by Mike Lee Staff Writer

Pam Spanbauer, RN, BSN, MEd, may be retired from her nursing practice but her impact on healthcare in Oklahoma will be felt for generations to come.
As the governor’s appointee to the Physician Manpower & Training Commission, Spanbauer is the only nurse on the board that helps ensure healthcare for thousands of rural Oklahomans.
Now the board chair, Spanbauer helps make sure that small communities in Oklahoma get the competent and professional physicians they so desperately need.
Spanbauer also currently serves as the vice president of the Oklahoma Nurses Association.
The commission is a task-force established in the 1970s.
“They have funding to help fund physicians in training to go out into the rural areas in Oklahoma,” Spanbauer said. “In Oklahoma we have so much rural area. In these farming communities the last thing they can do is take a day and drive to the city to get healthcare and drive back.
“It’s really important especially with the fact we don’t have many hospitals in the rural area.”
Spanbauer was raised in a small town in North Carolina. She had a single doctor growing up who took care of her entire family.
“If we had to have gone to the city we probably wouldn’t have gotten healthcare,” said Spanbauer, whose family lived 50 miles from the nearest hospital. “I’ve always had that small-town respect.”
She says the reality is that most doctors are going into specialty practices. Those who head to family medicine will stick closer to more populated areas.
The commission will cover a significant portion of a doctor’s tuition for a commitment to be the physician in a rural area.
“Many of the physicians actually wind up staying in that area after their commitment is done,” Spanbauer said. “If it weren’t for that a lot of doctors wouldn’t even know there are these opportunities and how great healthcare can be in a small community.”
Spanbauer and the commission review each applicant and decide the best place to match each doctor. Communities routinely send in requests for physicians to cover their population.
The mission of the Physician Manpower Training Commission is to enhance medical care in rural and underserved areas of the state by administering residency, internship and scholarship incentive programs that encourage medical and nursing personnel to practice in rural and underserved areas. Further, PMTC is to upgrade the availability of health care services by increasing the number of practicing physicians, nurses and physician assistants in rural and underserved areas of Oklahoma.
Subsequently the Oklahoma Legislature has added the responsibility of a Physician Placement Program, Nursing Student Assistance Program, the FP Resident Rural Program, the Physician Community Match Program and the Physician Assistant Scholarship Program. Spanbauer says the commission is guided in all the programs by a sense of stewardship which requires that maximum effort, both individual and organizational, be utilized to increase the number of practicing physicians, nurses and physician assistants in Oklahoma and, particularly, in rural and underserved areas of the state.
“I’ve always had a strong desire to give back in some way which is why I love being retired,” Spanbauer said. “I loved what I did when I was working but now it’s like I can give back. When I was working I didn’t have as much time.”
During her career, Spanbauer served as an EMT and drove an ambulance for Children’s Hospital. She also helped start the MediFlight program and later spent nearly her entire nursing career at Mercy.
“I had an opportunity at that time to see how spread out everything in Oklahoma is,” she said. “We would drive to pick up a baby and see how some of those hospitals barely had enough to get by. They didn’t have all the equipment we had in the city to take care of these premature babies.
“I’ve always been very passionate about wanting everybody to be able to have access to care. It’s a fact that people don’t.”
Spanbauer says the commission is charged with five high-priority goals:
1. Work to improve the balance of physician manpower distribution in the State of Oklahoma, both by type of practice and by geographic location;
2. Aid accredited physician training facilities in the establishment of additional primary medical care and family practice internship and residency training programs by sharing in the cost of these programs;
3. Assist Oklahoma communities in selecting and financing qualified medical and osteopathic interns/residents to participate in the Physician Community Match Program;
4. Assist Oklahoma communities, in any manner possible, in contacting medical and osteopathic students, interns and residents, or other physicians (inside and outside Oklahoma) who might wish to practice in Oklahoma;
5. Work with Oklahoma communities and the leadership of Oklahoma’s nurse training institutions to provide nurses for underserved areas of the state.
“It gets back to what medicine is all about and that’s the relationship the doctor has with the patient and the community,” Spanbauer said.
And that’s how Spanbauer makes a difference for future generations to come.

by Mike Lee
Staff Writer

Billie Upshaw, RN, has spent the bulk of her career serving residents in long-term care facilities in Kansas. She traveled from border to border to different facilities each week and then did it all again on Monday morning.
Even though former employers may have operated in a different way, Upshaw has always prescribed to the philosophy that every patient is unique.
That’s why she’s so excited about her new role as wellness director with the soon-to-be opened Heritage Point OKC in northwest Oklahoma City.
“It’s not cookie cutter. You meet where that resident is,” she said. “I read a quote somewhere that said that if you’ve met one person with dementia you’ve met one person with dementia. You can’t say ‘this is the way they are, this is what we do.’ There’s not a perfect answer unless you make it that way for them.”
Upshaw is excited about getting in on the ground floor at Heritage Pointe – which is designed after a similar facility in Overland Park, Kansas and will be a sister to a similar residence to open next year in Tulsa.
When owner Kip Pammenter talks about the residents at his Heritage of Overland Park memory care residence he uses their first names.
The president of a company that specializes in Alzheimer’s and memory care knows that’s the only way you can truly make a difference in someone’s life. Getting to know each and every client and meeting them where they are is the hallmark of Pammenter’s successful approach to person-centered care.
Upshaw likes working for someone with that philosophy. She also believes in tailoring care to the individual.
It’s a unique concept in today’s take-it-or-leave it memory care market.
“Each family comes in with their our circumstance and their own issues and that’s their focus,” Pammenter said. “The relationship blossoms and they tie into other families. There’s a lot of empathy. Families are going through the same issue and families lend support to each other.
“They help each other and they help us.”
David Thompson serves as Pammenter’s vice president of operations.
“Really what we’re trying to do – big picture – is the person-centered care approach,” Thompson said. “We want to know what their routines are, what their interests are and how do we give them meaning and purpose and relationships and enjoyment each day in a lifestyle.”
Dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and trying to understand available care options can be extremely challenging for families.That’s why Pammenter designed Heritage Point to work with families to envision a better way to live with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia related impairments.
Pammenter wants to truly reinvent Alzheimer’s care and what life should be like for seniors with cognitive challenges. The focus is on each individual resident; knowing who they are and what they love to do…and then finding activities that have meaning and purpose.
Heritage Point will offer a smaller, home environment that promotes dignity, respect and love. A dedicated team of experienced and caring staff understands the importance of developing close personal relationships with residents and becomes an extended part of your family.
Professionally trained care staff, along with the expert guidance of the medical director, offer an unmatched array of services and life activities to create a home that supports each individual person.
“People trust you to take care of their loved ones and sometimes it’s easier for you to take care of them because you’re taking them where they’re at,” Upshaw said. “We want to remember those things that are good and positive in their life but dementia is a robbing disease. It takes away the person and the things that have always been important to them but sometimes you can circle around and get back to that and those are the moments you live for.
“It’s a horrible disease. I hope we can cure it. I would be glad to be put out of a job. I’ll go find something else to do.”

Mercy Ranks 122 on Forbes List of Top American Employers

Mercy ranks 122 on Forbes’ inaugural “America’s Best Employers” list.
The list of 500 employers spans 25 industries in the U.S. Forbes partnered with Statista.com in asking more than 20,000 American workers one question: on a scale of 1 to 10, how likely would you be to recommend your employer to someone else?
Mercy, one of only 25 in the health care category, is in good company; Mayo Clinic ranks 74th overall, followed closely by Kaiser Permanente at 81. Google leads the list, with Facebook coming in at 15 and Apple at 55.
“It’s truly an amazing time to be with Mercy,” said Lynn Britton, president and CEO of Mercy, the fifth largest Catholic health care system in the U.S. “Earlier this spring, we fulfilled a promise to thousands of co-workers in Joplin with a newly rebuilt hospital. Later this year, Mercy will open the world’s first virtual care center, powered by hundreds of the nation’s best telehealth professionals.”

by Mike Lee, Staff Writer

Head down to Bricktown on any given night and you’ll see families riding on a water taxi along the Riverwalk.
You’ll probably see people coming and going from any number of restaurants that have moved into the revitalized area within the past 15 years.
Head a little farther north along West Reno and you’ll hear the chants from more than 18,000 screaming fans inside the Chesapeake Energy Arena pulling for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
It wasn’t always this way and it wasn’t always this good for Oklahoma’s capital.
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett wants people to never forget that. That’s the reason behind Cornett’s nearly four-year labor of love Oklahoma City: The Boom, the Bust and the Bomb which opened at Harkins Theater on April 10 with four showings daily.
“When I was elected mayor over 10 years now I knew about and was proud of Oklahoma City’s history but I think I also assumed every city had a history that wasn’t all that unique from Oklahoma City,” Cornett said. “As I spoke more and  more about Oklahoma City’s life experience of the 70s, 80s and early 90s I realized over time our city’s history was unique.”
“The highs of the the 70s and the lows of the 80s added on with the emotional burden of the Oklahoma City bombing those are significant elements on a city’s timeline and we saw them all in a relatively short period of time.”
Cornett holds that the good times the city is experiencing right now are a direct result of the trying times.
“I want them to understand how we got to where we are today,” Cornett says.
Cornett parallels his movie with the story telling style of the late Paul Harvey, who was born in Tulsa in 1918 and made a career telling people “the rest of the story.”
“He would tell you some things that went on before that that had a significant relevance that you probably never knew about. That was the rest of the story,” Cornett says. “That’s kind of what this movie is. You look at Oklahoma City today and see the city we have … well, this is the rest of the story. This is the story of the city that didn’t have any of these things and what it went through and how it never gave up.”
Cornett’s full-length feature film tells the story of Oklahoma City’s rise and fall from 1970 to 1995.
In Cornett’s eyes, no other city has a story like this. From being formed in a single day, to playing for the NBA Championship, Oklahoma City has ridden the triumph-to-heartbreak roller coaster for a good part of its historic life.
Oklahoma City:The Boom, the Bust and the Bomb, examines the most critical time in our city’s history. It centers on a pivotal 25-year period.
From the oil boom of the 1970’s to the failure of Penn Square Bank in 1982 to the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in 1995, this inspiring film sheds light on the darkest days of Oklahoma City – and the people who refused to give up.
“Just like people are shaped by their life experiences, cities are as well. And the city we have today is a direct result of some incredibly tumultuous times,” Cornett says. “I want the next generation and those who have moved to the city since 1995 to understand the events that have shaped Oklahoma City in the 21st century.”
Cornett says he interviewed 20-25 people in piecing the story together. “It’s an amazing story and I think people will leave the theater inspired.”
Cornett interviewed people from all walks of life
“I saw the emotions of the camera crew, young people that didn’t know anything about these things and I saw their reaction and I thought this was just as powerful of a story as a I hope it would be,” Cornett said. “I don’t think the next generation has any idea what we went through.”
Cornett said he’s received “incredible feedback” from people his age and older.
Running a city and working, Cornett spent the better part of three years working on the movie. It took him a single year just to write the script.
To rent the movie instantly on any device or purchase the DVD, go to www.okcmovie.com.
“I think it’s a better story than people realize and there’s an emotional aspect to it as well,” Cornett said. “I think people are really going to enjoy it.”
When it seemed like things couldn’t get worse – things got worse. This is the inspiring story of Oklahoma City.
And if things go well Hollywood could be calling. Cornett already has his eye on recutting the film for a major motion picture audience.

by Vickie Jenkins

The Birth Center at Deaconess hospital features eighteen elegantly appointed single-room maternity suites that allow mothers to share the birth experience with family in a beautiful, home-like atmosphere by staying in the same room for labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum care.  Nine-bed level-II NICU provides excellent care for babies who need additional medical attention. The NICU is staffed by registered nurses and board-certified neonatologists.  One-on-one nurse to patient ratio throughout the entire labor and delivery process.
Deaconess Hospital in Oklahoma City is known for their outstanding doctors and nurses. Picture: From L-R: Tanya Bogan, RN,  Yvonne Silberman RNC-OB,  Jonna Criscuoli, RN and Supervisor Trisha Brown, RNC-OB show the Sleep Sack Swaddle that each newborn receives at Deaconess.  The Sleep Sack is a Safe Sleep Initiative that was introduced February 14, 2014.
Here are some Safe Sleep Swaddle Tips to ensure a safe sleep for your baby. Always place baby to sleep on his or her back at naptime and night time.  Use a crib that meets current safety standards with a firm mattress that fits snugly and is covered with only a tight-fitting crib sheet.  Remove all blankets, comforters and toys from your baby’s sleep area (this includes loose blankets, bumpers, pillows and positioners).  The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using a wearable blanket instead of loose blankets to keep your baby warm.  Offer a pacifier when putting baby to sleep. If breastfeeding, introduce pacifier after one month or after breastfeeding has been established.  Breastfeed, if possible, but when finished, put your baby back to sleep in his or her separate safe sleep area alongside your bed.  Room share, but don’t bed share.  Bed sharing can put a child at risk of suffocation.  Never  put your baby to sleep on any soft surface (adult beds, sofas, chairs, water beds, quilts, sheep skins etc.)  Never dress your baby too warmly for sleep.  Never allow anyone to smoke around your baby.  Deaconess Hospital is proud of their new Hugs and Kisses Security System as of January 2015.  The Hugs system offers the reliability that you and your staff can depend on every day to keep your infants safe.  The Hugs tag attaches in seconds and is automatically enrolled in the software.  Protection can start right in the delivery room.  The Hugs system requires no manual checks of infant tags or other devices to make sure they’re working. The Hugs system software -continually monitors the status of all devices, and will generate an alarm if something goes wrong.  There is an automatic mother/infant matching.  With the Kisses® option, the Hugs system automatically confirms that the right baby is with the right mother. There are no buttons to push and no numbers to match.
Deaconess Hospital offers Certified Lactation Consultants that round on all post-partum and NICU mothers.  Here you will find Neonatologists and Neonatal Nurse Practitioners on call 24/7 for high risk deliveries.

Growing up, what did you want to be? Salvation Army Senior Center – Warr Acres

I wanted to always work in an office. I always liked typing. Norma Bellamy

I leaned more towards office work because in high school I took shorthand, typing and bookkeeping. Alie Faye Johnson

When I was little I wanted to be a beauty operator. I did all my cousins’ hair. Cheryl Wilson

I think I wanted to be a nurse and I was, working in oncology and chemotherapy. Lynn McKinnon