For more than 20 years, many frail, elderly and disabled Oklahomans with limited means have relied on the ADvantage Waiver Program to receive at-home care. Without a line item in the next state budget, funding for these services may be cut, putting the lives of these Medicaid beneficiaries in jeopardy.
The ADvantage Waiver Program enables more than 23,000 Oklahomans to retain their independence and stay at home as long as possible, instead of being institutionalized. Under the program, qualified Oklahomans receive assistance that includes:
· Picking up groceries and medicine
· Assisting with bathing and grooming
· Providing housekeeping to maintain a clean, safe environment
· Giving respite care for other caregivers
“The ADvantage Program has been a vital part of my life, and I truly believe I would not have lived without it,” said Sarah Hadyn Smith of Norman. “It has given me a life worth living in a difficult time of serious illness.”
Funding cuts to the ADvantage Waiver Program could be devastating. Frail and elderly Oklahomans would be forced into institutions at greatly increased cost. More than 10,000 employees will struggle to deliver quality care and Oklahoma businesses will leave the program. In addition, these employees may have their wages cut or lose their jobs and turn to other state services.
“Many of our members do not have family to care for them and just need a little extra help to remain in their home. Under this program, providers deliver needed care at a much more affordable rate than nursing homes,” said Steve Goforth, president and founder of Tulsa-based Oxford HealthCare and legislative officer for the Home and Community Based Services Council (HCBSC).
“Preserving the ADvantage Waiver Program is the financially conservative and responsible choice. It prevents overuse of the emergency room and unnecessary institutionalization,” said Lola Edwards, president of HCBSC. “Cuts will create serious health and safety risks to the most vulnerable Oklahomans and cost the state more in the long run.”
The Council will hand-deliver over 500 member letters of support to legislators at the capitol on March 30.
HCBSC is asking the Oklahoma Legislature to sustain current funding to the ADvantage Waiver Program through a line item in the state budget.
About the Home and Community Based Services Council-
The Council is comprised of 10 provider agencies delivering services to Oklahoma’s elderly and disabled in 38 communities. The agencies represent 80 percent of all services delivered in the ADvantage Waiver Program and State Plan Personal Care Program.

by Bobby Anderson
Staff Writer

Gloria Ceballos, RN, PhD has worked in just about every nursing area you can imagine. From the operating room to home care to the classroom, Ceballos’ 40 years in nursing has taken her to places she never thought possible.
Now, as the Chief Nursing Office of AllianceHealth Midwest, Ceballos is lending that experience to growing local nurses who want to work for their hometown hospital.
Ceballos has helped transition the former Midwest Regional Hospital to the new AllianceHealth Midwest name.
“It has been a great ride with committing to quality of care here at Alliance Midwest,” Ceballos said. “We’ve seen a lot of change this year, changing our name and recruiting new nurses. We’ve recruited over 25 brand new nurses where for a while this hospital was hiring just one or two new nurses.”
Growing nurses is a passion for Ceballos.
She made sure AllianceHealth Midwest awarded eight $5,000 scholarships to students in the medical field last year. Four went to high school students and the rest went to college students already in a medical program.
Ceballos assigned mentors from the hospital to help them along.
“The scholarship doesn’t tie them to us – we hope it does,” Ceballos said. “It’s more mentoring through their schooling. In the end, they could choose to work for us if they wanted to.”
By being one of the largest employers in the area, AllianceHealth Midwest is able to be a strong supporter of employment opportunities within the community. AllianceHealth employs more than 1,500 individuals, equaling to more than $70 million a year paid in salaries and benefits.
What was established in 1962 as a community hospital is now a 255-bed acute care facility. AllianceHealth Midwest was the first metro hospital to meet the requirements to be recognized as a Certified Level III Trauma Center by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
“There are nurses that want to stay here in the community and if we encourage them they will stay,” Ceballos said. “Oklahoma needs every single nurse it can keep. Nursing is a career you can take worldwide, really. We want to keep the nurses that want to stay close to home and to their families and not have to leave.”
Formerly, Ceballos worked as a consultant in Florida. Ironically, it was that job that brought her to Midwest City.
She came to help with finding solutions but found a great opportunity in front of her.
“I saw the effort this team put in. They convinced me to come,” Ceballos said. “Most people don’t get to see their organizations from the inside before they’re hired. I got to see that and test it.”
With healthcare rapidly moving to a pay-for-performance model, Ceballos says communication of that fact to employees is critical.
Under Ceballos quality scores have improved.
“We are incrementally improving and sustaining, which is very important,” Ceballos said. “Nationally, hospitals are struggling with their satisfaction scores. Patients are not well when they come to us. Our goal is for them to understand why they are hospitalized and what they need to know before they leave.
“We want to make sure if they need us again they are sure to come back.
“I want the nurses to embrace the new healthcare environment because it’s here to stay.”
With the increasing importance of scores derived from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), Ceballos says it’s important that nurses understand how the assessment works.
The HCAHPS survey contains 21 patient perspectives on care and patient rating items that encompass nine key topics: communication with doctors, communication with nurses, responsiveness of hospital staff, pain management, communication about medicines, discharge information, cleanliness of the hospital environment, quietness of the hospital environment, and transition of care.
The survey also includes four screener questions and seven demographic items, which are used for adjusting the mix of patients across hospitals and for analytical purposes. The survey is 32 questions in length.
“Those questions are being correlated with patients coming back in the hospital,” Ceballos said. “Patients who answered poorly in some of these questions nationally are correlating maybe with readmissions, not taking their medications or not following up with their doctors. The patients still have to make the decisions but when they leave the hospital we should have given them the opportunity to have those questions answered.”
And one by one, Ceballos is answering any questions people might have about whether AllianceHealth Midwest is the right place for them.

Dear Savvy Senior,

Love read that many car insurance companies offer a variety of discounts to older drivers when they retire or reach a certain age. What can you tell me about this? Discount Seeker

Dear Looking,
Most auto insurance companies offer policyholders a wide variety of discounts, many of which can benefit retirees. Auto insurers love older drivers because they’re experienced behind the wheel and they drive less than younger age groups, which makes them a lower risk for accidents and a safer bet for insurance companies.
While discounts will vary by insurer, many of these benefits can reduce your overall premium by 15 to 20 percent or more, and you are usually allowed to combine discounts to increase your savings, though total discounts are often capped at around 25 percent.
To find out what discounts may be available to you, contact your auto insurer and inquire about these benefits, and any others that may benefit you.
Age discount: Many auto insurance companies offer a general “senior” discount that will reduce your premium just because you’ve reached a specific age. The actual name and amount of the discount will vary by insurer.
Allstate, for example, provides a “senior adult discount” of up to 10 percent to drivers who are at least 55 years old and aren’t actively looking for full-time work. And Liberty Mutual offers a “newly retired discount” to drivers who reach that employment milestone, regardless of age.
Low mileage discount: Most insurers offer discounts to customers who drive limited miles each year, which is often beneficial to retirees who drive less because they don’t commute to work every day. The fewer miles you drive, the lower your odds of getting into an accident.
The parameters of low mileage differ by insurer, but generally about a 10 percent discount is available for driving less than 5,000 to 8,000 miles each year, although smaller discounts may also be available to seniors who drive more than this but less than 15,000.
Drivers Ed discount: Many states require insurance companies to offer “defensive-driving” discounts to drivers who take a refresher course to brush up on their safety skills. The discounts vary usually ranging between 5 and 15 percent.
Driver safety courses are inexpensive, usually costing around $20 to $30 and can often be taken in a classroom or online. To locate a class contact your local AAA (aaa.com), which operates a Driver Improvement Course for seniors, or AARP (aarp.org/driversafety, 888-227-7669), which offers the Smart Driver Course to members and non-members.
Club member discount: Insurers offer discounts to members of clubs and associations with which they have partnered. These could include professional associations, workers’ unions, large employers or membership organizations such as AAA, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, the Seniors Coalition, AARP, etc. You could even qualify for savings based on the college you attended or the fraternity or sorority you belonged to decades ago.
Safe driving discount: Many insurance providers now offer discounts based on how and when you use your car. To do this, they would place a diagnostic device in your car that transmits wireless data on how you drive (including how fast you’re going and how hard you’re braking), when you drive and how much you drive. Drivers are rewarded for safe driving, low mileage and for not driving late at night.
In addition, many insurance providers also offer discounts to drivers who do not have any violations or accidents for three or more years.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Senior finds new life behind silver screen

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

After several health issues including a heart attack, stroke and a multiple sclerosis diagnosis, Martin Evans’ doctors term him a “walking miracle.”
So at age 63 it shouldn’t come to anyone’s surprise that the man with a background in food service, construction and ministry has combined all three and opened up Norman’s newest discount theatre.
Three months and bucket fulls of sweat equity later, Evans wouldn’t trade the experience for the world and movie goers continue to line up day after day for a unique entertainment experience.
“It’s a family-oriented business,” Evans says. “Our prices are reflective of value.”
The theatre features $1 tickets on Tuesdays. All other days shows before 4 p.m. are $2. After 4 p.m. the price goes to $3.
The value continues at the concession stand where you can get a large popcorn, large drink and candy for less than $10. Soda refills are just a quarter.
Evans admits he couldn’t do it without his wife of nearly 35 years, Pam.
Three sons and a daughter – nearly half of the Evans family – plus a nephew all work at the theatre.
Evans has nine children.
“Everyone of them rolled up their sleeves when it was still building in progress and my brother-in-law came out for a couple months and did most of the painting for us,” Evans said. “(Having a family business) most days it’s great. Some days we’re on opposite ends of the building so we don’t scream at each other.”
Evans has a long history in customer service.
He managed Sambo’s restaurants years ago as well as a string of fast-food restaurants in California and Southern Oregon.
A few years back, son Josh opened a theatre with partners in Waterbury, Connecticut. Hurricane Sandy struck and three months later a major nor’easter all but deflated Josh’s chances at operating a successful movie theatre.
“Things kept piling up so they closed it but he always wanted to get back in,” Evans said.
So it was no surprise that Josh came to his parents for a serious talk.
“He said he really wanted to do something with us,” Martin said. “He told us we weren’t going to make a living on Social Security and he wanted to get us in a position where we could make a living and not have to work.”
There’s been plenty of work lately, but Evans has a vision of duplicating his theatre success in other markets.
“I’m 63 and for the first time in my life I was able to go to a car lot and buy a brand new car,” Evans said. “A week later I went back and bought another one for the company.”
The public has responded.
“We’re having a ball. We love it and we love the community,” Evans said. “I can’t think of a better place to live and start your business than Norman.”
Before the front doors were even unlocked Christmas Eve 2015 more than 5,000 people had liked the theatre’s Facebook page.
A crowdfunding campaign yielded nearly $30,000 with people purchasing discount admission cards and on-screen advertising.
Schools from as far away as Paul’s Valley are bringing 200 students at a time for reward days.
Movies like Goonies, Back to the Future, Gone with the Wind, Sound of Music, Singing in the Rain, Indiana Jones and Jaws are back up on the big screen for those who
“A lot of kids will get to see a movie that they’ve maybe seen on TV but not on the big screen,” Evans said. “We cater to the kids and cater to the families. We see everything from grandparents bringing their kids for their first movie experience to large families on a tight budget. We’re starting to see more college kids.
“Really we’re widespread but we have a lot of seniors.”
The Red Hat ladies come once a week to enjoy the newly-renovated digs. Upgraded sound, seating and carpet await theatre goers with a new 3D experience coming later this summer.
A family of five can come to the theatre and spend less than $50 including tickets and food.
Evans even offers a special line of all-beef hot dogs.
The nacho dog has cheese, chips and jalapenos. The namesake Marty Dog weighs in with white queso, bacon, guacamole and pico de gallo.
Fresh-baked pizza and boneless wings make an appearance after noon.
Evans credits a very aggressive film booker in getting the theatre its releases.
“It’s the same process. We have a booker who negotiates the film and the studio tells us the special things we have to do,” Evans said.
When you walk into Evans Theatres you can tell it’s a different type of theatre.
Pam Evans knows why.
“We believe everyone that walks through that door is family – family that we like,” Pam says with a chuckle.
Evans Theatres Robinson Crossing 6 is located at 1300 N Interstate Drive in Norman and opens at opens at 10:00 AM.

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

An undiscovered intellectual and hands on treat is the Sam Nobel Museum of Natural History in Norman, Oklahoma.
Recently it was recognized for excellence by receiving the 2014 National Medal by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the nation’s highest honor conferred on museums and libraries for services to their community. This honor was only awarded to five museums out of 17.500, and five libraries nationwide.
The honor was given in a ceremony at the White House where first Lady Michelle Obama said, “The work that you do in the summers and throughout the year is filling a crucial role n our country as we strive to give our young people a world-class education.”
Later O.U. President David L. Boren agreed, “This prestigious national award confirms that our museum is one of the most important university-based natural history museums in our nation and indeed in the world.”
As an example of the museums outreach is the ExplorOlogy program which involves promising students from schools across Oklahoma to get a hands on experience with experts in different scientific disciplines. One ExplorOlogy program took place in the high planes of Oklahoma in the Black Mesa area located in the states panhandle.
The Sam Noble Museum offers a variety of educational programming designed to engage and challenge students as they unlock the past, observe the present and consider the future though natural and cultural history. Jess Cole, head of education, says, “We are really fortunate to be a complement and supplement for Oklahoma schools with their science education.”
More information on the museum and their educational programs can be found at www.SamNobleMuseum.org. For your visit to the museum you may take in the “Be the Dinosaur!” exhibit running through June 12th, 2016. The exhibit is based on the fossils found in the Hell Creek Formations of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. You can guide a Tyrannosaurus Rex in a search for food or learn the behaviors of the Triceratops as it ambles through the Late Cretaceous from a video console. The highlight of a visit might be the video simulated pods which allow visitors to become dinosaurs.
Another attraction is the “Through the Eyes of the Lynx: Galileo and the Microscope” through August 31st. On March 10 at 7 pm, is the free “Galileo’s World Lecture Series and Sky Watch” hosted by the O.U. Observatory.
The museum is available for catered events and banquets.
Located at 2401 Chautauqua Avenue, the Sam Noble Museum is easily accessible near the O.U. Campus, and provides an educational and entertaining experience for all ages.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
http://realtraveladventures.com/author/zinn/
http://www.examiner.com/travel-in-oklahoma-city/terry-zinn
www.new.okveterannews.com – www.martinitravels.com