About a year after COVID-19 arrived in the United States, vaccines and treatment innovations are providing light at the end of a long tunnel. OU Health has been a state and national leader in the rigorous research that has made such advances possible.
As an academic healthcare system, OU Health brings many resources to the battle against COVID-19, from laboratory research to clinical trials to public health tools like epidemiology and disease surveillance.
“None of the current vaccines or therapeutics would ever have come to fruition had it not been for scientists who understand the mechanisms of the disease or clinical trials that help us identify better ways to treat patients,” said Jennifer Holter-Chakrabarty, M.D., a hematologist-oncologist at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center and a campus leader in COVID-19 research.
“This pandemic has served as an example of how quickly you can respond to something like COVID-19 when you already have a model where scientists and physicians are working together,” she added. “Because OU Health has researchers and clinicians across many specialties, we are able to contribute to the discoveries that are being made.”
OU Health is maintaining a biorepository of samples from patients who have been treated for COVID-19, allowing researchers to access those samples as they conduct studies, including one that is testing the ability of a sugar-based molecule to suppress inflammation caused by the virus. Patient samples are also used to study the length and quality of immunity in people who have had COVID-19, compared with immunity provided by the vaccine.
In addition, OU Health is participating in two national registries of COVID-19 patients that allow researchers and clinicians to study treatments and outcomes over time, so they can better understand the virus on a national scale.
“Because this is a new virus never before seen in humans, we have pooled our resources throughout the United States to collect data and find themes,” Holter-Chakrabarty said. “This is not uncommon in medicine. It allows us to identify how certain patient populations are experiencing the virus, in ways that we may not have observed within our individual healthcare institutions.”
A related effort is Stephenson Cancer Center’s participation in a National Cancer Institute clinical trial on the effects of COVID-19 in people being treated for cancer. Of the 793 national locations for the trial, Stephenson Cancer Center is the top enroller of patients.
“When you are diagnosed with cancer, that’s frightening enough, but when you are diagnosed with COVID-19 in addition, we want to help you continue your cancer therapy, treat you for COVID-19, and look at the impact of both of them in this patient population,” Holter-Chakrabarty said. “In this trial, we are collecting data for two years from patients with cancer who’ve had COVID-19. This will allow us to look for themes that emerge on a national scale and determine how we address them.”
Stephenson Cancer Center has initiated a related trial for its own patients undergoing treatment for cancer. Trial participants receive an app on their phones that prompts them regularly to answer questions about any symptoms of COVID-19 they may have. If the app’s algorithm determines they need to be tested for COVID-19, a test will be scheduled. Patients who test positive receive oxygen and pulse monitors that will help their healthcare providers determine if they can stay at home or if they need to be treated at the hospital.
Other studies involve monitoring patients with COVID-19 for thrombotic complications, particularly deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and stroke. “Because some of these conditions have been associated with COVID-19, our public health researchers are following incidence rates of patients getting a clot in their arm or leg, a clot that moves to their lungs, or having a stroke,” Holter-Chakrabarty said. “Looking at surveillance data from various hospitals will allow us to see if any particular patient populations are more susceptible to these complications.”
Drawing on its wide range of research expertise, OU Health is also conducting studies on topics as varied as improving sterilization techniques for personal protective equipment (PPE); using artificial intelligence and bioinformatics to predict where future COVID-19 outbreaks will occur; and assessing the effect of social isolation during the pandemic on the rate of child maltreatment cases.
In addition, OU Health researchers are participating in the development of potential future vaccines. Because of its longtime relationship with pharmaceutical company Novavax, including ongoing research for vaccines against the Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Ebola Virus, the OU Health Sciences Center is playing a role in the company’s newly developed vaccine for COVID-19.
“We established biomedical research laboratory models to study the vaccine’s ability to produce an immune response,” said virologist James Papin, Ph.D., who is leading the study for the OU Health Sciences Center. “We’re contributing to the data that allowed Novavax to successfully move into Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials and, now, transition to Phase 3 trials. Hopefully, that vaccine will also receive Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration so that it can be added to current vaccination options, increasing the supply of vaccines and effectively increasing vaccination rates.”
OU Health’s researchers and clinicians are also championing the current vaccines on the market, as well as the importance of high vaccination rates in order to stem the rise of the pandemic. Both vaccines use Messenger RNA (mRNA) to prompt the body to build antibodies against COVID-19. Although the vaccines were developed in record-breaking time, the concept of mRNA has been well-studied and used for years in various treatments, including cancer.
“Some people are concerned about the fast track of the vaccines, but they were developed using platforms that have been studied for a long time,” Papin said. “That speaks to the importance of research – investigators had already done years of work showing that mRNA is safe and effective. That’s why the vaccines could be developed so quickly. But we also need to take what we’ve learned and stay diligent. Infectious diseases are one of the greatest threats to humankind. Hopefully, we will turn the corner soon on the current pandemic, but if it happens again, we will have the data and understanding to develop therapeutics even faster than we are doing today.”

The National Institutes of Health has awarded the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation $5.8 million to work toward easier diagnosis and better treatment options for Sjögren’s disease, an autoimmune condition.
In Sjögren’s, immune cells attack moisture-producing glands, causing painful dry eyes and mouth. It can result in irreversible tissue damage, neurological problems, lung disease and cancer. There is no known cure, and current treatments address only the symptoms.
OMRF scientists Joel Guthridge, Ph.D., Darise Farris, Ph.D., and Christopher Lessard, Ph.D., received a four-year grant through the Accelerating Medicines Partnership in Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Diseases Program (AMP AIM). The team’s goal is to develop less invasive clinical tools to diagnose patients more effectively and identify new targets for future treatments.
“This disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose,” said Lessard, who’s been studying Sjögren’s at OMRF since 2007. “It shares features with many autoimmune diseases and lacks effective diagnostic markers, which makes studying it challenging. This grant provides us with technology to analyze the salivary glands of people with Sjögren’s in a way that wasn’t possible previously.”
The researchers will use blood and biopsy tissue samples donated to OMRF by people with Sjögren’s to better understand different patient sub-groups’ genetic and molecular characteristics.
“This knowledge should help clinicians diagnose the disease more easily and determine who may benefit from different potential therapies,” Guthridge said.
Most studies of Sjögren’s have focused on patients who test positive for certain autoantibodies in the blood. However, a significant percentage of people with the disease test negative for those autoantibodies. In those cases, diagnosis requires an invasive biopsy of the salivary glands.
“Of the more than 600 people seen in our research clinic who met the criteria for Sjögren’s, about 40% tested negative for these autoantibodies,” said Farris, the Alvin Chang Chair of Biomedical Research at the OMRF. “This positions us to study the molecular issues unique to that particular Sjögren’s patient group.”
AMP AIM is a nationwide public-private partnership aimed at developing more effective treatments for autoimmune diseases. The partnership involves the NIH, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, nonprofit disease foundations, biopharmaceutical and life-science companies, and 52 research institutions. OMRF Executive Vice President & Chief Medical Officer Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., is chair of the more than $60 million program.
The AMP AIM Sjögren’s research is funded by grant No. 3UC2 AR081032-02S1 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, part of the NIH. Farris and Guthridge received support from the Oklahoma City-based Presbyterian Health Foundation for experiments preceding the NIH grant. Additional support came to Farris from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology and to Guthridge from the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research.

For more information about ongoing Sjögren’s research at OMRF, visit https://omrf.org/patient-studies/sjogrens-disease/sjogrens/.

story and photo by Darl DeVault, Contributing Editor

In early November, former Ms. Oklahoma Senior America Karen B. Tims spoke about her health experiences at the Oklahoma City campus of one of the dozen Baptist Village Communities in Oklahoma. During the well-attended monthly luncheon, she related her cautionary tale about cancer and heart attacks.
She also provided valuable insights on early detection, coping strategies, and the importance of community support in health recovery at the northwest Oklahoma City campus.
Resident Wanda Halbert, 78, spoke with Tims while they ate before her presentation. During her long career, Halbert played the piano in Southern Baptist churches, where her husband was the music director. A long-time Oklahoma City Baptist Village resident, she is proud to live in side-by-side apartments on one level with her mother, Marie Hopson, 104, at the facility.
Halbert often plays the piano for her fellow residents during choir practice, performances, and sometimes during noon dining. “God’s the blessing as we support one another among friends on this campus,” Halbert said.
Tims then addressed those assembled for their November Fellowship Meal.
She shared what she spoke about the most as her platform when she was the reigning Ms. Oklahoma Senior America 2023. She began with her experience with breast cancer, recommending not to have silicone implants because hers ruptured causing a tailspin in her mental health.
Tims explained how extremely depressed she became and instances when it affected those around her. She said she only regained a positive outlook on life after having reconstructive surgery using saline implants.
She went on to explain how this could cause generational harm when children see their mom’s changing personality.
The second half of her presentation emphasized her surprise at having a heart attack when she was in Washington, D.C. attending a national board meeting as a board member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
At age 52, she began experiencing chest pains and other symptoms during a meeting. Luckily, several in attendance made sure she got to the ER right away.
Tims explained how everyone should be mindful of the early symptoms of heart problems and be willing to go immediately to the ER to have themselves checked out. She related how she was present when her mother was having problems and Tims knew to get her to the hospital.
Halbert expressed her admiration for Tims’ candor after the speech. “Tims showed strength of character in sharing such personal details about her life,” Halbert said. “I was inspired by her desire to help others who might be going through something similar.”
Before the luncheon, Baptist Village Development Specialist Terry Dennis, who played a key role in organizing the event, gave Tims a tour of the 25-acre campus.
After speaking to a half-dozen attendees who wanted to talk with her briefly after her speech for a few minutes, Tims sat and talked at length with Dennis. They spoke about how, even today, she stays involved in her community to share the knowledge she has as a senior.
Dennis complimented Tims. “You spoke to all of us, not just the ladies because I am part of the cardiac club,” Dennis said. “Working as the chaplain and safety officer for first responders in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, I had a heart attack in 2018.”
Tims owns three businesses and lives in Arcadia, Okla. She grew up on a farm in southwest Oklahoma. She rides her horse as often as weather permits and owns ranchland, making her proud to be a cowgirl.
She owns Bankers Insurance Group, CB Farms and a residential rental property firm. Her volunteer work includes the Oklahoma City Rescue Mission, National Cowboy Western Heritage Museum, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Oklahoma Foster Care Review Board, Healthy Living Center and her church.
Baptist Village Communities, which offer varying stages of senior adult living and services, are open to all seniors regardless of their religious beliefs. Residents can continue to focus on the aspects of life that make them happy while getting the level of care they need at that time, and couples with differing needs can continue to stay together.

Fraudsters will never take a break. While you are out enjoying fun and sun this summer, they are working hard to find new ways to scam you. Seniors and younger people are particularly vulnerable to scammers who claim to represent Social Security. To protect you and your loved ones, you can:
* Visit our Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams webpage at https://www.ssa.gov/scam/ for information on what tactics scammers use and how to report them.
* Check out the Federal Trade Commission’s page at
https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams for additional scam-related information.
Here are some tips to follow when you identify a potential scammer:
* Hang up right away or ignore the message.
* Never give personal information or money.
* Report the scam immediately to our Office of the Inspector General at https://oig.ssa.gov/report/.
If you owe money to Social Security, we’ll mail you a letter with payment options and appeal rights. We only accept payments electronically through Pay.gov or Online Bill Pay, or physically by check or money order through our offices.
We will never do the following:
* Threaten you with arrest or legal action because you don’t agree to pay us money immediately.
* Promise a benefit increase in exchange for money.
* Ask you to send us gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, internet currency, cryptocurrency, or cash through the U.S. mail.
There are no vacations for fraudsters, so you need to stay informed of the latest Social Security-related scams. For more information, please visit our blog at https://blog.ssa.gov/. Please share these useful resources with your loved ones.

For 45 years, Danny Cavett has been a compassionate and supportive presence for hospital patients and their families, helping them navigate difficult circumstances and create meaning from situations that seemed to have none. This month, Cavett officially retires as Director of Pastoral Care for OU Health, where his work as a chaplain has touched an untold number of people.
“I’m going to miss being there every day, but I will stay connected,” Cavett said. “It’s been my life and has helped me feel fulfilled. I love having relationships with families.”
Cavett is retiring from a program that he has significantly strengthened. The pastoral care department now has a staff of eight chaplains and two administrative assistants, along with several other chaplains who fill in as needed. They cover OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health, and OU Health Edmond Medical Center. Cavett also directed OU Health’s nationally certified Clinical Pastoral Education Program, which has four full-time chaplain residents in training.
Their work is often demanding. Last year, there were 6,500 trauma cases at OU Health’s Level 1 Trauma Center; someone from Cavett’s team was present for each one, keeping families updated and comforted. They also respond to all heart attacks and strokes that occur within the hospital, as well as every death. They help families find funeral homes, facilitate autopsies with pathologists, obtain signatures for death certificates, and more. In addition, they aim to visit every new patient within 24 hours of admission.
“We do that to the tune of about 95%. I’m proud of that,” Cavett said. “We know that if a person receives a visit from pastoral care, even if it’s to say, ‘We’re here if you need us,’ then studies show that patient satisfaction goes up quite a bit.”
Although patients may receive visits from their own clergy, the work of a chaplain is a bit different, Cavett said. Chaplains talk about the patient’s medical problems, ask what kind of help they may need, and work with the patient to move toward goals or find meaning in what they’re experiencing. They do so by honoring the patient’s own ideas about spirituality. “Our calling is to work with the patient’s own background instead of me placing my spirituality on them,” Cavett said. “We want to take their story and help them grow with it.”
Cavett and his fellow chaplains have faced additional challenges during the time of COVID-19. When the surge of cases has been at its highest, no family members could come into the hospital; instead, Cavett and his team would go find the patient’s family in their car to deliver news. If a patient was near death, one or two family members could go to the bedside.
“Danny’s dedication to our health system and the patients we serve has been invaluable,” said Jon Hayes, President of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health. “He has been a kind and comforting presence for our patients as well as our healthcare providers and staff. As we have faced tremendous challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, Danny’s wisdom and compassion have never been more important. It is hard to imagine OU Health without Danny, but he has made us all better at what we do because of the example he has set.”
Since he began his career, Cavett has experienced substantial change in the medical profession and the evolution of hospital facilities. He began working as a chaplain in 1977 at Oklahoma Children’s Memorial Hospital, which was then located in Bielstein Center near the intersection of 13th Street and Stonewall Avenue. Soon, the hospital expanded with the construction of Garrison Tower, which now connects to the original Bielstein building.
When he started, the hospital had room for about 50 children who were in wards instead of private rooms. Cavett saw each patient or family three times a day, and quickly became known at the hospital. Unfortunately, he also conducted many funerals for children who could not be cured by medical treatments available at the time. As medicine advanced, life expectancy lengthened, and Cavett noticed a related phenomenon among young patients.
“It was wonderful that children began living longer, but we were still treating kids like they were going to die,” he said. “Everything was centered around them, and that gave some kids a victim mentality. I decided that we needed to start a camp to teach kids how to cope with their illnesses — to be a thriver and embrace their story.”
That was the genesis of Cavett Kids, a calling that has run in parallel to Cavett’s career as a chaplain. The first camp he organized was for children with kidney disease; it’s still going strong 44 years later. In 1997, Cavett Kids Foundation became a nonprofit organization, and today it offers seven camps and numerous other programs free of charge for children with chronic and life-threatening illness.
“I remember that first year, we connected all the kids because they didn’t know each other,” he said. “I still do all the teaching at the camps about not being a victim. Our motto is that the illness does not define the child. They get to have fun with other kids who have the same medical condition, and they learn what it means to be a thriver.”
Cavett’s career also has been shaped by communal tragedies. In 1995, when a bomb exploded at the Alfred P. Murrah Building in downtown Oklahoma City, he had just walked into Children’s Hospital. He never went to the bombing site because the need was so great at the hospital.
“We set up a place for the parents who were waiting to hear about their kids (who were in a daycare in the building), and we went into the ER and tried to match kids with their parents,” Cavett said. “By noon that day, it was pretty clear that there would not be many more children who survived. The parents kept coming back to me asking if there was any news. And there wasn’t. That still really haunts me. It’s a memory I have to deal with.”
In the aftermath of the bombing, Cavett helped start a support group for families who lost children. He also helped colleagues in psychiatry conduct research on the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among survivors. Because of his experience with that tragedy, he was called upon to help after planes hit the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001. He was assigned to the New York City Fire Department’s medical clinic, where he talked with each firefighter who came in, listened to their experiences, and recommended mental health services if needed. He also traveled to individual fire departments to further visit with firefighters who were working at the site.
Throughout his career, Cavett has given his expertise to two other important entities in the healthcare profession: the Medical Ethics Committee at OU Health and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the OU Health Sciences Center. Medical Ethics Committee members are on call to provide consultations anytime a healthcare provider, patient or family member has a concern about a treatment regimen. They thoroughly look at each case and make recommendations to physicians overseeing care. As an IRB member, Cavett is part of the group that reviews and monitors research involving human participants. He plans to continue serving on the oncology IRB in his retirement.
Although he is ready to step back from many of his duties, Cavett said he will stay connected to OU Health through committee work and filling in as a chaplain when needed. His decades of experience will no doubt continue influencing others as well.
“I try to teach people about how to handle the stories we see and hear because compassion fatigue, burnout and moral distress are very real,” he said. “Some stories are very dear, so I keep them in my emotional bag around my shoulders. But if I keep every story in that bag, it becomes too heavy to carry. Some stories I have learned to put on a shelf where I can retrieve them if I need to.
“During my career, I’ve seen a progression of myself becoming less stoic and more willing to show my feelings. I still remember a young girl at one of my early camps who loved to play golf. She got to play golf during the camp, and the next week she died. That’s very dear to my heart. The tears come a lot quicker now. I used to hide them, but now I don’t.”

Story and photos by Darl DeVault,
contributing editor

Lyndale Edmond Senior Living Sales and Marketing Director Amber Compton welcomed 58 Senior Business Solution (SBS) colleagues to their networking luncheon on July 20 at Lyndale Edmond. Emphasizing how shifting demographics and reshaping complexes built for older Americans address a variety of rates and services, she explained they have recently added another nurse to the one already available in their assisted living option.
She explained that Lyndale features nine cottages on their remodeled senior living property as well as 115 independent living and 48 assisted living apartments for a total now of 173 units.
Lyndale is setting up a caregiver support group where attendees meet for lunch monthly beginning in the Fall. Topics will vary monthly and cover various issues and challenges caregivers face. Guest speakers will provide insight and resources available in the area. The support group will be held in the Lyndale Clubhouse on the second Thursday of each month at noon beginning in September. Seating is limited, so RSVP is required at 405-340-5311.
The hosts shared their premium meeting space, their clubhouse adjacent to their pool, for the monthly gathering of senior healthcare marketers and senior-focused company workers.
Regional Director of Sales & Marketing Cameron Gruenberg was on hand to observe from his office in Tulsa.
“Lyndale Edmond is a beautiful senior living community offering independent and assisted living with a resident-first philosophy, caring associates, great lifestyle programs and delicious meals,” Compton said after the luncheon. “By hosting this event, we showcase to attendees what life is like at Lyndale Edmond.”
The networking group was treated to one of the host’s amenities when Lyndale Culinary Director Bryan Newton offered a well-received lunch of chicken piccata, parmesan mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.
The luncheon continued with each invitee giving a few minutes of background on their employer and how they saw their role in helping seniors with their needs in the community. A few people outlined special events their venues were planning in the near future, inviting others to attend.
Vicki Escajeda solicited more raffle prizes and interaction to support the booths available at the upcoming Senior Day on September 20 at the Oklahoma State Fair. She also talked about how independent living, assisted living, and long-term care communities could submit a one-minute video by August 20 of their residents “In Motion.” The entries will be judged, and the top 10 will be shown at the Fair, where the public will select the winner.
Joe Forrest with Re/Max FIRST gave his customary real estate market update explaining that home prices are up five percent in the market for those seniors seeking to sell their homes to move to senior centers. Forrest has worked in home healthcare services, independent and assisted living, rehabilitation, and as a Realtor for the past 20 years.
The guests were reminded of the Oklahoma Assisted Living Association Annual Trade Show as the association celebrates its 26th anniversary on August 22-24 at the Embassy Suites in Oklahoma City.
The meeting was a more personalized version of a monthly networking newsletter with information, announcements, and networking within the retirement industry.
Erin Stevens outlined that “The Edmond Way” is offering local hometown journalism to Edmond as it publishes online as a free weekly newsletter now and seeks to start printing editions in the Fall. Readers can find the publication at The Edmond Way.
Several speakers highlighted how to get involved in Oklahoma’s many Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s, with the main ones being September 16 in Tulsa and October 28 in OKC.
Some providers reported real-time availability for their care and housing options, home care, and hospice providers.
Later, Compton explained that the spacious, fully-featured clubhouse the meeting was in is available to clients for special events and for rent to outside groups. She offered the facility or to co-host any of the three upcoming SBS events in August, October and December that have yet to be planned.
The guests were also reminded that Lyndale hosts a monthly “Happy Hour” late afternoon for further networking. The event features the use of the pool, weather permitting, with food, drinks, and networking.
Conversations before and after the more formal portion allowed attendees to stay connected with their senior industry peers while building possible referral networks.
Sagora Senior Living operates the Lyndale property. Oklahoma is home to five more of their communities: Aberdeen Heights, Aberdeen Memory Care of Tulsa, Bellarose, Elison Independent Living of Statesman Club, and The Veraden. Sagora is one of America’s top 50 privately-owned senior housing operators with communities throughout Texas, Alabama, Florida, California, Illinois, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, West Virginia, Mississippi and Nebraska.

For more information about Lyndale Edmond Senior Living https://www.lyndaleedmond.com/.

Mark Cope, Community Relations for Nerve Renewal gave an interesting and understandable explanation of neuropathy and the unique Nerve Renewal protocol.

“Neuropathy is a tingling, numbness or pain in your hands and feet, basically your peripheral nervous system, it is everything that is not your brain or spinal cord,” he began.

“Our treatment is unique in that it is drug free. We aren’t adding any medicines to the medicine cabinet. It’s non-invasive, non-surgical and it’s covered by insurance. Medicare, Medicaid, VA and most private insurances will pay for our treatment. Mainly because what they really like to see is fall prevention. So they are willing to do some kind of preventative treatment,” he continued.

Jamie Crowe, Membership Director for South OKC Chamber, asked “How do you actually treat this without surgical or invasive procedures?”

“Our specialized equipment modulates the nerves on a deeper level. The muscles don’t contract with our therapy. We are going right to the nerves themselves. So we are able to depolarize the nerve cells – we turn the nerve signal off completely while they are in therapy,” Cope replied.

“At the same time we are injecting a vitamin solution at the area of the neuropathy. So that is a dual benefit. You have the pain signal being shut off and at the same time the nerve cell is allowing nutrients in from the blood stream. So it’s really creating conditions for nerve cells to improve functionality,” he continued.

“We are naturally helping the body into a state that is reducing the nerve signaling from whatever disorder has caused the pain.”

How many treatments do you typically go through if you were to need your services?” Crowe asked.

“Most get prescribe 24 treatments, coming in twice a week for 30 minutes. So the biggest commitment on a patient’s side is time. But about half way through the treatment they are feeling so much better that the time is no longer a factor,” Cope concluded.

Call today to schedule an evaluation:

OKC – South

9821 S May Ave.

(405) 655-5856