The seventh annual Cross Family Benefit for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation will be held on May 7 in Kingfisher. Cowboys from across the country will saddle up to raise money for cancer research and also to honor the life of Floyd Cross.
Cross battled – and defeated – recurring bouts of colon and liver cancer for 12 years before passing away in 2016. The Cross family continues to fight the disease in his honor by raising funds to support cancer research at OMRF.
“The Cross family is a great example of how Oklahomans can do something meaningful to help combat diseases like cancer,” said OMRF Vice President of Development Penny Voss. “Grassroots efforts like this one make a big difference in giving momentum to the world-class research happening right here in Oklahoma City.”
In addition to the steer wrestling competition and t-shirt sales, raffle tickets will be sold for $1 or six for $5 for a wide variety of prizes. A weekend getaway to Red River, New Mexico, will be up for auction.
The event will be held at 1 p.m. at the Kingfisher Rodeo Roundup Club Arena. To enter or for more information, call Sherrie Cross at (405) 375-4872 or (405) 313-1776. The books are open from 10 a.m. until noon on May 7. Admission is free.

Last November, INTEGRIS held a ground-breaking event to ceremonially kick-off construction of four different metro area INTEGRIS micro-hospital facilities. Work will occur at all four locations simultaneously, and our chain of micro-hospitals will be known as INTEGRIS Community Hospitals going forward because each location will include ER services as well as rooms for inpatient care. Upper floors within the four buildings will include physician and specialty clinics.
The photos below illustrate early phases of construction for INTEGRIS Community Hospital – Council Crossing located in northwest Oklahoma City. Construction crews tell us – if weather and wind cooperate – all concrete walls for the NW Expressway & Council Rd. location should be in place by the end of this week. Obviously, much work lies ahead, however we are on schedule to open the facility in February 2019.
In Moore, work crews will begin placing walls at our I-35 & South 34th Street location before the end of April. Structural steel is also visible from Interstate 40 at our Del City location near Sooner Road. Construction will begin in May at the OKC West location.
INTEGRIS Community Hospitals are being welcomed by leaders and families in each area. Excitement is growing as people begin to see the facilities take shape. We look forward to offering these easily accessible, high-quality health care service centers to our care continuum in the next 12 to 15 months.

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

St. Anthony Hospital and Weatherford Regional Hospital are pleased to announce a new management agreement for Weatherford Regional Hospital. The agreement will offer Weatherford Regional Hospital a wide range of management support services that will aid the facility as they continue to provide the highest quality of health care to the community.
“This management agreement continues to strengthen our commitment to providing local access and exceptional care to the community that we serve,” said Debbie Howe, President, Weatherford Regional Hospital. “Weatherford Regional Hospital and St. Anthony Hospital working together will move us forward so that we can seek innovations in care, improve quality and provide greater access to health care and specialty services.”
The Board selected St. Anthony Hospital because of its commitment to patient satisfaction and exceptional health care. Weatherford Regional Hospital has been a tier one affiliate of the St. Anthony Affiliate Health Network since May 2013, and for five years prior to being a tier one, they were an affiliate in the network.
“Weatherford Regional Hospital and St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City have been closely affiliated for more than ten years,” says Joe Hodges, Regional President, SSM Health Oklahoma. “We are pleased to join Weatherford Regional Hospital to further enhance specialty services for the residents in the area.”

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.

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.

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.

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

If you could be any kind of animal, what would you be and why? Willowood at Mustang

I would be a cat. They let themselves be known, they don’t take too much from anyone and they appear sweet.

Judy Robertson

I would be and eagle so I could fly and soar above and watch everyone.

Dale Jackson

I would be a dog because everyone seems to like them.

Vera Weisbord

I would be a rabbit, pretty and soft.

Janie Ramey