Leroy Burdine, a resident of The Fountains at Canterbury in Oklahoma City, celebrated his 90th birthday with a festive commemoration, thanks to a party thrown in his honor by The Fountains at Canterbury staff and the Oklahoma City Thunder Girls.
Birthday party attendees enjoyed a visit from two of the Oklahoma City Thunder Girls, Stephanie and Addie. The Thunder Girls signed posters, posed for photos with residents and shared stories about their time with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The celebration also featured music and a smorgasbord including chicken wings donated by Buffalo Wild Wings, cupcakes, fresh fruit and more. Residents and staff joined together for a collective rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” and took turns giving Leroy their best wishes.

Attend Our FREE Town Hall Meeting with Oklahoma’s Leading Medical Doctors! Sponsored by Mid-America Stem Cell Institute (MASCI) and Liveyon.
Please join us and learn how pain relief is possible without drugs or surgery!
Tired of suffering? Learn how Stem Cell Treatment can treat the following and MANY MORE!
· Back Pain · Muscle Tears · Tendon / Ligament Pain · Spinal Cord Injury · Diabetes · Lupus · Osteoarthritis · Rheumatoid Arthritis · Fibromyalgia · Crohn’s Disease · Ulcerative Colitis · Multiple Sclerosis · Erectile Dysfunction
STEM CELL TREATMENT SEMINAR
Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 from 6-8 PM, Located at Summit Hospital in Edmond at 1800 Renaissance Boulevard, 73013
Please call 405-708-6884 to register today! Space is very limited.
We look forward to seeing you there and answering your questions!
MASCI Featured Speakers: Dr. Douglas P. Beall, MD, Dr. John Nelson, MD, and International Expert and Guest Speaker, Dr. Alan Gaveck, MD.

The Community Caregivers Support Group’s fourth annual FREE Seminar will be at Council Road Baptist Church in Bethany on Saturday, April 1, 2017. This year’s theme, “Planning for the Future while in the Present”, will focus on eldercare/caregiving, and, as always, will provide pertinent, readily available information resources. Join us for coffee and donuts at 8:30 a.m. The seminar begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 11:45 a.m.
Our keynote speaker for the first session will be Dr. Mark Stratton, a recently retired professor from OU Medical Geriatric Education and author of a commentary on “America’s other Drug Problem”, which addresses the problem of over-medication and the effectiveness of medication to the aging body. His topic will be Using Medications Safely: A Key to Your Health. The options for session 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:40 a.m., will be 1) Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning led by Kathy Lee Hackett, CFP®, CEP®, and the Director of Estate Planning for The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma and 2) Final Arrangements led by Gary Mercer with Mercer-Adams Funeral Home.
Session 3, from 10:50 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., offers a choice between 1) Clarifying Medicare with Anna Farha, representative from the State of Oklahoma Insurance Department, or 2) Addressing Dementia and Alzheimer’s led by Carla Scull, Education Coordinator for Oklahoma Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Council Road Baptist Church is located at NW 30TH and Council Road. The south entrance to the chapel is next to the playground. You may register online at www.councilroad.org or by calling Claree Cox at (405)789-3175 or Gaylene Turner at (405)787-0300.

What’s your favorite destination in the world? Will Rogers World Airport Volunteers

I’d say somewhere I haven’t been. I want to see something different.  Kim Sanders

Lewiston, Idaho for the NAIA Baseball Tournament.  Paul Sanders

I’d like to go back to Germany but really my bucket list destination is Israel. Bob Cohoon

My wife and I have traveled all over so it’s hard to say but more and more I like home. Gene Allen

A Tulsa man who filed a bogus insurance claim and assaulted an insurance adjuster has been sentenced to life in prison. Prentice E. Ponds II, 43, was on parole at the time of the crime. He has a long criminal history with multiple felony convictions.
“Oklahoma is a safer place with this man behind bars,” said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. “While it’s common for insurance fraud to be committed in conjunction with other crimes, we don’t typically see violence like this. But it does happen. I am extremely proud of the work done by our Anti-Fraud Unit to get this violent criminal off the streets. I also want to thank the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office for its excellent work on this case.”
Ponds was arrested in August 2015 after an investigation by the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s Anti-Fraud Unit. Investigators found that Ponds filed a fraudulent insurance claim on a 2014 Chevy Camaro with preexisting damage he’d purchased off eBay. When an insurance adjuster went to Ponds’ home to question him about the claim, Ponds became angry. He attacked the adjuster and took his file and audio recorder. The insurance adjuster was later treated for a head laceration and broken ribs.
Last week a Tulsa County jury convicted Ponds of robbery and insurance fraud. He was sentenced to life for the robbery conviction and 25 years for the insurance fraud conviction. Ponds’ prior felony convictions include assault and battery, robbery and burglary.
“I could not be more pleased with the jury’s verdict,” said Tulsa County Assistant District Attorney Reagan Reininger. “The jury was able to evaluate the evidence and send a message that making a fraudulent insurance claim and robbery by force or fear are crimes that will not be tolerated in our community. A violent criminal was taken off our streets with the help of the Tulsa Police Department and the thorough investigation of the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Because of our collective efforts, the hope is that this criminal will never be able to victimize again,” said Reininger.
“Repwest takes insurance fraud very seriously and works closely with authorities to fervently pursue justice,” said Robert Pirmann, vice president at Repwest Insurance Company. “On behalf of our team, I want to commend the Oklahoma Department of Insurance, the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office and local law enforcement for their diligent efforts in this case. The violence exhibited against our insurance investigator should never be tolerated.”
About the Oklahoma Insurance Department
The Oklahoma Insurance Department, an agency of the State of Oklahoma, is responsible for the education and protection of the insurance-buying public and for oversight of the insurance industry in the state.

by Bobby Anderson
Staff Writer

Steven Lee came through Will Rogers World Airport in 2013 looking for a USO to volunteer with and found the YMCA Military Welcome Center instead.
He volunteered then and there and six months later the job of director was his.
Today he and some 70 volunteers – many of them ex-servicemen and women – provide a space to hang out, a bit of food for the journey, and more often than not, an ear willing to listen for military members and their families traveling the globe.
SMALL BEGINNINGS
The first military welcome center at Will Rogers was started by the Blue Star Mothers in 2007 with 15 volunteers.
A single table held juice and sandwiches.
“They were quickly overwhelmed so the YMCA stepped in,” Lee said.
Today, the Welcome Center offers a restful and relaxing atmosphere for traveling military members from all branches, active or retired. The center provides refreshment, internet access, long-distance phone service, stamps and stationery, games and hi-definition satellite TV on a big screen.
The MWC is a collaboration between four entities: the City of Oklahoma City, Will Rogers World Airport, the Armed Services YMCA, and the Earlywine Park YMCA.
The center operates primarily with the help of volunteers and community donations. The caring volunteers strive to provide a home-like atmosphere for the travelers, and vendors such as Pepsi Bottling Group and BOINGO, provide drinks and internet access.
And the center gets a workout.
Some 31,000 people went through last year from those heading out to basic training to entire troop movements that got delayed.
Lee said the center spends about $3,500 a month in pizza alone to feed hungry military travelers.
FIRST TIME THROUGH
Buses arrive every day at 6:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. for those heading to basic training at Ft. Sill.
It’s the volunteers’ job to get those soldiers lined out and ready to go.
“They have no idea what they’re getting into and they’re all nervous,” said Lee, a former MP who retired from the Army in 1997. “When I brief them I always start out saying ‘Who’s nervous about going to basic training?’ I’ll get one or two hands go up.”
“Then I ask ‘Who’s lying to me?’ The rest of the hands go up. I’ve got 20 years in the Army so I try to ease their fears and the way to get through basic training.”
A PROPER WELCOME
Lee’s volunteers range from ex-service members to those who just want to give back and show their respect for those who serve.
“I have one lady that when she was a single mother in Houston the YMCA never refused her son to play in sports even though she might not have been able to afford it,” Lee said. “She wants to give back.”
“There’s a big variety and a lot of reasons.”
Bob Cohoon spent 22 years in the Army, retiring as a First Sergeant.
After driving a bus at the Oklahoma City VA Hospital, Cohoon decided to volunteer at the welcome center. “It’s altogether different,” Cohoon said of how servicemen and women are welcomed home today. “When I got out we still had the draft so it was a different military. Today these kids are volunteering for different reasons.”
“When I came back from Vietnam we were called baby killers. (Ironically) my job over there for nine months was running a POW hospital and all we did was take care of the enemy.”
Gene Allen was originally drafted for the Korean War. He spent two years in the Army at Ft. Bliss, Texas before eventually settling in for 28 years in the Air National Guard.
“I’ve always enjoyed the military and I remember being a draftee and I remember what that was like,” Allen said. “It’s satisfying to give them a little encouragement.”
Allen tries to ease nerves as best he can. He remembers what it was like being away from home for the first time and going into the unknown.
The way he sees it, volunteering at the welcome center is a way to help the next generation of soldiers.
Cohoon says he gets something out of it, too.
“It keeps me young really,” he laughed.
Lee said the goal in the future is to open the center 24 hours a day.
Some days the center sees one or two visitors. Other days several families pass through waiting for their loved ones to arrive.
And some days entire units are stuck in the airport awaiting transport.
“It’s feast or famine,” Lee says. “But our sole mission is to give them a nice place to wait for onward transportation.”

Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City’s NeuroScience Institute has once again earned Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers from the Joint Commission – the nation’s oldest and largest accrediting body in health care. It is the highest level of stroke certification awarded only to hospitals able to treat the most complex cases of stroke through detection, treatment and rehabilitation. Mercy was the first center in Oklahoma and one of only 15 in the nation to earn Advanced Certification when the two-year certification was established in 2012. Currently, there are less than 130 advanced comprehensive stroke centers in the United States.
In order to maintain certification, Mercy underwent a demanding application process and rigorous onsite review by Joint Commission experts. Eligibility standards include advanced imaging capabilities, 24/7 availability of specialized treatments and staff with the unique education and competencies. Mercy is currently home to the state’s largest group of neuroscience specialists in the southwestern United States, and the state’s largest number of neurohospitalists – physicians dedicated solely to providing neurological care for patients admitted into the hospital.

by Mike Lee, Staff Writer

The Veraden is a new senior living center in Edmond offering independent living, assisted living and memory care, said Anita Kelley, Veraden spokeswoman. Assisted living with memory care has a separate community.
Residents are offered opportunities to engage in healthy lifestyles through nutrition and socializing with their peers. Residents particularly like the cityscape area of The Veraden that is among hills and trees.
“We have an underground tornado shelter with a theatre, cafe and activity room with a fitness center and a certified trainer,” she said. The trainer leads exercises and demonstrates the proper use of equipment.
“We have fitness equipment accompanied by elliptical training, a treadmill and free weights,” Kelley said.
Amenities at The Veraden include a heated swimming pool and hot tub. The second floor has a high-purpose room designed for snacks and a happy hour. Billiards and poker are available.
“In the assisted living, they can use those areas as well. They also have two activity areas,” Kelley said. “But one thing that makes our assisted living unique is we even have two bedroom apartments. A lot of assisted livings don’t have that.”
Kelly said she loves that The Veraden hires according to what is needed for care.
“We don’t say we’ve got five residents so we need one person. If we have five residents with a lot of needs and a lot of care, they we’re going to hire more of a team.” “So our care associates help with bathing, dressing, and delivering medications. They are all certified nurse aides, certified med aides. Then we have an RN over the program and an LPN. So we’re covered Sunday through Saturday.”
Tonya Hodges serves as director of The Veraden. Hodges has been a licensed practical nurse for 10 years and began her career in senior communities.
“Once seniors are in your heart, you don’t go anywhere,” Hodges said. “It’s your calling. People have asked me over the years, ‘What is your dream job?’ This is my dream job.”
“I wake up every day looking forward to changing their lives.”
Enriching the lives of residents is the staff’s goal at The Veraden. In doing so, the residents change the lives of The Veraden staff for the better, Hodges said.
“I love that we’re taking care of history,” Hodges continued. “We have war veterans and folks who have made a difference in this community.”
A heart for caring is a hallmark of the care staff, Hodges said. That is a quality The Veraden looks for when hiring for senior care, she said.
The Veraden offers 142 apartments, but they already have a lot of residents. When coming to The Veraden, prospective residents have needs to be met.
Some of them have found it more difficult to cook for one person at home or to go pick up groceries. They may have begun skipping meals.
“So with nutrition they want activity. They know they’re sitting too much. They haven’t been getting up and moving enough,” Kelley said.
Some of the people looking for a retirement community realize they have been watching television more than they once did.
Socialization at The Veraden is helpful when having a friend to share a cup of coffee or attend a poetry class.
Kelley said she is impressed by the extra mile the care team has gone to please the residents.
“One lady loves spaghetti so we went and got spaghetti for her,” Kelley said. “They went for an assessment in a different community and found that her apartment, especially around her chair in her apartment was real dirty, so they cleaned the carpet for her around the chair so it would be more comfortable for her and she could move here.
“They just see things that we don’t always see and spot things. I really appreciate that about them.”
On a recent weekend when an ice storm was in the forecast, the care team spent the night at The Veraden to make sure people received their medicine. The director of memory care spent the entire weekend with residents.
“That’s really going above and beyond,” she said.
One of the residents told Kelly she had made a lot of promises before he moved to The Veraden.
“He said, ‘I just want you to know you have gone above and beyond my expectations,’” Kelley said. “I thought that was the best compliment. “Another lady said, ‘This is the best business decision I have ever made.’”
Hodges said if they can change the lives of one senior every day, success has been made.
“Memory care is my passion, and it’s changing the moments, not the days, of our memory care residents,” she said. “I feel that we do that here. Our program is top-notch.
“I just got off the phone with a family. She said, ‘You’ve exceeded everything I ever thought you would be doing for my sister.’ It’s just changing their lives and changing the lives of their families.”

On Tuesday, March 7, Oklahoma City’s Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble will present its fourth concert of the 2016-17 season, “Romanticism Revisited.” The ensemble will revisit chamber works by three of Romanticism’s greats: Carl Maria von Weber, a contemporary of Beethoven and one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school; Richard Strauss, himself heavily influenced by his idol, Johannes Brahms; and Sergei Rachmaninoff, a major composer of the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The concert features works spanning the Romantic era of the 19th century, from the trio by Weber to the works of Rachmaninoff and Strauss, both written toward the end of the century.
The evening starts with the Weber trio, a melodic and virtuosic work; continues with the one-movement trio by a 19-year-old Rachmaninoff, and concludes with the energetic quartet of Strauss.
The program includes:
Carl Maria von Weber, Trio in G Minor for Flute, Cello & Piano, Op. 63;, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Trio Élégiaque No. 1 in G Minor (for Violin, Cello & Piano); and Richard Strauss, Quartet in C Minor, Op. 13 (for Piano, Violin, Viola & Cello).
Six musicians will appear in this concert: Gregory Lee (violin), Mark Neumann (viola), Jonathan Ruck (cello), Parthena Owens (flute), Amy I-Lin Cheng (piano), and Ruirui Ouyang (piano).
The performance will take place at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, March 7 at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 127 NW 7th Street (at Robinson). Individual concert admission is $20 per ticket. Children, students and active-duty military personnel are admitted free with ID. In addition, anyone suffering financial hardship due to to a layoff in the energy sector may attend free of charge by stating that they are “a guest of the musicians.” More information about this concert is available on Brightmusic’s website at http://www.brightmusic.org.