The Original Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum continues the 65-year tradition of honoring rodeo’s greatest athletes after a year-long delay.

Since 1955, the Rodeo Hall of Fame has been dedicated to honoring and memorializing the legacy of great performers in rodeo and its related professions. Induction into this prestigious hall of fame is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on an honoree. The RHS Board of Directors reviews each nominee thoroughly and annually selects a slate of nominees.
Inductees will be honored during the annual Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend, November 12 – 13, 2021, with induction into the renowned Rodeo Hall of Fame. The 2020 Rodeo Hall of Fame inductees as well as the Tad Lucas Memorial Award and Ben Johnson Memorial Award recipients were announced in August 2020, but were delayed in hosting the “Rodeo Weekend” ceremonies.
“After a year of waiting, we’re so glad to welcome everyone back in person for Rodeo Weekend,” said Natalie Shirley, Museum President and CEO. “These deserving honorees are finally getting the moment they deserve for their formal induction into the storied Rodeo Hall of Fame.”
Chosen via popular vote by RHS membership, the Rodeo Hall of Fame Class of 2020 in both the Living and Deceased categories includes:
LIVING
* Ricky Bolin
* Bobby W. “Hooter” Brown
* Richard Neale “Tuff” Hedeman
* Cody Lambert
* Jerome Robinson
* Bobby and Sid Steiner (father and son)
DECEASED
* John (1887 – 1973) and Thomas (1915 – 1981) Rhodes (father and son)
* Jim W. Snively (1911 – 1998)

Each year, the family of trick-riding legend Tad Lucas bestows the Tad Lucas Memorial Award upon a living female whose actions promote the values represented by Tad Lucas; the Ben Johnson Memorial Award winner is chosen by committee each year to honor a living individual who represents the Western lifestyle as exemplified by screen and rodeo legend Ben Johnson. The Tad Lucas Memorial Award honoree of 2020 is Pat North Ommert, while the Ben Johnson Memorial Award honoree is Carl Nafzger.
The Rodeo Hall of Fame Class of 2020 is stocked with a truly impressive lineup of rodeo greats. Following is biographical information on each inductee:
RICKY BOLIN was born November 24, 1958, in Dallas, Texas, and competed from 1975 – 1989. A high school bull-riding champion at 15, Bolin competed professionally primarily as a bull rider from 1975 – 1989. He qualified for the Texas Circuit in bull riding from 1978 – 1989, becoming the Texas Circuit Bull Riding Champion in 1988. Bolin qualified for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in 1978, 1979, 1983 and 1985, and was one of the first rodeo athletes to receive a major sponsorship with Coors Beer Distributing in Temple, Texas. Selected for the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Ring of Honor in 2017, Bolin lives in Sunnyvale, Texas, with his wife, Melanie.
BOBBY “HOOTER” BROWN was born January 1, 1952, in Amarillo, Texas, and competed in all three roughstock events and steer wrestling from 1970 – 1991. Brown went to the NFR 11 years in the saddle bronc event, becoming Reserve Champion in 1982 and taking third place in 1983. He held the highest-marked saddle bronc ride at Cheyenne for 25 years and won the $50,000 at Calgary the first year it was given. One of the Budweiser Six Pack Team, the first to be sponsored by a corporation and Texas Circuit Saddle Bronc Champion twice, today Brown is a corporate pilot who volunteers his time to fly surgeons and organs where needed for organ transplants. He lives in Newcastle, Oklahoma.
RICHARD “TUFF” HEDEMAN was born in El Paso, Texas, on March 2, 1963. He began bull riding, team roping and winning All-Around titles while in high school, and was on the Sul Ross University championship team in 1982, competing in team roping, steer wrestling, bull riding and bronc riding. Hedeman competed professionally from 1983 – 1998 in bull riding and qualified 11 years for the NFR. He was the World Champion Bull Rider in 1986, 1989 and 1991, and won the NFR Average in 1987 and 1989. A PBR co-founder and its president from 1992 – 2004, Hedeman was Bull Riders Only World Champion in 1993, PBR ProDivision Champion and World Champion in 1995 and the first bull riding millionaire. He lives in Morgan Mill, Texas.
CODY LAMBERT was born December 2, 1961, in Artesia, New Mexico. A saddle bronc, bull riding, calf roping and team roping cowboy, he won the Men’s All-Around at the 1982 National Collegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) Finals. Lambert qualified for the NFR in saddle bronc competition in 1981, 1990 and 1991 and in bull riding in 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993. Lambert was a PBR co-founder and went to the PBR Finals in 1994, 1995 and 1996. A Texas Circuit Finals Champion twice in bull riding, twice in saddle bronc and three years as the All-Around, Lambert designed the protective vest for rodeo in 1992. Chosen for the PBR Ring of Honor, today Lambert ranches near Bowie, Texas.
JEROME ROBINSON was born October 16, 1947, in Ogallala, Nebraska. A bull riding, steer wrestling, bareback riding and team tying participant, Robinson made the top 10 in bull riding during college, then joined the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA, today the PRCA) in 1969 and competed until 1982, qualifying for the NFR a total of 11 times. As an RCA bull-riding director, Robinson developed the PROCOM system, which vastly improved the system for entering rodeos, and was on the committee to build the PRCA’s facility and hall of fame at Colorado Springs, Colorado. As production manager for the PRCA Winston Tour, he took rodeos to Finland, Japan, France and Venezuela.
BOBBY AND SID STEINER are the third and fourth generation of legendary rodeo producers Buck and his son Tommy of Steiner Rodeo Company. Bobby was born November 27, 1951, and son, Sid, December 8, 1974, in Austin, Texas. Bobby competed as a bull rider and bareback rider from 1968 – 1973, qualifying for the NFR three years and becoming the 1973 RCA World Champion Bull Rider. Bobby is a PBR Ring of Honor recipient. Sid competed as a steer wrestler from 1995 – 2002, when he became the PRCA Steer Wrestling World Champion. Sid received the nickname “Sid Rock” during his career due to his rebellious nature and showmanship, qualities he received from his father, Bobby. Both Bobby and Sid presently ranch near Austin, Texas.
JOHN AND THOMAS RHODES were father and son who both excelled in roping events. John was born on October 3, 1887, and died November 25, 1973. Thomas was born July 24, 1915, and died September 15, 1981. Both were born in Arizona and became cattle ranchers there. John competed from 1919 – 1968 and Thomas from 1933 – 1960. John was a 1936 and 1938 World Champion Team Roper, a 1944 Champion Steer Roper and a 1947 Champion Team Tyer. He is known for innovating healing from the right side in team roping, and was instrumental in founding the Tucson, Arizona, rodeo. Thomas was a World Champion Steer Roper in 1943, Champion Team Roper in 1944 and World Champion Team Tyer in 1945 and 1946.
JIM SNIVELY was born September 17, 1911, in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and was a top calf roper from 1935 until the 1950s when he began excelling in steer roping, too. Winner of the Calgary Stampede calf roping in 1951, he was among the top 10 steer ropers in the RCA from 1952 – 1962. Snively was the World Steer Roping Champion of the Rodeo Association of America (later changed to the International Rodeo Association) in 1954 and winner of the RCA Steer Roping Championship in 1956. He was the Reserve RCA Steer Roping Champion in 1952 and 1958, and in 1959 he won the Steer Roping Average at the first-ever NFR with 170.4 seconds on six head. Snively died September 18, 1998.
The 2020 recipients of the Tad Lucas Memorial Award and Ben Johnson Memorial Award are also highly regarded members of the Western community:
Tad Lucas Memorial Award 2020 honoree PAT NORTH OMMERT was born October 12, 1929, in Bell, California. From 1941 – 1962 Ommert wowed audiences coast to coast with her trick riding, Roman riding and specialty acts while appearing at venues such as the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Rodeo, Madison Square Garden, Boston Garden and Bobby Estes’ Wild West Show in Mexico City, to name a few. In 1969 Ommert was a Rancho California Horsemen’s Association founding leader, with a mission to develop a network of safe equestrian trails for future generations. A National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee, Ommert and her veterinarian husband, Will, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Professional Horsemen’s Association.
Ben Johnson Memorial Award 2020 honoree CARL NAFZGER was born August 29, 1941, in Plainview, Texas. During a 12-year bull-riding career, Nafzger qualified for the NFR three times in three consecutive years. After retiring from bull riding in 1972, Nafzger focused his energies on horse training and soon found success in that arena as well. Nafzger has trained three champion horses — Unbridled, Banshee Breeze and Street Sense — and has won the Kentucky Derby twice (1990 and 2007). Recipient of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in 1990, Nafzger is a member of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame and the PBR Ring of Honor.
Rodeo Hall of Fame inductees, along with the Tad Lucas Memorial Award and Ben Johnson Memorial Award honorees, are recognized each fall during Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend, which includes an Induction Ceremony and Champions’ Dinner as well as an Inductee Panel Discussion, the Rope ‘N’ Ride Cocktail Reception, live and silent auctions to benefit RHS and other festivities.
Visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/rhs for schedules and information regarding Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend.

As part of a commitment to the health and wellbeing of anyone who walks through the door of a Mercy facility, Mercy’s team is now 100% vaccinated, or have received a religious or medical exemption and will undergo rigorous masking and protective equipment protocols and frequent testing.
“By requiring all co-workers to be vaccinated, we are making sure anyone who walks through any door of any Mercy facility is better protected from COVID-19,” said Dr. John Mohart, Mercy’s chief clinical officer and senior vice president. “What we all know is that when you visit a doctor’s office or hospital, you’re often already compromised in some way – whether it’s a cold or cancer or diabetes. That makes it even more urgent for us to make sure Mercy does everything possible to protect our patients, visitors and co-workers. It’s our responsibility as a health care organization to make our spaces as safe as possible. We take that responsibility very seriously.”
As of today, Oct. 28, all current and future Mercy co-workers are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved medical or religious exemption. Mercy announced the vaccination requirement in July, giving co-workers more than three months to meet this standard. On Oct. 1, any co-worker who had not been vaccinated or received an approved exemption was placed on a 28-day unpaid suspension with full benefits and given the opportunity to follow the policy. “We have done everything possible to assist our co-workers in doing the right thing for our communities and for each other,” said Dr. Jeff Ciaramita, Mercy’s chief physician executive and senior vice president. “Ultimately, it was their decision. Like the flu shot, which is also required, we know this is the only decision for a health care organization.”
Five-year-old Lottie Gross of Oklahoma City was born with a congenital heart defect, has had 23 operations and multiple hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses. Pediatrician Dr. Scott Melson at Mercy Clinic Primary Care – North Portland has been her physician since she was a baby.
“Our family is extremely careful when it comes to limiting exposure to protect our little girl’s health,” said Rachel Gross, Lottie’s mom. “It’s been almost two years and we are still isolating and only gathering with vaccinated friends and family. It brings a huge sense of relief to know her health care team is vaccinated and that her doctor’s office is a safe place to bring her.”
Of more than 40,000 co-workers across Mercy’s four state region, less than 2% made the decision to remain unvaccinated. Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City has around 3,000 co-workers and 98% chose to get vaccinated or received an approved exemption.“This was a difficult decision, and we knew we’d lose some co-workers in the process, but we simply believe it’s the right thing to do,” said Jim Gebhart, president of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. “Patients come to us to get better, not to catch an illness. Our communities trust Mercy to do the right thing and to take care of them. We’ve seen firsthand what COVID-19 does to people and, as health care workers, we have to be a part of doing everything in our power to prevent the spread in our hospitals and clinics where we live.”
In making COVID vaccines a requirement, Mercy joins many other health care organizations and companies across the country who mutually recognize COVID vaccination serves the common good, protects patients and is crucial to safeguarding public health.
“When you come to a Mercy facility, you can feel confident you’re safe,” Dr. Ciaramita added. “Virtually all of our co-workers have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, making it highly unlikely that our co-workers would spread the virus. Everyone wants to return to some kind of normalcy after the world has been turned upside down by this pandemic. This is a step in the right direction that we hope others continue to follow.”

The Oklahoma Order of the Eastern Star recently marked 20 consecutive years of giving to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation with a donation of $7,937.92. The gift brings Eastern Star’s total contributions to more than $400,000 since designating OMRF as its charitable beneficiary in 2002.
Eastern Star designated its latest donation for research in neurological conditions, heart disease and cystic fibrosis at the Oklahoma City-based nonprofit. Previous gifts have funded research on cancer, lupus, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s.
The group presented its 2021 donation to OMRF Vice President of Development Penny Voss this month during its annual conference at the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple in Guthrie.
“Eastern Star has been a dedicated and faithful partner to OMRF,” Voss said. “Each year, their gifts go directly to medical research. We are thankful for their continued support of our scientists who work every day to help more live longer, healthier lives.”
The Order of the Eastern Star, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., is a worldwide fraternal organization with chapters in 46 states and several foreign countries. It is dedicated to furthering charity, education, fraternity and science. It is part of the family of Masonry, similar to Shriners and Scottish Rite.
Eastern Star members support OMRF through individual donations and statewide events such as golf tournaments, auctions and marches, plus memorials to loved ones. The Oklahoma chapter, established in 1909, has 6,000 members and groups in 74 cities and towns.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) announces today the resignation of Commissioner Lance Frye, M.D. Frye began his time at the agency in May 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic response.
“It has been an honor to serve Oklahoma and advance public health for all Oklahomans,” Lance Frye, M.D. said. “I admire the dedication, resilience and tenacity of the OSDH team. They have worked tirelessly over the last two years to ensure Oklahomans had access to not only COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and critical information, but to other life-saving services.”
“Dr. Frye provided steady leadership during Oklahoma’s COVID response from his role in surge planning on the Governor’s Solution Task Force to guiding our vaccine rollout that was Top Ten in the nation as Commissioner of Health,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “With cases and hospitalizations down 60% in recent weeks, Dr. Frye has positioned the Oklahoma State Department of Health well to continue managing COVID effectively and I am grateful for his service to our state during an unprecedented time.”
“I am grateful to Dr. Frye for stepping up during a very difficult time, to keep Oklahomans safe and develop a path for a future state of health in Oklahoma. It is an honor to be in public service, and the state owes him a debt of gratitude for giving his time. I would also like to thank current Deputy Commissioner Keith Reed for agreeing to serve as Interim Commissioner of Health while a search is underway,” Kevin Corbett, Secretary of Health and Mental Health, said.
The critical work of the continued response and hundreds of other programs and services OSDH provides will be carried on under the continued leadership of Interim Commissioner of Health Keith Reed.
“I’m grateful for the service Dr. Lance Frye provided during such a critical time in our state’s history,” Keith Reed, interim commissioner of health, said. “In my tenure with OSDH, I have always admired the resilience of our staff and their commitment to remaining focused on serving Oklahomans. I look forward to continue working side-by-side with them as we continue to move forward.”

The Chisholm Trail Museum in Kingfisher will hold a Cast-Iron Cooking class on Saturday, November 13, from noon to 4 p.m. In this casual, fun class, participants will learn to care for and cook in cast-iron cookware as they create a Dutch oven delight and enjoy a group meal. The class will explore historical and modern recipes while learning how to cook in the backyard. All materials needed for the class will be provided.
The cost for this workshop is $25 per person or $40 per pair. Preregistration is required, and payment must be received to secure registration. Registration is limited to 30 participants. The program is geared toward adults and children ages 10 and older with an adult. Contact the museum at 405-375-5176 to reserve your spot. The Chisholm Trail Museum is located at 605 Zellers Ave. in Kingfisher.
The Chisholm Trail Museum and Horizon Hill is an affiliate 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.

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Jerry Almufleh still remembers getting out of school in the afternoons and heading to the dialysis center to sit with his grandmother while she received dialysis.
There would be good days and there would be bad days while Almufleh watched his loved one go through renal failure.
And he always wished there was something more he could do to make things easier.
“Doing that, sometimes three days a week, I got intrigued. I wanted to learn more and I built relationships with the nurses and the doctors,” he said.
Eventually, that curiosity would be rewarded at age 19 with a job on the dialysis unit. Positions in long-term care, home healthcare and hospice would follow, but his driving focus was always helping make life easier for those battling health issues.
That’s why he and his wife, Alison, started SilverLeaf, a cannabis and CBD dispensary that takes a person-centered approach to making everyday life better.
The passage of State Question 788 in 2018 paved the way for medical marijuana in Oklahoma.
For more than two years Oklahomans have turned to the licensed and regulated industry for treatment of a variety of conditions.
But while new stores seemingly pop up every week, none have taken an approach like SilverLeaf. (story continues below)

“I would love to see this model flourish because we hear the testimonials. Not only the medicine, because we know what we’re looking for but just the experience overall,” Jerry said. “Really all it is is to treat people like they’re humans, empathize, sympathize with them, listen to them and always do your very best. That’s where we’re getting a lot of the trust.”
Customers coming to SilverLeaf are greeted by their first name. It’s just the tip of the iceberg as Jerry and his wife take the time to find out exactly what their client needs are.
“I get to help them in a more natural way,” said Alison who previously worked in admissions in long-term care. “Working in long-term care you see the downgrade, someone come in and decline. But being there every day they become part of your family.”
“Now when I get to be with the patients they walk in and they’re happier.”
Cannabis enjoys the distinction as one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world, dating back several thousand years.
But the discovery of its vast medicinal purposes has only occurred in the last half-century.
“It’s hard to believe that just the last 60 years we got it right,” Alison said. “We’re finally figuring it out.”
SilverLeaf operates more like a clinic than a store.
Having spent the better part of their lives working with seniors, both Jerry and Alison know the importance of establishing trust especially when it comes to helping customers who are struggling with chronic issues.
Jerry estimates more than 60 percent of his time is spent in teaching.
“The education is understanding the background of whatever diseases they’re battling, understanding the side effects and the pros and cons,” said Jerry, who frequently provides presentations to independent and assisted living facilities. “This is not what they were taught back in the day. The main message we want to get out is there is a more natural, safer way.”
In the realm of constant pain or anxiety, there’s little argument now that cannabinoids provide safe, natural symptom relief.
“(Constant pain) shouldn’t have to be that way. What quality of life is that,” Jerry asked. “We have a passion for seniors. I feel seniors should live their life to the fullest to the last day. They shouldn’t have to succumb to sedation and seclusion.”
Silverleaf Dispensary specializes in senior care and dosing. It is very important that you know the correct delivery methods and dosage to consume, that’s why Silverleaf is a Certified Cannacian and can walk you through the process of obtaining optimal health through CBD and Cannabis.
The working relationship between Almufleh and physicians often results in customers being able to decrease dosages or even go off of pharmaceutical medications entirely.
In some instances, evening prescription medications designed to sedate patients for the purpose of sleep can be replaced by quality CBD products.
“We understand we may be ahead of our time in terms of (medical marijuana),” Jerry said. “It’s now that we’re starting to see those poles shift. We have a whole demographic counting on us.”
“There needs to be an atmosphere and a place where people can come down and truly get what they need instead of being rushed through dispensaries like cattle,” he said. “We feel like we needed to develop that place and here we are.”
For more information visit: https://silverleaf-ok.com or go by and say hello at 5300 North Meridian Avenue Suite 12 in Oklahoma City.

story and photo by James Coburn, Staff Writer

Seniors wanting to live their lives in community can be confident in the lifestyle options available at Epworth Villa, a retirement community in Oklahoma City.
“If you stop and think about it, the pandemic has highlighted for us the importance of community,” said Epworth Villa CEO and president Ron Kelly.
The pandemic has interrupted the daily life of Americans in many ways. People have not been able to be as close to one another as in the past. Epworth Villa has met the challenge by preserving community when COVID moved through virtually every segment of society.
Epworth did a lot of shutting things down last year during the height of the pandemic. It joined everyone else in trying to understand how to minimize the risks of COVID-19. Testing and screening protocols were implemented for best practices.
Oklahoma is experiencing a resurgence with the Delta variant as scientists unravel the mystery of the disease with vaccinations available to keep the virus at bay. Kelly said Epworth has done fairly well in minimizing the impact. It’s important to be transparent, he said. (story continues below)

“Did we have cases? Yes, we did. We had a few folks that passed away actually that were in our upper levels of care,” he said. “It was very sad for us — but from what I saw — what others experienced, that was well above what others were experiencing.”
Some people enjoyed the neighborly aspects of greeting friends from their balconies and other measures during a time when the public didn’t feel very safe being indoors together.
“There was a friendship tree that came out of that in our cottage area where we have independent homes,” Kelly said.
People in the neighborhood would come to a large shade tree to gather at a safe distance in front of one of those homes. That spirit has continued at Epworth.
To this day, people still want to receive the daily community videos that Kelly produces for residents. Kelly now distributes the videos three days a week. He provides updates on the Delta variant and the possible impact it may or may not bring to daily life. Guidance from the CDC is presented in the videos as to whether a change of protocols should be updated to offer the best protection for the residents.
“So, I think people have really appreciated staying informed with what’s going on,” he said. “They’ve taken advantage of every opportunity to keep community going. That has been huge in terms of the thriving of our residents and our staff.”
Another area of improvement is creating more options for enriching life at home. Dining venues reopened when Epworth felt confident it was safe.
About 99 percent of Epworth residents have been vaccinated, Kelly said. There have been adjustments, but the community has been able to adapt and thrive since February.
Epworth’s nursing staff is one to admire. They have shown a lot of courage, Kelly continued. Folks were happy to be able to adapt to wearing protective equipment. There was greater risk for both staff and residents early in the pandemic.
“We had some staff that tested positive. I’m sure when that happens it rattles you, but they were courageous. Our director of nursing (Mia Owen) led the way. She showed the staff herself. She put on the equipment — did it herself. She went into areas where we had a COVID-positive resident,” Kelly explained. “She showed them and demonstrated that for them. That was the kind of leadership we needed. We needed our director of nursing when there was uncertainty. That courage and that leadership is why I call those folks heroes.”
Epworth offers residents the options and amenities of a seamless living environment on its spacious campus.
There are three levels of living including independent living with apartments and cottages. There is assisted living care with a memory care component. Health services at Epworth provides a short-term rehab for people transitioning from a hospital to home. Skilled inpatient and outpatient care is provided.
“We offer that to the broader community outside of Epworth as well,” he said.
Epworth at Home is a hospice and home health care to serve the campus and the community at large.
“What I love about it is not only how the staff has served the residents that live here, but how the residents serve one another,” Kelly said. “That’s the kind of community I see.”
Friends encourage one another when they see progress resulting from health care.
“That really uplifts people, not only in those times of need, but in general,” Kelly said.
For more information visit: https://epworthvilla.org or 14901 N. Pennsylvania Avenue in Oklahoma City.

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Most people choose the jobs they want to pursue.
For Christina Sibley, the job chose her.
Christina has been a healthcare provider for more than 20 years. She’s taught medical assisting and phlebotomy.
She’s worked in doctor’s offices, labs, hospitals and home care, always with a passion for her patients.
But it was a suggestion from husband, Steven, that brought it all together.
“I feel like God put me on the Earth for a reason,” she said. “I have a specific set of skills, experience and education that allow me to do things for people, they have put me in a unique position to be able to do things for people that others just don’t have the ability to do.”
Christina and her husband own and operate Sibley Insures.
Actually, it’s more than that.
They live it.
An average of 10,000 people age into Medicare each day. (story continues below)

Licensed Health insurance producers in Oklahoma and Kansas, serving OKC, Tulsa, and beyond, the Sibleys are a wealth of information when it comes to making one of the most important healthcare decisions most of us will ever face.
And that yearly decision is fast approaching.
The last few months of the year the Sibleys’ business goes into overdrive with Medicare enrollment beginning October 15 and running through December 7.
“A broker, like myself, is someone contracted with multiple carriers so they aren’t beholden to a specific carrier and they’re not trying to fit someone into the only tool they have,” Christina explained of what she does. “A broker is able to find the right tool for the client and their specific needs.”
“You would be surprised at how many people who are on Medicare, and have been for a long time, who don’t understand how it works. They’ve never really been given a good education.”
That’s the “what” when it comes to Sibley Insures.
The “why” runs deeper.
Christina Sibley tears up when she talks about her grandmother, whom she was able to care for in her final few years.
“She was a widow, a homemaker her whole life, whose husband died at a young age unexpectedly,” she said. “She lived on a very low income and had significant health issues. I watched her struggle for a long time, especially with paying for medications.”
Planning on going to school to become a physician’s assistant, Christina fell in love with gerontology (the study of aging issues), largely because of the experiences with her grandmother.
“My desired patients were going to be geriatric patients. That’s who I love. That’s who I love to work with,” she said. “When Steve suggested I go into insurance I was not interested at all.”
“She thought I was nuts,” Steve said with a laugh. “When she found out about Medicare and what she could do for seniors it was like the lightbulb came on. These were not only the people she wanted to serve but as an educator she was able to use her experience and skills to truly make a difference.”
Behind her the whole way is Steve, who brings 15 years of financial services expertise and 36 years of military service to the business.
She’s always had a passion for education.
“The best part of what I do now … I can spend two or three hours with somebody and really get to know them, help them understand so they can make their own choices,” she said. “As an educator you have to be able to break complex things down into something people can relate to.”
With Covid 19 restrictions ongoing, many seminars and educational opportunities to help seniors make an informed decision will likely not occur this year throughout the industry.
“That has been in the back of my mind but my clients, the people who are already with me, understand they have access to me all year,” she said. “They’re used to ‘Hey, I have a question. I’m going to call Christina.’”
She said “this year, in particular, there are many tools available to meet and enroll virtually, if that’s someone’s preference.”
In person or on the phone, Christina has always prided herself on being accessible to her clients and the people who are referred to her by her clients.
Answering a question, or giving her opinion – it’s always about the client.
“One of my favorite sayings is do the right thing for the sake of the right thing,” she said. “Just do the right thing for people, it’s that simple. I decided early on that I was going to do it that way, period. I’ll either be successful at it or I won’t be, but I’ll do it in a way that I can look at myself in the mirror each day and be happy with what I do.” Visit: https://www.sibleyinsures.com

Story by Darl DeVault contributing editor

Renowned Oklahoma Osage sculptor Shan Gray died in September at age 65, but his legacy as the most prolific artist of the Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration will live on in the state with his iconic bronze masterpieces of public art.
Gray was hitting his stride as a prolific figurative portrait sculptor when Oklahoma planned its Centennial Commemoration for 2007— a statewide, multiyear celebration of the state’s 100th birthday. Commemoration organizers Lee Allan Smith and Blake Wade drafted Gray into sculpting multiple, larger-than-life public art projects, which became a legacy to his talent.
“Gray’s sculpture of the Shannon Miller statue in Edmond is truly the Oklahoma standard for excellence,” said Joel Randell, Gray’s sculpting protege. Gray’s Warren Spahn statues and award put his contribution to Oklahoma art at the level of Paul Moore’s Centennial Land Run Monument masterpiece and Harold Holden’s legacy, Randell added, and his Billy Vessels and James Garner bronze sculptures in Norman illustrate some of the state’s best of the human form in motion. (story continues below)

Completing eight bronze sculpting projects for the 2007 celebration, Gray was the most prolific of the individually commissioned Oklahoma Centennial artists. He collaborated with John Free Jr. in the casting of his heroic statues at Free’s Bronze Horse Foundry in Pawhuska.
The largest of Gray’s public art creations is the Cleveland County Veterans Memorial near the southwest corner of Reaves Park in Norman. A striking and complex memorial, the work accentuates the clean lines of an obelisk topped by an oversized eagle landing with an American flag.
The statue of the University of Oklahoma’s first Heisman Trophy winner, Billy Vessels, is displayed in Heisman Park just east of Jenkins Avenue and the football stadium. Also in Norman, his bronze likeness of famous Norman son and movie star James Garner enhances the downtown area on East Main Street at the railroad tracks.
“For all of these works,” Gray said at the dedication of the Garner statue, “I was striving to accurately capture the detail and dynamics of the spirit or movement in the human figures in the unmoving bronze to carry off the illusion of bringing the monument to life. I have always said my sculpting style is rooted in the classical tradition.”
A cluster of Gray’s efforts is outside the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in downtown Oklahoma City, including the nine-foot-tall bronze depiction of Warren Spahn in his famous high-kicking windup. Spending his final decades in Tulsa, Spahn is the winningest lefty pitcher in major league history. Gray’s busts of other Oklahomans—New York Yankee pitcher Allie “Super Chief” Reynolds and St. Louis Cardinal Pepper Martin—are near the third-base gate at the ballpark.
Gray’s works include a tribute to the three former Miss Americas who attended Oklahoma City University. At the southeastern entrance to the OCU campus, Jane Jayroe, Susan Powell and Shawntel Smith beam in their pageant evening gowns.
The Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute on the campus of Baptist Integris Hospital displays a bust of its namesake medical inventor and heart surgeon. The sculpture is on the ground floor of the main hospital building.
In Edmond’s Shannon Miller Park, Gray’s bronze sculpture honors the seven-time Olympic medalist from Edmond. The 19-foot bronze was the largest statue of a woman athlete in America at its completion.
In Edmond’s J.L. Mitch Park, Gray erected a bronze Girl Scout statue titled ‘95 Years and Planting.’ It depicts a small girl planting a tree in the park.

by James Coburn – staff writer

Home Care Assistance helps to maintain a clean, safe and healthy environment for its clients, says Melissa Hill and Greg Bridges, owners of the family-owned company based in Edmond.
“We just hit our seven-year anniversary milestone,” Hill said.
The award-winning company provides non-medical care. As a registered nurse, Bridges writes a care plan based on an assessment he makes for individuals.
A home health care company might overlap in the company’s involvement.
“It’s almost synergistic, the whole thing that 1 and 1 makes 3. We partner up with home health. It’s just great because they know our mission, and they know our care methodology. We’re consistent — we’re conscientious — we’re careful.”
Home health might have a physical therapist coming into the home once a week for treatment. (story continues below)

“Our caregivers serve as cheerleaders and guide them and encourage them to have them go through their exercises which really expedites recovery,” he said.
The caregivers do not diagnose but simply assess and report back to Bridges. Home Care Assistance handles bathing, grooming, sometimes feeding, dressing, safety, transfers, medication reminders and housekeeping. Caregivers report unusual health problems that might pop up or have been overlooked.
Home Care Assistance is on-call 24/7. There is a lot of in-house training to maximize their potential to serve their clients’ needs. Caregivers also provide social interaction which is a much-needed resource to keep individuals from being isolated in their own communities. Balanced care provides emotional, physical and spiritual support. Pathways are secured for safe mobility.
“As a young start-up business seven years ago, we’ve evolved a lot,” Hill said. “Over time, I think, we’ve really established Home Care Assistance as the highest quality care provider in this market. So, our business has grown, and the demand for in-home services is growing. During COVID I think people really came to terms that they are safer at home.”
A caregiver’s assignment is without rotation. A personalized individual caregiver limits the exposure that a resident would otherwise have to people. Home Care Assistance has evolved its employee care program as well with training and development.
“We have some super people with us and some very tenured employees. So, we really invest a lot with our employees in helping them be highly satisfied,” she added.
As they follow the CDC guidelines, caregivers have a high immunization rate and follow the protocol of wearing a protective mask to help reduce the risk of an exposure. Infection control means asking employees to live a lifestyle that considers the everyday health of their clients. Employees are asked daily if they feel sick, and they sign a form, that in-turn is another safety approach.
Balanced care involves an involved assessment by a registered nurse in the client’s home. The RN will evaluate the home including any danger points that could impair a client’s security. There has never been a fall with injury during the seven years that Home Care Assistance has been protecting its clients.
“We turn those into tasks that are followed in the care plan,” Bridges said. “It guides our caregivers on safety and best practices. It’s documented electronically and we follow the real-time feedback on that.”
Bridges notes the occurrence of a tar-like stool, indicating internal bleeding. And recently he assessed someone whose blood pressure changed from low to high when changing from sitting to standing. These indications are reported to the client’s physician.
Bridges is a seasoned nurse having worked in acute care, hospice, and home health. He said that Home Care Assistance operates closest to home health, but without doing the medical component of care. Services are private pay without being contracted with Medicare.
“You really get to know them and the family intimately,” Bridges said.
Caregivers are emotionally invested in their their clients’ successes and empathizing with their challenges. Some of the clients are living with memory loss. It can be heartbreaking to see a client going through stages of dementia.
“You learn to ride some of the tough times out with them,” he said.
A consistent assignment by one caregiver in the home will oftentimes help the individual to relax due their familiarity with a caregiver. It’s very touching for the caregiver to see their client feel safe at home.
Families are their clients as well, as Home Care Assistance is constantly working with the family by getting feedback, Hill said.
“A lot of our clients are fortunate to be very local and can be involved in the care team and work very closely with us,” Hill said. “But we also support people who have nobody. Their kids are in other states and are raising families. So, they really rely on us as the eyes and ears locally to be with mom or dad.”
For more information visit: www.homecareassistanceoklahoma.com.