by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Passion.
Elliott Johnson has lived with it for 69 years now.
A marriage of nearly half a century, a coaching career of some 40 years and now the mission to spread the gospel through tales of the Old West have continued to fan Johnson’s flames.
“I loved baseball all my life,” he says, unfolding just one of the avenues his life has taken him down. “I didn’t ask to love baseball.”
Growing up on a farming-ranching operation in Nebraska, Johnson watched his dad play for the local town baseball club – normal for many communities in the 1950s.
He tagged along, served as a batboy and soaked up what would become his passion for some 40 years.
“I never really got enough,” Johnson explained from his two-and-a-half acre ranch in Piedmont. “I would have liked to have played in the big leagues – who wouldn’t – but I never had that chance.”
Johnson eventually would realize that was a blessing.
“I got to coach for 40 years,” he said. “Nobody gets to play for 40 years.”
After 40 years of coaching (30 as a collegiate head baseball coach), Johnson left coaching in 2011. His overall collegiate record was 921-499, which ranked 8th among active coaches on the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics career victory list (17th all-time) and 8th in career winning percentage (13th all-time).
Coach Johnson’s Trevecca teams won three conference and two NAIA District titles during his 11 years at the Nashville school (1980-1990). His Olivet Nazarene University teams won four conference, two NAIA Regional, and one NCCAA National championship from 2000-2007.
Two of those teams appeared in the NAIA World Series (2002-2003). For many years, his teams were among the NAIA’s best, peaking at No. 5 in 2003 and 2004.
Along the way, Johnson collected eight Coach of the Year distinctions.
He has been blessed to recruit and coach numerous NAIA All-Americans and professional players, including Ben Zobrist who now plays for the Chicago Cubs.
In 1993, he completed a Doctor of Arts degree at Middle Tennessee State University. His video combining youth baseball fundamentals with positive values has been required viewing for NYSCA certification of youth baseball coaches across the country ever since.
He has authored 30 athletic-related devotional books and six baseball videos, and he has patented the Stride Guide, a hitting instructional device.
For more than 30 years, Johnson has directed a charitable foundation, the Winning Run Foundation.
RETIRE AND DIE
Bear Bryant, arguably the best college football coach whoever lived, died of a massive heart attack just 28 days after retiring in 1983.
Johnson vowed to never make the same mistake even as he stepped away from the diamond.
“A lot of people who retire die,” Johnson said. “There’s nothing to live for. I said ‘Lord, give me a passion like I had in coaching.’”
Two days was all it took for Johnson to hear that small, unmistakable whisper that told Johnson how to spread the Word next.
His Winning Run Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization established for the purpose of publishing athletic and western-related devotional books, tracts, videos, and magazines.
The goal is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in an effective way and to build believers in the faith.
Johnson believes placing sound, written material in the hands of people is of great value in guiding readers through the Word of God, encouraging believers to share the gospel, strengthening families, and building relationships with other followers of Christ.
Johnson writes Trail Ride Magazine, a cowboy’s study of various books of scripture using stories of the old west.
The issues are packed with history of the old west, and just like the parables of Jesus, weave scriptural teachings throughout.
His talks feature object lessons to keep attention of the young. He has a one-hour presentation of Jesus’ claims from John, a cowboy’s study of Job, and presentations on Godly leadership, pride vs. humility, and other topics. CD production, including cowboy music, is in progress.
He speaks to cowboy gatherings nationwide using stories of the old west to illustrate scripture. Talks are encouraging, motivating, and Biblical.
Johnson began publication of Trail Ride Magazine in 2012. He speaks at cowboy churches and other venues around the country while distributing the magazine. At home, he cares for his horses, provides horsemanship lessons to young riders, and serves as a personal athletic trainer to young athletes.
Through 48 years of marriage, his wife Judy has remained his biggest fan. Both sons, Todd and Benjamin, played together on his LeTourneau University teams and work with Fellowship of Christian Athletes groups.
To learn more about Johnson’s foundation, ministry or to invite him to speak you can go through his website www.winrun.org.

by Bryan Painter

CARNEGIE – If it’s possible for a person and a place to share a path through their lives, that person is Jeannie Hileman and that place is the Carnegie Gin.
The Carnegie Gin, managed by Hileman, has produced and persisted through literally the best of times and the worst. The Carnegie Gin was established in 1925. This most recent crop, 2017, ranked as the 11th best in state history in terms of production. That means the Carnegie Gin, although it has taken on different looks through the years, has been around for eight of the top 11 best cotton crops in Oklahoma dating to records of 1894, and also eight of the 11 worst cotton crops in that time span. Right now, Hileman is experiencing some of the best times in recent cotton history.
Not only was last year the 11th best in state history, this next crop of Oklahoma Upland Cotton will be planted on 16 percent more acres than in 2017, according to a United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service prospective planting forecast.
However Hileman, who started working at the gin in 1990, has seen several of the worst years: seven of the worst 11 to be specific. Consistently optimistic, she notes that during the drought that began in Oklahoma in about October 2010, “We really did not have the problems most did. We had underground irrigation wells to pull us through those bad years. We were the largest gin in the state for three years.”
Regardless of the circumstances, good or bad, Hileman greets each day with the same pleasant, unforced grin.
“During the really lean years, I was the only employee,” Hileman said. “I would have to recruit a new gin crew every year. During the years 1997-2000 we never ginned 1,000 bales in a year. In 1998 we only ginned 204 bales. It was really hard keeping the doors open, trying to make payroll until we would get our first seed check. There was a time when I had six payroll checks that couldn’t be cashed until the revenue started coming in. I enjoyed my work and my farmers and wanted to see it through.”
Strong friendships
Jeannie met Randall Hileman during her junior year in high school, at a local drive-in called Ski Boy, where she worked in Fort Cobb. They were a match from the start she said and were married on Dec. 11, 1971. At the time, he was farming as part of his family’s operation. They continued to expand the farm. The Hilemans raised cattle and at one time had hogs. They also grew wheat, peanuts, cotton and milo. More importantly they also raised a son Aaron and a daughter Sadie.
Fast-forward to 2008.
“We were decorating for Sadie’s junior prom when Randall decided there was something seriously wrong with him,” Jeannie Hileman said. “In June of 2008 we were told he wouldn’t see Sadie graduate unless he got a lung transplant. Talk about heartbreaking, stressful, emotional rollercoaster. Barnes-Jewish Hospital was where he needed to be.”
St. Louis was quite a distance from western Caddo County in Oklahoma. Plus, Randall would have to live within two hours of the hospital. There was a list of qualifications he had to meet before being placed on the transplant list. He checked everything off on his list. His health got better, but his lungs had gotten worse. They were ready to place him on the transplant list.
He would need a caretaker to move to St. Louis with him. Jeannie couldn’t leave her job because Randall’s insurance was through the gin. Aaron had a 4-year old and one on the way. Sadie had graduated, so Sadie and Randall moved to Missouri in July.
While the gin and Hileman have traveled a winding business path together, they’ve also meant more to each other than that.
When Randall became ill, the community had a fundraiser to help with living expenses. Monsanto donated chemical that Jeannie’s producers purchased at an inflated price. Helena Chemical Co. purchased plane tickets for her to visit her husband and daughter.
“Many of my cotton producers helped us so much, financially and emotionally,” Hileman said. “I have helped with many charitable benefits, but this was the hardest. It is much easier to help someone, than to have to accept the help. Most people will be on the transplant list for over a year before a match becomes available. We really did not know what God had planned for us, but we just had to put it in his hands. I had moved them in and helped them get settled, came home to start the wait. I was home less than a week when he got the call, ‘We have lungs for you.’” Aaron, his son Hayden, and Jeannie headed that way, and Randall was already in surgery when they arrived.
“Everything went great, and the rest is history, eight years and two grandsons later,” she said.
Christmas money
In 1990 Hileman was handling the bookkeeping for her husband and his brother when the board of the Carnegie Gin asked if she wanted to hire on to do some seasonal work with farm records. It was an opportunity for “Christmas money.”
She liked it and decided to stay. Others moved on, and Hileman became office manager and by 1995-96 was the gin manager. Consider that 1995 is tied for the third worst cotton year in Oklahoma in production. Things didn’t get a lot prettier: 1996 is the sixth worst, 1998 is the seventh and 1999 ranks eighth.
She was trying to hold on until genetics and more advanced protection against pest and weed threats arrived. “We were going to get rid of boll weevils, bollworms and weeds, but we just didn’t believe we were going to be able to hold onto our cotton gin long enough for all of those things to happen,” Hileman said in an interview with Southwest Farm Press.
They did hold on. How?
“Pride, determination and of course stubbornness,” she said.
Part of that holding on also included Farmers Co-op Gin selling to Farmers Co-op Mill and Elevator in 2002, she said. Hileman continued on as gin manager.
When you travel a path with someone or in this case something, you look out for them. Hileman was determined to take care of the gin.
“Anytime that you lose your infrastructure, you lose a piece of something you can’t get back,” she said. Hileman said the closest gin is roughly a few dozen miles away.
“It would have been hard for my producers to have transitioned to cotton if we didn’t have a gin,” she said. Times got better. The Carnegie Gin has had some record breaking crops in recent years.
Just months ago Carnegie Gin’s new plant opened. However, even the best of times can be challenging.
“This past year has been rough on everyone,” she said. “We started harvest 2016 in the middle of October, and we weren’t finished when the board, general manager and I flew out to North Carolina to look at the gin we purchased for here in Oklahoma. It has been non-stop ever since. We are now running both gins 24/7. I am really excited to have the opportunity to upgrade to such a modern plant.”
At this point, the path Hileman is traveling with the Carnegie Gin appears headed for success.
“I think this new cotton gin is a sign that cotton is here to stay,” she said.

Vickie Jenkins, Staff Writer

Are you looking for an assisted living facility for your loved one? Well, look no farther. Willowood at Mustang offers gracious living in a home-like setting with dedicated and knowledgeable staff available 24 hours a day to meet the personal needs of each resident.
In addition to the assisted living services, Willowood provides a completely self-contained, secure memory care unit for those with Alzheimer’s and memory-related dementias.
There is someone special at Willowood that is sure to make you feel welcome as you walk into the spacious entrance with beautiful decor. That person is Carolyn Spears, Life Enrichment Coordinator. This is Carolyn’s first year at Willowood and she has already made a difference in resident’s lives.
Carolyn started a program at this facility called Wish of a Lifetime program through the Jerry Bloom foundation. “This is a program where the resident requests a wish; something they have always wanted to do but never could. The members of the Wish of a Lifetime committee, in Colorado decide which resident gets their wish granted. All wishes are considered and much thought goes to each decision. Not all wishes are granted.”
“I think every senior deserves a chance to make their wish come true,” Carolyn said. “This year, 7 wishes have been submitted and several have been granted. It is amazing to see the look on the recipient’s face when they realize they have been chosen. It makes it all worth it. Of course, it takes quite a bit of planning from others that go into the Wish of a Lifetime and I am thankful for the people that reach out, allowing the senior’s wishes to come true.”
Giving a few examples of the granted wishes, Carolyn told how one resident wanted to travel to be reunited with his cousin. Another one wanted to go to see a Thunder game, live. They had a staff member go along and a family member and they were able to watch the game. He was thrilled! The wishes can be simple or a little excessive but Willowood tries to make their wish come true.
Being Life Enrichment Coordinator is a rewarding job for Carolyn, getting to know the residents, but it can also be a lot of hard work. As activity director, Carolyn is in charge of a full range of activities; cookouts, outdoor leisure time, trips for shopping, concerts and tours. She also plans all of resident’s daily activities, gets the residents involved in arts and crafts, and gives art lessons.
“It is very important that the residents get involved with activities, stay busy and socialize. When they are involved, it makes for less falls, less stress and less agitation. Of course, the residents enjoy themselves here and that is what we want. We want them to feel comfortable. It’s their home,” Carolyn said.
On a personal note, Carolyn grew up in Arkansas and Oklahoma. “It was kind of like 50/50,” she said. “What a lot of people don’t know is that I started from the ground up. I started out as a CNA, then I became a CMA, ACMA then a state certified Activity Director and I have to say, “When I found this job, it sounded perfect. I love it!” Carolyn said. “I love helping the residents, enjoy planning their activities, working with arts and crafts, going shopping, playing games, enjoy visiting with each person…what more could I ask for?” she added.
Asking Carolyn how she became interested in activity director, she replied, “I have always enjoyed being around people. For as long as I can remember, I have been involved in arts and crafts. I am also a private contract artist. Some of my paintings have been sold all over the country. Most of my work has been sold to private individuals.” Some of Carolyn’s art work is displayed throughout Willowood.
When Carolyn is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and her twin daughters, 17 and daughter 13. She is also an advocate for Fibromyalgia and MS and leads an Alzheimer’s Association support group once a month.
Asking Carolyn what her favorite part of her job would be, she simply answered, “To be involved and learn wisdom from the ones that are around me.”
If you would like to learn more about Willowood at Mustang, Meridian Senior Living, they are located at 1017 W. Highway 152. For more information, call 405-376-1200 where someone will be glad to answer your questions.

Falls are major cause of death from injury to older citizens. May is Better Hearing and Speech month so why is our Central Oklahoma Chapter of Hearing Loss Association of America concerned about Oklahoman’s health? Most people don’t realize it but the inner ear is the major control center for balance and hearing loss often occurs in the inner ear. COCHLAA encourages you to see an audiologist for a hearing exam. If you are experiencing symptoms such as: people don’t talk loud enough, people tell you that you play the TV too loud, you miss children’s laughs, you don’t hear the door bell or phone ring, they all signal the possibility of hearing loss. Contact COCHLAA at 405/717-9820, someone will be happy to answer your questions. Visit the Hearing Helper’s Room at 5100 N Brookline, Suite 100, here in Oklahoma City for a no obligation consultation.
One sad reality of a fall is that if you have fallen your chances of another fall are greatly increased. A fall can reduce a person’s ability to be self-sufficient, it can reduce the ability to earn an income, and can cause physical and financial hardships. Once again the old adage is good advice; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Here are some steps to help prevent falls:
Get your hearing checked. Good hearing helps you notice sounds that can warn of danger.
Keep your vision sharp. Have your eyes checked yearly to make sure your prescription is correct.
Exercise regularly. This can help improve strength and balance.
Know your meds. People who take four or more medications may be at risk of falling. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about potential side effects.
Identify (and address) home fall hazards. About half of all falls happen at home. Poor lighting, clutter, slippery bathroom environments, and more pose potential hazards.
Make stairs and thresholds safer. Use contrasting colors at steps or thresholds—for example, on dark wooden floors, paint the edge of the steps a lighter color.
Keep emergency numbers in large print close by. Consider bringing a phone with you into the bathroom or wearing an emergency alert wristband or neck pendant should a fall occur.
Visit our website for more information. www.OKCHearingLoss.org

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn [email protected]

How does one in 700 words or less describe all the variety of attractions that Westchester County New York holds? Well, one doesn’t, or better yet can’t. But in a quick visit I did enjoy all my stops along the very convenient ribbon of parkways that can speed you from one historic landmark to another or to another delightful dining experience.
My oasis for this visit was the expansive and convenient Doubletree in Tarrytown. With an extensive breakfast buffet with hot egg option included, you can be off and touring quickly on your own schedule. A good night’s rest is mandatory to supply you with the energy you will need each day. This Doubletree in Tarrytown delivers.
The 19th century was a period of political and technological change in America. Romanticism dominated the arts, and as the movement emphasized the appreciation of nature, imagination and emotion, the Hudson River Valley became the center of painting and architecture. Wealthy patrons commissioned the construction of mansions in a variety of styles along the bluffs of the river from New York City to Albany. Lyndhurst is one of these. Overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York, Lyndhurst is one of America’s finest Gothic Revival mansions. Former New York City mayor William Paulding, merchant George Merritt and railroad tycoon Jay Gould were all its inhabitants.
Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate is a must tour. This expansive mansion and grounds tour is a popular attraction and you must make reservation for your visit at the Phillipsburg Manor Visitor Center, and a courtesy bus will take you from the ticket outlet and gift shop up the hill and around the circular drive. Personal cars are not permitted. The proprietors of this property are quite proud of their charge to preserve while sharing this American palace so be prepared for enforcement of strict rules while touring. The art gallery, if on your tour, gives one pause as to the real meaning of what is art and what is not?
The cottage of Washington Irving’s, Sunnyside, is a delight to tour or if you come too late for a formal tour, just grazing the grounds and setting, next to the Hudson and railroad track, is a fun meandering. Further investigation in to the life and contributions of Irving, is enlightening to see his influence of the times in which he lived. Not only giving us the tales of Sleep Hollow and the Headless Horseman, but coining such words we take for granted today, such as Gotham- referring to New York City. The Sleepy Hollow cemetery is a wealth of frozen history with such notables residing there as, Elizabeth Arden, Andrew Carnegie and William Rockefeller. Roaming its hill expanse, one can meander to the Old Church and cemetery, and down to the reconstructed Headless Horseman Bridge.
If you feel over loaded (and you shouldn’t) with historic places, modern entertainment at the Westchester Broadway Theater should be on your itinerary. They produce professionally presented musicals in a dinner theatre style. While just exploring the parkways and byways of Westchester and without planning one may happen upon a delightful restful moment. We came upon the Red Hat On The River bar and restaurant cozied up to the massive Hudson River. It’s curiosity quenching moments like this spontaneous beverage stop that the well-traveled embrace and relish as special memories.
But for a top of the sky, upscale dining option few can compare to the 42nd, atop the Ritz Carlton in White Plains. The cocktail lounge with spectacular views of the Hudson valley, setting sun and downtown, and the accompanying several restaurants, are the “in” place to dine in the center of Westchester County
Just when I thought we had experienced the best of Westchester dining, an evening setting sun cocktail and appetizers of Portabella mushroom and a Risotto at the historic Castle on the Hudson, offered us its plethora of charmed atmosphere as we sat on the outside patio of this mansion. While we were relaxing and recounting our few days of adventure, a pair of young dear wandered on the lawn beneath our table, as if on cue, having their dusk appetizer of young sprouts. Westchester County has its magic and is a grand entry into the Historic Hudson Valley, with many more locales, mansions, and dining experiences awaiting the discriminating traveler. www.westchestertourism.com

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
http://realtraveladventures.com/author/zin

Ten (10) law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in Oklahoma will be among the three hundred and sixty (360) new names to be engraved on the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. Those names will be dedicated during the 30th Annual Candle Light Vigil the evening of May 13, 2018. Officers being added from Oklahoma are:
Payne County Deputy Sheriff Shack Palmer, died December.10, 1911, from gunshot wounds that he received late the evening of December 8th attempting an arrest near Fisher;
Bristow Police Detective William H. Johnston, died September 20, 1924, when his car crashed a mile north of Bristow attempting to intercept some Kellyville bank robbers;
Perkins Police Officer Henry L. Cotton, died April 29, 1986, from complications following surgery for injuries sustained during a fight making an arrest March 28th;
Logan County Deputy Sheriff Edward J. Wright, died October 23, 2016, after suffering an on duty heart attack late the evening of October 20th;
Oklahoma Department of Corrections Corporal Stephen R. Jenkins, Jr,, died January 7, 2017, from a heart attack he suffered after chasing an inmate with contraband at the Clara Waters Correctional Center in Oklahoma City;
Sac & Fox Nation Police Officer Nathan B. Graves, died January 24, 2017, about 6 a.m. in a head on traffic accident 11 miles north of Stroud on Highway 99 ;
Craig County Deputy Sheriff Sean F. Cookson, died February 27, 2017, from injuries sustained in a traffic accident the morning of February 22nd while in route to training;
Tecumseh Police Officer Justin M. Terney, died March 28, 2017, after being shot twice during a traffic stop about 11:30 p.m. the night before;
Logan County Deputy Sheriff David J. Wade, died April. 18, 2017, shortly after being shot several times while serving an eviction notice in Mulhall;
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lieutenant D. Heath Meyer, died July 24, 2017, from injuries sustained when he was accidently struck late the evening of July 14th by an OHP unit after he laid out stop sticks for a pursuit north bound on I-35 near NE 27th Street in Moore.
For more information on these officers and the other almost eight hundred officers who have died in the line of duty in Oklahoma, both before and after statehood, go to the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial web site at www.oklemem.com.

Independent studies place Mercy in the lead for quality of care and patient safety

Shorter hospital stays, fewer complications and better patient results are just a few metrics used to rank Mercy as a leading health care organization. For the third year in a row, Mercy is one of the top five large U.S. health systems in the 2018 Watson Health 15 Top Health System study. In addition, Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City received an “A” safety grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent hospital watchdog group, in ratings released today.
“This level of national recognition reflects the hard work of countless co-workers who care for our patients every single day,” said Jim Gebhart, president of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City and regional strategy officer. “We have made these efforts across many communities and many states because, like the Sisters of Mercy before us, we are dedicated to providing exceptional care for all.”
The Watson Health study, formerly the Truven Health Analytics study, analyzes 338 health systems and 2,422 hospitals across the U.S. Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scores assign A, B, C, D and F letter grades to 2,500 hospitals nationwide, providing the most complete picture of patient safety in the U.S. health care system.
Both Watson and Leapfrog combine rigorous analysis of individual hospital performance and metrics by using objective, independent research and public data sources. Hospitals and health systems do not apply for consideration.
Mercy outperformed peers in the following ways:
*Saved more lives and caused fewer patient complications
*Lower cost of care
*Readmitted patients less frequently
*Shorter wait times in emergency departments
*Shorter hospital stays
*Better patient safety
*Higher patient satisfaction
Some of the keys to improving the quality of patient care have included efforts made possible because of Mercy’s dedicated team, leading technology and best practices:
* Hand hygiene, while seemingly simple, is difficult to enforce, especially across an organization with 40,000 co-workers. By establishing Mercy-wide goals and putting rigorous plans in place, Mercy has reduced one of the most common health-care associated infections, Clostridium difficile (C-diff), by 67 percent from 2016 to the present.
* With more than 2,000 integrated physicians – one of the largest medical groups in the nation – Mercy brings primary care and specialty doctors together to implement proven, clinical-based best practices to improve patient care.
* Mercy was among the first health care organizations in the U.S. to have an integrated electronic health record (EHR) connecting all points of care. With a finely-tuned EHR, clinical best practices can be hard-wired into the system, resulting in triggers that warn of possible complications at very early stages, as well as data that can help reduce variation and improve compliance.
* Specialty councils, made up of physicians, nurses and clinicians, represent more than 40 areas of medicine, providing best practices for everything from heart surgery to the delivery of babies.
“This award speaks to the engagement of our staff and physicians in the journey toward high quality, reliable care,” said Terri-Anne Bone, vice president of performance improvement for Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. “While the award recognizes our efforts to date, we know that there is work to be done. The kind of diligence our co-workers demonstrate will enable Mercy to continue to improve care in the future.”
Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City was also recently named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by IBM Watson Health. In addition, Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City was one of only 13 hospitals in the nation to receive the Everest Award, achieving the highest national benchmarks along with the greatest improvement over five consecutive years.

Kevin Elledge has been named chief administrative officer for OU Physicians, the physician practice of the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.
In his new role, Elledge will work closely with OU Physician leadership to advance the mission of patient care across the OU Health Sciences Center enterprise. He will be responsible for the collective business and operational performance of the OU Physicians clinical practice, including the provision of core practice management services, revenue cycle functions, financial management, clinical operations, strategy development, information technology and analytics. Elledge will support the delivery of high-quality patient care across OU Physicians practice divisions and clinical units and will ensure coordination with the University’s missions of education and research.
Elledge has more than 14 years of experience with OU Physicians, most recently serving as the executive director of operations.
“As interim chief administrative officer, Kevin has worked tirelessly and very effectively to advance a number of important initiatives for our group,” said OU Physicians President Jesus Medina, M.D. “He has earned my respect as a trustworthy administrator, manager and leader. I am excited to continue working with him for the benefit of our organization.”
Elledge holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Central Oklahoma. Prior to joining OU Physicians, he resided in Atlanta where he founded and operated a successful healthcare technology company.
With more than 1,000 doctors and advanced practice providers, OU Physicians is the state’s largest physician group. The practice encompasses almost every adult and child specialty. Many OU Physicians have expertise in the management of complex conditions that is unavailable anywhere else in the state, region or sometimes even the nation. Some have pioneered surgical procedures or innovations in patient care that are world firsts.

OMRF scientist Rizwan Qaisar has been awarded an Irene Diamond Fund/AFAR Postdoctoral Transition Award in Aging.
The award, presented by the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) with support from the Irene Diamond Fund, will provide $120,000 in flexible transitional funding to Qaisar, who is researching age-related muscle loss called sarcopenia at OMRF. Postdocs are individuals conducting research after finishing their doctoral studies and are pursuing further training and a well-defined career path.
AFAR is a leading nonprofit dedicated to advancing healthy aging through biomedical research. The goal of this program, according to AFAR, is to provide portable and flexible transitional funding for senior postdoctoral fellows as they develop and negotiate for faculty positions and research programs. The award provides full-time research training and grant support. Founded in 1981, AFAR has awarded more than $175 million in grants to investigators and students across the U.S., Ireland, Israel, Italy and the United Kingdom.
“By giving these postdoctoral fellows this extra boost at a critical moment in their career path, AFAR is helping create a research pipeline that is essential to advancing better therapies for age-related diseases and discoveries that will help us all live healthier and longer,” said Jeremy Walston, M.D., Chair of the 2017 Selection Committee for the Irene Diamond Fund/AFAR Postdoctoral Transition Awards in Aging.
At OMRF, Qaisar works in the Aging and Metabolism Research Program with under the guidance of Program Chair Holly Van Remmen, Ph.D. looking specifically at the role of oxidative stress, or free radicals, in the long-term deterioration of muscle. Qaisar researches potential interventions for the disease pathways for sarcopenia, specifically the activation of the SERCA ATPase.
Qaisar earned his Ph.D. at the University of Uppsala, Sweden. His academic focus was looking at the mechanisms of muscle aging, and evaluating potential therapies to counter age-related weakness and muscle loss.
“I am extremely grateful and honored to receive this award,” said Qaisar. “This funding will provide me with a real opportunity to push my research forward and make a difference for our aging population.”