Story and photos by Darl Devault, Feature Writer

After retiring, do you have to choose between being a serious artist or an art teacher? The answer is no if you are genuinely talented at both for Susan Cromer Yback, 64, as she now teaches youth and adults art after teaching elementary school art for a career.
She is now interrupting her retirement and a fulfilling second career as a full-time artist to teach art again. Yback first became retirement privileged after teaching elementary art in the Putnam City School District for 30 years.
She transitioned from teaching full time and began full-time production of her original works after retirement. Now teaching art on a much more personalized level, she sells her art at 2927 Paseo Drive. Yback’s classes and art have become a mainstay of Paseo Gallery One near the southern edge of the historic Paseo Arts District N.W. 27th & 30th Streets and Walker & Hudson in Oklahoma City.
She keeps busy as both a painter in acrylic and a clay artist. Her last decade of creating in the Paseo Arts District has led her to see art differently than during her decades in public school art education. She says she has learned to practice her authentic artistic process while integrating technical and conceptual skills to share a clear message with her students.
“I am excited to begin every class where I can express my creative energy in teaching—an art form in and of itself!” Yback said. “Although I love traditional art, I like to change things up, take a different approach to present an image.”
During her classroom years, Yback participated in many workshops for teachers at the Oklahoma Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain in southwest Oklahoma. There she learned or developed skills such as printmaking from master artists from all over the United States.
She also teaches a pottery class on Saturdays at the House of Clay at 1100 Northwest 30th Street. She teaches artists of all ages pottery hand building. Yback fires the pottery for the class of eight to 10 students each week.
While interviewing her at the Paseo Galley One, observing her teaching a class and talking about her work hanging in her studio/gallery there, it is difficult to determine where she lands on the artist/art teacher continuum.
“Now I find my creative spark as an artist is most important,” Yback said. “But I sure like sharing my love of art with my students.”
At the Paseo Gallery One location on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she instructs children through high school age in acrylic painting. “I am often pleasantly surprised by my young student’s wide scope of educational art experience,” Yback said. “I enjoy guiding students through the creative process, empowering them to create unique and meaningful artworks.”
As she has grown and developed as an artist, she is stretching her emphasis to embrace her husband’s influence, a member of the Great Sioux Nation. Her latest adventures include paintings of Native American themes in what has always been a career where collectors see varied techniques and styles in her paintings.
She often paints scenes with horses or bison in vibrant acrylic as the central theme while working in depictions of people. One of her latest is a realistic portrait of a bison embedded in an earthy abstract work. This masterful artistry is subdued, yet the bison stands out while looking at the viewer depicted in a unique background blend of abstract organic and brown acrylic colors.
She says she was heavily influenced by Henri Matisse and how Pablo Picasso tore things apart and then put them back together. Her painting mentioned above is all of that. In other Native American-themed art, she has channeled the way Joan Miro employed abstraction with extensive use of swaths of color lines in her paintings.
Yback credits Katherine Liontas-Warren, a former professor at Cameron University in Lawton, Okla. as a primary influence. “My art education classes, especially with Oklahoma Art Education Association, have always been a solid foundation, although my interest in expressing my artistic energy might shift from day to day, month to month, through the years,” Yback said. “I like to work quickly. I have learned more ways to do that since retirement.”
Western and Native American art themes run through her work. Yback points to her husband David for that influence. “He is a member of the Great Sioux Nation. Over the years, I have become really interested in his heritage,” Yback said. “He is a descendant of a Lakota Sioux Chief Many Horses. I have worked on researching David’s lineage and often portraying his heritage in my work.”
She is usually present at the studio during the First Friday Gallery Walk, with the next one 6-10 p.m. Friday, March 4, Yback says, “First Friday has become a wonderful tradition for all of us who work along the Paseo, and I love it.”
The Gallery Walk will have more than 20 galleries featuring more than 80 artists who will host opening receptions, promising something for everyone.
Accepting commissions in an accessible and engaging manner, Yback says her original works vary in price. Her more significant pieces fall within the range of serious collectors. She may be contacted at swbelle@cox.net or by phone/text at 405-662-6551.

story and photos by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

It was mid-February and the conversations next door to the Tealridge Retirement Community dining room flowed like water.
Daily laughter and connection aren’t uncommon occurrences at the all-inclusive Edmond retirement community, but this day something was different.
On this day, residents had the undivided attention of a group of Oklahoma Christian University students hoping to cull a lifetime of experience and knowledge to help them on their educational journey.
For a minimum of eight hours during the spring semester, nearly 40 college students from multiple disciplines are involved with a program that pairs them with a Tealridge resident.
Leading the program is Dr. Tina Winn, professor of psychology.
Dr. Winn said psychology students and family science majors both are gaining the benefit of the living history lessons they receive during each meeting.
For the students, it’s a chance to learn and grow.
For residents, it’s a chance to share their legacy.
“We’re studying it out of the book. Now they get to take that and put it into context and personalize it,” Winn said. “My goal is for them to take the theories and the ideas and apply them in a way that it’s meaningful. It’s going to enhance their understanding and break down some of the myths and increase awareness and comfort levels among the generations.
“It’s one thing to learn it out of the book but then when it gets applied and contextualized it becomes meaningful and something that can be used.”
Winn’s doctorate is in counseling and student personnel. She’s taught in psychology and family science areas since 1998.
She’s taught at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha and Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva.
She says this program is one of the most meaningful she’s participated in because of the chance for both sides to benefit and share.
“At the end (of the course) my ultimate, bottom line hope is for them to have a deep understanding of people in this stage of life but also in themselves and how they see themself progressing,” Winn said. “Once we break down some of the myths it really impacts how we live today even if we are not in late adulthood we are heading there.”
Facilitating the program is Tealridge Executive Director Melissa Mahaffey, MHA.
“Each retiree has a wonderful story to tell,” Mahaffey said. “Each individual – both students and residents – will be blessed beyond measure for the time that they will be able to spend with one another.”
“We have residents that have life experiences that are unmatched to any textbook at any level of education. Each participant will no doubt have a better understanding of what was life some six decades ago or even longer. Socialization, meaningful interactions and purposeful life is what it is all about. We are very fortunate to be able to partner with such a great professor and students.”
Each student is paired with a resident for the entirety of the semester. Over the course of the semester, weekly meetings will occur.
Winn said one of the goals is to reinforce how active of a demographic the senior population represents. Learning from that group and getting feedback on issues ranging from government policy to religion to family values will be vital to students as they begin their careers in their chosen fields.
Every day in the U.S., 10,000 people turn 65, and the number of older adults will more than double during the next several decades to top 88 million people and represent more than 20 percent of the population by 2050.
“I strongly believe that communication and knowledge are important for all generations,” Mahaffey said. “Each generation has something to share with each other – whether it be a skill, true historical accounts of memorial events, or just a way to share knowledge about an important event in someone’s life. Bridging the gap between generations will absolutely be a meaningful memory for both resident and student.”
And it all starts with a conversation.

For more information about Tealridge Retirement Community visit: https://www.tealridge.com/ or call 405-608-8020.

Story and photos by Darl DeVault, Contributing Editor

Despite uncertainty at the Major League Baseball level, the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark will host 75 Oklahoma City Dodgers games during the 2022 season, adding three Salt Lake Bees games to close out the season.
Opening Night is Tuesday, April 5, against the Albuquerque Isotopes, with the first of 14 fireworks nights this season, including after each Friday home game. The rest of the season will see Tuesday through Sunday home stands, as the schedule is designed for Mondays off.
“After two years, we are looking forward to things finally getting back to normal at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark,” said OKC Dodgers President/General Manager Michael Byrnes. “We thank all of our fans who have been patient during that time, having no baseball season in 2020 and reduced-capacity crowds for most of 2021. This year is shaping up to be as exciting as ever, both on the field as well as getting to unveil several new amenities at the ballpark.”
For the first time since 1995, MLB spring training will not start on schedule as MLB, and the MLB Player’s Association are embroiled in baseball’s ninth work stoppage.
The ongoing MLB lockout will not interrupt the OKC Dodgers’ upcoming season or impact the Minor League Baseball schedule. Players on minor league contracts are still eligible to appear in games regardless of a work stoppage in MLB.
LA Dodgers prospects and minor league players — those not represented by the MLB Players’ Association, will play for the OKC Dodgers.
Seniors with an appreciation for the game and Minor League Baseball can invest in the only sure crack of the bat and roar of the crowd to start the season by securing season and single-game tickets before they are gone.
For seniors who played the game in their youth or those who attend this fan-favorite with the youth in their family.
Otherwise, it is Internet/radio where award-winning Dodgers’ sportscaster Alex Freedman delivers the play-by-play on AM 1340 “The Game” or through the iHeartRadio mobile app.
The Dodgers start their second season in the Triple-A West. Most of the games will be against teams in the East Division, including Albuquerque (Colorado Rockies), El Paso (San Diego Padres), Round Rock (Texas Rangers) and Sugar Land (Houston Astros). In addition to Salt Lake (Los Angeles Angels), the Dodgers will also host four other members of the West Division: Las Vegas (Oakland A’s), Reno (Arizona Diamondbacks), Sacramento (San Francisco Giants) and Tacoma (Seattle Mariners).
Fan-friendly surroundings at the ballpark are a complete recipe for family fun. The venue offers amenities designed to entertain children of all ages.
There is plenty of room for kids to play on playground structures and the grassy hillside, and kids can run the bases after each Sunday home game.
The ballpark features an outdoor picnic area on the large concourse surrounding the outfield. It is wide and runs around the entire facility. This allows fans to walk around the park to see every angle of play from all the venue’s dimensions. Parents can attend to their restless little ones and still watch the game by showing them the pitchers warming up in both bullpens from the outfield concourse.
Many fans enjoy looking at the history of baseball in Oklahoma portrayed on murals around the concourse. The ballpark boasts bronze busts of Oklahoma stars and three larger-than-life bronze statues of Oklahoma’s National Baseball Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle, Johnny Bench and Warren Spahn.
Single-game tickets go on sale on March 1 and can be purchased through okcdodgers.com. Prices range from $12-32. Group outings and season ticket plans are also available. Call (405) 218-1000 for more information.
In local LA Dodgers news in the offseason, Oklahoma City’s humble MLB World Series Winner, Don Demeter, died in November at 86.
With the LA Dodgers, Demeter’s 18 home runs and stellar outfield play helped in the run to the Championship in1959. Later, in seasons split by playing for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers, he roamed center field for 266 consecutive errorless outfield games to set the MLB league record at the time.
Many Oklahomans remember him as the pastor of the Southern Baptist Grace Community Baptist Church in south Oklahoma City. He founded the church and pastored it for 16 years. He and Bobby Morgan, 95, were the only Oklahoman City residents to star on the Brooklyn Dodgers before their move to Los Angeles.

Robyn Sunday-Allen of Edmond was selected as the 2022 Oklahoma Mother of the Year®. She is the 76th woman in Oklahoma history to hold this honor. She (Cherokee) currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic. She has been recognized for her work and leadership with the Indian Health Service’s Lifetime Achievement Award; Luana Reyes Leadership Award; The Journal Record’s 50 Making a Difference Woman of the Year Honoree 2009, 2010, and 2012; The Journal Record’s Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEO Honoree 2009-2011; and was inducted as the first-ever CEO in Oklahoma’s Circle of Excellence. An Oklahoma proclamation from Gov. Brad Henry declares November 14 Robyn Sunday-Allen Day.
Sunday-Allen, along with honorees from states across the United States, will be recognized during the 87th National Convention of American Mothers, Inc. this April. One honoree will be named the National Mother of the Year® during the convention.
Since 1935, American Mothers, Inc. has had the honor of searching for and selecting the Mother of the Year® in every state, district and territory in the country. “Now more than ever, people are seeing the work that goes into motherhood and truly recognizing the resiliency of mothers. It is an honor to be an organization that has built a legacy network of moms across the nation while sharing their stories of strength and inspiration,” said Joyce Stevens, President of American Mothers, Inc.
For a full list of Mother of the Year® honorees please visit AmericanMothers.org. Nominations for Mother of the Year® are accepted annually, Mothers Day – September 15. For general media inquiries or to set up an interview with the 2022 Oklahoma Mother of the Year®, contact Sabrina Wisher-DeWitt at news@americanmothers.org.
Robyn Sunday-Allen (Cherokee) currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic. She attended the University of Oklahoma, where she received her BA in Psychology, BSN in Nursing, and MPH. She is currently on the Board of Advisors for Greater OKC Chamber of Commerce; State of Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce; New View Oklahoma; Oklahoma Quality Foundation. She is also a Graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City Class XXIX and Leadership Oklahoma Class XXVI. She has been recognized for her work and leadership with the Indian Health Service’s Lifetime Achievement Award; Luana Reyes Leadership Award; The Journal Record’s 50 Making a Difference Woman of the Year Honoree 2009, 2010, and 2012; The Journal Record’s Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEO Honoree 2009-2011; and was inducted as the first-ever CEO in Oklahoma’s Circle of Excellence. An Oklahoma proclamation from Gov. Brad Henry declares November 14 Robyn Sunday-Allen Day. She is married to Russell and they have one son, Eli.

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the world, the workforce challenges in the U.S. long term care industry, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic, remains at a crisis level. Unless Congress acts, nursing homes and assisted living communities will increasingly have to take drastic measures, furthering limiting access to care for vulnerable seniors.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nursing homes have lost 238,000 caregivers since the beginning of the pandemic. A report from the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) summarizing BLS data with new January numbers showed that overall long term care workforce levels are the lowest they have been in 15 years.
While a labor shortage exists across many health care settings, BLS data illustrates the dramatic scope of the challenge facing the long term care industry in particular. For instance, hospitals have lost two percent of their workforce, compared to a 15 percent workforce decline among nursing homes and a seven percent decline among assisted living communities.
As pandemic burnout worsens, skilled caregivers are looking elsewhere for work. While many long term care providers have dedicated extensive resources to honor frontline heroes’ extraordinary efforts, current government reimbursement rates limit their ability to make additional investments and compete against other employers for workers. Without action from policymakers, our nation’s most vulnerable seniors risk reduced access to care as facilities are forced to limit admissions or even close down altogether.
On Thursday morning, the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety will hold a hearing to examine the pandemic-related workforce shortage in health care settings. As this historic crisis continues, the hearing reinforces the need for lawmakers to take new action to ensure long term care providers have the resources and recruitment tools they need to provide the high-quality care our nation’s seniors deserve. This is the time for lawmakers to make a commitment to investing in our health care heroes and building up the next generation of caregivers.
Before any more long term care facilities have to limit admissions or close their doors, lawmakers should provide our frontline caregivers with the resources they need.

An OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center colorectal cancer surgeon will discuss treatment options for all stages of colon and rectal cancers from noon to 1 p.m., Thursday, March 24.
During the virtual presentation, Steven Carter, M.D., will talk about surgical interventions and clinical trials. After a brief talk, attendees will be able to engage in a question and answer session with the doctor.
Carter is part of the colon and rectal cancer surgery program at Stephenson Cancer Center, which is run by a multidisciplinary team of experts who focus on the full spectrum of care, including prevention, detection, treatment and survivorship.
The presentation is offered at no cost to participants. Advance registration is required by going to: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_a4qrWxuCQpW8dDtV8MOVWQ. Registrants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

With hospitals nationwide struggling with bed availability, Integris Health has embarked on a new healthcare model that could revolutionize the way patients receive care, all in the comfort of their own homes.
“Really what opened up the need for this is clearly the surge we’ve had with the Covid pandemic,” said Lisa Rother, RN, director of Integris Health@Home. “It’s opened up payor’s eyes to actually reimburse hospitals for innovative care models that allow us to extend access to care within other creative environments such as the home environments.”
With the onslaught of COVID-19, health systems everywhere have turned to technology to find better solutions for patients. Virtual doctor visits once thought impossible are now considered routine. In the pursuit of constant innovation, Integris Health partnered with Medically Home Group, Inc. to provide hospital-level care to patients in the comfort and convenience of their own homes.
“We have to demonstrate all of the care we could provide in a brick and mortar hospital that we would be able to support and provide that same level of care in the home environment,” Rother said. “Now that we have a payor model that will allow us to bill for patient care it really allowed us to seek partners in helping us to provide a model of care we can deliver in that home environment.”
The command center that receives all the data is monitored 24/7 by a team of Integris Health physicians and nurses who will respond to a patient’s medical needs via video or telephone.
Daily in-home visits by a nurse practitioner and other health care professionals are also part of the treatment plan. IV therapies, oxygen treatments, lab tests, mobile imaging like x-rays, and ultrasound are all performed in the home. Other services include skilled nursing, medications, infusions, behavioral health, and rehabilitation.
Integris Health@Home at Integris Baptist and Southwest Medical Centers are now seeking qualifying patients to receive acute hospital-level care in the comfort and convenience of their own homes.
Patients consenting to admission into this model of care must meet inpatient admission criteria, live within a 30-mile radius of the admitting hospital, and have the clinical and social stability to receive care at home.
Common conditions for patients receiving acute care in the home include congestive heart failure, respiratory ailments, diabetes complications, infections like pneumonia, as well as COVID-19.
“We began researching innovative ways to provide this type of care to eligible patients before the pandemic began, but the COVID crisis prompted us to accelerate our timeline,” said Timothy Pehrson, president, and chief executive officer of INTEGRIS Health. “We see the benefit as twofold. The program allows our patients to heal in a familiar environment surrounded by loved ones while improving access by opening up beds for other high acute issues.”
Qualifying patients will receive a remote patient monitoring kit and other home health equipment as needed for their particular diagnoses. Standard equipment includes a blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, cellular-enabled digital tablet, and a digital scale. Based on need, additional equipment such as a continuous heart rate and oxygen sensor will be added. All the devices connect to a tablet through Bluetooth and transmit vital signs to a remote monitoring center. Patients are also given an emergency call bracelet.
The Integris Health@Home Command Center hospitalists and nurses connect with the patient through telehealth visits scheduled regularly throughout the day coupled with caregiver visits to the home to administer medications, deliver equipment and supplies, and perform clinical procedures.
The Integris Health@Home Command Center is located at Integris Baptist Medical Center Portland Avenue
Rother said patients will also have the ability to contact their nurses directly as needed through the push of a button.
“Technology is enabling us to provide the right care to patients in a way that is safe and helps them recover where they are most comfortable,” Pehrson said. “As the Hospital at Home model continues to expand across the country, we expect more and more patients will choose to receive this high-quality care at home.”
Research backing the clinical benefits of remote patient monitoring has been available for well over a decade, with a study published back in 2005 showing that hospital-at-home care resulted in patients having a shorter length of stay — 3.2 days versus 4.9 days — and fewer complications.
A Kaiser Permanente study revealed that of 13,055 patients enrolled in its COVID-19 Home Monitoring program between April 2020 and February 2021, 95.5 percent recovered and completed the program, 10.6 percent were admitted to the hospital, and 0.2 percent died. The model will be offered at Integris Canadian Valley and Integris Health Edmond in late spring.

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

If you have been following my travel and entertainment articles for a while, you will recognize my affinity for New Orleans especially during their Tennessee Williams Literary Festival. This year it’s returning to the French Quarter slated for March 23 – 27. I enjoy the ambiance of the French Quarter and no more than when a festival is on tap. Again this year the TWF is filled with drama, workshops, food and libations. Special guests often are invited to speak and it’s a chance to be up close and personal with celebrities you might never get a chance to meet. In past years I have had the pleasure of meeting, Bob Schieffer, Richard Thomas, Tab Hunter. Cokie Roberts, Rex Read and Tennessee Williams brother, among others.
While the organized festival offers a lot to take in, its main attraction might just be the atmosphere, history and romance of the French Quarter itself, where in its lanes you can discover shops, eateries and museums for your personal exploration.
The festival press release offers a plethora of information for your consideration and in purchasing tickets to the offerings.
“After a canceled Festival in 2020 and a Virtual Festival last year, we are so happy to be returning to our home at the Hotel Monteleone once again for our five-day Festival,” said Paul J. Willis, Executive Director. “Our speakers and patrons are excited about our return, and we can’t wait to celebrate the 75th anniversary of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ with everyone. Several of our special events focus on this beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning play, including our opening night, tribute reading, and breakfast book club. We are working with city officials to create the safest environment possible so everyone can enjoy the Festival once again.”
The 2022 program includes writer’s craft sessions, literary discussions, theatre, food and music events, a scholars conference, several walking tours, a book fair, writing marathons, and special evening events and social gatherings.
Opening Night of the Festival kicks off March 23, co-hosted by two-time Tony Award winner, Michael Cerveris, and New Orleans singer-songwriter, Arséne DeLay. The evening will toast “A Streetcar Named Desire” with musical performances, scenes from the play, Harry Mayronne’s Marionnettes, drag queens, and more.
The annual Tennessee Williams Tribute Reading returns with Williams’ poetry, prose, and letters, as well as some surprising reviews, critical responses, adaptations, draft material, and playful insights into the enduring cultural reception of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Readers include Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jericho Brown, Michael Cerveris, Brenda Currin, Jewelle Gomez, among others.
TWFest is hosting “Cocktails with Tennessee: Making Magic Happen With 4 Drinks Inspired by His Characters.” Bakery Bar’s Joe Witkowski, will meld his bartending and theatrical skills to create one-of-a-kind cocktails. Sue Strachan, author of “The Café Brûlot,” will join him at New Orleans’ classic restaurant, Antoine’s.

The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans, in collaboration with TWFest, will perform a night of Tennessee Williams spoofs that showcase the playwright’s most iconic characters and plots in a completely different style.
Most Festival events take place in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter. Sites providing generous support include Hotel Monteleone, the Festival’s host hotel; The Historic New Orleans Collection; Williams Research Center; the New Orleans Jazz Museum; Beauregard-Keyes House; Muriel’s Jackson Square; and Palm Court Jazz Cafe; among others.
Festival Tickets are on sale now. Prices for most individual events range from $10 to $45. For more information and a full listing of events visit tennesseewilliams.net. Find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @TWFestNOLA.

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The National Institutes of Health has awarded the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation a five-year, $3.1 million grant for research aimed at reducing the main cause of death from infection.
OMRF scientist Florea Lupu, Ph.D., hopes his research leads to a new therapeutic treatment for sepsis, which kills about 270,000 people per year in the United States — more than lung cancer, breast cancer and drug overdoses combined.
“We are targeting a specific part of the immune system called the ‘complement system,’ which helps clear away bacteria in early sepsis but then becomes detrimental and contributes to organ failure,” Lupu said.
Sepsis occurs when the immune system overcompensates for an underlying infection, most commonly in the lungs, urinary tract, skin or gastrointestinal tract. If not treated early, this overcompensation causes widespread blood clotting and ultimately septic shock, which is characterized by severe loss of blood pressure leading to multiple organ failure.
According to the World Health Organization, globally, sepsis accounted for 11 million or 20% of all deaths in 2017, the most recent year for which data is available.
Lupu’s lab will build upon his prior research of the complement system’s role in sepsis. The work will focus on two infections that often trigger the condition: E. coli and staph.
The complement system is a large protein network in plasma. Those proteins are activated to form a cascade response to fight infection. However, one of these proteins, known as C5, morphs from friend into foe during sepsis by killing healthy cells and causing inflammation.
Lupu hopes to pinpoint the moment when C5 turns traitor and then target it with a drug that inhibits activation.
“The timing for an inhibitor is crucial,” Lupu said. “If you try to block C5 too early, you also block the clearance of bacteria. If you go in too late, it’s probably not helpful because the damage is already done.”
Lupu also hopes to determine the value of treating sepsis early with a blood thinner before shifting to a C5 inhibitor. Both drugs would be used in tandem with antibiotics, Lupu said.
“Sepsis progresses very quickly,” Lupu said. “Once it reaches the point of septic shock, the odds of survival decrease by 8% for each hour of delay in treatment. So that’s the biggest challenge – finding that narrow window to a successful outcome.”
The grant, 1R01AI168355-01, is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Central Oklahoma announces new members to its board of directors, Maria Fernanda, and to its advisory council, Jamie Jeter.
Fernanda is the Community Outreach Specialist with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Oklahoma. She holds a bachelor’s degree in family studies from Southern Nazarene University. She serves on the board of Possibilities Inc.; Calm Waters, serving on the fundraising committee; and the United Way of Central Oklahoma, serving on the allocation committee. She has served as a member of the Calle Dos Cinco civic group and served on the Citizens Advisory Board for the City of Oklahoma City. In addition, she has volunteered with Hilltop Pediatrics and the Integris Mobile Clinic.
RSVP of Central Oklahoma welcomes back seasoned advisory council member Jamie Jeter, who previously served a three-year term on the advisory council. Jeter retired from working in contracting and finance at Tinker Air Force Base after 37 years, serving in management the last eight years of her career. She is an avid volunteer, serving at Alliance Health, Midwest City, as auxiliary treasurer and office manager and a strong supporter of RSVP’s mission.
Since 1973, RSVP of Central Oklahoma has helped older adults continue to live with purpose and meaning by connecting them with rewarding community volunteer opportunities, including RSVP’s Provide-A-Ride Senior Transportation Program. RSVP is a partner of AmeriCorps Seniors and the United Way of Central Oklahoma. To learn more about RSVP of Central Oklahoma, call 405-605-3110 or visit rsvpokc.org. You can also follow RSVP on Facebook at facebook.com/RSVPokc.