(Right) 100 years old. WWII Veteran Forrest Landis of Tulsa joined the Navy right out of high school. His ship the SS Kendrick, a destroyer, was hit by a torpedo in the Mediterranean Sea & returned to the US for repair. He was awarded several Medals. He worked as a research chemist until his retirement.
Barbee Ann Brown
(Left) 100 years old. Barbee Ann Brown of Tulsa celebrated with lots of family and friends. Barbee and her husband Jack married on her birthday in 1943. She attended Will Rogers High School and the University of Tulsa. Barbee has been a member of Memorial Baptist Church for 68 years and PEO service group for over 50 years!
Bill Lavel Stanfield
(Right) 100 years old. Bill Lavel Stanfield of Tulsa was born February 29, 1924. He enlisted in the Army at age 16 & served in WWII, Korea & Vietnam with the Company A-160th Engineer Combat Platoon. During WWII, he served in the Pacific Theatre, Hawaii, European Theatre, France and Germany & England, Normandy.
Sidney Horn
(Right) 100 years old. Sidney Horn of Sand Springs will be 101 on May 10 so we celebrated today and honored her as a Centenarian! She wore one of her special hats. Sidney told me she once had a collection of about 30 hats and wore one every Sunday to church.
If you know of a Centenarian you would like to honor visit Centenarians of Oklahoma https://centenariansok.com/
Left to right: AARP Oklahoma Interim Volunteer State President Joe Ann Vermillion, AARP Oklahoma State Director Sean Voskuhl, House Majority Leader Tammy West, Senate Appropriations Chair Roger Thompson, and AARP Oklahoma Advocacy Director Joy McGill.
AARP Oklahoma presented House Majority Leader Tammy West (R—District 84) and Senate Appropriations Chairman Roger Thompson (R—District 8) with the 2024 Champion for Family Caregivers Award at the Capitol on Monday. Leader West and Senator Thompson were recognized for their leadership in improving the lives of older Oklahomans and championing the Caring for Caregivers Act, which created a state tax credit for Oklahoma family caregivers up to $3,000.
“The Caring for Caregivers Act helps offset costs and helps keep spouses, aging parents, or other loved ones at home instead of in costly taxpayer-funded nursing homes,” said AARP Oklahoma State Director Sean Voskuhl.
According to AARP’s Valuing the Invaluable report, Oklahoma’s 490,000 family caregivers provide a staggering $6.6 billion in unpaid care.
“While caregiving is decidedly a labor of love, it also has a real financial cost,” Voskuhl said. “Leader West and Senator Thompson understand the sacrifices family caregivers make and fought for the nation’s first comprehensive tax credit for family caregivers.”
Family caregivers spend about 20 percent of their income caring for their loved ones— more than $7,200 annually. Visit aarp.org/OKCaregiverTaxCredit
The OKC VAHCS relaunched the Medical Foster Home (MFH) program in 2023. The MFH program partners with caregivers in the community who are interested in welcoming Veterans to live with them in their private, residential home. The caregiver provides 24-hour care to the Veteran, who otherwise is no longer able to live independently in their own home.
The first MFH opened in October 2023, appropriately called House of Heroes. This home is now serving all female Veterans and providing these women a safe home with 24-hour care and without it, they may have otherwise been forced to transition into an institutional setting.
“What is beautiful about this House of Heroes home is that women from different life experiences and backgrounds have come together to support one another and because of this, our Veterans are being cared for in the most honorable way,” said Lindsey Altmiller-Hester, OKC VAHCS Medical Foster Home Coordinator. “Seeing our Veterans thrive in a home, enjoying things that are important to them, and having their needs met, that is why I do this.”
The first home consists of an all women team of Caregivers, they support the other Caregivers in the program by providing various health care support services to team members and all are working together to serve our Veterans who served. Often female Veterans can feel overlooked and put into situations and programs in-between male Veterans. This unique all-female home provides a place to feel comfortable, thrive and their healthcare needs are molded to their unique challenges.
The House of Heroes has cared for a Veteran that was once sleeping on the streets and is now thriving in their own bedroom and enjoying being supported by someone who cares about their wellbeing, has compassion and empathy to their situation. These Veterans’ health care needs are supported by the OKC VAHCS Home Based Primary Care (HBPC).
HBPC is a unique program that brings primary care to a Veteran in their home, including the MFH.
“It has been really rewarding to watch her transformation as she is getting the care she needs, the follow-up and continuity of care she needs” said Dr. Calli Landes, APRN. “She has this whole village of people in the MFH and with HBPC caring for her health and mental health. I think it helps her relax and feel safe and cared for.”
Dr. Landes shared that Veteran’s and families are often thankful for the care they receive in HBPC. HBPC is truly carrying out President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors. MFH and HBPC is a unique partnership to provide care for these Veterans.
“As coordinator of this program, we have an obligation to find the right match. The MFH Coordinator finds a caregiver, either male or female, in the community who is willing to take a Veteran into their private/residential home, provide 24-hour supervision, and as needed, personal assistance with day-to-day tasks. MFH follows CRC requirements for oversight, recruitment, and inspection of these homes that we are placing our Veterans.” Altmiller-Hester said, “These factors facilitate matching suitable MFHs with the greater complexity of these Veterans, achieving safe and therapeutic care in a small personal home setting. MFH provides an alternative to a nursing home, in a person’s home and a benefit is that it is at less than half the cost of institutional care.”
OKC VA HCS has sites in both OKC and Lawton and seeking caregivers who may be interested in welcoming a Veteran to live with them and provide that Veteran with 24-hour care. With an emphasis on supporting our Veterans in their communities, OKC VA is moving forward and aggressively seeking homes willing to foster our aging Veterans during this stage in their lives. This program aligns with the VA Secretary McDonough’s support for home care options for aging Veterans and OKC VA has relaunched this project to support this initiative and give qualified Veterans options to traditional nursing homes.
Interested caregivers can call the OKC VA MFH coordinator at 405-456-5484 or 405-208-9498 or email lindsey.altmiller-hester@va.gov.
For more information about geriatrics and extended care, please click the link below or visit the VA website https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/ or visit https://www.va.gov/.
Nerve Renewal opened its Edmond location last December, and held a ribbon cutting March 18. Pictured left to right is, Teri Thompson, COO of Nerve Renewal, Jimmy Steele, co-founder and Director of Patient Growth, Glenn Cope, co-founder and Vice-President, and Edmond Mayor Darell Davis.
Nerve Renewal continues to spread its footprint across Oklahoma with a new location in Edmond, located at 3520 South Boulevard, Suite 100.
Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Mark Cope, community relations liaison for Nerve Renewal, said their Edmond location was added to address a growing metro patient base.
“We have five locations now,” he said. “We’ve got one in northwest Oklahoma City, southwest, Oklahoma City, Norman and Midwest City, and now Edmond. Shawnee is coming online hopefully by the end of next month, Broken Arrow is soon to follow with plans also in Stillwater, and Bartlesville. People with neuropathy are in pain a lot of the time and they don’t want to travel very far. We’re really trying to get within 20-30 minutes of everyone we can.”
Glenn Cope, co-founder and Vice-President of Nerve Renewal said the Edmond location opened last December, and has seen a steady growth of patients.
“I think they’re almost at full capacity already after only being open for four months,” he said. “A lot of these people are in pain, a few of them are driving themselves and they just don’t have the tolerance for long trips.”
Nerve Renewal’s mission is to help Oklahomans renew their quality of life through innovative nerve pain treatments that provide safe and effective relief so that their patients reclaim their joy, mobility, and freedom.
An estimated 20 million Americans are living with chronic pain or numbness due to neuropathy and nerve damage.
Nerve Renewal treatments are FDA-cleared and use a drug-free treatment which involves electrical stimulation combined with a vitamin B-12 complex nutrient blend that helps reduce neuropathy-related nerve pain and does not require recovery time after treatment.
80 percent of patients experience a long-term reduction in pain without surgery or medication through the use of proven electrical stimulation treatments.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held March 18 at the Edmond location, and was attended by members of the Edmond Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Darrell Davis, and others.
During that ceremony, Jimmy Steele, co-founder and Director of Patient Growth at Nerve Renewal, told attendees the types of patients Nerve Renewal treats.
“Does anybody know anybody that has diabetes? Does anybody know anybody that’s undergone chemotherapy treatment,” Steele asked attendees. “That’s what we typically help. When you are going through those things, you’re experiencing nerve pain, incredible amounts of pain.”
Steele said for most people experiencing that pain, they think medications are their only option.
“For most people, the only solution that they know for that is a medication like Gabapentin or Lyrica,” he said. “And if you’ve ever had it, if you know anybody that’s been on it that’s kind of experiencing life in a fog, it’s not exactly the best experience. But if you’re in pain, there are very few other options. What makes us different is that we are that other option. There is no medication, there are no surgical implants. It’s a treatment and relief from pain. And for patients who are experiencing a lot of numbness as well in their hands and their feet, they get to regain that feeling. That’s our big thing. That’s who we serve.”
Latrica Dorsey, Supervisory Nurse Practitioner, told attendees that Nerve Renewal does more than just improve a patient’s quality of life.
“The big thing with our clinics is more just improving the quality of life of people. We have a lot of patients that come in here just for chronic pain, or a lot of nerve damage, but it can be from anything,” she said. “I mean, our goal is to make sure that their quality of life is improving. And, over time when they come to these treatments, we hear stories, oh, I can walk better. Oh, I can stand up longer. These are things that we’re looking for in the community. And we’re hoping that we can give more people to come in and experience what we’re actually giving to the patients that come here so they can understand that. You don’t have to be in pain, you don’t have to have this medication.”
Mayor Darrell Davis said Edmond welcomes Nerve Renewal to town.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “I’m glad you’re bringing this option to our community. I’m glad you’re here. You’re on one of the busiest streets (in Edmond), so the (Edmond) Chamber’s going to do a great job at getting your message out.
Stephanie Clements, vice president and chief nursing officer at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City.
Stephanie Clements has joined Mercy as vice president and chief nursing officer at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. She will also serve as community chief nursing officer with strategic oversight over nursing at Mercy hospitals across Oklahoma.
Nearly 2,400 nursing co-workers serve in Mercy facilities across Oklahoma, which represents 32% of Mercy’s workforce in the Sooner State.
“We are really excited to welcome Stephanie to this important role because of her clear connection to our mission and Mercy heritage and her strong background in helping organizations excel,” said Betty Jo Rocchio, chief nurse executive at Mercy. “She brings the lens of an evidence-based bedside nurse into every operational and strategic decision she makes.”
Clements comes to Mercy from Baylor Scott & White Surgical Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas where she previously served as CEO and chief nursing officer.
Clements began her career in health care as a registered nurse and worked in a variety of medical specialties including labor and delivery, outpatient infusion, perioperative services, neonatal intensive care unit and medical surgical nursing. She has held every nursing position from floor nurse to charge nurse, and house supervisor to unit manager.
“The future is bright for health care in Oklahoma, and I am grateful to join Mercy at such an exciting time,” said Clements. “I’m so impressed with our Mercy nurses and their dedication to excellence. They are committed to delivering high quality care while also thinking outside of the box to advocate for the patients they serve. Nurses provide the framework around which care is delivered, and I believe our nurses honor that responsibility in all they do.”
Dear Savvy Senior, Next month I am moving to a different state so I can be near my daughter and grandkids. Do I need to notify Social Security and Medicare about the move? Relocating Grandma
Dear Relocating,
Yes, if you’re a Social Security and Medicare recipient you definitely need to let these Federal agencies know when and where you move so there are no hiccups in your benefits or coverage. Here’s what you should know.
How to Update Your Info.
If you’re receiving Social Security retirement, survivors or disability benefits, it’s required that you notify the Social Security Administration when you move to ensure your deposits continue and you avoid disruptions.
You’ll need to provide them your new mailing address so they can deliver important documents to you like your annual SSA-1099 tax form. And if you’re switching banks or credit unions, you’ll need to update your direct deposit information by providing your new financial institution’s routing number and account number.
If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, they too need your new mailing address so bills, correspondence, your Medicare Summary Notice and other statements can go to the right address.
You can update both your Social Security and Medicare contact information online by simply using the “My Profile” tab in your personal “my Social Security” account at SSA.gov/myaccount. If you don’t have an account, you can create one online for free in just a few minutes.
Or, if you need some help or don’t have internet access, you can call Social Security at 800-772-1213, or visit your local Social Security office and they will make the changes for you.
Medicare Private Plans
You also need to know that if you’re enrolled in original Medicare, you can move anywhere within the United States without losing coverage. But if you have Part D prescription drug coverage or a Medicare Advantage plan from a private health insurance company, and you move out of the plan’s service area, you’ll have to switch plans or you’ll face losing coverage.
Part D service areas typically are statewide or can extend to parts of neighboring states, while Medicare Advantage plans’ service areas vary by county.
Moving out of a plan’s service area qualifies you for a special enrollment period (SEP) of at least two months to get a new plan. You may also qualify if you move within your plan’s service area and it offers options different from what you had. The enrollment timing depends on when you notify the plan.
If you tell your plan before you move, your chance to switch plans begins the month before the month you move and continues for two full months after you move. If you tell your plan after you move, your chance to switch plans begins the month you tell your plan, plus two more full months.
To shop for new Part D and Medicare Advantage plans in your new area, use the Medicare Plan Finder tool at https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare.
You can also switch Part D or Medicare Advantage plans during open enrollment, which runs each year from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 for coverage starting Jan. 1.
Medigap Plans
If you’re enrolled in original Medicare and have a Medigap supplemental policy you usually don’t have to switch plans if you move, but you do need to notify your provider. Some insurers let you keep the rate based on the state where you originally applied for Medigap. Others may change your premiums to coincide with their coverage in a different zip code.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit https://savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
Amy Shirola, VillagesOKC Administration and Finance Director, is excited about the upcoming fundraiser.
By Marilyn Olson, Executive Director, VillagesOKC
VillagesOKC is inviting adults of all ages to join them in a fundraiser at Topgolf Oklahoma City, a premier entertainment destination in the metro. The event will be on April 18 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at 13313 Pawnee Dr.
“This is more than just your average golf tournament,” said Amy Shirola, VillagesOKC Administration and Finance Director. “It’s a great way to get together with friends and raise money for VillagesOKC.
We are a 501c3 nonprofit, and 80% of our operating budget is from donations. We want to continue giving stellar educational opportunities with great speakers, consulting with those who are in the middle of a major life transition or crisis, and connecting the 50+ population in the Oklahoma City metro with valuable resources.”
Cost is a $100 each for a six-person team; single-player registration is $125. Dinner is included. There will be a raffle going on all evening for great prizes and a Hole-In-One Contest where players can take a shot at a hole-in-1 for $10,000.
Shirola said there are sponsor opportunities also. Sponsorships range from $500 to $15,000.
“There are six sponsorship levels to choose from with various promotional opportunities,” she said. “Whether you choose to be a Putter Sponsor or Hole-in-One Sponsor, we sincerely appreciate your sponsorship of our Topgolf tournament.”
In 2023, VillagesOKC made 2,507 connections at its events for older adults. The goal is to increase that number significantly in 2024.
“Join us for a night out with friends and a delicious dinner while supporting our mission of empowering adults to age with vitality and purpose,” Shirola said.
Registration and sponsorship details are available at
https://villagesokc.org/top-golf-tournament/ or by calling (405) 990-6637.
Topgolf showcases a dartboard type driving range with golf balls that are tracked electronically and a scorecard that is updated automatically. Concentric circles mark the score for the session, and closer to the bulls-eye gets a higher score.
The fundraiser will use Top Contender Game Play rules. Here is how the Topgolf website describes this play:
• Choose 8 or 12 shots per player. Players rotate every 4 shots.
• Hit the glowing targets for double points.
• Aim closer to the center of each target for maximum points.
• Hit the glowing target that is furthest in the distance for maximum points.
“Get a hole-in-1 while you are playing Top Contender, and you can go home with up to $750 cash,” Shirola said. “The winning team will take home a cash prize.”
Metropolitan Library System has been selected through a competitive application process to participate in NASA @ My Library, an education initiative created to increase and enhance STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) learning opportunities for library patrons throughout the nation, including geographic areas with high Latinx populations. Selected libraries receive bilingual (Spanish/English) solar science kits that include a telescope, hands-on activities, and culturally relevant resources; access to NASA subject matter experts for programs; and multiple opportunities for training and support.
Gloria Melchor, a librarian at Capitol Hill Library, applied to this program on behalf of Metropolitan Library System, and the library system was selected as one of 49 national awardees to receive these solar science kits.
As a NASA @ My Library Partner, Metropolitan Library System will receive a kit that contains items such as a 4.5” Dobsonian telescope with solar observing add-on. The Dobsonian telescope provides views of celestial objects like galaxies and nebulae and is a popular choice among astronomers. It also includes two Sunspotters, which use lenses and mirrors to show a projection of the sun’s image so you can safely look at the sun. Included as well is a STEM activity kit based on the children’s book “Moonbear’s Shadow,” designed for grades Pre-K-1st Grade, exploring the concept of shadows. Using the kit, children engage in activities inspired by the book’s storyline, using flashlights and props to model scenes and understand the interplay between light, shadows, and the sun’s movement. The kit includes detailed instructions, materials for six groups, flashlights, felt mats and ponds, bear figures, Kirigami trees, a concept card, and a copy of the book.
These resources, along with support by the NASA @ My Library team, will enable Metro Library to conduct cutting-edge NASA STEAM programming and activities. NASA @ My Library will create compelling learning experiences for Metro Library’s community and share the story, science and adventure of NASA’s scientific explorations of planet Earth, our solar system and the universe beyond.
Upcoming events will feature these items like the following:
Moonbear Shadow Storytime April 3 from 4:15pm-5:00pm at Capitol Hill Library (327 SW 27th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73109). This storytime is centered around the story of “Moonbear’s Shadow,” and will delve into the creation of shadows, explaining how they form when an object obstructs light from reaching a surface, among other related concepts.
Solar Eclipse Viewing Party April 8th from 1:00pm-8:00pm at Capitol Hill Library (327 SW 27th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73109). The total solar eclipse will grace Oklahoma on April 8, 2024, commencing at 1:44 pm CDT, with the Moon’s shadow finally departing the state at 1:51 pm CDT. In case you don’t have Solar Eclipse Glasses, join the Capitol Hill Library during their Eclipse viewing party, where attendees can take turns observing the Solar Eclipse through the Dobsonian telescope and Sunspotters. While awaiting your turn, engage in Eclipse-themed activities with fellow participants. No registration is required, and all ages are welcome.
“The group of libraries participating in this program really embodies the changes we’ve been seeing over the past two decades in the library field,” Project Director Anne Holland said. “Programs for diverse patrons, opportunities for teen engagement, and making cutting-edge science relevant for their patrons are just some of the ways this group stands out.”
Other passive activities include a drawing at Capitol Hill Library that offers a chance to win a science and solar-themed book in either English or Spanish. This is just the start of events and programs to develop from the new opportunity.
NASA @ My Library is offered by the National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL) at the Space Science Institute (SSI) in partnership with the ALA Public Programs Office, Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) and Education Development Center (EDC). This material is based upon work supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under cooperative agreement No. NNX16AE30A. This work was also assisted and supported by the Space Science Institute, which was the recipient of the cooperative agreement. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASA or the Space Science Institute.
About Metropolitan Library System: The Metropolitan Library System provides library services for more than 800,000 residents of Oklahoma County. We have 19 physical locations as well as 24/7 access to our digital resources as metrolibrary.org.
Additional Contact : Zoe Travers, Internal Communications Coordinator, (405) 606-3751, zoe.travers@metrolibrary.org.
The Oklahoma Historical Society and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) are pleased to announce the National Register of Historic Places designation for the following properties in Oklahoma. The National Register of Historic Places is our nation’s official list of properties significant in our past.
Jackson County – Altus Junior College Library, 221 N. Park Ln., Altus
The Altus Junior College Library, designed by architect William Appleby, was completed in 1969. This modern movement building is significant in the area of education for its association with President Johnson’s Great Society legislation. As a politician and former educator who came of age during the New Deal Era of the 1930s, Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) believed in the combined forces of education and “an activist government.” Accordingly, LBJ’s Great Society legislation emphasized opportunity through education as “the government’s secret weapon in the fight against poverty and unemployment.” The library building was constructed in 1968-1969 using a 1967 federal grant under the Higher Education Facilities Act.
The nomination was prepared through a grant from the Oklahoma City Foundation for Architecture titled the “Lynne Rostochil National Register Nomination Grant Program.” The grant program was established in memory of Lynne Rostochil, an architectural historian and photographer who, in her lifetime, passionately advocated for and diligently recorded Oklahoma’s rich architectural heritage.
Tulsa County – Charles and Bertha Blevins House, 1838 N. Norfolk Ave., Tulsa
The Charles and Bertha Blevins House is an excellent example of a property associated with Black Heritage and Civil Rights history, as it embodies the efforts to promote voter registration and participation in Oklahoma’s elections prior to the passage of the 1964 federal Civil Rights Act. Involvement in local civic and political organizations by the house’s owners, Charles and Bertha Blevins, contributed to the economic and social development of the Black community in north Tulsa during the mid-twentieth century. Most notably, the house served as a polling place for nearby residents, making voting more accessible and secure for Black Tulsans.
Listing in the National Register of Historic Places is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection and, in some cases, financial incentives for these important properties. The SHPO identifies, evaluates and nominates properties for this special designation.
The State Historic Preservation Office is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit https://www.okhistory.org.
