.
Other specialty dining options, with an up charge of from $30 to $40 above your cruise charge, includes: Italian, a continental, steak and sushi dining options. Timed reservation are taken there, which can adjust to your own schedule. When booking you are asked if you want early or late dining seating at the all ship option of the silhouette dining room where the menu changes each night. Luncheon options are also available in other venues which I will describe in more detail next month in part two.
You can explore and reserve and pay for shore excursions on line. The pre cruise online shore excursions are very limited, so you might wait on all your choices until you board where an extensive list of on shore tours are offered and can be paid for at the guest services desk several decks below your cabin level. Prepaid tours and dining options are non refundable.
Another choice to be made is your Beverage Package. It’s an economical no worry way to prepay your beverages. You probably already know if you want upscale wines and spirits, or if ordinary brand spirits and wines are more to your liking, or if you only want a soft drink package. This prepaid option goes along with your mandatory gratuity charges, which also can be prepaid so there is no shock at the end of the cruise with your bill, which is billed to the credit card you signed on with. A few days after returning home you will receive an email with an itemized list of your on board charges. I find this most helpful and eases any idea of undue charges. I found no undue charges in my bill. Celebrity is interested in how you evaluate your cruise and sends you a survey. Be sure and be honest for praises and short comings. I did.
Of course with the uncertainty of travel relating to weather and airline delays, you should consider arriving at your port of call city the day before the start of your cruise. An inexpensive hotel in the area is a good insurance policy against ‘missing the boat.’ Celebrity also offers their own travel insurance if you feel the need for health reasons. Requesting a wheel chair for getting on and off the ship is also offered and I recommend such, as there is a long walk up and down the gang way.
Next month I’ll explore my dining and activity and tour options. Feel free to check out the Celebrity website to explore the many ships and destinations Celebrity offers: (www.celebritycruises.com) or call 1-888-751-7804

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
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www.martinitravels.com

https://legendseniorliving.com/

by Nick Thomas

When Universal Pictures assembled the cast of the popular TV series “The Munsters” for the big screen adaption in the 1966 film “Munster, Go Home!” another actress replaced Pat Priest as Marilyn Munster.
“I was devastated not to be in the film,” said Priest from her home near Boise, Idaho. “We were on the set filming the end of the season and the producers sent one of their guys down to tell me. I was 29 and my contract was up for renewal, so I think they wanted a younger actress and didn’t want to pay me more.”
Priest says fellow cast members Fred Gwynne (Herman Munster) and Al Lewis (Grandpa) “went to bat for me” but “that’s just the way it goes in this business.”
While her role throughout “The Munsters” series was often small, Priest has always been upbeat about the experience.
“Occasionally, there was a show built around me, but I usually didn’t have a lot of lines and I just accepted that,” she said. “On a positive note, I could learn my three or four lines on the freeway on my way to the studio!”
Nevertheless, Priest still has fond memories of working on the show, although there was a brief early encounter with Yvonne De Carlo (Lily Munster).
“She was a major movie star from the 40s and 50s,” explained Priest. “My first day on the set the two of us were in a scene together and the director asked me to move forward into the light.
Yvonne turned to me and said, ‘Let’s get something straight right now young lady, don’t you ever upstage me.’ Man, I jumped back and didn’t care if I spent the rest of the series in the dark! However, we eventually got along well and often had lunch together. But Fred and Al would always tease her about being a diva.”
Gwynne and Lewis had previously starred in “Car 54, Where Are You?” and Priest says it was clear that the pair had on-screen chemistry.
“They played off one another so beautifully, were best friends, and their families were all very close,” she said. “But interestingly, while the rest of us would later meet at TV conventions and autograph shows, Fred didn’t want anything to do with ‘The Munsters.’ He preferred to be known as a fine actor, not just identified with the Munster character, and would never sign autographs or be interviewed about the show. He wouldn’t even stand beside Al to have his picture taken even though they remained good friends.”
After “The Munsters,” Priest continued in commercials and took on mostly small acting roles, but she looks back on her acting career as a wonderful experience.
“I’ve done everything I wanted to do and gone everywhere I wanted to go,” she said. “I’m 83 now and whatever happens in the future is all just pluses.”
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 750 newspapers and magazines.

https://www.safesolutionswalkintubs.com/

The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) Black Heritage Committee is organizing a tour of sites significant to the Civil Rights Movement in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. The week-long trip will depart Sunday morning, May 10, from the Oklahoma History Center and return Friday evening, May 15. There are a limited number of bus seats available. Visit www.okhistory.org/freedomtrail to view the itinerary and to register for the tour.
Tour locations will include Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Ark.; the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn.; the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Ala.; Edmund Pettis Bridge and National Voting Rights Museum and Institute in Selma, Ala.; and the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture in Natchez, Miss..
“I am excited to help provide this opportunity to see where American history and change actually occurred,” said Shirley Nero, OHS Board member and OHS Black Heritage Committee chair.
You can find more information including registration at www.okhistory.org/freedomtrail or by contacting Larry O’Dell at [email protected].
Founded in the 1970s, the OHS Black Heritage Committee is a committee of the OHS Board of Directors. Its goal is to share Oklahoma’s African American history. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.

by Greg Schwem

A deadly disease is nothing to joke about and, until a cure is found, should probably not be mentioned in the space encompassing a humor column.
Using that logic, I should be writing about bubonic plague, not coronavirus.
The latter is indeed serious. It has killed nearly 1,000 people in China while placing that country on virtual lockdown. According to The Washington Post, it has quarantined 3,700 passengers aboard a cruise ship anchored off Yokohama, Japan, after 136 of them tested positive for the virus so far. Imagine being trapped on a ship for an extra two weeks? With a magician? Not funny.
It has had a severe negative impact on stock portfolios heavily invested in Chinese-based companies, unless one of those companies manufactures surgical masks.
Yes, we should all take precautions, as, currently, that is the only way to avoid the virus. However, it does not mean we should, not so subtly, move far away from that guy in the hotel elevator just because a pesky nose hair caused him to sneeze between the 15th floor and the lobby.
Which is precisely what happened to me.
It occurred recently in an upscale Orlando hotel. I boarded the elevator surrounded by an assortment of conventioneers, sunbathers and families headed to Disney parks. I felt the tickle in my nose almost immediately and knew a sneeze was imminent. I raised my elbow to my face, as is my standard “pre-achoo” practice. I let it rip into my sleeve.
“Excuse me,” I said.
But this time there were no polite, “Bless you” responses. The other riders looked uncomfortably at me and then shifted their gazes to the floor. Most moved, not subtly, as far away as the elevator’s confines would allow. When the car stopped on floor two, a Disney mom emitted an audible groan. At last the elevator reached the lobby and everyone scattered. It could have been my imagination, but I sensed all waited to see which way I was headed so they could exit in the opposite direction. And here’s the kicker: I actually HEARD Disney Mom say to her husband, “He’s probably got coronavirus.”
Trust me lady, he doesn’t. Upon leaving the elevator, he doesn’t need to be sprayed with disinfectant by medical officials in hazmat suit, a scene that played out recently when passengers disembarked a flight from Wuhan, China, the virus’s epicenter.
He just needs some nose hair trimmers. Maybe you could take the 10 bucks you were going to spend on a Mickey-shaped funnel cake and purchase them for me.
We’ve seen this paranoid, accusatory behavior before. SARS, West Nile and swine flu come to mind. Even if we don’t have it, we assume anybody showing a single symptom undoubtedly does.
Now, I’m a guy who has consumed yogurt past its expiration date, sat on toilet seats without paper covers, shared bottled drinks with my kids and allowed dogs to lick my face. Yet I’ve still been prone to this “guilty until proven innocent” behavior. When I see someone in an airport or other public facility wearing a mask, I don’t assume they are taking precautions to avoid catching a disease; I assume they’re CARRYING one. China has, for the moment, been removed from my “places to visit” bucket list. I know this is silly as I long to scale the Great Wall and stroll through Tiananmen Square.
I need to stop this behavior, and so does everyone else. Want to avoid catching coronavirus? Wash your hands often with soap, as medical officials say that works better than shunning humanity. Have someone else push your elevator floor button if you must. Don’t sample those community dishes of nuts at bars. Avoid touching your mouth with your hands. It’s not that difficult.
Coronavirus is not going to stop me from indulging in my favorite pastime, human interaction, nor should it preclude anyone else from doing so.
Even if that human is a cruise ship magician.
(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)

www.harborchase.com

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

When Pearline Childress’ family circle in her lifelong hometown of Coweta started growing smaller and smaller, she knew she needed to make a change.
Her son, Dave, knew it was a decision she couldn’t make alone.
“I would see mom on average once a month and my sister would see her maybe once a week,” said Dave, an Edmond native who travels extensively for business. “Since her sister passed away her social interaction just wasn’t very much.”
Both children poured over brochures and facilities and options.
During the process, Tealridge Retirement Coordinator Kristen Moss urged the entire Childress family to come up for lunch one Saturday.
“It helps when they can come enjoy the community for a couple events before they move in,” Moss said. “We spent pretty much all afternoon on that Saturday sitting and talking with residents. I think we try to incorporate more of the activity of living here before they even move to give them a glimpse and give them that trial.”
The afternoon was one to remember.
“The staff, I just fell in love with these guys from the jump,” he said. “But it’s the residents that really make it.”
The decision to move to Tealridge meant Pearline Childress would leave behind 72 years of life in Coweta – a place where she had taught school and raised her children.
Moving would mean separation from all she had known.
But little did she know, moving would also prepare her heart for more people to move in.
“Everybody is just so nice and friendly,” Pearline said. “It’s really impressed me.”
Now just eight miles down the road, Dave Childress comes up most mornings to have coffee with his mom.
During the process, Childress told his wife that his biggest wish was to show up one day and his mother would be sitting out front surrounded by friends.
“I thought if we could ever get there that would make my heart happy,” he said. “I think it was middle of last week I popped up here and I walked in and she was out there with the ladies.”
“It made me feel really good.”
Elaine Rowton knows that feeling well.
Rowton spent 35 years as office manager for an Edmond pediatric dentist before moving to Tealridge.
She lived on the other side of Oklahoma Christian for 40 years before her and her late husband finalized plans for their next move. He passed last year but Rowton never wavered on her decision to come to Tealridge.
“Everything just clicked, clicked, clicked like it was a God thing,” said Rowton, who has lived at Tealridge for three months after following her neighbor of 25 years to the residence. “We looked at other facilities but this was my choice. I like that I have lots of neat friends.”
Daily housekeeping, laundry and trash service, three meals a day and welcoming staff all come together to make Rowton feel at home.
“I feel secure here. The place has a really special, comforting atmosphere to it,” she said.
Macular degeneration started working on Ruby White’s eyesight a few years ago. Her sister convinced her to move to Washington to come live with her but she didn’t feel right once she got there so she moved back to Oklahoma.
The 45-year nurse used an online search company and her telephone to find a home.
“I think I drove these people totally crazy,” she said. “I talked to every one of them because I didn’t know really what to expect. I chose this because they were so helpful. They helped me decide I could be OK here. I wasn’t sure of that.”
And in a short period of time at Tealridge, all three ladies know everything is going to be just fine. Visit: https://www.seniorliving-edmond.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt-r01IeB6AIVjIbACh2dRgmrEAAYASAAEgIIS_D_BwE

Project funded by nearly $5 million in donations

SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital recently announced the opening of a newly expanded area designed to enhance exceptional care for cancer patients. The opening of the newest addition to the Frank C. Love Cancer Institute was commemorated in a blessing ceremony on Friday, February 14.
The expansion of the Institute was necessary to respond to the growing number of patients needing cancer care at St. Anthony Hospital. With the opening of the new clinical space, the Institute more than doubles its size to nearly 16,000 square feet. The cancer program moved from its former location on the ground floor to a spacious third floor space with natural lighting and many amenities conducive to healing and comfort.
“We are pleased to expand the Frank C. Love Cancer Institute to enhance the exceptional care and comfort for our patients and their families,” stated Tammy Powell, President, SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital. “The project was made possible by generous donations to the SSM Health St. Anthony Foundation from The Chickasaw Nation, the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation, the Tom and Judy Love Family, physicians, employees, board members, volunteers, patients, individuals, businesses and Foundations.”
Foundation Board members Mike Milligan and Jamie Farha, along with Dr. Thy Nguyen, Section Chair of Oncology, led the philanthropy efforts to fund the expansion. The Institute’s team of medical oncologists Dr. Michael Bowen, Dr. Thy Nguyen, Dr. David Lam and Dr. Todd Kliewer were actively involved in all aspects of the design of the expanded space, being mindful of the overall experience of both patients and staff. The physician offices will be adjacent to a chemotherapy infusion area for patient comfort and convenience.
The space features updated finishes that extend beyond the clinical space into the four-story atrium. REES Architecture & Design served as the architecture firm for the project, and Waldrop Construction was the general contractor. The atrium acts as a physical connection between the various floors that make up the Institute. A refreshing palette of bright whites and creams is contrasted by rich navy blue. Crisp wood tones and dramatic lighting are evident throughout the space. Beyond the aesthetics, the space was carefully planned to focus on the needs of patients and their families seeking treatment, as well as the staff dedicated to their care.
For more information about the Frank C. Love Cancer Institute or for a physician referral, call 405-231-8866.

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation honored Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK) recently with its inaugural Multiple Sclerosis Advocate Award.
Cole received the award for his role in championing biomedical research on MS and other diseases. The ceremony took place at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club, during a dinner that also raised more than $270,000 for research and patient care at OMRF’s Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence.
During his nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, Cole has advocated for biomedical research on the national level. Cole is the former Chairman and current Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Under his leadership, the National Institutes of Health’s budget has grown almost $8 billion since 2014.
“Congressman Cole has used his considerable influence to benefit those suffering from disease,” said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby, who serves on OMRF’s board and presented the award to Cole. “Multiple sclerosis is one of many diseases that impacts the lives of Oklahomans, and Tom understands their struggle. It fuels his passion for funding research that ultimately will make a difference for countless Americans.”
MS causes vision problems, tremors, paralysis, painful spasms, imbalance and cognitive changes. At OMRF, more than 3,000 MS patients receive treatment from clinicians, who also team with laboratory researchers in an effort to develop new treatment options.
“Everyone has family members and loved ones who are affected by some form of disease,” said Cole. “Regardless of your politics, funding for biomedical and disease research is always a worthy cause. As I serve in Congress, I will continue fighting to sustain and increase the gains that we have made, so centers of research excellence like OMRF can continue to pursue groundbreaking research to find more cures and treatments that benefit all of society.”
Those efforts, said OMRF President Stephen Prescott, M.D., have indeed made a difference.
“Congressman Cole prioritized research funding and has been responsible for historic increases,” said Prescott. “Because of his leadership, we’re now seeing new and meaningful discoveries that will change—and save—lives.”
The Chickasaw Nation served as the lead sponsor of the event, which also received support from Nancy Ellis, Lou and Jim Morris, Susan and Louis Dakil, the Clyde Evans Trust, and the Scaramucci Foundation.

https://www.caresuitesokc.com/

Decades Old Rule Updated to Reflect Today’s Workforce

Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul announced a new final rule today, modernizing an agency disability rule that was introduced in 1978 and has remained unchanged. The new regulation, “Removing the Inability to Communicate in English as an Education Category,” updates a disability rule that was more than 40 years old and did not reflect work in the modern economy. This final rule has been in the works for a number of years and updates an antiquated policy that makes the inability to communicate in English a factor in awarding disability benefits.
“It is important that we have an up-to-date disability program,” Commissioner Saul said. “The workforce and work opportunities have changed and outdated regulations need to be revised to reflect today’s world.”
A successful disability system must evolve and support the right decision as early in the process as possible. Social Security’s disability rules must continue to reflect current medicine and the evolution of work.
Social Security is required to consider education to determine if someone’s medical condition prevents work, but research shows the inability to communicate in English is no longer a good measure of educational attainment or the ability to engage in work. This rule is another important step in the agency’s efforts to modernize its disability programs.
In 2015, Social Security’s Inspector General recommended that the agency evaluate the appropriateness of this policy. Social Security owes it to the American public to ensure that its disability programs continue to reflect the realities of the modern workplace. This rule also supports the Administration’s longstanding focus of recognizing that individuals with disabilities can remain in the workforce.
The rule will be effective on April 27, 2020.

The Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, Gail S. Ennis, is designating Thursday, March 5, 2020 as National “Slam the Scam” Day, to raise public awareness of government imposter telephone scams across the United States.
These pervasive scams—in which callers pretend to be government employees to mislead victims into providing personal information or making payments—have become a scourge on the American public. The Federal Trade Commission recently reported victims lost nearly $153 million to government imposter scams in just fiscal year 2019. Social Security-related scams in particular have skyrocketed over the past year to become the #1 type of consumer fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission and the Social Security Administration.
To combat these scams, the Social Security Administration and its OIG have undertaken a public outreach campaign to educate the public so they will know how to identify these scam calls. We want the public to know SSA will never:
* Tell you that your Social Security number has been suspended, or offer to increase your benefits or resolve an identity theft issue for a fee.
* Call to threaten you with arrest or legal action if you do not immediately pay a debt, fine, or fee.
* Request immediate payment via gift cards, cash, wire transfers, or internet currency like Bitcoin.
* Demand secrecy from you in handling a Social Security-related problem, or tell you to make up a story to tell your friends, family, or store/bank employees.
Social Security Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is engaging other Federal agencies and the private sector to promote a National “Slam the Scam Day” as a National Consumer Protection Week initiative. On March 5, we plan to participate in a USA.gov-hosted Twitter chat, and a Facebook Live event at Social Security. We want to warnallAmericans to hang up on all government imposters, and ask them to spread the word to family and friends.
“Awareness is our best hope to thwart the scammers,” said Inspector General Ennis. “Tell your friends and family about these scams and report them to us when you receive them, but most importantly, just hang up and ignore the calls.”
We encourage the public to report Social Security scams online at https://oig.ssa.gov. IRS imposter scams can be reported to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and other government imposter scams to the Federal Trade Commission.
Look for us on Facebook and Twitter for updates about National “Slam the Scam” Day events. For questions or interview requests, email [email protected] or call (410) 965-2671.
Please visit https://oig.ssa.gov/scam for more information

EMSA and INTEGRIS Health have partnered to develop a one-of-a-kind specialty care transport ambulance. On Monday, this unit, designated “ECMO 1”, will join the EMSA system.
INTEGRIS Health is proud to be the home of a world class ECMO program that offers lifesaving therapies to patients facing imminent death. INTEGRIS is the first in the state to establish a specialized life support program solely devoted to adult patients suffering from heart or lung failure. The program uses extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, commonly abbreviated as ECMO, as an advanced lifesaving therapy. Since inception of the INTEGRIS ECMO program in 2014, the INTEGRIS team has served over 500 patients with this technology. INTEGRIS’ ECMO team is made up of talented doctors, nurses, perfusionists, and respiratory therapists, who are expertly trained in the field of ECMO and advanced critical care. The INTEGRIS ECMO team is available to serve those in need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
ECMO provides support to patients whose heart and/or lungs are so severely diseased or damaged that they can no longer serve their function; perhaps after a heart attack, cardiac surgery, pulmonary embolism, near drowning or lung-related issues such as flu or pneumonia. The goal is to allow the heart or lungs to rest and recover while the machine does all the work. When the heart or the lungs have healed and can work on their own, the lifesaving support of the ECMO artificial heart/lung machine is weaned then removed.
INTEGRIS Critical Care ECMO team in conjunction with EMSA provides the highest level of complex care in the state. Outside of ECMO transfers, the INTEGRIS and EMSA teams have the capability of transporting patients who require advanced management of ventilator support, IV medications, and cardiac assist devices including intraaortic balloons pumps, impella devices, and LVAD pumps. The expertise of this team allows for safe inter-hospital transfers, so patients can receive the one of a kind care only INTEGRIS can provide.
Previously only done in a hospital setting, technological advances have allowed ECMO to move into ambulances. Together with EMSA, the INTEGRIS ECMO team stands ready to be there anytime, anywhere, for anyone in need of this life-saving care.
EMSA’s ECMO unit specifications were designed in collaboration with the INTEGRIS Health ECMO Team. Special attention was paid to the layout of the ambulance to make sure the patient could receive the critical clinical care needed, could comfortably and safely transport up to five ECMO Team Members in addition to the patient during long distance transports. Additionally, the larger ambulance also has the capacity to carry more oxygen and other medical gasses that are needed for ECMO patients.
When not assigned to ECMO transports, this unit will serve as one of EMSA’s bariatric ambulances for the Oklahoma City area ensuring this unit is able to serve several key roles in the EMSA system.