by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

If you get the right fit, then everything else will take care of itself.
It’s the driving motto at Patriot Prosthetics in Yukon where Dallas Curtis and Michael and Michele Huggins have literally given thousands of Oklahomans a new lease on life.
In any given year, Oklahoma ranks either first or second nationally in the number of amputations.
There’s a host of health reasons behind it but what’s left every time is a person facing one of the most emotionally and physically draining experiences of their life.
That’s where Patriot comes in.
The pieces of steel, plastic and carbon fiber Huggins and Curtis create aren’t just works of art but art that truly works.
“They become one with the patient,” said Huggins, whose father had a prosthetic clinic on Oklahoma City’s south side for 16 years. “After awhile it becomes them so you take it and you work with it just like that. This is part of this patient so you carry it and work with that in mind.”
THE RIGHT FIT
Huggins knows that every prosthetic clinic in America orders parts from the same handful of manufacturers.
In that respect, most shops are the same.
But what Huggins and Curtis pride themselves on is taking the extra time to ensure the right fit.
“No matter what we put on underneath that socket it doesn’t matter,” Curtis said. “If the fit’s not good who cares if you have microprocessor-controlled knees or power ankle and feet systems. There’s so much technology out there now in our field it’s ridiculous, but it’s how you apply it.”
Growing up, prosthetics was close to home for Huggins.
He was around 10 when his father lost his leg above the knee following a car accident.
He watched his dad literally learn to walk again and often times regrets having to do so.
He saw the look on his dad’s face most mornings before he had to strap on the 16-pound apparatus that was allegedly his new leg.
After years of fit issues and being told ‘that’s the best we can do’ his father compressed four years of school into two before teaming with the legendary Ray Buddin – a below-the-knee amputee.
THE PROCESS
Patriot offers mobile, on-site, care for many of its patients. Staff can team up with your physician, therapist, or other healthcare provider to coordinate appointments near you or at your home.
Huggins says clients appreciate not having to spend the day driving across Oklahoma City for a single visit while many still enjoy coming to Patriot’s Yukon office.
The steps taken to be fit with a prosthesis or orthotic device vary from patient to patient. Commonly, patients are referred by a physician or therapist early in the healing process for an initial free evaluation to discuss their needs in detail.
Measurements and/or a casting may also occur during this initial visit.
It was while playing football at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Curtis found his way into the world or prosthetics.
While spearheading several community service programs with NSU athletes he literally uncovered his niche.
Spending time with a nursing home resident one day, Curtis saw a man come in, raise the man’s pant leg and uncover a prosthetic limb.
“I didn’t even know he was an amputee. He functioned really well,” Curtis said. “I had no idea until that prosthetist showed up. I was just hanging out, chatting and playing checkers.”
A new major followed for Curtis as did a career as a prosthetist.
“Back then everybody wanted it covered,” Curtis said of the stigma amputees carried. “Everybody wanted to disguise it as much as possible.”
Before opening Patriot, Curtis was the prosthetic supervisor at the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System.
Now he and Huggins have become the go-to clinic for those who have been told “that’s the best we can do.”
Huggins said the rule has and always should be “if it hurts then something’s wrong.”
THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY
“The function of this is unbelievable,” Curtis said, holding a microprocessor prosthetic knee that has bluetooth connectability.
After fitting a client with the technology Curtis can connect wirelessly via his laptop and make a host of adjustments to match the client’s natural gait.
Patients are taught how to reprogram the joint for different activities through their smart phone.
Carbon technology allows energy to be returned to the client through rebound technology on some prosthetics.
But technology isn’t their passion.
“This stuff is not about us. This is about the amputee,” Huggins said. “We play a small part by casting and knowing how to modify and make that socket work throughout the day. The amputee takes it and does the rest.
“I don’t feel like I can take credit for a lot of what they do. That’s up to them.”

story and photo by Traci Chapman

Outreach Health Services might be new to the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, but it’s a company that brings with it more than four decades of caregiving for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
“As the company has this depth of experience, so do we,” said Karen Mangan, Outreach Health RN director of patient care. “We have bonded over our shared outlook of patient care and service.”
Mangan forged that bond with Outreach Administrator Ginger Meyers, a home health administrators of more than 30 years’ experience, the last 20 in Oklahoma City, she said.
“I’ve just always been in the business of caregiving,” Meyers said.
Mangan has been in nursing for about 40 years – 10 as an LPN, 30 as RN, working in virtually every aspect of healthcare.
“I was at my doctor’s office and they offered me a job as a file clerk, and it just went from there,” she said. “It’s always just been my calling, what I knew I was meant to do.”
Their backgrounds were a natural fit, then, for Outreach Health, Meyers said. Founded in 1975 in Texas by William Ball, Outreach was one of the first home health agencies in that state, according to company literature. Today, more than 8,000 employees across Texas – and now in Oklahoma City – provide home care, self-directed and personal emergency response services, assistance to women, infants and children, pediatric and behavioral health services.
“We have some really significant differences to other companies in this field – not only our long-range track record, but the fact we are both family owned and operated and our philosophy is faith-based,” Meyers said. “That’s something that really called to me, and it’s illustrated in everything we do.”
That includes not only patients, but employees, Mangan and Meyers said. Outreach makes how staff see themselves as a part of the firm’s crucial mission a priority, helping them to reach new professional levels while empowering patients and their families, Meyers said.
“It truly is a positive, supportive environment,” she said. “We support each other while we support those we work to help every day.”
“That kind of environment is positive for everyone,” Mangan said. “When you have the right people, dedicated employees who really live for this kind of service, you want to make sure they’re happy.
“That, then, makes the care they give even more significant – not just technically superior, but with a kind of care that comes from the heart, as well as through skills,” she said.
Outreach Health works hard to ensure just that, Meyers said. In addition to standard benefits like health insurance, the company offers emergency assistance funds, scholarship and loan programs, as well as counseling and outreach programs that include a library for employee growth, chaplains and Bible studies. That type of care extends to Outreach’s patients, Mangan said. Beyond physical care and assistance, caregivers provide friendship and companionship, a sense of safety and a symbol of faith. Chaplains are also available to those clients who need or ask for their services, while caregivers fulfill duties ranging from bathing and hygiene, mobility assistance, home safety assessments, shopping, housekeeping and meal preparation, transportation and escort to community events and other activities, medication and doctor’s appointment reminders and more, she said.
“Of course, there are so many other things we offer, including RN visits and assessments, pre- and post-operative care assistance, hospital sitting and much more,” Mangan said.
Many of those Outreach Health seeks to serve are older individuals, although some might be dealing with disabilities at a younger age, chronic conditions and the like, Meyers said.
“Normally we’re looking at geriatric, multiple diagnosis patients unable to care for themselves,” she said.
Beginning July 1, Outreach will begin its ADvantage Waiver contract, a program designed for “frail elderly and adults with physical disabilities age 21 and over who do not have intellectual disabilities or a cognitive impairment,” according to Oklahoma Health Care Authority.
Services available under ADvantage Waiver include: * Case management * Adult day health, including personal care * Skilled nursing in a home health setting; * Physical and respiratory therapy * Hospice * Speech/language therapy * Specialized medical equipment/supplies and environmental modifications * Respite and Restorative home delivered meals.
As Meyers and Mangan count down to the July 1 ADvantage kick-off, their first focus is to continue their efforts to build up their staff, individuals who will bring the care and commitment that has been a way of life for each of them.
“We’re very strong advocates for people having their own choice, and we like being a part of making that possible,” Meyers said. “Having the right staff is how we do that.”
For more information about Outreach Health, go online to its website at www.outreachhealth.com or contact Mangan or Meyers via email at info@outreachhealth.com or by phone at 405-256-2998.

The Fountains at Canterbury, in northwest Oklahoma City, is known for its thriving campus of residents keeping busy with new, exciting activities and programs.
While brainstorming fresh, extraordinary outings for her residents, The Fountains at Canterbury associate Kaitlan Kenworthy came up with an idea for a delicious notion to add to the group’s famed bucket list outings, something she fondly calls ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Canterbury-style.’
“I wanted to create new, exciting, fun excursions for residents,” said Kenworthy.
The inspiration for her delicious idea was derived from the hit Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” with host Guy Fieri, and specifically the nine locations he visited in Oklahoma. The group has been to nearly all of the featured locations, including Clanton’s Café in Vinita, Eischen’s Bar in Okarche, the Rock Café in Stroud and Oklahoma City culinary legends Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, Ingrid’s Kitchen, Leo’s BBQ and Mama E’s Wings and Waffles.
Their most recent excursion was to Nic’s Place Diner and Lounge. The new location offered natural light cascaded into a large, dark-wood room as several residents waited eagerly to order. They commented on the lovely décor, discussed who wanted to split the large portions with whom and reminisced on their previous outings.
“I’m excited to try [Nic’s]. We’ve been to a little bit of everything,” said Ann Forester, resident of The Fountains at Canterbury. “I have not missed a trip since we started making them to various restaurants.”
As Forester finished the first bite of her ‘Old School Burger’ she remarked, “It’s very good.”
Kenworthy said the program has been a hit with residents and she hopes to continue taking them to new places, even after they’ve completed the current series of outings.
“I think the residents have really enjoyed getting out, visiting new places and trying new food.” said Kenworthy. “It would be amazing if Guy Fieri would come back to Oklahoma and go to a restaurant with our group to give them a live rendition of his show!”
As the residents of The Fountains at Canterbury are approaching the last outing in their ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Canterbury-style’ series to The Diner in Norman this July, they are excited about the location, but sad to see the series come to a close. However, residents should not fear boredom as Kenworthy is already planning their next adventure.
The Fountains at Canterbury is dedicated to being the first choice in senior living, providing a continuum of care including independent living, assisted living, memory care, innovative rehabilitation therapies and skilled care. The Fountains at Canterbury is managed by Watermark Retirement Communities and is committed to creating an extraordinary community where people thrive. To learn more, please call (405) 381-8165 or go online to www.watermarkcommunities.com.

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

A mother and daughter’s leisurely stroll through a craft fair has turned into a unique opportunity for thousands of Oklahoma craft lovers and businesses alike.
Karen Jobe had crafted all through her daughter’s childhood before finally getting her to join in on the fun.
A few years back, they found themselves at a craft show one day talking to each other like mothers and daughters often do.
“We were telling each other what we would do differently because it wasn’t like the best one,” Jobe said. “We decided we were on the wrong side of this and we could do this really well. That’s basically how we started.
“We decided we would go big or go home.”
Going big has turned into the Indie Trunk Show, which has grown to more than 200 Oklahoma vendors and 2,500 in average attendance, the largest and only one of its kind in the state.
Daughter Stacy, a former financial analyst in the natural gas industry, and Karen, a former Reading Specialist, have found their niche promoting local artisans.
The duo rented the smallest building they could at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in 2014. Eighty-five vendors showed up for the inaugural event with a waiting list for more.
Bigger and bigger buildings were rented at the fairgrounds until a lease was finally inked on the 71,000-square foot building known as The Pavilion.
“We made it and we never really intended on getting outside of Oklahoma City but some of our vendors who started with us and have done every show with us felt like they had good exposure in OKC and asked us to do August,” Jobe said.
Eight Oklahoma City Shows and two Tulsa shows have been held to date.
The duo will debut a new offering on September 24 with the Indie Bride Bridal Show and Market at OKC Farmer’s Market.
Florists, wedding favors, calligraphers, wedding decor, bridal party wear, bakeries, jewelry, photographers, gifts for the bridal party, dress makers/designers, stationary, rentals, musicians, caterers, and more expected.
There will be samples from wedding caterers and even a cash bar.
Food trucks are also expected.
“We are different,” Jobe said of the Indie Trunk Show.. “We don’t have to try really hard. It’s hard to explain how we’re different but when people walk into our show they totally get it.”
Along the way, Stacy had a child while working as a financial analyst with OG&E.
The Indie Trunk show has allowed her to stay home and raise her son.
“That’s the best thing in the world,” Jobe said. “We both have our strengths and we work together well. Since we are mother and daughter we know what the other thinks. There’s a trust there that I don’t think you can have with another person unless you’re related like we are.”
The rules are simple: you have to be from Oklahoma and you have to be independently owned to get into the Indie Trunk Show..
“There’s a lot of different kinds of shows. There’s lots of junk and vintage and we found a huge group of people who don’t really feel like … that’s not their target audience.”
Shopping local and shopping with independent business has always been the driving force behind the Indie Trunk shows.
More than 200 vendors showed up when the Indie Trunk Show resurfaced in Oklahoma City in June.
The success has spawned opportunities for workshops to teach others how to market themselves and their products. This September the Indie Girl Boss Workshop Retreat will spring up in downtown Oklahoma City. Topics ranging from visual merchandising to Social Media for Creative Businesses are scheduled to be covered.
Karen and Stacy will cover several topics as will guest speakers.
“The thing we want people to know is that everyone there is an independent business and that’s how they’re making a living,” Jobe said of the shows. “We have so many vendors that everything they have is hand-made, one-of-a-kind and we have the boutique shopping.
“You can buy every kind of gift or anything for yourself you can possible find and it’s all in one place. There’s very few places where you can go and do that.”
And few places with a mother and daughter can bond so well.

A life fully devoted reaps fully deserved rewards.
Barbara Jacques, an Oklahoma native and current Shidler resident, has fully devoted her life to promoting and educating others about the agricultural industry.
“I was one of these kids that grew up and just wanted to be on my horse every day, all day long,” Jacques recalls. “If I got in trouble, my punishment was to be grounded off my horse, which was the most painful thing my parents could have ever done.”
She laughed.
Barbara grew up around agriculture but didn’t become completely consumed by it until she married a full-time rancher, Dave Jacques, in 1979. Together, the two established Seven D Ranch, which consists of a cow-calf operation, stocker cattle and a small hay operation. The Jacques continue to manage a cowherd and stocker operation for Dave’s parents as well.
“I think that was something that was just in my blood,” she said. “I can’t imagine that I would’ve ever married anyone who wasn’t in agriculture because that was what I loved and where I wanted my life to be.”
Jacques first developed a passion for teaching others about agriculture when she went to college and was surprised to learn many people did not have an understanding or appreciation for an industry that impacted their daily lives.
“I realized it is very important for those of us in agriculture to always try to be educating the people who aren’t in agriculture,” Jacques said. “Everyone has basic needs of food, water, clothing, and shelter. They need to understand that agriculture provides all of these things for them every day.”
Contributions
In 2012, Jacques was appointed to serve on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board by Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of the Agriculture at the time. During her six-year term, she has served as both a committee chair and an executive committee member for the board.
“I’m very proud to have had the opportunity to serve on Cattlemen’s Beef Board,” she said. “I think that is a very important job. The beef board is a driving force that propels our industry forward both home and abroad.”
The Cattlemen’s Beef Board consists of 100 members who oversee the Beef Checkoff. In addition to research and promotion within the U.S., the checkoff works hard to put American beef on the global map, which a single producer would struggle to do alone.
“Ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers live outside of United States,” Jacques said, “so I think it is of the utmost importance for us to be able to market our products on a global level.”
Jacques considers this honor to have been the most noteworthy of her contributions to agriculture, but says that her work with children through local, state and national cattlewomen’s associations has been equally significant to her.
Jacques’ devotion to these organizations and the agricultural industry is undeniable. She served as the Beef in Curriculum chair for the American National CattleWomen, an Oklahoma co-chair for the National Beef Ambassador Contest, a National Beef Cook-off committee member, and an executive committee member for the Oklahoma CattleWomen for 10 years.
Additionally, she has served as president and vice president of the Oklahoma CattleWomen, president of the Osage County CattleWomen, and was named Oklahoma CattleWoman of the year in 2011.
Outreach
Jacques found a great avenue to combine her passion for children and love for agriculture by serving on the advisory council of the highly successful Ag in the Classroom program.
On top of being involved on the ranch, Barbara taught art in public schools for over seven years, where she incorporated agriculture in her lessons. Barbara left public school to serve as a curriculum specialist and course developer for a private education company for eight years. She and her husband now own the Salt Creek Gallery & Marketplace in Pawhuska, where she works as a designer and silversmith.
Her latest endeavor includes hand-engraved western belt buckles and jewelry, fine art, clothing, handmade crafts made by local people and “cream of the crop” Oklahoma-made food products.
“We have a lot of people from all over the world coming into Pawhuska,” she said, “and I think if they want to take home some Osage County pecans or some Oklahoma honey or pepper jelly, then I think that’s a great way to showcase the outstanding products that we have in our state.”
Many of her customers are agriculturalists from the area, but numerous people from across the state and nation visit the gallery. Jacques feels she is teaching others about agriculture through her business and spends time with customers answering questions about the industry.
Heather Buckmaster, a friend and colleague of Jacques, describes her as a leader in the industry.
“While working on the ranch, taking care of her family, running an art gallery and producing beautiful jewelry, she also finds the time to advocate for agriculture literacy within our schools and serve in national leadership positions as a volunteer for the beef industry. She is an Agriculture Wonder Woman who I admire tremendously,” Buckmaster said.
When asked what inspired her to dive into agriculture and serve others, Jacques said it was never a conscious decision.
“It was just something that comes from the very core of my being, from my heart,” she said.
The tone of her voice encompassing a whirlwind of emotion made her passion for agriculture even more evident.
“Every year that goes by there’s a bigger need than there was the year before to make people understand,” she said. “We have to have agriculture.”
At 61, Jacques still has goals set to impact agriculture. She is already pushing for a children’s agriculture museum in the state and is planning to make handouts using Ag in the Classroom lessons to give out at her store.
Her daughters have also chosen to pursue agriculture.
“You can just tell that it’s in their blood,” she said, in hopes that her grandchildren will become the fifth generation of agriculturalists in her family.
Buckmaster describes her as a “tireless supporter of agriculture literacy.”
When asked about this statement, Jacques said with that same emotion, “This is so important to me. It’s just who I am. I will stop trying to teach people about agriculture on the day that I die.”
Barbara Jacques has truly lived a life fully devoted to agriculture, and both she and the industry have reaped the rewards of her dedication.

As those who have tried endless diets know, there are no easy fixes when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off. Even with dieting and exercise, many don’t succeed. Brandi (last name withheld), a 35-year-old mother from Ardmore, Oklahoma, thought she found her answer when she discovered weight loss surgery at cheap prices was a booming business in Tijuana, Mexico.
She knew people from her small town who traveled to Mexico for successful gastric sleeve weight loss surgery, and in her research she found numerous clinics there advertising their services on YouTube with slick patient videos. Those Tijuana clinics charge as low as $4,000 for the whole surgery plus anesthesia. The clinics woo potential patients by marketing the experience as more like a vacation than a possible life-threatening surgery.
In gastric sleeve surgery, which is usually suitable for patients who have 100 pounds or more to lose, the structure of the stomach is changed to be shaped like a long, skinny tube, which restricts the amount of calories the body absorbs. The new banana-sized stomach, or “sleeve,” is about 1/10th the size of the original stomach.
Brandi traveled to Tijuana to have the surgery on March 11, and one day later “they put me on the plane while I was still hurting really bad, with no instructions on after-care,” she says.
Once Brandi returned to Ardmore she ran into more problems. “I ran a low-grade fever for days and my back pain was horrible and getting worse. It got so bad after several days that I had to go to the ER. They told me I had a softball-sized abscess and leak from the surgery,” she says. “Right away, the local ER rushed me to INTEGRIS in Oklahoma City for emergency surgery to repair the leak.”
Brandi’s story doesn’t surprise Hamilton Le, M.D., who performed that emergency repair surgery 10 days after her failed surgery by the other doctor in Mexico. Le is medical director at the INTEGRIS Weight Loss Center. “In just the last eight weeks or so, I’ve had to repair four people who had life-threatening complications — in some cases, critically ill and almost dead from sepsis — from gastric sleeve surgery by doctors in Mexico,” he says.
Dr. Le points out all four patients are from smaller, more rural towns such as Ardmore and Woodward. He believes the clinics in Tijuana are targeting small towns with their advertising, since those potential patients aren’t near the bigger cities that offer weight loss surgery locally. “The patients I’m seeing with complications aren’t coming from Edmond, they’re coming from Elk City,” he says.
In Brandi’s case, “Dr. Le thinks the infection came from the way they did my sleeve,” she says. “It should look like a banana, but there is a big kink in the middle. When you look at the X-ray it doesn’t even look like a gastric sleeve.”
Although the price for weight loss surgery usually starts at $10,000 in the U.S. and can run up to $25,000, “you get what you pay for,” Le says. “Any money people save by doing the surgery in Mexico could go down the drain. If you have complications once you get back to the states, often insurance won’t cover care from an unapproved surgery, and many hospitals won’t work on the patients without their paperwork.”
Brandi says, “When I was so sick at the ER in Ardmore, I called lots and lots of doctors, but nobody else in the state would take me because the surgery was done in Tijuana. Thank God for Dr. Le. I don’t know what I would have done without him.”
She stayed in the INTEGRIS hospital for a week and continues to make bi-weekly trips to Oklahoma City for follow-up care. She says she might need additional surgery in the future to do further repairs on the sleeve. Still, Brandi feels like one of the lucky ones. “My medical bills (from treatment of the complications) run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars now. I’m lucky because my insurance is helping me pay. I can’t even imagine how the others with no help from insurance will make it,” she says. Brandi advises, “Don’t go down there and do it. It is much safer to pay for it here, and know what you’re getting. I didn’t even get the right kind of sleeve… it didn’t even look like a normal sleeve.”
Dr. Le says long-term outcomes of having weight loss surgery in Mexico aren’t good. “The surgery is just the tip of the iceberg. When you have the surgery in the U.S., there are extensive pre- and post-surgery requirements and after-care, like getting an EKG to check heart health, meeting with a psychologist to make sure patients are emotionally ready for the surgery, and having a nutritionist teach them how to re-learn to eat.” Without this coaching, patients are much less likely to maintain any weight loss, he says.

I stay indoors in the A/C. Pauline Richardson

I stay inside anytime it’s above 85. My thermometer doesn’t work like it used to. Sandy Scroggins

Drink something cool – iced tea if I have to be nice. Donna Reese

Go to the pool. My daughter-in-law and son have one in their neighborhood so I play with my grandchildren. Connie Oubre

In order to enhance the patient experience and better serve the surrounding community, St. Anthony Healthplex East is pleased to announce the opening of St. Anthony Pharmacy East.
The pharmacy is located on the first floor of St. Anthony Healthplex East, and is opened from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday – Friday. The pharmacy will accept most insurance prescription plans including Express Scripts, Tricare, CVS Caremark, Humana, BlueCross and many others.
The benefits of the pharmacy include convenience for ER patients and patients of St. Anthony Physicians Group, St. Anthony Healthplex East, as well as professional patient counselling services.
St. Anthony Healthplex East is pleased to offer these expanded services to patients and the community, in an effort to make health care more accessible and convenient.
St. Anthony Healthplex East is located at 3400 S. Douglas Blvd., in Oklahoma City. To contact the pharmacy please call 405-772-4034.