Mark Rolfe, M.D. Lung Transplant and Critical Care Pulmonologist at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center.
Mark Rolfe, M.D., is a Lung Transplant and Critical Care Pulmonologist at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center. He says we are starting to see an increase in COVID-19 cases requiring hospitalization. Many of those end up in the intensive care unit, where he works.
“The first time I walked into the room of a patient known to have COVID-19, I paused at the door,” admits Rolfe. “I was a little frightened at facing this disease for the first time.”
It was the first case to be diagnosed at INTEGRIS Baptist, and Rolfe reveals it brought back memories from early on in his career. “I grew up in medicine at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic and remember the hysteria around that diagnosis and all the precautions people took to not catch it. We initially wore hazmat suits with those patients and put them in different wings of the hospital.”
He continues, “It feels like I am living those days from my medical school years all over again. This disease, unlike HIV, is very contagious though. A person can spend five to six minutes with someone who is infected and catch this disease.”
In Rolfe’s ICU, every patient there either has the virus or is considered high risk. But despite the apparent danger associated with COVID-19, Rolfe feels his unit is very safe. “We have developed protocols that protect us, and everyone is very careful,” he says. “I feel I am more likely to get this disease shopping at the grocery store than in my hospital or ICU.”
He further explains, “In the public, there are unknown asymptomatic carriers who are very contagious and just don’t know it. In the hospital, I know where the danger is, and I am prepared to deal with it safely.”
Rolfe understands the importance of his work. “We are doctors. We are supposed to take care of the ill to the best of our ability. It is a challenge, but it is also a calling. God gave us these gifts for a reason. It’s time to step into the breach and use them.”
But don’t call him a hero, he says that honor is reserved for America’s finest. “Doctors are not heroes. We are doing what we were trained to do. Generations of physicians have fought off diseases throughout the years. It is our legacy. It is why we are respected in this society. The efforts to fight this disease and help people through it is the price of that respect,” states Rolfe.
“The people who put on a uniform and protect our country are the heroes.
Masks, gloves and hand washing will stop a virus. Nothing stops a bullet, a missile, a grenade, or a knife. The police and military are our heroes.”
However, Rolfe does acknowledge that the novel coronavirus has completely altered life as we knew it. He says each one of us has the power to reclaim it, we just have to work together to do so. “It’s all been said before, but it is worth repeating – wash your hands, don’t touch your face, avoid crowds and stay home to stay safe. Do what you can now, so you don’t become one of my patients later.”
The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is proud to host its annual quilt show during the entire month of October. The exhibit is open during normal hours of operation and there is no charge to see the special exhibit. The beautiful works of art on display include both heirloom quilts and modern quilts. The Cimarron Valley Quilt Guild and Pawnee Bill Quilt Guild members are instrumental in putting together this yearly event.
The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is located at 1141 Pawnee Bill Road in Pawnee. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday and Monday 1 to 4 p.m. For more information about the quilt show or other programs, please call 918-762-2513 or email pawneebill@okhistory.org.
The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. 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.
Sharon Gless, left, as Detective Christine Cagney, with on-screen partner Tyne Daly as Detective Mary Beth Lacey – CBS publicity photo.
Cover of her memoir by Sharon Gless, Apparently There Were Complaints – provided by publicist.
By Nick Thomas
Not even a youthful warning from her grandfather, a powerful entertainment attorney during the Golden Age of film, could prevent Sharon Gless from attempting the journey to Hollywood.
Neil S. McCarthy, who counted Cecil B. DeMille, Katharine Hepburn, and Lana Turner among his clients, cautioned his young granddaughter that the movie industry could be a “filthy business.” Aided by loyal friends and associates, however, as well as possessing a fierce determination to succeed, Sharon beat the odds to find stardom as recounted in her December autobiography “Apparently There Were Complaints” (see www.sharongless.com).
Appearing in just a half-dozen feature films, Gless focused her career on television. Since 1970, she guest-starred in numerous TV movies and series and received wide acclaim for starring roles in several popular shows including the 80s CBS crime drama “Cagney & Lacey.”
“It changed the history of television for women,” said Gless from her home on private Fisher Island, a short ferry ride from the coast of Miami. Gless portrayed New York detective Christine Cagney alongside Tyne Daly (detective Mary Beth Lacey). The tough but flawed duo regularly dealt with serious social issues.
During the show’s run, Gless and Daly dominated the Emmy season, winning for Best Lead Actress in a Drama each year (four for Daly and two for Gless). Of her co-star of six years, Gless has only praise.
“You might think we’d be competitive on the set, but not at all,” she said of Daly. “When you’re working, any sort of competitiveness is good for no one. She was a real pro and we were totally there for each other throughout the series. Since COVID, we talk on the phone almost every day.”
Gless credits others for guiding her journey including Monique James, head of the talent department at Universal Studios where Gless was under a seven-year contract. “She was so tough I always felt she would protect me, and she did. When I left the studio, she came with me as my manager for many years.”
Barney Rosenzweig was the executive producer of “Cagney & Lacey” and with whom Gless began an affair towards the end of the show’s run. Despite their on-and-off-again personal relationship, Rozenzweig remained a loyal supporter of Gless’s career. The couple would eventually marry and remain together today. “We have an interesting history together that’s outlined in the book, but love and respect each other enormously.”
Gless followed the hit crime show with other successful series such as “The Trials of Rosie O’Neill,” “Queer as Folk,” and “Burn Notice,” receiving multiple award nominations or wins including a Golden Globe for Rosie O’Neill. And although she stumbled along the way (leading to the title of her book) with alcohol problems, weight issues, recurring pancreatitis, and complicated relationships, she never found Hollywood to be the “filthy business” her grandfather labeled it.
“It hasn’t always been an easy road, but I made my own way helped by people who believed in me,” she says. “Television is an amazing medium and I’ve been fortunate to be part of it.” Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, in Alabama, and has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers. See www.tinseltowntalks.com.
Oklahoma City VA Center nurse Jillene Sroczynski in February will receive the American Legion National VA Health Care Provider Award. Last week, Sroczynski was honored at Mustang Post 353, where she is a member, in anticipation of that Washington, D.C. award ceremony.
story and photo by Traci Chapman, Staff Writer
Mustang American Legion Post 353 Commander Paul Ray reads a proclamation issued by Oklahoma State Rep. Leslie Osborn (R-Mustang) and Sen. Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle), as Jillene Sroczynski and Department of Oklahoma Commander John Bloxom look on.
Jillene Sroczynski’s life and career have always been one of service, something perhaps best illustrated by her dedication and skill as a nurse at Oklahoma City Veteran’s Administration Health Care System. It is dedication recognized far beyond her supervisors and peers, as the American Legion recently named Sroczynski 2017 National VA Health Care Provider Award.
It was something particularly special to Sroczynski, she said, because she knows what the veterans she treats face – as a former U.S. Air Force pilot, she’s been there.
“It’s especially important to me to remember where I’ve been and what my experiences were in the Air Force and how everyone we treat has been in the same position – many much more with intense, painful and emotionally challenging memories and issues,” Sroczynski said. “It means the world that I can be there for them and help them through what they’re facing.”
A member of Mustang American Legion Post 353, Sroczynski always knew about military life – her father, John Knutson, served in the Vietnam War; he was the one who encouraged her to join the local American Legion post. Her father, in fact, is on her mind most frequently because many of the veterans she treats each day also served in Vietnam, she said.
“Those veterans were different because of the climate in the country when they came home and really for a long time after,” Sroczynski said. “I want to make sure I always give them the respect they deserve, try to be there to support them and show them the gratitude for their service.”
It was, in fact, a Vietnam veteran who put the wheels in motion for Sroczynski’s national honor. Post 353 Commander Paul Ray approached the VA nurse and told her he wanted to throw her name in the hat – something she thought would just end there.
“There are so many accomplished and amazing people working throughout the country for the Veteran’s Administration – I just never expected it to go any further,” Sroczynski said. “When Paul told me about it, I just didn’t think it was for real for the longest time.”
It was indeed real, as last week Department of Oklahoma Commander John Bloxom traveled to Post 353’s monthly meeting to jointly with Ray present Sroczynski with a legislative proclamation signed by Rep. Leslie Osborn (R-Mustang) and Sen. Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle). Sroczynski and Bloxom will in February travel to Washington, D.C., where she will receive the national award.
The honors were a big deal for a little girl who grew up in Montana, graduating in 1992 from Montana State University with a computer science degree. During college, Sroczynski took part in ROTC; after graduation, she went into the U.S. Air Force, where she flew KC-135 Stratotankers.
“It was the best thing, I absolutely loved every single minute of it,” she said.
But, things changed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Sroczynski’s husband, Andrew, served in the Air National Guard, and the couple knew things would change – the country was headed to war.
“We knew it was time for me to get out, that it was just smart with a small child,” Sroczynski said. “So, my life really changed as I decided to stay home as our family grew.”
The couple would have three children – Megan, Gunnar and Julia – and Sroczynski spent the next decade as a stay-at-home mom. When her youngest daughter, Julia, began preschool, Sroczynski decided it was time to go back to work.
Her new career would be nursing, she decided.
It was not necessarily a completely new thought. In the years since Sroczynski retired from the Air Force, the family experienced a tragedy, and it was a nurse who helped her at one of the lowest times of her life, she said.
“This nurse was the kindest, the most understanding person, and the person that I needed at that time,” Sroczynski said. “I knew that I wanted to work again, and I missed the camaraderie of the military – and I saw that was something very strong in the nursing field, so I knew where I was meant to be.”
Sroczynski knew the first step was education. She enrolled in Oklahoma City Community College’s nursing school, before completing her training at Oklahoma City University’s Kramer School of Nursing. Both were experiences she said she would always cherish.
“I loved both OCCC and Kramer, and particularly as I moved through the program at Kramer, they really taught not just the technical aspects of nursing, but also the caring part of nursing,” Sroczynski said. “I loved that.” With her degree in hand, Sroczynski was as certain about where she wanted to be a nurse as she had been that nursing was what she was meant to do. She applied to Oklahoma City’s VA Medical Center – and waited.
“I tried for three or four months to get a job at the VA Center, and I was starting to worry that I might have to go somewhere else first and then come back and apply again at the VA, when I was so lucky – there was an opening,” Sroczynski said. “They needed someone in the intensive care unit, and I was basically offered the job right then.”
From the start, Sroczynski knew her instincts were correct. While the ICU was amazingly busy, the pace fast and at times beyond stressful, Sroczynski said she loved her job – and the people, both patients and the co-workers who worked side-by-side to help veterans when they needed that help the most. “They are amazing people, the staff that works there,” she said. “It’s kind of a calling to work at the VA Center, it’s certainly not easy, but it’s so, so fulfilling.”
Sroczynski worked in the ICU, one of three intensive care units in the sprawling Oklahoma Center Veteran’s Center facility, for about three years. She then moved to the intervention radiology department – and found she could love her job even more, beyond anything she’d ever dreamed possible.
“The other staff members, the patients, just working at the VA Center – it’s a fun job, a fulfilling job, and I wouldn’t change any of it,” Sroczynski said.
“I loved what I did before changing over to this department, but this is so, so far beyond that.”
Sroczynski is one of three nurses who, along with two doctors and three radiology technicians, comprise the intervention radiology department. It’s a job with long hours and more than it’s share of challenges, but something she said she would never change.
“Being a nurse is harder than flying airplanes – emotionally, physically, it’s a coordinated chaos when you’re trying to save somebody,” Sroczynski said. “It’s more than I expected it to be, but it’s so rewarding.
“To be given an award for doing what I love, where I love to do it, is beyond anything I could have believed,” she said.
Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in adults in the U.S., affecting more than 54 million people with more than 100 distinct types of the disease.
To make matters worse, there are no approved treatments for the most common form of arthritis—osteoarthritis. It stems from the loss of cartilage between bones and joints and will affect more than half of all Americans over the age of 65.
Understandably, this has led to much concern about the future of arthritis treatment.
“We all want to live long enough that we eventually have some wear-and-tear form of arthritis,” said Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Vice President of Clinical Affairs Judith James, M.D., Ph.D. “But we don’t want any disability or limitations from it that tend to occur as we age. What we need is a disease-modifying drug.”
James, a rheumatologist and internationally recognized expert on arthritis, said that advancements in treating other forms of arthritis offer hope for similar developments in osteoarthritis.
“In the past decade, we have seen big changes in treatment for several types of arthritis, including the introduction of drugs and interventions for less-common forms like rheumatoid arthritis,” said James.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic illness mainly characterized by inflammation in the lining of the joints, and it affects more than 1.3 million adults in the U.S. James currently serves as principal investigator on a clinical trial called StopRA, a prevention study for the disease.
“We are testing people who are at high risk of developing RA. Our goal is to get them on treatments that may help prevent the disease from ever occurring,” she said. If you are interested in participating or finding out more about the study, please call 405-271-7745 or email jackie-keyser@omrf.org.
The National Institutes of Health invests more than $500 million annually toward understanding and treating various forms of arthritis. Some of that work is happening at OMRF, including research by scientist Tim Griffin, Ph.D., who studies the effects of obesity on the development of osteoarthritis.
“Much of what we initially learned about osteoarthritis came from studying end-stage diseased tissues when people had their joints replaced,” said Griffin.
However, technological advances in imaging and biomarkers have allowed scientists to study earlier stages of disease. Griffin says that this has given new hope for a cure.
“We now think of early-stage OA as resulting from a family of different conditions, such as obesity, trauma, or aging,” he said. “Treatments that target the specific cause of osteoarthritis at the early stages may delay or even prevent disease.”
Multiple studies have shown that a diet avoiding inflammatory foods like saturated fats and refined carbohydrates can help protect you. Griffin’s lab recently found that diets high in saturated fats increased the risk of joint inflammation in mice—even before cartilage loss began.
“We are working on this disease in earnest and continue to understand more and more about it,” said James. “I am increasingly hopeful that we will see a treatment for osteoarthritis in our lifetime.”
But while we await the first osteoarthritis drug, what can we do in the meantime?
“‘Move as much as you can,” said James. “The more you sit, the stiffer and more painful your joints become. Other keys are to maintain a reasonable body weight and participate in joint-safe exercises like swimming or using an elliptical machine.”
Dec 7/ Thursday/ Okla. City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 951-2277/ Varacchi
Integris 3rd Age Life Center – 5100 N. Brookline, Suite 100
Dec 8/ Friday/ Okla. City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 951-2277/ Edwards
S.W. Medical Center – 4200 S. Douglas, Suite B-10
Dec 16/ Saturday/ Midwest City/ 9 am – 2 pm/ 473-8239/ Williams
First Christian Church – 11950 E. Reno Ave.
Jan 4/ Thursday/ Okla. City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 951-2277/ Varacchi
Integris 3rd Age Life Center – 5100 N. Brookline, Suite 100
Jan 8/ Monday/ Midwest City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 473-9239/ Williams
First Christian Church – 11950 E. Reno Ave.
Jan 9/ Tuesday/ Yukon/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 350-7680/ Kruck
Dale Robertson Center – 1200 Lakeshore Dr.
Jan 9/ Tuesday/ Midwest City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 691-4091/ Palinsky
Rose State Conventional Learning Center – 6191 Tinker Diagonal
Jan 10/ Wednesday/ Mustang/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 376-3411/ Kruck
Mustang Senior Center – 1201 N. Mustang Rd.
Jan 12/ Friday/ Okla. City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 951-2277/ Edwards
S.W. Medical Center – 4200 S. Douglas, Suite B-10
Jan 23/ Tuesday/ Okla. City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 773-6910/ Kruck
Healthy Living – 11501 N. Rockwell
The prices for the classes are: $15 for AARP members and $20 for Non-AARP. Call John Palinsky, zone coordinator for the Oklahoma City area at 405-691-4091 or send mail to: johnpalinsky@sbcglobal.net
Steve Sibley is a native Oklahoman and Native American. He is also a retired, disabled veteran of both the Air Force and Army, and holds an MBA in Healthcare Administration.
By Steven Sibley, Medicare Broker
Whether it’s annual enrollment in the fall, open enrollment during the first three months of the year or you’re turning 65, when it’s time to decide about your Medicare plan, where will you go for advice? Joe Namath, Jimmy Walker, or William Shatner? Well, if you’re boldly taking this journey where you’ve never gone before, you may think Captain Kirk would be the right choice. You can also try online at Medicare.gov. But do you really trust that a website can clearly guide you through all your options and answer all your questions? What about an 800 number, where you can speak to someone you don’t know, who doesn’t know you, or who you’ll likely never speak to again? Do any of these seem like great options that will lead to a great decision about your healthcare plan? Also ask yourself, will they be there to support you after your decision?
The truth is your best decision is to develop an ongoing relationship with a Medicare plan agent. First, you’ll want to know if the agent is captive, representing just one company or if they’re a broker, representing numerous companies and options on your behalf. Medicare Plan agents are licensed life and health agents who are required to complete specialized Medicare plan training every year, including certifications from each Medicare plan provider they’re appointed with. They are knowledgeable in all types of Medicare options, including Original Medicare Parts A & B, Medicare Part C Advantage Plans, Part D drug plans and supplements. They can explain how Medicare Savings Plans work for lower income clients and how Medicare Plans and Medicaid work together to provide even more benefits for those who qualify. They can also help veterans understand how Medicare Plans can enhance their VA and Tricare for Life benefits, giving them even more benefits, wellness options and even get their Part B premium reduced.
We’ve found that many people without an agent are unsure of how all the parts of their plan work, how to access all their benefits, or if there is a more affordable plan that will meet their health and wellness needs. If you don’t have an agent, perhaps because you used a website or an 800 number to enroll in a plan, you are not alone, and we can help. At Sibley Insures we’ll guide you through your healthcare plan options and benefits. We’ll show you how to access all the benefits to help meet your health and wellness needs.
We are located here in Oklahoma and our staff is uniquely qualified to serve seniors and retirees in the health insurance industry. We are fully licensed, trained, and appointed with the most recognized Medicare plans in Ok, TX, KS, NM, & AZ. Our staff’s education and experience include a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Studies with an emphasis in gerontology, including 25 years as a hands-on healthcare provider and another holds an MBA with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration, along with 20 years in the Financial Services industry. We believe in one-on-one, ongoing relationships with our clients, plus we’re always available to advise and advocate for them and even those who are not our clients but request our help. If you have questions about your current or new Medicare plan, or know someone turning 65 this year, reach out to us at 405-850-1569. Plus, see our ad below.
Award to be Presented at Oklahoma Kids Count Conference
Nominations are now open for the 2016 Laura Choate Resilience Award.
The Laura Choate Resilience Award will be presented in November at the 2016 Oklahoma Kids Count Conference, sponsored by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) and Sunbeam Family Services.
The award was created to celebrate individuals who have been significantly impacted by adverse childhood experiences but have overcome obstacles, made a lasting contribution to the lives of young people, exhibit bravery and demonstrate dedication to fostering resilience in youth by exhibiting the characteristics of the “7 Cs of Resilience:” competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping and control.
This award is named for Laura Choate who has served as a lifelong advocate for Oklahoma children and was the first recipient of the Resilience Award. Choate has worked with the OICA to reform the state’s child welfare and juvenile justice system to better serve and protect Oklahoma children. As a youth, Choate served as a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit that resulted in dramatic changes to Oklahoma’s juvenile justice system and was used as a model by many other states to establish higher standards.
Last year’s Resilience Award was presented to Treba Shyers, an advocate for children in the foster care system who serves as adjudication and post adjudication review board coordinator for the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau.
Nominations are due July 29 at 5 p.m. and can be made online at http://oica.org/laura-choate-resilience-award/.
The Oklahoma Kids Count Conference is the state’s premier event providing training to improve the lives of Oklahoma children and discuss issues impacting children in the state. Topics for discussion at this year’s conference include: foster parent training, early childhood development, mental health, substance abuse, family preservation and poverty. The conference will be hosted November 2-3 at the University of Central Oklahoma.
As a freelance photographer for 40 years, Richard T. Clifton’s work has primarily told an Oklahoma story of every level of fame and iconic coverage of its events and people. Photo by Madelyn Amacher, Bedford Camera & Video.
Story and photos by Darl Devault, Feature Writer
Sports photographer Richard T. Clifton, 65, has become a generational legend for his prolific body of work in Oklahoma City since first chronicling future Olympic gold medalist Shannon Miller’s gymnastic performance at the 1989 Olympic Festival. His latest website, created in 2010, features 1.9 million photos from his efforts.
These photos emphasize high school sports and other events around the state, and the nearly two million photos is not a misprint. You can find the photo count and these images at his online site: https://rtcdigitalimages.zenfolio.com
If it has been of public interest in the Oklahoma City area from 1980 onward, chances are Clifton photographed it. In 1980 he started shooting for the Chickasha Daily Express newspaper covering high school sports and the University of Oklahoma. He was the only photographer covering women’s basketball, volleyball, and men’s and women’s gymnastics for OU for many years.
In thousands of pictures, he captured the moment of almost anything that was an annual event in Oklahoma City, including a surprising array of one-time events in the evenings and weekends. He compiled his prodigious record all the while teaching physical education for 29 years at Lincoln Elementary School in Chickasha. He retired from teaching in 2008.
To become a legend like Clifton, photographers must start at a higher level than most and persistently expand their market and expertise. He has excelled as a photographer with varying images: sports events, retirements, dating, portraiture, commercial applications, media use, weddings, graduations, family events, fashion, parties, engagements, religious ceremonies, teams, and office settings.
A devout Christian, he now takes photos of the children of some of his photography subjects of three decades ago. Looking back through decades of experience, he fondly remembers his early years gaining acceptance as a photographer.
“As a volunteer photographer for the 1989 Olympic Festival here in Oklahoma City, we were assigned certain events to cover and told not to deviate from that schedule,” Clifton said in a recent interview. “After turning in my first rolls of film, the organizers could determine the quality of my work. Suddenly they gave me many rolls of film, upgraded my credential to all-access, and told me I could photograph any event I wanted to shoot.”
Encouraged by his early successes, he took on photographic challenges at a higher level. He was soon the chief photographer for the two Olympic coaches, Steve Nunno and Peggy Liddick, who trained Shannon Miller at Dynamo Gymnastics.
Because area news outlets have published his work as a photojournalist over the years, his images have been interwoven into the fabric of the state. He has shot the professional sports of baseball, bowling, basketball, football, tennis and golf in Oklahoma. He has donated a sizable part of his time to help local nonprofits document special events at several points in his career, often creating their most prized images.
His striving to get the best photograph has had immediate and long-lasting benefits for several nonprofits over the decades. These groups include the Oklahoma Sports Museum, Sooner State Games (now State Games of Oklahoma), and the now-defunct Oklahoma City All Sports Association from 2003 to 2018.
He has worked for national sports governing bodies such as the Big 12 conference while covering Division I softball, baseball and basketball, including the Women’s College World Series and NAIA Women’s National Golf Tournament. He has shot for the Oklahoma Soccer Coaches Association and served as the OSSAA podium photographer for state wrestling tournaments.
Clifton is one of the most easily recognized photographers in the metro area, where he and his sports action shots are well known. He has achieved an unparalleled level of consistency, adept at taking action shots during high school and college games over three decades.
Clifton’s photos in high-pressure situations during the Women’s College World Series have been featured in their programs and website and in the only definitive book written about the event. “Clifton’s photos are highlights in my narrative of this great event,” said Larry Floyd, co-author of “A Series of Their Own.” “His capturing some of the great moments in women’s collegiate softball has been duplicated for other sports over decades. Only his love for and dedication to his craft could produce such a body of quality work.”
His photos can be found on the pages of many other books. He says he is proudest of his image of former world No. 1 tennis star Monica Seles for her book.
Clifton has developed a following of other photographers who look to his expertise in finding where the most compelling action shots can be taken at sports venues. Local photographers also learn of the essential tools of their trade by observing Clifton’s expensive cameras and special lenses.
His early black and white prints, color slides, and negatives since 1989 showcase late 20th century Oklahoma City life. His eight years shooting Dynamo Gymnastics’ 1992 and 1996 Olympians and Olympic coaches Steve Nunno and Peggy Liddick provide an invaluable record of that historical period. He documented the Warren Spahn Award for decades while donating his time to the Oklahoma Sports Museum in Guthrie.
Outside the sports world, Clifton created iconic photos of many local, national and international celebrities, such as Dr. Nazih Zuhdi’s retirement in 1989. His pictures tell an easily understood story in various settings, making him one of the best portrait photographers available.
Clifton has shot weddings in almost every area venue. He ensures the wedding party, decor, dress, flowers, and cake are treated in skillful shooting, with professional studio lighting and thoughtful composition.
Learning his trade with film in the 1980s, Clifton’s photography equipment evolved into digital as he learned image-enhancing software such as Adobe’s Photoshop to enhance his work. This may explain why his website is approaching two million photos while he works independently as one of the market’s most respected freelancers.
Clifton has built his reputation with a blend of artistry, computer enhancement skills, and business professionalism. “My interest in photography was sparked during the photography portion of journalism class my senior year at Lawton Eisenhower high school in 1974,” Clifton said. “Just two years ago, I reconnected with my high school journalism teacher, Betty Tumlinson, and was able to tell her of the impact she had on my life.”
Joy Mathews, RN manager - CCU/PCU and Debbie Pender, RN, chief nursing officer/VP patient care services at SSM Midwest review the recent implementation of Epic at the Midwest City hospital.
by James Coburn – Staff Writer
A patient-friendly hallmark in the health care industry has arrived at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Midwest, said Debbie Pender, RN, chief nursing officer/VP patient care services. SSM Midwest went live with Epic on December 11.
SSM Midwest has brought on board Epic, a leading-edge electronic health records system to streamline all areas of operation.
SSM has utilized the Epic technology platform since 2011 to seamlessly coordinate care without a paper trail.
Epic technology allows patients to have convenient digital access to their health information. Documentation of the patient medical record is stored in the easy to access hospital computer system.
Epic is one of the most preferred platforms to document health records in the nation. The patient’s entire encounter with SSM Midwest is secured, confidential, and easily accessible.
“Different departments can see that medical record,” Pender said. “So, it really helps facilitate quality of care through ensuring continuity of the communication from department to department, even from the in-patient to the out-patient phase when physicians have Epic in their medical offices as well. So, that medical record goes wherever the patient goes in any hospital that has Epic.”
Any patient discharged from SSM Midwest who somehow ends up in another hospital system using Epic will have their SSM record available to that hospital whether in Oklahoma or out of state. That whole record of care will go with that patient as a requirement of the Affordable Care Act. Hospitals for reimbursement purposes must come on board with an electronic medical record allowing portability of health care records from organization to organization.
“A patient’s medical history and all the medications that they take travels with that patient which is very important for safe care,” Pender continued. “There are some safeguards built within Epic that improve our patients’ safety here.”
The electronic medical record has been shown to prevent mistakes being made across the United States. Many elderly adults are known to take multiple medications. A lot of times they forget their medicine list, or they could have several doctors who have prescribed medicines as specialists. To avoid confusion, nurses can see all of a primary care physician’s record from the computer. Physicians using Epic can update a patient’s current medication list. Emergency rooms can easily access Epic records from a physician’s office. The continuation of care is simplified.
“We are very excited to upgrade the technology at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Midwest with Epic,” said Dr. Kevin L. Lewis, President, SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Midwest & Regional President of SSM Health Medical Group Oklahoma. “We are committed to Midwest City and providing our patients with exceptional health care services.”
Epic allows for safe IV infusions with medication administration with warnings implemented if guidelines are not followed properly.
“There’s a lot of surveillance ability within Epic that tells us if a patient is having a stroke, if a patient perhaps has sepsis, and a lot of reports that we can get out of Epic that tell us about a patient’s care experience from a quality/safety perspective,” Pender said.
Several of the SSM Midwest nurses have stated that the Epic implementation was the best go-live event they’ve ever experienced. Nurses commented that SSM was well prepared in bringing Epic to SSM Midwest.
“We are enjoying Epic here at Midwest, since it is so user friendly,” said Joy Mathews, RN manager – CCU/PCU. “Documenting on one computer eliminates the need for paper, which is convenient in caring for our critically ill patients in the CCU. Additionally, it will be a huge tool for recruiting high quality nurses to our staff.”
Pender serves as a team builder as the chief nursing officer at SSM Midwest. She has been CNO of SSM Midwest since June, after SSM purchased the hospital from Community Health Systems in April. Her goal has been to enhance the leadership structure from a for-profit hospital to a not-for-profit.
A lot of SSM Midwest nurses have used Epic in previous health care organizations they have worked in. This was helpful in the transition.
“I have not met one person who thinks Epic was a bad thing,” Pender said. “Now it’s change, so they have to learn new work flows and the functionality within Epic, but everybody loves Epic.”
She said it’s nice to see seamless documentation utilized from department to department, all for the betterment of patient care.
“The care isn’t just in a silo wherever you are in the hospital. A physician can see every piece of the record,” Pender said. “It’s been very positive.”
The data analytics made available by Epic is phenomenal when evaluating best practices.
Safe and effective care is what patients deserve from any bedside nurse, Pender said.
