What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
The best decision I ever made was to become a mother because that allowed me to become a grandmother and that’s the best job in the whole world.” Diana Schaeffer, RN
To give my life to God. Sherry Pack
I would have to say to give my life to the Lord. Nancy Karum
The best decision I ever made was to marry my husband, Steve. Nycke White
Contracts Often Limit Where Physicians Can Work If They Change Employers
By Dennis Hursh
Patients may just shrug when they learn their doctor plans to move to a new office.
After all, they can just follow, right?
Maybe not. Or at least, not easily.
Physician contracts often contain restrictive covenants that limit where doctors can work if they leave their current practices. The idea is to keep them from competing with their old employer.
For example, the contract could require the doctor’s new office to be 15 or more miles away. The doctor also might have to give up privileges at the local hospital.
“These contract provisions hold numerous traps for the unwary,” says Dennis Hursh, an attorney who has provided legal services to physicians for more than three decades and is the author of “The Final Hurdle: A Physician’s Guide to Negotiating a Fair Employment Agreement.” (www.TheFinalHurdle.com)
Patients can be left scrambling to find a new physician.
The situation can be even worse for the doctor, who essentially might have to start his or her career over again, building a new patient base.
Hursh says it’s not unusual for him to answer desperate phone calls from doctors who paid little attention when they agreed to their contracts, but now wonder whether their soon-to-be-former employers can enforce the restrictions.
“Unfortunately, they probably can,” he says.
Doctors need to be diligent and negotiate favorable terms before they sign an employment contract, he says. Hursh says there are several ways to deal with restrictive covenants so that doctors are not facing career-damaging situations.
• Keep the distance reasonable. Although geographic restrictions are common, in most cases the agreement should not require the doctor’s new office to be more than five miles from the old one. In rural areas, a somewhat larger area may be reasonable, Hursh says.
Also, when employers have multiple offices, the distance rule should apply only to the office where the doctor spent most of his or her working time.
• The general practice of medicine should not be restricted. “It’s one thing to agree that patients will have to drive five miles from your old office if they want to continue seeing you,” Hursh says. “It’s another thing to agree you won’t see patients in hospitals, nursing homes or ambulatory surgical centers that are within the prohibited area.”
• Continuing the doctor-patient relationship. Patients often become attached to a particular doctor and want to stick with him or her. But when a doctor moves to a new practice that can get tricky.
Contracts usually prohibit doctors from directly asking their patients to follow them to the new practice, Hursh says. Barring such solicitation, whether it’s in the office or by phone call or letter, is reasonable, he says. But advertisements by the doctor’s new employer should not be considered direct solicitation.
• Sometimes restrictions should not apply. If an employer fires a doctor without cause, then the restrictive covenant should not go into effect, Hursh says. That’s also true if the employer breaches its agreement with the doctor, although that can be difficult to negotiate, he says.
“An employer could worry the physician will claim some far-fetched theory of an alleged breach to get out of the restriction,” he says. “One way to deal with that might be to list specific grounds for a breach in the contract.”
Hursh says one of the most extreme cases he ever experienced involved a doctor whose non-compete clause prohibited the practice of medicine within 65 miles.
A hospital 62 miles away wanted to hire him.
It was while negotiating a contract with the hospital that Hursh and the hospital’s attorney discovered the restriction.
“The restriction was so ludicrous that we both agreed that the former employer would almost certainly lose if they tried to sue,” Hursh says.
But the hospital figured: why take chances.
The offer to hire the doctor was withdrawn.
Dennis Hursh has been providing health-care legal services for more than three decades. Since 1992, he has been managing partner of Hursh & Hursh, P.C., www.PaHealthLaw.com, a Pennsylvania law firm that serves the needs of physicians and medical practices. He is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, where he is involved in the Physician Organizations Practice Group.
St. Anthony is pleased to announce the opening of St. Anthony Urgent Care. The new facility is located at St. Anthony North, at the corner of Broadway Extension and N.W. 63rd street.
Under medical director Dr. Chad Borin, providers Kristi McKee, PA-C and Nicole Miller, PA-C, will offer compassionate care for minor illnesses and injuries. St. Anthony Urgent Care is available for non-emergency illnesses such as colds, flu, and sinus infections, as well as minor injuries. Patients visiting the clinic will benefit with fast treatment, an electronic health record, an onsite lab and X-Ray, as well as quick access to specialists.
Open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., St. Anthony Urgent Care offers convenient hours for those inconvenient moments in our lives.
Date/ Day/ Location/ Time/ Registration #/ Instructor
May 19/ Tuesday/ Midwest City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 691-4091/ Palinsky
Rose State – Tom Steed Bldg. – 6191 Tinker Diagonal
May 30/ Saturday/ Okla. City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 775-9009/ Edwards
Statemens Club – 10409 N. Vineyard Dr.
Jun 4/ Thursday/ Okla. City/ 9:30 am – 4 pm/ 951-2277/ Palinsky
Intergis 3rd Age Center – 5100 N. Brookline
Jun 8/ Monday/ Midwest City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 737-7611/ Edwards
Midwest Senior Center – 8521 E. Reno Ave.
Jun 12/ Friday/ Okla. City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 951-2277/ Edwards
S.W. Medical Center – 4200 S. Douglas, Suite B-10
Jun 13/ Saturday/ Okla. City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 486-1385/ Edwards
Epworth Vila Retirement – 14901 N. Penn
June 16/ Tuesday/ Edmond/ 1:30 -3:00 pm/ 210-6798/ Palinsky
AARP State Office – 126 N. Bryant Ave.
“WNTT (We Need To Talk) Seminar Free”
Jun 27/ Saturday/ Moore/ 9 am – 3;30 pm/ 735-9638/ Palinsky
1st Methodist Church – 201 W. Main
The prices for the classes are: $15 for AARP members and $20 for Non-AARP. Call John Palinsky, zone coordinator for the Oklahoma City area at 405-691-4091 or send mail to: [email protected]
NewView Oklahoma has been awarded $20,000 from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation’s Services for the Elderly iFund Grant Program. This grant will be used to support NewView’s Safe and Healthy Meals Program.
The overarching goal of the Safe and Healthy Meals Program is to keep unsupported seniors in their homes longer by helping them reach their full potential for independent meal preparation – from fixing a sandwich or a bowl of cereal, to heating food in a microwave, to using a stove or oven, to prepare a hot meal. Less dependent on others and more confident and safe in the kitchen, participants receiving this training will be able to live healthier lives with greater independence in their own home.
“We’re delighted to be awarded this grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation,” said Lauren Branch, NewView’s President and CEO. “These funds will enable us to expand the Safe and Healthy Meals Program to our elderly clients and allow them to develop the skills needed to remain active and independent in their own homes.”
Founded in 1969, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation works with donors to create charitable funds that will benefit our community both now and in the future. The Services for the Elderly iFund grant represents a compilation of donations made by donors to benefit an organization offering direct services to individuals to help them continue to live independently. Two additional iFund grant programs provide support for organizations providing access to health care and providing opportunities for children. For more information on these grants, please visit www.ifundokc.org.
To learn more about NewView Oklahoma’s programs, or clinical services operated by the organization, please visit www.newviewoklahoma.org.
New recommendations aim to prevent ovarian cancer
Saving women from an often silent killer is at the heart of new recommendations for ovarian cancer prevention from a top researcher and clinician at the Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma as well as counterparts nationwide.
It’s estimated that almost 22,000 women in this country will learn they have ovarian cancer this year alone, and more than 14,000 women will die of the disease. The disease often is not detected until it is in an advanced stage because there seldom are symptoms until it has already spread. Since early detection through screening and symptom detection has failed to reduce mortality, top cancer researchers and clinicians nationwide now have issued a list of recommendations aimed at stopping the cancer before it starts.
Joan Walker, M.D., gynecologic oncologist with the Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, is lead author on the commentary published in Cancer. Walker also holds the George Lynn Cross Research Professorship in Gynecology and Oncology with the OU College of Medicine.
“These new recommendations are aimed at helping save lives,” Walker said. “ Recent scientific breakthroughs have provided new insights into ovarian cancer? how it forms, how it spreads and who is at greatest risk. With that knowledge, we felt it was important to make a strong recommendation to both the public and health care providers about how to best prevent ovarian cancer.”
The new recommendations include the use of oral contraceptives and instead of tubal sterilization, they recommend the removal of the fallopian tubes. For women at high hereditary or genetic risk of breast and ovarian cancer, risk-reducing removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries is recommended. Finally, they recommend genetic counseling and testing for women with ovarian cancer and other high-risk family members. Women identified with excess risk of ovarian cancer can reduce that risk to almost zero with the removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries, but they experience premature menopause.
“For women with an average risk of developing ovarian cancer, we know that the use of oral contraceptives can cut their lifetime risk for ovarian cancer by 40 to 50 percent. The longer oral contraceptives are used, the greater the benefit and that benefit can last up to 15 years after a woman has stopped using oral contraceptives,” Walker said.
Tubal ligation, a procedure in which a woman’s fallopian tubes are blocked, tied or cut, has been associated with a 34 percent reduction in the risk of ovarian cancer in women at average risk for ovarian cancer. With the new scientific evidence, the authors indicated they prefer the removal of the fallopian tubes as a preventive measure.
“Studies have reported a 70 to 85 percent reduction in ovarian cancer as well as a 37 to 54 percent reduction in breast cancer in women at high hereditary risk with the removal of both the ovaries and fallopian tubes,” Walker said. “Growing evidence shows that most type 2 ovarian cancers develop as a result of cellular changes in cells within the fallopian tubes.”
“This information is especially important for women at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer. These recommendations are intended to help encourage an open discussion between women and their health care providers,” Walker said.
Per the Journal of the American Medical Association, hearing loss is one of the most common chronic health conditions and has important implications for a person’s quality of life. However, hearing loss is substantially undetected and untreated.
At INTEGRIS Health we believe everyone age 55 and older should have their hearing checked every year as part of their overall wellness.
In recognition of National Speech and Hearing Month, the INTEGRIS Cochlear Implant Clinic will offer complimentary hearing screenings for individuals who have not yet been diagnosed with a hearing loss. If you currently wear a hearing aid or have been diagnosed with a hearing loss, a screening will not be sufficient.
The doctors of audiology at the INTEGRIS Cochlear Implant Clinic can help determine if you have a hearing loss and what treatment options they can offer you. The screenings are available by appointment only.
For more information or to schedule an appointment for a complimentary hearing screening, please call the INTEGRIS Cochlear Implant Clinic 405-947-6030.
Artsy Rose Academy offers artsy fun for everyone
Story and photo provided
Kimberly Scott has always had a creative flare. As a small child, she turned recyclable items into artwork, loose pictures into scrapbooks and sidewalks into colorful murals.
“I could never sit at home and watch a television program or movie without working on some kind of creative project,” Kimberly shared. “It drove my family crazy.”
Not much has changed since then. These days, Kimberly spends her “down time” creating lesson plans for 480 elementary school students, as well as planning classes, camps, birthday parties and special events for Artsy Rose Academy, the art enrichment studio she recently opened in northwest Oklahoma City.
Artsy Rose is a dream realized for Kimberly. She knew, at the age of 18, when working at a similar establishment in Midwest City, she would one day manage her own studio. Kimberly continued to work in various Oklahoma City metro art programs as she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma. Immediately following graduation, Kimberly accepted a certified teaching position at Ralph Downs Elementary School, where she has been teaching Art for nine years to children in Kindergarten through 5th grade. She was recognized as her school’s “Teacher of the Year”, 2013-2014 and the Downtown Rotary Teacher of the Month in January, 2015.
Kimberly knows art is not only fun, it is also a great catalyst to a better understanding of all school subjects and a wonderful way for people of all ages to express creativity and individuality. “Young children are natural artists; they don’t let lack of confidence keep them from trying. They get so much joy from using their creativity and imagination, and seeing a project completed”, Scott explains. “As people get older, they have a tendency to doubt their talents and they lose touch with their creative side. Artsy Rose Academy is a non-judgmental, encouraging and supportive environment. I want art to be fun, relaxing and exciting for everyone.”
Artsy Rose Academy, located at 7739 W. Hefner Rd., offers ‘artsy fun for everyone’. “You and Me” classes offer a great opportunity for grandparents and grandchildren, or parents and children, to bond through creativity and fun. “Canvas and Cupcakes” classes are another opportunity for adults and little artists to spend time together, creating masterpiece canvases while enjoying tasty cupcakes. Knowing companionship and activity are key to staying young and energetic, Kimberly would love to see more senior adults participating in classes at Artsy Rose and plans to schedule ongoing “Canvas and Cupcakes” for seniors, age 55 and older. Artsy Rose will also offer a variety of summer camps for children, ages 5 – 14. Campers can choose from photography, theatre, room and fashion design and, of course, art with various themes and mediums. Half day camps will be offered in the morning and afternoon. Fridays will be FUN DAYS, all day, with varied activities, including outside play, board games, crafts and much, much more.
Kimberly, aka Artsy Rose, loves to explain how she chose the name for her dream-come-true establishment, “My middle name is Rose, my great-grandmother’s name was Rose, my grandmother is Maureen Rose, my daughter is Ava Rose, my brand new niece is Amelia Rose … and I have always been ‘artsy’. It really couldn’t have been anything else!” She is excited and ready to share her love and passion for art, and help people of all ages discover and rediscover their creative side. For more information, visit www.artsyrose.com, or call 405.603.8550.
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) recently held a renewal dedication for its Heartland Memorial Tree Grove, which was originally planted in May 1995 in memory of the seven US Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees who perished in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, Governor Fallin was on hand to help dedicate the new generation of redbud trees that were planted to replace the original ones.
The grove, located on the ODAFF grounds, is built in the shape of a heart, surrounded by native stones from all 77 Oklahoma counties which symbolize strength through unity. Seven redbud trees represent the USDA employees who perished, a whitebud tree represents lost innocence and a bur oak tree symbolizes the tenacity of the Oklahoma spirit. A granite marker lists the names of everyone who died in the bombing, including the seven USDA employees: Olen Bloomer, Jim Boles, Peggy Clark, Dick Cummins, Adele Higginbottom, Carole Khalil and Rheta Long.
“As the daughter of a USDA employee who lost her life in the bombing, it is very special to me that our Agriculture employees and community have continued to remember the tragic events of April 19, 1995,” said Blayne Arthur, Deputy Commissioner, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry. “The Heartland Grove is truly a living memorial to those that were lost that day.”
Others who spoke at the grove dedication included Jim Reese, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture; Blayne Arthur, Deputy Commissioner, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry; Mark Bays, Urban Forestry Coordinator, Oklahoma Forestry Services; Ray Vaughn, Oklahoma County Commissioner and Susan Winchester, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Oklahoma City Memorial Foundation.
Participants included family members of the USDA employees who lost their lives in the bombing, Arbor Day Kickoff Celebration attendees, member of the Oklahoma Urban & Community Forestry Council and ODAFF employees. The event was officially recognized by the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
INTEGRIS Health Edmond is named one of America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care by the Women’s Choice Award. This coveted credential places INTEGRIS Health Edmond in the top one percent for emergency care.
“The Women’s Choice Award seal delivers a powerful message to the women of Edmond and surrounding areas,” says hospital president Avilla Williams. “It offers them reassurance and peace of mind that INTEGRIS Health Edmond is clinically excellent and prepared to care for and treat their families when they need it most.”
Emergency services account for more than 125 million hospital visits annually, and all clinicians must have expertise in caring for patients across their life span, often when their health care needs are urgent and unplanned. Unlike other hospital departments that interact with the same patient and families for an extended period, emergency staffs typically have one patient encounter, often when anxiety and fear is at its peak.
Hospitals earning the Emergency Care Award consistently rank in the top 25 percent of the 3,800 hospitals reporting on their emergency department’s performance to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The eight measures CMS publicly reports relate primarily to the amount of time taken in the ER such as time for diagnosis, medication, and admission to the hospital, and are weighted according to the priorities of women surveyed.
“We have found that recommendations are an important consideration used by women in selecting a hospital for themselves and their family. By helping women know which hospitals in their area provide the best critical care, we are able to help them make better decisions, especially when it comes to emergency situations,” said Delia Passi, chief executive officer and founder of the Women’s Choice Award.
Year after year, the Women’s Choice Award is the only credential that identifies the nation’s best health care institutions by measuring against the needs and preferences of women, when it comes to treatment and a quality hospital experience. This credential signifies INTEGRIS’ commitment and passion towards an extraordinary health care experience for women and all patients.
