April Fools’ Day brings its share of gags, but some health hoaxes best us year-round.
In honor of a day filled with practical jokes, scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation are taking the air out of five myths as common as the Whoopee Cushion.
1. We should be taking 10,000 steps a day
In 1956, a Japanese company launched a pedometer with a name that translates to “10,000 step meter.” A half-century later, the figure remains ingrained.
“Walking is wonderful for your health, but there’s nothing magic about 10,000 steps,” said OMRF President Stephen Prescott, M.D. Indeed, a 2019 study found that in older women, an increase from 2,700 to 4,500 steps a day correlated with a significantly reduced rate of premature death.
“The important lesson is that taking more steps is always better than fewer,” said Prescott.
2. Being in the cold can give you a cold
For those whose parents insisted they bundle up or else get sick, OMRF immunologist Eliza Chakravarty, M.D., has news. “You will not catch a cold simply from being underdressed for chilly weather,” she said. “You have to be exposed to a virus.”
Although cold and flu cases peak in prevalence during the winter months, you’re more likely to get sick indoors, where germs can easily pass from person to person.
3. Drink eight glasses of water a day
More than 75 years ago, the Food and Nutrition Board recommended people should shoot for consuming 2.5 liters, or about 85 oz., of water per day. But that blanket recommendation ignored one central piece of common sense: Different-sized people have different hydration needs.
Plus, said Prescott, “A lot of the water our bodies need is in vegetables, fruit, coffee and everything else we eat and drink.” He recommends using common sense and letting thirst be your guide. “Your body will tell you when it needs water.”
4. Hold the eggs
The idea that eggs and other high-cholesterol foods are dangerous is a long-held belief. But, said Prescott, “Unless you’re in the small group of people who are very sensitive to dietary cholesterol, there’s no evidence that eating high-cholesterol foods increases a person’s risk of heart disease.”
When it comes to controlling your blood cholesterol levels, it’s saturated fats that need to be kept in check. “A diet high in red meat, butter and cheeses is much more concerning than one that includes an egg a day,” said Prescott.
5. We only use 10% of our brains
The myth that we use just a tenth of our brains has roots as old as Oklahoma’s statehood. In the more than one hundred years since, neuroscience has undergone dramatic advances.
“We know from brain imaging that no area of the brain is unused,” said Prescott. “And logically, brain injuries tell us that damage to any part of the brain can have long-lasting and devastating results.”
The falsehood is thought to have roots in encouraging people to dig into their own potential for self-improvement. The idea isn’t without merit, said Prescott. “Staying mentally engaged as you age is critical. But there are no untapped brain cells to call on to do it.”

* As of this advisory, there are 437,974 (121 new today) cases of COVID-19 in Oklahoma.
* 334 is today’s 7-day rolling average for the number of new cases reported.
* Today’s Provisional Death Count (CDC/NCHS): 7,846
* Additional hospitalization data can be found in the Hospital Tiers report, published evenings Monday through Friday.
* Register online to receive a notification when you’re eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at vaccinate.oklahoma.gov, or locate other vaccine opportunities at vaccinefinder.org.
* For more information, visit https://oklahoma.gov/covid19.html.

*The total includes laboratory information provided to OSDH at the time of the report. As a result, counts are subject to change. Total counts may not reflect unique individuals.
***The purpose of publishing aggregated statistical COVID-19 data through the OSDH Dashboard, the Executive Order Report, and the Weekly Epidemiology and Surveillance Report is to support the needs of the general public in receiving important and necessary information regarding the state of the health and safety of the citizens of Oklahoma. These resources may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be used in any way that would determine the identity of any reported cases.
Data Source: Acute Disease Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health. *As of 2021-03-30 at 7:00 a.m.

Story by Darl Devault, Feature Writer

Randy Ross, 66, says as the mayor of Choctaw and the executive director of the Oklahoma Accountancy Board his life’s outlook was shaped 50 years ago by an important coach.
“I started wrestling when I was 9 years old in the fourth grade,” Ross said. “Compared to a lot of kids I won far more than I lost, but I never achieved my goal of a state championship in high school at Midwest City, ending up as a State Runner-up. But I won more when I got to college. including becoming the first All-American in modern times at Central State University (now the University of Central Oklahoma).”
What he also gained from those hours spent in the wrestling room is something not measured by wins or medals, but instead by learning important life lessons lasting forever, he said.
He has been called chairman, president, mayor and many other titles in different organizations. Those titles come and go, but one thing never changes—he can say “I am a wrestler.”
“I learned the discipline necessary to study for and pass the CPA exam from wrestling,” Ross said. “I learned to persevere through difficult times, through tragedies, through the highs and lows of life, to take the next step.”
His high school wrestling coach, Jim Kinyon, made a significant impact on Ross’ life on his way to coaching Midwest City High School wrestlers to the school’s first wrestling state championship 50 years ago in 1971 and again in 1972.
Coach Kinyon taught them the skills and techniques required to be successful on the mat. “Important to my future and who I am today he also understood as a coach of impressionable young men he had an opportunity to instill character traits to last a lifetime,” Ross said.
“My successes in life and my career are founded on the lessons the great sport of wrestling gave me,” Ross said. “In my career, I have fought the battles in board rooms, managed the tough political campaigns. I have weathered the insults from fans as I officiated matches. A coach or two might have had choice comments, but wrestling gave me the tools to handle mentally and physically whatever was tossed at me.”
Kinyon died in 2016, but his legacy has lived on among the hundreds of lives he positively affected through the sport of wrestling. Ross says these are the life lessons he modelled for his athletes.
Be Humble and Keep Working
There is no bigger test than competing in one-on-one physical combat. But unless you are a world-beater, there will always be someone better than you. Kinyon helped Ross make the choice to go on to compete in college.
Success in wrestling is directly proportional to the amount of training you undergo. Being physically talented is one thing, but often the outcome of a match is decided by which athlete has put more work into practice and conditioning. There is no substitute for hard work, an important lesson which helps post-wrestling. Without Kinyon’s early guidance Ross says he would not have likely been elected to the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2017.
Accountability
Wrestling is an individual sport, so accountability is everything. Wrestling is also a team sport as points are awarded at each weight class based on who won each match and by how much. After a wrestling meet the total team points decides the team victory or loss.
After weigh-in before a tourney Kinyon would go over this information with each Bomber wrestler. He explained what to expect from their opponent. Once he got to the end of the weights, he would add up the points each wrestler would likely earn. He then told the team what we needed to do to win the tournament.
This ability to use figures to give others confidence in what they are doing may well be the reason he became an accountant at UCO.
Mental toughness is as important as physical strength.
Ross was injured in a car accident in high school. Coach Kinyon worked with him create the mental toughness needed to continue to perform.
“An example of this is two days before the 1972 state tournament I came down with an intestinal bacterial infection,” Ross said. “I did not practice the next day, laid up in bed. That night Kinyon came to my house and took me to the high school to weigh. I was a couple of pounds over my 106-pound weight class. Kinyon told me what to eat and they would be by to pick me up for weigh-in the next day.”
Ross offered to let Gus Blackwell wrestle in his place, but Kinyon said “No, you helped us get this far, and if you can walk, you are going to wrestle.”
Ross took second place in the tourney, helping the team to a second consecutive state championship.
“Coach Kinyon taught me even more important than physical strength is your attitude,” Ross said. “If you allow it to, your mind will almost always give up before your body. Wrestling not only works the body but the mental aspect and controlling emotions before and during a match is a key to success and later life.”
Confidence Through Preparation
Kinyon was known for his calm demeanor during matches, often appearing as an observer, like the fans. This special mix of strong teaching skills and high-performance standards won him honors as a coach. Only coaching at Midwest City for four years, 1969-1972, Kinyon was named 1971 and 1972 Oklahoma Class 4-A wrestling coach of the year.
“I never won a state championship, the kids won the state championships,” Kinyon said in 1995. “Wrestling is a game of skills. The guy with the best skills is usually the guy who wins. If it were just strength, then all your big football players would be great wrestlers. But it is a game of skills. Once you master those skills it just comes natural to you.”
Asked to compare his mat side coaching style to his rivals Kinyon said he felt the other coaches tried a little too hard to coach during the match because they felt helpless themselves about the outcome.
“It is out of your control (once the match begins)—if you haven’t done a good job of teaching… then your athletes are in trouble,” Kinyon said in 1995. “Where you win you dual is on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday… on Thursday you lighten up a little bit, then you make weight, and you are ready for the match. The coaching is done. If you have to coach a guy—you can give him some pointers, but the real coaching is done in the practice room.”
“Once I graduated from college, I found this same mentality can be taken into any group or work setting,” Ross said. “Learning to properly prepare for any situation is extremely valuable.”
Discipline
Wrestling is a lifestyle. It requires dedication and discipline away from the mat, especially when it comes to diet and nutrition.
Nothing will tax your body more than a wrestling match and any deficiencies in your diet will affect your performance. Wrestling also requires the discipline to put in the extra 6 a.m. run or after-practice weight session if you want to be successful.
“My interaction with coach Kinyon rewarded me with exposure to all these qualities,” Ross said. “They helped spark my college studies and wrestling career to remain with me throughout my life. This preparation in life has allowed me to handle the many ways I have been stretched serving the citizens as a public figure while being the mayor of Choctaw.”

By Nick Thomas

Back in 2019, actor/writer/producer Terry Ray convinced Erin Murphy – best known for playing baby Tabitha in “Bewitched” – to reprise her role in a short five-minute web skit in which her now-adult character seeks out a therapist (played by Ray) to deal with childhood issues lingering from growing up as the daughter of Darrin and Samantha Stephens. It was the beginning of a web series called “TV Therapy” that has delighted fans of classic television.
“One day my dad came into the room and he was a completely different person,” proclaims Tabitha to Dr. Stephen Nielson, Ray’s therapist character in the series. Fans of “Bewitched” will immediately understand the humorous implication.
Ray followed up with another fun therapy session featuring Dawn Wells as Mary Ann of “Gilligan’s Island” fame discussing her issues resulting from the harrowing years stranded on a desert island. The series is available on Ray’s YouTube channel.
“Don’t ever take a vacation in Hawaii and if you do, don’t take the harbor cruise,” advises Mary Ann from the therapist’s couch.
“We shot the ones with Erin and Dawn in the home of Billy Clift, the director, pre-COVID,” explained Ray from his home in Palm Springs. “Then COVID hit, but they were so much fun I wanted to do more and realized I could via Zoom.”
He followed up in 2020 with episodes featuring Butch Patrick (Eddie from “The Munsters”), Kathy Garver (Cissy from “Family Affair”), and others.
“I’m a classic TV fan and came up with the therapy sessions as a fun way to explore the characters today,” said Ray who wrote all the scripts. “I had no budget and don’t make any money from the series – everyone volunteered their time because we knew how much the fans would enjoy it.”
Ray was devastated when he learned of Dawn Well’s death from COVID in late December last year. The two became friends after he wrote and appeared in the short 2015 film with Wells, “She’s Still on That Freakin’ Island,” in which Ray’s character is washed ashore to find Mary Ann still a castaway.
“With the stress of COVID I, like so many, found comfort tuning in to classic television – the shows that made us feel happy and safe in our youth and still do,” said Ray. “On a sad note, ‘TV Therapy’ was one of the very last performances of the wonderful Dawn Wells before we lost her to COVID. Dawn really embraced the role of Mary Ann and helped keep the show alive for fans for 50 years.”
Ray plans to keep classic TV show memories alive for fans, too, by continuing his “TV Therapy” series in 2021 (see www.terryray.tv).
“I’ve got new shows planned and written, and hope to keep it going for several more seasons.”
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 850 newspapers and magazines. See www.getnickt.org.

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Elizabeth Rogers has experienced a lot in a short period of time.
A Chiara malformation – often detected after birth – led to brain surgery later in life for Rogers, a mother of two and registered nurse.
A defect in the base of her skull allowed brain tissue to slip into her spine.
Severe headaches and neck pain led to her losing range of motion.
She could barely turn her head. The pain was unbearable.
“During the moment having that severe pain I knew there was no way I could live my life,” she said.
At the time, it seemed as if her life might be over, even though she’d only been on this earth for nearly four decades.
“Now I just feel so much better. I’m so thankful they had an operation that would actually help and not live in pain on a daily basis,” she said, looking back at the November 2019 surgery.
So at a relatively young age, Rogers had already faced what she thought might be the end.
The experience, which spawned resilience and perseverance gave her a newfound lease on life.
One she promised she wouldn’t squander.
Growing up, Rogers always wanted to be a doctor. There was something about healing others that drew her.
Growing up with a respiratory therapist for a mom, Rogers knew the hands and feet of medicine truly were at the bedside.
A lunch meeting with her mom at the hospital cafeteria solidified her path.
“Just that moment I realized my heart was in healthcare,” she said.
A nurse since 2004, Rogers has poured her passion into helping others facing their end as a clinical manager for TenderCare Hospice in Norman.
“I like to serve people. It’s my passion to help others,” she said. “I just like to take care of people.”
Owner Brian Wilson ensures that caring for seniors is the company’s passion.
As a Medicare-certified agency, the company’s focus is solely on creating comfort for both patients and their families.
Tailoring care plans to the specific desires and needs of patients is first priority, while also preparing families for the road ahead.
Compassionate nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains and volunteers are available 24-hours-a-day for on-going support. With an extensive geographic service area covering 29 counties and ability to deliver care at home, nursing home, or assisted living center, TenderCare Hospice is the choice of doctors and families across Oklahoma.
“Being a hospice nurse has really changed my outlook on life in general,” she said. “I had never had elderly care on my radar ever but when my kids got into school I thought I would try home health.
“From there, I just grew fond of the elderly. They can give you so much.” The prospect of entering hospice care frightened her.
“Once I got into it I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life,” she said. “These patients give you so much. It’s just amazing.”
“They thank us for what we’ve done but really it’s us that need to thank them. You learn that even though you’re going through hard times you’re going to get through it.”
Learning the stories behind each individual are some of the best parts of Rogers’ profession.
The joys, failures, successes and sorrows add depth to others’ lives.
“You realize they’ve gone some of the same stuff you have to go through whether it be financial, health, loss. Then you realize you’re going to be able to make it,” she said. “They teach you what life is really about.”
Rogers always tells her new nurses there’s no way you can understanding living without helping someone die. And learning how they live adds depth to your own life.
“Stories like that bring a whole lot to your life,” she said. “You realize you can get through this. This is not going to be the death of me. Other people have gone through this and it’s going to be OK. That’s probably the thing I enjoy the most about hospice, getting to know the people and learning from them.”
“It’s just an amazing field.”

Story and photo by James Coburn, Feature Writer

Hearing loss can be so gradual until it becomes a problem with age, said Dr. Jeni Merrick-Baker, a clinical audiologist and owner of Ears of Oklahoma, located in Oklahoma City.
Ears of Oklahoma treats a range of hearing disorders among patients older than 18.
“Everybody typically starts losing their hearing in their 40s, but we don’t notice it at first,” Baker said. “If there ever is a sudden hearing loss and you just wake up one day and the hearing is gone in one ear, then that’s an issue that you have to see an ear specialist or otologist within 24 hours to try to get that hearing back.”
Most of her clients come to Baker for problems such as ringing in their ears, otherwise known as tinnitus. Tinnitus affects about 15-20 percent of people, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is especially common in older adults.
“It’s more and more common every day,” Baker said. “We’re just seeing it so much more especially in the baby boom generation, due most likely to some loud noise and concerts.”
Baker begins her diagnosis after clearing wax from the ear canal. A comprehensive hearing test is done to learn the type of hearing loss a patient is experiencing and the best method of treatment. Hearing aids may be fitted when needed.
Family members will notice the speaker volume going up. Typically, a spouse will encourage their loved on to visit Ears of Oklahoma after noticing their husband or wife is having trouble hearing conversation at a restaurant or a place with a competing background noise. Older adults might complain that they have difficulty in hearing their grandchildren speak.
“That’s always a sign that they know there’s some loss there, just because of the range the kids voices typically fall in,” Baker said.
Recent advances in technology has made it easier for audiologists to restore more lifestyles with improved hearing.
Hearing aids are receptive to Bluetooth now. Clients wearing one can receive a phone call directly in their ears without holding the phone next to their ear. Bluetooth technology can be sent directly to the hearing aid as well.
The brain is wired to hear in stereo to process hearing. Sound is filtered for clarity before it ever reaches the eardrum.
“So basically, if the spouse is with them watching the TV, they can set the volume wherever they want,” Baker said.
An app designed for tinnitus helps to minimize ringing in the ears.
Additionally, Bluetooth technology enables the use of a bi-cross hearing aid. Sound is transferred to the deaf ear from the healthy hear.
“It gives people back the location of sound,” she said.
A rewarding part of Baker’s profession is hearing patients tell her that their life is better now after going to Ears of Oklahoma.
“They can hear in a very difficult situation — for instance in a noisy restaurant,” she said.
Research indicates that even a mild hearing loss may double the risk of dementia, Baker continued.
“A moderate to severe hearing loss triples it. And if it’s a true, severe hearing loss, you’re five times more likely to develop dementia early.”
People get their life back with restored hearing. They are no longer nervous about not saying the right thing in a conversation.
Baker looks forward to the end of the pandemic. Technology allows her to enter an office, assisted living or home to test and provide hearing aids in the comfort of home.
“That’s something that’s real exciting and I can’t wait for that to start happening,” she said.
Twenty years ago, Baker began her practice in Ardmore. She continues to have the clinic there. Baker had been with the Otologic Medical Clinic at the Hough Ear Institute for several years and decided to open her second independent practice of her own in Oklahoma City. She branched off in November to the Ears of Oklahoma location at 3400 NW 56th St., Oklahoma City.
Patients come to see Baker from many parts of the state. It’s nice to have a practice in Ardmore, she said.
“I’m one of the very few in southern Oklahoma,” she said.
Baker recommends well fitting earplugs to protect hearing during loud concerts or when exposed to loud industrial noise. Persons working in conditions of excessive industrial noise should have proper hearing protection, she advised.
Helping others to hear better is a passion
Baker has had since childhood. She had a friend growing up who had a hearing loss.
“When we’d go swimming, she had to take her hearing aids out and she couldn’t hear anything,” she said. “Ever since then I’ve had a passion to try to help people. It’s miserable not to hear birds and hear the things we take for granted every day of our life. So, to give that back to a person, and to watch them hear for the first time — things they haven’t heard — we both cry. When I put in hearing aids for the first time it’s very, very rewarding.” For more information visit www.earsofoklahoma.com or call 405-673-1327.

Three six-month-old Chinese alligators arrive at the OKC Zoo as part of Species Survival Plan.

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is pleased to announce the arrival of three six-month-old Chinese alligator siblings who hatched in September 2020 at Sedgewick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas. This exciting addition marks the first time the Zoo’s animal family has included Chinese alligators in its history. The Zoo is now home to both of the world’s only two alligator species – Chinese alligators and American alligators. With only 120 individual Chinese alligators left in the wild, the Zoo joins its Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) partners to preserve the species as part of the Chinese Alligator Species Survival Plan® (SSP) and reintroduction program.
“We’re proud to commit to this collaborative conservation effort and do our part to help revitalize the declining population of Chinese alligators in their native habitat,” said the Zoo’s Assistant Curator of Herpetology, Seamus Ehrhard. “By participating in this SSP program, we have the opportunity to make a powerful impact on Chinese alligator conservation, while raising public awareness for this lesser-known crocodilian species.”
The Chinese alligator, unlike the abundant American alligator, is critically endangered. AZA’s SSP and reintroduction programs were created to increase wild populations, while ensuring genetic diversity. In 2003, the first Chinese alligators bred in human care were successfully reintroduced into the wild – a promising testament to the critical role AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums have in conserving wildlife. Listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Chinese alligators are threatened by habitat loss. The species is confined to a small area of the Yangtze River basin in Eastern China.
At this time, the Zoo will act as a housing facility for the Chinese alligator hatchlings with a goal of participating in the Chinese alligator breeding program in the future. The young alligator ambassadors will live at the Zoo for a few years before being paired with a mate at another AZA organization. The hatchlings are now on public view at the Zoo’s Underground habitat in the Children’s Zoo, next to the Zoo’s alligator snapping turtle hatchlings.
Chinese alligators are relatively small compared to American alligators – reaching an average length of five feet. The species can also be distinguished by its upturned snout and robust head. Calm and reserved by nature, Chinese alligators are known as highly intelligent and inquisitive creatures. The local name for the species is Yow-Lung or T’o, meaning “dragon.”
We hope to see you later alligator! The OKC Zoo invites you to meet its newest additions at their habitat in the Children’s Zoo. The Oklahoma City Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Advance tickets are required for all guests and ZOOfriends members and can be purchased at http://www.okczoo.org/tickets. Zoo tickets are limited each day to ensure safe social distancing among guests. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Regular admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Stay up-to-date with the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and by visiting Our Stories. Zoo fans can support the OKC Zoo by becoming a member. Memberships can be purchased at ZOOfriends.org or any place admission is sold in the Zoo’s Entry Plaza during regular business hours. To learn more about this event and Zoo other happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit www.okczoo.org.

Thanks to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) and all the front-line workers, Oklahoma has now entered Phase 4 of its vaccine distribution plan. With three COVID-19 vaccines available, all Oklahomans are now eligible for vaccination. As we’re on track to get our “normal” back, I’d like to remind you that the cost of obtaining a vaccine will not be a barrier for Oklahomans, regardless of health insurance status.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, provides funding for the vaccine itself. It also requires most health insurance companies to cover qualifying coronavirus preventive services without imposing any cost-sharing requirements, such as a copay, coinsurance or deductible. If you are covered under Medicare or Medicaid, your vaccine will be paid for by the Medicare’s trust fund. If you don’t have insurance, your vaccine is still covered. Healthcare providers will get reimbursed through the Provider Relief Fund.
If you received an unexpected bill for a COVID-19 vaccine or qualifying associated visit, you should contact the provider or your insurance company and alert them of the error. If you have issues with your health insurance company regarding a bill related to COVID-19, please file a complaint with the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) at www.oid.ok.gov/ or contact the Consumer Assistant at 800-522-0071. Also, here are some key takeaways to avoid fraud related to COVID-19 vaccines.
You don’t need to pay to get a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. Visit the OSDH’s website to make your appointment. You can also ask your doctor or provider how to get the vaccine near where you live.
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is free. Whether you have health insurance or not, the vaccines are always free. Providers can seek reimbursement from your insurance company, but there are no co-pays or cost-sharing. If you’re asked to pay money, contact the OID at 800-522-0071.
You cannot buy a COVID-19 vaccine. Please do not fall for the ads that come via email or pop up on your social media feed offering early access to a vaccine. The vaccine is available only at federal and state-approved locations.
Vaccinations will not impact your life insurance benefits. Life insurance policies clearly spell out what might cause your insurer to deny a benefit. Receiving a COVID-19 vaccine would not void a policyholder’s life insurance coverage. Contact your agent if you have questions or concerns about the details of your policy.
Never give out your personal financial information. No one from a vaccine distribution site, state agency, healthcare provider’s office, insurance company or Medicare will contact you to ask for your Social Security, credit card or bank account number to get the vaccine.
For more insurance information, please contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department at 1-800-522-0071 or visit our website at www.oid.ok.gov.

The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine has been named one of the best medical colleges in the nation in several categories, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Graduate Schools rankings. They include primary care education; most graduates practicing in primary care fields; most graduates practicing in rural areas; and most graduates practicing in health professional shortage areas.
The OU College of Medicine is the largest college within the OU Health Sciences Center and is at the center of OU Health, the state’s comprehensive academic health system. The rankings, released March 30, cite the OU College of Medicine as 51st in the nation for excellence in primary care education, which includes the medical specialties of family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. The college ranks 60th in the nation for the number of graduates practicing in primary care fields; 44th in the nation for graduates practicing in rural areas; and 44th in the nation for graduates practicing in health professional shortage areas. In addition, the college ranks 74th for its research activity.
The rankings encompass 191 accredited allopathic and osteopathic medical schools in the United States, which grant M.D. and D.O. degrees, respectively.
The OU College of Medicine’s rankings underscore its commitment to training the next generation of physicians who will care for patients across the spectrum of life, focusing both on the prevention and treatment of disease, as well as leveraging research to continually improve the standard of care, said John Zubialde, M.D., Executive Dean of the OU College of Medicine.
“We are excited about the U.S. News & World Report rankings because they reflect the hard work of our faculty and staff in educating the physicians of tomorrow,” Zubialde said. “Our ranking in primary care is particularly significant given the breadth of our college departments, which range from primary care to specialty care. Whereas many other medical schools have a singular focus on primary care, our primary care disciplines excel alongside our specialty programs because of the high caliber of our physicians and staff. Each day they are committed to training Oklahoma’s healthcare workforce.”
The OU College of Medicine trains the majority of physicians in Oklahoma, including the most primary care physicians. Many choose to practice medicine in rural and medically underserved areas of the state, where access to services is critical for improving health. The college is also committed to diversity among its students and future physicians – through the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement, students from underrepresented populations across Oklahoma are mentored as they prepare to apply to medical school. Many of those students will choose a career in primary care and will return to their communities to practice medicine.
The college’s ranking in research activity reflects the faculty’s ability to earn federal research grants. Faculty members across the college’s 21 academic departments regularly earn grants from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Health Services & Resources Administration, the U.S. Department of Defense, and others. In recent years, the college’s major federal grants include $11 million to create the Oklahoma Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunity, a hub for research into many types of infections and the immune system response, as well as $38 million for suicide prevention research.
“Along with education and patient care, research is a primary mission of the OU College of Medicine,” Zubialde said. “Our faculty members’ success in earning federal grants signifies the value of their research and its potential to improve the practice of medicine. By training in that environment, our students understand that our role is not only to offer high-quality care to our patients, but to define the next standard of care through research discoveries.”
The OU College of Medicine’s main campus is in Oklahoma City at the OU Health Sciences Center, and it has a four-year branch campus in Tulsa, the OU-TU School of Community Medicine. Each year, the college admits approximately 165 students into its four-year program. Since the founding of the OU College of Medicine in 1910, it has awarded the Doctor of Medicine degree to more than 10,000 graduates, many of whom stay on campus for their primary care residency. In addition, the college is the largest educator of physician assistant students in the state, providing approximately 75 new PAs annually.
Students on both campuses train in OU Health outpatient clinics and hospitals and in community settings, where they cultivate the tools to treat patients with a wide range of diseases, from chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes to acute illnesses. Primary care physicians provide much of the healthcare that patients need, and they determine when their patients need to be referred to a specialist.
“For well over a century, OU doctors and health professionals have provided essential care to generations of Oklahomans, fulfilling our university’s core purpose of changing lives,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “It is incredibly gratifying to see our College of Medicine earn national recognition that reflects our longstanding legacy of training future physicians to advance health with skill, innovation and compassion. As we launch OU Health, this recognition speaks volumes to the future impact we are prepared to have on the health of our state.”
To compile its rankings, the U.S. News & World Report uses several indicators, including an overall quality assessment, students’ grade point average, score on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and college acceptance rates. It also includes a peer assessment score, a residency assessment score, and resources allotted to faculty. The data for the rankings come from statistical surveys of more than 2,012 programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 20,500 academics and professionals, conducted in fall 2020 and early 2021.

By Steven Sibley, MBA/Healthcare Administration

Last week I received an envelope from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It was my Medicare Card, over 4 months from August 1st, my 65th birthday. I also discovered that, since my birthday was the 1st day of August, the effective date for my Medicare was the 1st day of July. It was news to me and I’m a Medicare agent! There’s always something new to learn about the insurance business.
It reminded of another envelope I received over 15 years ago. Just months after my 49th birthday in 2005, I received an AARP card. I didn’t know you could join at age 50 and learned something new again. Well, I had to call my mom to tell her. With tongue-in-cheek, I let her know I was about to reach the half-a-century mark. She immediately told me, “Send it back, I am too young to have a child with an AARP card!”
In 2005 mom was an active 70 year old. She had raised 5 children, had 7 grandchildren, lost her husband 20 years earlier and her second son 10 years earlier. She expected to live into her 90’s, just as her own mom did. In fact, she had a long term care (LTC) policy for that reason, but she didn’t have any life insurance. Unfortunately, only 6 months later, in April 2006, my mother passed away.
At the time I was a novice in the financial services industry, but I learned some important lessons from moms death about planning for life’s inevitable events. I learned the importance of having a will and trust. Ironically, 5 months before her death, I convinced her to update her will and do a trust. It really helped with smoothly settling her estate. I also learned about LTC. While it’s important to have, it doesn’t help if you die suddenly and never use it. Today, LTC is expensive with limited options as a standalone policy, but I learned about affordable strategies which combine LTC with life insurance. It pays when you pass and pays if you need LTC before you pass.
Now, years later, my wife and I are partners and brokers in the insurance business. She specializes in Medicare and I specialize in Life insurance, LTC and healthcare planning especially for retirement. I’ve also partnered with a team of advisors at Mass Mutual of Oklahoma. Our clients rely on us for strategies to protect their health, wealth and assets. I’ve learned having a team of advisors is immensely important, have you? You just can’t be an expert on everything, especially in these important areas of your life.
I’ve learned this at an even deeper level. I read a book daily, I believe is filled with the knowledge of the wisest man to ever live. It has 31 chapters, so for every day of the month, there’s a chapter to read. I recently gave a small paperback version of the book to my advisor partner Mike, who told me a story about a wealthy man he had met. He asked the man, “What’s been the secret to your success?” He answered, “I read a chapter from Proverbs every day and have done so my entire adult life”.
There is so much to learn about life from this book. It has changed my life and the lives of others. This is what it says about having advisors: Chapter 15:22, Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they are established and succeed. Chapter 11:14, Where there is no wise, intelligent guidance, people fall and go off course like a ship without a rudder, but in the abundance of wise and godly counselors there is victory. Chapter 24:6, For by wise guidance you fight life’s battles, and in an abundance of wise counselors there is victory and safety.
If you want this kind of advice concerning protection for your health, wealth and assets for your family, or your parents, please give our team a call: 405-850-1569. See us online at sibleyinsures.com.
Ps: Thanks mom, I love you and miss you.