Good Shepherd Clinic recently presented its Hope Award to Dale Bratzler, D.O., MPH, OU Medicine enterprise quality officer, in recognition of his work as a clinic volunteer. To honor his legacy, the Hope Award will become an annual event in Bratzler’s name, with proceeds placed in the Dale Bratzler, DO, MPH Endowment Fund.
The Good Shepherd Clinic in Oklahoma City is a free, full-time clinic serving uninsured residents of the community. The clinic offers medical and dental services, provided by healthcare professionals who donate their time and skills to ensure that financial concerns do not become barriers to receiving care in a timely manner.
Bratzler began volunteering at Good Shepherd in 2015, believing that healthcare should be available to all members of the community, beyond the emergency room and regardless of ability to pay. As a result of Bratzler’s persistence, the Unity Clinic will launch early in 2020. This initiative will use campus-wide, interprofessional teams of healthcare providers, faculty and students from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, to provide patient care in partnership with Good Shepherd.
Pam Timmons, executive director of Good Shepherd, described volunteers as the heartbeat of fulfilling the clinic’s mission. She commended Bratzler’s charitable efforts, his contributions that have enriched a community desperate for quality healthcare, as well as his leadership and commitment to inspiring and educating the next generation of healthcare professionals.
“We can’t begin to say how grateful we are for all of the selfless acts of kindness Dr. Bratzler has provided through the years. His commitment just continues to grow,” Timmons said.
The endowment in Bratzler’s name will help the clinic thrive and become more financially sustainable. Endowment funds will be matched at five cents ($0.05) for each dollar processed, by Communities Foundation of Oklahoma – up to a maximum of $50,000 in any given year. This designated fund will generate annual income in perpetuity from the earned investment income to help secure the future of Good Shepherd.
Timmons said, “Dr. Bratzler’s legacy of providing high quality health care for the underserved will continue by his encouragement and empowerment of the next generation of health professionals.”

Two Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists have received Merit Review Awards totaling $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Holly Van Remmen, Ph.D., and Tim Griffin, Ph.D., from OMRF’s Aging and Metabolism Research Program focus on a pair of diseases prevalent in aging veterans: age-related muscle loss and osteoarthritis, respectively.
Van Remmen, who chairs OMRF’s aging program, received $650,000 to continue an investigation into a potential therapy for age-related muscle loss called sarcopenia. No drug options currently exist to treat the condition, which causes muscle weakness and atrophy.
“Sarcopenia is a highly relevant problem for the veteran population, as more than half of all veterans are over age 60,” said Van Remmen. “The weakness associated with it contributes to falls and fractures, deconditioning, institutionalization, and contributes to obesity and diabetes. All of these could significantly improve with a treatment.”
In the lab, Van Remmen showed that a new therapy, CDN1163, was successful in elderly mice.
They studied mice until they were 26-28 months old—approximately equivalent to 70-plus human years. They observed those who did not receive the treatment had normal atrophy and weakness, but those who did receive it maintained considerably more muscle mass and muscle function.
“Now that we know the drug works, we need to develop a more efficient version. Once we have refined it, we can then start moving toward human trials,” said Van Remmen, who holds the G.T. Blankenship Chair in Aging Research at OMRF. “This is very promising and could make a real impact in improving quality of life for veterans.”
Griffin also received $650,000 for his work in developing a new clinical approach for people suffering from osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis.
There are no approved treatments for osteoarthritis, or OA, which stems from the loss of cartilage in joints and abnormal bone growth. About half all Americans develop painful OA during the course of their lifetime.
“There is an urgent need for OA care, and it’s even more pronounced in veterans,” said Griffin. “They have a higher rate of post-traumatic OA than the general population related to injuries and the physical nature of their service.”
Clinical studies show being physically active reduces OA pain and increases mobility. “And it doesn’t matter what kind of activity you do. It can be swimming, walking, aerobics or other activities,” he said. “Being active in any way you can shows benefits, and we aim to understand exactly how exercise works at a molecular level.”
Using this clinical knowledge, Griffin will study how exercise changes the metabolism of joint tissues to reduce pain and inflammation. This should allow them to develop options to give OA sufferers more ‘bang for their buck’ with therapy, he said.
Their findings could also provide safer alternatives to opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for reducing pain.
“Eventually we would love to treat the disease itself, but if we can efficiently reduce symptoms and pain, that would be a great interim success that could help veterans sooner rather than later,” said Griffin.

story and photos by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

On Sundays strangers gather at New Heights Baptist Church on the city’s south side and sing their praises to the Lord.
But each Monday night, Capitol Hill alumni get together at New Heights to sing in praise of Albert “Ozzie” Ossenkop.
Randy Parsons directs Ozzie’s Capitol Hill Alumni Choir, a group composed solely of individuals taught by the local choral legend.
Members are either Ossenkop’s former students, their spouses or those he taught in church choirs.
Membership is by audition only and encompasses Capitol Hill students from 1963 to 1972.
“But we all auditioned 50 or 60 years ago,” Parsons laughed. “Ozzie was a great showman, a great choral director and taught us not only the love of music but he loved all of us.
“He made us feel special.”
The choir started after a couple of large reunions honoring their former director. Hundreds of students came out of the woodwork for those.
Ossenkop taught for 34 years and passed in 2011 at the age of 89.
During the later years, the group gathered each Christmas to serenade him at Legend at Rivendell.
“Many of the choir stayed in touch and would come to visit and still consider him like a father,” Parsons said. “As he aged our love for him probably increased because we could care for him a little bit like he cared for us.”
But when Ossenkop passed there was a void.
A couple of alumni got the idea of gathering members to sing for the lighting of the Stockyards Christmas tree.
“That’s what got us started and now we are the official choir of Stockyards City and we sing every year at the lighting,” he said. “We figured if we were going to do this let’s do this with the songs Ozzie taught us.”
The choir doesn’t just sing, it performs Ossenkop’s original arrangements he taught back in high school.
This will be the fourth season for Ozzie’s Capitol Hill Alumni Choir, which performs around 14 shows yearly.
In late August, the group performed at the Capitol Hill Alumni Association Annual Banquet.
One of Ossenkop’s students made it all the way. Tenor Chris Merritt has performed all over the world from Carnegie Hall to London’s Royal Opera House.
Ossenkop took his choirs all over as well. Disneyland, Montreal, San Antonio – Ossenkop’s choirs toured performing his annual Musical Extravaganza, a collection of show tunes he arranged.
Member Cheryl Tolsen was part of Ossenkop’s last choir. Coincidentally, her mother was in Ossenkop’s first choir.
“The alto doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Parsons joked.
On Monday nights you’ll find Kathy Perkins, Class of 1968, accompanying the choir on piano the same way she did in high school.
Following Labor Day, Parsons said the group will look to add more members. Anyone who was taught by Ossenkop is welcome to join this month to begin work on the group’s Christmas performances.
Carol Netherton (Class of 68) serves as the group’s secretary and treasurer.
“He was just full of vitality and vivaciousness,” she remembered. “I don’t know anybody who didn’t like him. He was like a father to so many.”
Alana Stephens (Class of 69) described her mentor as ‘“a big old teddy bear.” Seeing Ossenkop each morning at 7:25 a.m. was always a treat.
“He really was interested in all of us kids,” Stephens said. “He wasn’t just a teacher.”
Ossenkop’s expectations were straightforward: no smoking, no drinking, be an A+ person.
Even decades later, when Ossenkop would see one of his students he could tell them what voice part they sang and even remembered details about their families. “One teacher’s influence has been multiplied over all these years and is still being multiplied,” Parsons said. “Nobody pays these people to come. They have to put up with me but they come week after week, year after year. We enjoy each other but our main motivation is we want to honor the guy that started it all.”
Ossenkop left an indelible mark on every member of the choir.
Juanita Gasaway (Class of 1968) still has two pictures of Ossenkop on her cell phone. The first is of him holding her first son in 1970. The second was Ossenkop holding her son’s son in 2010.
“He had a heart of gold,” Gasaway said.

Women’s Veterans Monument Sets the Standard for Honoring America’s Best

Story and photos by Darl Devault, Feature Writer

With the privilege and opportunity approaching of honoring all military service on upcoming Veterans Day more than 300,000 women have volunteered to serve our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The little known Del City monument created as America’s only inclusive bronze monument honoring women veterans patriotically illustrates this pride.
Dedicated in 2014, this Women’s Veterans Monument honoring the two million women who have served and are serving in the armed forces is our nation’s first inclusive-of-all-services tribute.
Sculpted by Luther, Okla. artist Joel Randell, the monument honors women who today make up 16 percent of the enlisted forces, and 18 percent of the officer corp.
In the years since its unveiling, this first-of-its-kind public art has engaged the art community. Oklahoma’s most famous illustrator and fine art painter, Mike Wimmer, sought out the monument as a visitor.
“Joel Randell celebrates the poise, dignity and strength of the women serving in our armed forces,” Wimmer said recently. “Its patriotic expression of figurative realism gives honor to the women who stand up with uncommon valor to serve and protect their nation, community and family. He captured every figurative detail in meticulously representing and honoring the achievements of real women in their chosen branch of military service.”
The polished black granite monument depicts five bronze slightly-larger-than-life uniformed Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard women.
It also features an Oklahoma Army National Guard uniformed woman speaking with a little girl inquiring when she can serve. The mother and daughter are sitting at a reflecting pool before the mother’s departure to serve her country.
The centerpiece is the servicewomen in intricately-correct dress uniforms and caps. They are facing outward in a circle, holding hands. Planners said this represents the strength and unity between them to form a symbol of strength and purpose around a flagpole with a large American flag.
An all-woman committee of eight veterans guided the artist during the $1.5 million project, spending three years planning the monument.
The women, who had attained all levels of military rank and responsibility, designed the overall look and paid attention to the greatest detail. They made sure their service uniform depictions could pass any critical dress inspection a fellow veteran might make of the bronze statues.
Oklahomans SSgt Laurel “Chip” Chambers, MSgt Barbara L. Curry, Capt. Jennifer Grant, Sp4 Linda Kiselburgh, SMSgt Deborah L. McQuillar, AZCS Carolyn Mischke, SSgt Dorothy Rimbold and Lt. Col. Julie Wende served on the committee.
The monument stands in Patriot Park, the site of several veterans’ memorials and monuments and a Veterans Day ceremony each year opposite the Del City Community Center just off I-35. In 1995 the city built the first monument to honor all of Del City’s war dead since World War II. A Fallen Soldier Battle Cross honors veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. A Blue Star Mothers Memorial joined the Vietnam War artwork and soldier mausoleum in 2011.
This newest monument—to those who take the oath to serve their country, allows Del City citizens and leaders to make a strong statement that women veterans deserve honors. This monument says ladies do their share—from the initial historical commitment to provide support, to the now dangerous duty of combat. The folks from this small city next to Tinker AFB celebrate the patriotism that binds them to the goal, keeping America free.
By depicting a youth conversing with a role model, the monument also conveys the multigenerational relationship between women who have served and now younger generations.
With owner John Free Jr., supervising, The Bronze Horse Foundry in Pawhuska, Okla., cast the monument’s bronze figures.
“These seven patriotic figures in one masterpiece are really something,” Free said after installing the statues. “People really like that the artist researched these subjects so strongly for accuracy, because this bronze art is going to stand here forever.”
One Lawton, Okla. combat veteran saw firsthand how a fellow female soldier made the ultimate sacrifice in combat.
Eleanor McDaniel, 67, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield as the first Comanche woman to serve in U.S. combat as the highest-decorated Comanche woman recalled Army Spec. Lori Ann Piestewa. Piestewa, a Hopi, died after an ambush in March 2003 in Iraq.
Piestewa was the first Native American woman killed in combat on foreign soil. McDaniel said the monument honors the sacrifices of all military women, whether in combat or during peacetime.
“This monument is well deserved and long overdue,” McDaniel said in 2014. “Other communities should follow the example. Recognition of this magnitude for our women in the military is uncommon, but many extraordinary women have served and deserve that recognition. I am deeply grateful to the people of Del City and all those that made it possible to recognize and honor the service and sacrifice of all the women of the U.S. military.”
Arizona’s government renamed Squaw Peak in the Phoenix Mountains as Piestewa Peak in 2008 and renamed the freeway that passes nearby in her honor.

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

The final full week in September was homecoming week for Tealridge Retirement Community in Edmond.
A traditional fall activity, homecoming meant something different for the gathered friends and residents.
Tealridge’s rich 30-year history was on display with the community touting almost $1 million in ongoing improvements to the Edmond mainstay.
Residents past and present toured, reliving memories and looking ahead to what is sure to be a future focused on meeting resident needs.
“It doesn’t really matter how much things are made ‘new’ it’s still the essence of the people and I think that’s a huge piece of this community,” Tealridge Executive Director Melissa Mahaffey said during a break in the festivities.
“And the heart and the spirit,” Tealridge Retirement Counselor Kristen Moss echoed. “Everybody has a story. This community has a story and a history. It’s 30 years old and that’s why we picked the theme of homecoming. Come tell us your story.”
“We’re all fresh eyes in the community but for them this is homecoming week.”
Jon Paden, president of Affordable Community Housing Trust, had a vision of what the community should look and feel like many months ago.
“Our goal is for Tealridge to feel like the home I grew up in. My parents created an environment that was warm, welcoming, safe and a lot of fun. That is how my wife and I tried to raise our three kids and I hope that is how our folks at Tealridge feel about their home”.
Early on, Paden’s group tabbed Mahaffey to make that vision a reality.
“I have a great team,” Mahaffey said simply. “I hire great people. The number one criteria for being on this team is having a heart and soul for people because if they don’t, it doesn’t work.
“The true measurement of a good community all relies on who you have in place.”
A legendary property, Tealridge Retirement Community celebrated its next chapter with new ownership and property improvements.
The two-day event was open to the community.
Edmond Chamber of Commerce members were on hand Wednesday for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Former University of Oklahoma quarterback and NEWS9 personality Dean Blevins entertained the crowd on Thursday.
Nestled next to the 200-acre Oklahoma Christian campus is Tealridge Retirement Community, a full-service, private and locally-owned community providing independent, assisted living and memory care services to the Community of Edmond.
Nancy and Todd Markum were sold on Tealridge from the very beginning.
“We’re excited,” Nancy said. “We were the first ones to get to move back in. It’s awesome. We love it. We always wanted to be here after living across the street.
“We wanted to be home. It’s our friends and our people.”
According to the National Institute on Aging, research studies have shown a strong correlation between social interaction and health and well-being among older adults and have suggested that social isolation may have significant adverse effects for older adults.
Moss said. “What works in New York or Los Angeles and all those cities in between doesn’t necessarily work in Oklahoma.
Jon is open to receive feedback from Melissa & the team on how we can help our retirees live their best life. The decision to move is not easy, we desire to work beside someone through their journey”.
The future is strong for the Edmond senior community, which has evolved in the last 30 years. The addition of the independent component compliments the full care campus concept.
“Who knows what independent living will look like in the next 10 years,” Mahaffey said. “But for right now we’re striving to meet the expectations of this generation. In the future, these services will evolve to a different clientele as our population continues to change.
“Nobody really knows what that’s going to be. It’s going to be wellness and nutrition but what else? Could it be additional traveling opportunities and other outlets for socialization?
One thing is for sure, “It’s about being a community with traditions in which someone feels welcome and that they are’“HOME’”.
For more information about Tealridge Retirement Community call 405-608-8020 or visit www.tealridge.com

Dear Savvy Senior, How much does cremation cost and how can I find a good deal in my area? I would like to get a simple, basic cremation that doesn’t cost me, or my family, a lot of money. Frugal Senior

Dear Frugal,
Cremation costs can vary widely. Depending on your location, the provider and the services you request, cremation can range anywhere from $500 to $7,500 or more. But that’s a lot cheaper than a full-service funeral and cemetery burial that averages nearly $11,000 today. Here are some tips to help you get a good deal.
Shop Around
Because prices can vary sharply by provider, the best way to get a good price on a simple “no frills” cremation is to call several funeral homes in your area (most funeral homes provide cremation services) and compare prices.
When you call, ask them specifically how much they charge for a “direct cremation,” which is the basic option and the least expensive. With direct cremation, there’s no embalming, formal viewing or funeral. It only includes the essentials: picking up the body, completing the required paperwork, the cremation itself and providing ashes to the family.
If your family wants to have a memorial service, they can have it at home or your place of worship after the cremation, in the presence of your remains.
If you want additional services beyond what a direct cremation offers, ask the funeral home for an itemized price list that covers the other service costs, so you know exactly what you’re getting. All providers are required by law to provide this.
To locate nearby funeral homes, look in your local yellow pages, or Google “cremation” or “funeral” followed by your city and state. You can also get good information online at Parting.com, which lets you compare prices from funeral providers in your area based on what you want.
Or, if you need more help contact your nearby funeral consumer alliance program (see Funerals.org/local-fca or call 802-865-8300 for contact information). These are volunteer groups located in most regions around the country that offer a wide range of information and prices on local funeral and cremation providers.
Pricey Urns
The urn is an item you need to be aware of that can drive up cremation costs. Funeral home urns usually cost around $100 to $300, but you aren’t required to get one.
Most funeral homes initially place ashes in a plastic bag that is inserted into a thick cardboard box. The box is all you need if you intend to have your ashes scattered. But if you want something to display, you can probably find a nice urn or comparable container online. Walmart.com and Amazon.com for example, sells urns for under $50. Or, you may want to use an old cookie jar or container you have around the house instead of a traditional urn.
Free Cremation
Another option you may want to consider that provides free cremation is to donate your body to a university medical facility. After using your body for research, they will cremate your remains for free (some programs may charge a small fee to transport your body to their facility), and either bury or scatter your ashes in a local cemetery or return them to your family, usually within a year or two.
To find a medical school near you that accepts body donations, the University of Florida maintains a directory at Anatbd.acb.med.ufl.edu/usprograms.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

OGE Energy Corp. will join forces with United Way of Central Oklahoma during its annual fundraising campaign to double new, first-time company contributions.
“United Way agencies provide such valuable services to our communities, and we’re only as strong as the communities we serve,” said Sean Trauschke, chairman, President and CEO of OGE Energy Corp. “We identified this as a way to help support and grow the missions of these agencies where we live and work.”
This opportunity comes at a critical time as United Way of Central Oklahoma begins fundraising efforts for 57 local nonprofits, serving hundreds of thousands of clients each year who need us more than ever. The gift will help Partner Agencies serve more central Oklahomans by providing life-saving services to those in need.
“OGE Energy Corp. is known for giving back in big ways, and we are truly grateful that they thought of United Way – that says a lot about the caring nature of their organization,” said Debby Hampton, United Way of Central Oklahoma president and CEO. “It takes all of us to make this a more compassionate community, and OGE’s support is one of the big puzzle pieces that makes that possible throughout central Oklahoma.”
Donations may be made online at unitedwayokc.org or by giving through your workplace campaign.
About United Way of Central Oklahoma
United Way of Central Oklahoma researches human needs within the communities of central Oklahoma and directs resources to accountable health and human services agencies to meet those needs by improving the health, safety, education and economic well-being of its most vulnerable citizens. For more information about United Way of Central Oklahoma, please visit unitedwayokc.org or call (405) 236-8441.