The holidays are officially upon us with the smell of pumpkin in the air and Christmas on our minds. This also means, that it’s a time when fraudsters work even harder to take advantage of people. According to the FBI, in 2015 consumers lost more than $19 million to solicitation scams. Whether it be “giveaway” scams or charity scams, this is the time of year to be even more vigilant in protecting yourself and your finances. Below are some helpful tips to help protect you during the holidays.
· Never “pay to play”. There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back or send you more than the exact amount – that’s a red flag that it’s a scam. If a stranger wants to pay you for something, insist on a cashier’s check for the exact amount, preferably from a local bank or one with a local branch.
· Confirm all stories, offers or charities independently. This is the time of year where charities reach out for help with funding. Confirm everything you have been told with an independent source. Look up phone numbers, check credentials, contact family or your financial caregiver before giving to a charity that you are unfamiliar with.
· Verify all credit card charges. The holidays are a popular time when people use their credit cards to help pay for gifts. This is also a common method of payment scammers use via fraudulent charges. Review your credit card statement as soon as you receive it and verify your charges. If any fraudulent charges appear, contact your credit card company immediately.
· Monitor your account. As with your credit card statement, monitor your bank statement for any unusual activity and contact your local bank immediately if suspect that you have been a victim of fraud.
Remember, under no circumstances give out personal, credit card, bank account information over the phone or in an email. Report any suspected fraud to your bank immediately. As always, if any offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
For more information, visit aba.com/Seniors

To better meet the changing health care needs of the El Reno community, Mercy plans to build a new facility focusing on expanding physician services, including both primary care and medical specialties, as well as urgent care. This new health care model represents a new direction in Mercy’s approach to health care in El Reno.
Mercy has had the privilege of serving the health care needs of the people of Canadian County since 2009 when Mercy entered into an agreement with the city of El Reno to manage the hospital. In 2010, Mercy began a lease agreement to operate the city-owned hospital.
After an extensive discernment period that focused on analyzing community needs and hospital use patterns, Mercy leaders have decided to end the hospital lease with the city of El Reno and shift focus to expanding needed outpatient services. Mercy will work with city leaders over the next six months to create a smooth transition plan.
“We are excited to build a new outpatient facility that offers the type of care that residents most want and need in El Reno, including both primary and specialty care,” said Jim Gebhart, president of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City and regional strategy officer for Mercy.
The new facility will feature the following providers and services: Family medicine, Internal medicine, Imaging services, Lab services, Walk-in urgent care, Urology, Cardiology, Orthopedics, Pain management, Home health, Wound care, Physical therapy, EMS services and Virtual medicine.
It will also feature a helipad so patients can be quickly transferred to a higher level of care when needed.
Mercy Hospital El Reno was built by the city in 1954 and needs extensive renovation. Over the last year and a half, Mercy and city leaders have worked together to pursue plans to build a new hospital, but patient census at Mercy Hospital El Reno has declined significantly as patients choose to travel to larger communities for hospital care. In addition, construction costs have increased 50 percent, making the plans no longer economically feasible. The hospital saw an average of 12 patients per day in 2009 when Mercy entered into the agreement to manage the hospital. Today, Mercy Hospital El Reno sees an average of 12 patients per month in the inpatient hospital setting. At the same time, every year approximately 600 patients choose to drive from El Reno to Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City for hospital care. As a result of these utilization trends, Mercy Hospital El Reno lost $2.9 million dollars last year on inpatient care and experienced a loss of more than $700,000 in the first quarter of this fiscal year.
“While inpatient care in a rural setting is economically challenging, we remain deeply committed to the El Reno community,” Gebhart said. “We believe this new strategy for outpatient care offers the appropriate level of services closer to home and will allow us to be good stewards of our resources, assuring our ability to continue to serve the community for many years to come.”
Approximately 100 Mercy employees work at Mercy Hospital El Reno but not all will be affected by this change. Nearly half of these employees provide services that will remain in the community such as home health, physical therapy, wound care and EMS. Mercy’s human resources team will work with the remaining affected co-workers individually to offer resources and explore the possibility of transferring to open positions in nearby Mercy facilities or in the new facility.

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

For Lois DeBerry, the sound of bells ringing next to the Salvation Army Red Kettle during the holidays always meant a time of joy.
It was only when she got older did she learn those bells also symbolized mercy, generosity and the goodness of mankind.
Now the Canadian County Service Director for the Salvation Army, DeBerry counts on those bells to ring throughout the season so seniors won’t be forgotten.
DeBerry’s job description is whatever hat she needs to wear she puts on.
“It depends on what role needs to be played whether it’s a janitor or taking clients to appointments,” DeBerry said. “My goal here is to serve the needs as it comes available and it’s not just the low-income family.”
“Seniors became my heart out there. We have so many programs that focus on family and children. Nothing pulls at the heart strings like a child being hungry. A senior being hungry or not having a coat pulls on my heart strings.”
And while so many focus this season on families and children, DeBerry makes sure seniors aren’t forgotten.
“Seniors are not taken care of as well as a family is (this time of year),” she said. “As we get older we need more attention. The seniors are more proud and do not always ask for help.”
That’s why most of DeBerry’s clients come from referrals. Maybe a neighbor or friend has noticed something and passed the need along.
Under DeBerry’s watch, the Salvation Army will provide a gift to the 600 seniors living in assisted living, nursing homes or low-income housing in Canadian County.
“Just a way to say ‘you’re being thought of,’” DeBerry says.
There’s also a senior Silver Bell Tree. This invitation-only program focuses on those with the greatest need.
“We don’t have a vast place we can go and put up an angel tree or silver bell tree and get people adopted like they do in OKC in the mall,” DeBerry said. “We provide them with a clothing outfit through that program as well as a household need and a want.”
Sometimes its as simple as a new quilt for their bed or a can opener or a coffee pot.
“It’s always basic necessities they request,” DeBerry said, noting 21 seniors will be among the recipients this year.
DeBerry is on her 35th year with the Salvation Army. She’s worked in all different avenues in five different states.
Wherever she goes, the need never ends.
“Those that come in that want to change,” DeBerry said of her favorites. “By that I mean they come in and request assistance but they’re not here for a handout, they’re here for a hand up and wanting to know what they can do to change.”
Some clients come in for the first time after an emergency – a death out of state that required funds to travel, a big electric bill or unexpected medical bill.
“When something like that happens you don’t want them to do without or lose their lights because they choose to go respect a loved one,” DeBerry said.
“It’s such a wonderful feeling to be a part of the relief process and helping them.”
For Canadian County, the main need right now is people. Every penny raised in the Red Kettle program goes back into the community.
Bell ringers are not paid and if bells aren’t ringing money isn’t coming in.
DeBerry said there is a severe shortage of bell ringers in both Yukon and El Reno during weekday evenings as well as Saturdays.
To help out or find out more about ringing the bell you can go online to register at redkettlevolunteer.org. You can also call DeBerry at 405-323-8846 or 405-295-2343. Her email is lois.deberry@uss.salvationarmy.org.
Those bells will always be near and dear to her.
“The bells ringing – I started that when I was a little girl and didn’t really understand. I’ve worked for the Salvation Army for 35 years but I started as a character building program and rang bells,” DeBerry said. “As a girl I didn’t understand, I just knew it was a time to go out sing and dance and have fun at the kettle. Now it’s about the Lord instilling in you. Sometimes ringing the bell is all I can do.”
“Ringing the bells goes back to the grace of God and the mercy He provides us. It reminds us of his coming and that was all about being there to impact peoples’ lives.”

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Jesse Wells is in a growth industry.
The only problem for this urban Christmas tree farmer is that 365 days yields about 18 inches of growth.
But that’s OK. The Wells Family Christmas Tree Farm is in its second year and is already experiencing record growth.
And the lasting memories local families are experiencing by coming together and selecting their Christmas tree has already exceeded any business plan Wells had for the venture.
“You get to do a lot of good stuff,” Jesse Wells smiled, surveying his farm just before opening the gates.
The Norman farm traces its roots back to Thanksgiving 2014 when the Wells family pulled the old artificial tree out of the attic one last time just to give it away.
Neither were raised with real trees but they decided it was the perfect time to take their son to a local tree farm just down the road and start a new family tradition.
Turns out both were thinking the same thing as Jesse sawed away.
“She was having this thought we should (open a farm),” he said. “We didn’t have any idea. This is three years in the making, our second year to be open but we had no clue.”
The Wells family simply provides the trees, what happens from there can be amazing.
A father trying to work his way back into his children’s lives brings the family out. Grandparents show their grandkids what a real tree looks and smells like for the first time.
And young families make memories that will last a lifetime.
“Nobody ever says ‘You’ve got a Christmas tree farm? That’s horrible,’” Jesse says. “Even if they don’t like Christmas trees or Christmas they think it’s a pretty cool deal. It’s just good vibrations, good spirit growing Christmas trees.”
“This is not even really about the trees. They’re a part of the story but it’s more about what people get to experience together as a family when they’re here.”
Jesse Wells never expected to have a Christmas destination just outside his front door but he has one now. The Wayne native now has a full-blown winter wonderland with trees, concessions and games.
“We planned on moving out here and being alone with 12 acres,” Wells laughed.
This time of year, neither Jesse nor Katy sit still for very long. Katy handles the finances and the bulk of the paperwork while Jesse is constantly moving outside.
BUILD IT AND THEY
WILL COME
It’s year two in the experiment but the Wells Family Christmas Tree Farm is already a success.
On this day, Jesse is diagnosing an issue with a customer tree all the while hanging out in the background keeping a watchful eye on a young man from Mississippi who is about to propose to his girlfriend.
“I grew up on land but I grew up hating mowing and raking and pulling weeds,” Jesse said. “I think it was more of the Christmas spirit and I think we both had the idea it would be a cool thing for other families.”
“We’ve always been believers and we’ve always felt this place is God’s place and the house and everything. So this was just kind of an extension of that. So now it’s just having people out here and letting them experience what we get to experience every day.”
Wells went to the University of Oklahoma and now works in the Devon Energy IT department. Katy is a local fitness instructor in addition to running around a 13-year-old son who is active in sports.
Groups have already begun booking private events.
The final week in November local non-profit Hearts for Hearing, a provider of cochlear implants for children, brought 164 adults and 135 children for an evening of tree shopping and celebration.
Fellow farmers told Wells to just order 100 trees last year because, well, you just never know.
They ordered 400.
“We had a good community of friends and really God just stepped in,” he said.
A spot on a local news channel aired that morning.
“There was an immediate flood of people that morning,” he smiled. “We got rid of all our trees in three weeks.”
Stepping out in faith, the Wells’ ordered 1,000 trees for their second year. Some 222 sold the first weekend.
With current planting and growth rates, fresh-cut trees from the Wells farm are still about two years away. At the end of year three, the farm should produce between 400 to 500 each year.
For now they sell trees from Michigan, Oregon and North Carolina. Blue Spruce, Fraser fir, Virginia Pine and a host of other varieties are available.
There are other tree farms in Oklahoma to make memories at. You can contact the Oklahoma Christmas Tree Association to find one close to you.

Dear Savvy Senior,

What are the cheapest cell phone plans available to seniors today? I’m 78-years-old and want it primarily for emergency purposes. Infrequent Caller

Dear Infrequent,
While unlimited high-speed data, video streaming and mobile hot spot are now standard for most cell phone plans today, there are still a number of low-cost wireless plans designed with seniors in mind.
These plans offer limited talk time and text, which is ideal for seniors who want to stay connected without spending much money each month. Here are some super cheap plans to consider.
Cheapest Plans
Prepaid plans are the best deal for seniors who only want a cell phone for emergency purposes or occasional calls. The very cheapest prepaid plan available today is T-Mobile’s Pay As You Go plan, which includes any combination of 30 minutes or 30 text messages for only $3 per month. After that, additional minutes and texts cost 10 cents each.
Phone prices start at $75, but if you have a compatible device, you can use it rather than buying a new one. You will, however, need to pay for a $10 SIM Starter Kit fee, whether you bring your own phone or buy a new one. Visit T-Mobile.com or call 844-361-2792 for more information.
Two other companies that offer low-cost prepaid deals are TracFone and AT&T.
TracFone (TracFone.com, 800-867-7183) has a 30 minute talk/text plan for $10 per month, or an even cheaper a 60 minute talk/text plan for $20 for three months, which averages out to only $6.66 per month.
And AT&T (ATT.com, 800-331-0500) has two low-cost prepaid plans including the 25 cent per minute call plan, and a $2 daily plan that charges only when you place or receive a call or send a text that day. The fees are deducted from the prepaid balance on your account. But to use AT&T Prepaid, you must prepay into your account either $10 per month, $25 for three months or $100 per year.
Best Emergency Phone
If you’re interested in a senior-friendly cell phone that provides top-notched emergency assistance, consider the Jitterbug Flip (GreatCall.com, 800-918-8543).
This is a nifty flip phone that has big buttons, enhanced sound, a simplified menu, and a 5Star urgent response button that connects you to a trained agent that will know your locations, and will be able to assist you whether you need emergency services, directions, roadside assistance or a locksmith, or to contact family. GreatCall’s service runs on Verizon’s network.
The Flip phone costs $100, with monthly service plans that start at $15 for 200 minutes. Or, you can get the 5Star service with 50 minutes of monthly talk time for $25.
Free Phones
If your income is low enough, another option you should check into is the federal Lifeline program, which provides free or low-cost cell phones and plans through numerous wireless providers.
To qualify, your annual household income must at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines – which is $16,389 for one person, or $22,221 for two. Or, you must be receiving Medicaid, food stamps/SNAP, SSI, public housing assistance, veterans pension or survivor’s pension benefit, or live on federally recognized Tribal lands.
To find out if you’re eligible, or to locate wireless companies in your area that participates in the program, visit LifelineSupport.org or call 800-234-9473.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Oklahoma City was awarded an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2018 Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital, including SSM Health Bone & Joint Hospital at St. Anthony, for their efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States.
The Leapfrog Group is a national organization committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.
“At SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital and SSM Health Bone & Joint Hospital at St. Anthony, we take great pride in providing exceptional patient care. Safety is our number one priority for each patient that walks through our doors. Our employees go above and beyond every day, committed to the best safety practices, ensuring our patients receive the best care possible,” said Tammy Powell, President, SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital.
“Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grades recognize hospitals like SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital that focus on advancing patient safety. This ranking provides an important resource for patients, and a benchmark for hospitals, to determine how care at one hospital compares to others in a region,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Hospitals that earn an A Hospital Safety Grade deserve to be recognized for their efforts in preventing medical harm and errors.”
Developed under the guidance of a National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.
SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital was one of 855 across the United States awarded an A in the Fall 2018 update of grades. To see full grade details of SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.

by Vickie Jenkins, Staff Writer

The Mission of Humanity Hospice is to provide comfort care that enhances the lives of individuals with a life-limiting illness and their families through dignity and compassion.
Meet Keisha Jackson, Owner and Administrator of Humanity Hospice. Outgoing and friendly, Keisha tells me that she has some exciting news to share. What is the exciting news? “Humanity Hospice is now going to have an app called Humanity Connect! This is the first and only app developed for Hospice; created to keep patients in contact with their families,” Keisha replies. “The Humanity Connect was made just for that reason.”
Keisha explained how Humanity Connect will help a patient and their family. “The patient would create a profile, along with a place to journal, posting their health care updates and inviting friends to join the page. This way, instead of a family member making 45 phone calls to update the status of a patient, one post would take care of many. This would relieve some of the burden of the patient’s family. Humanity Connect would allow a one-on-one update, spreading the word to all of those included. Their page will include a photo album, a place to post comments, an encouraging board for the friends and family to leave encouraging words and to wish the patient well. There will be a way to video chat with a nurse, face-to-face, being helpful, comforting and create piece of mind for patient and families. This app might be compared to Facebook and Timehop except this will be private. The only people to be added to the contact list would be added by the patient or a family member,” she said.
“When a patient comes to Hospice, the patient has a terminal illness and has less than 6 months to live. Humanity Hospice is there for the patient 24 hours, 7 days a week. We have three layers of nursing; the primary nurse, the back-up nurse and the administrative nurse. The nurses are available at all times which means faster and personal response,” Keisha commented. “Also, Medicare pays 100% of the hospital benefit,” she added.
Humanity Hospice has several different locations throughout Oklahoma. Humanity Connect will be available in each location; Ponca City, Edmond, Stillwater, Enid, Oklahoma City, Shawnee and Moore. Local team nurses are assigned to local patients for that location.
Let’s face it…we are living in a world of social media junkies! From the baby boomers to the millennials, we have instant gratification from those devices we call cell phones. We use them constantly! We all want the simple answer NOW. Yes, our technology has changed. How many remember those strange things that came in the mail? You know, they were called letters. People actually sat down at a desk, grabbed their pen or pencil and began writing. Now, we just tell Siri or Alexa to do our job for us. How times have changed!
Caring for the patient and making their life a little better is what inspired Keisha Jackson to think of a vision to help Humanity Hospice. After much planning and the six members of the Hospice team, a new vision was set into motion. Finding the perfect local developer, Paradigm Creative in Stillwater, OK came into the picture. After working on this plan for months, making sure everything was working properly and putting the final touches on everything, Humanity Connect has been was established!
“I am excited for this new app, Humanity Connect. This app will be available with Apple and Android platforms and a desktop version. It will be helpful to all involved; the patient, caregiver and the family members. Another plus is the fact that even after your loved one has passed; the patient’s profile and their photo album will stay. Your loved ones postings will be reserved, passing on precious memories,” Keisha replied.
Humanity Connect is bringing the patients comfort in their last days, allowing the patient to have that one-on-one conversation with family members, combining the last day of their lives and improving their quality of life.
“A lot of planning and hard work went into Humanity Connect. Our tag line at Humanity Hospice is Because YOU Matter,” she added. It’s a way to keep the memories alive. Passing on the memories, grandchildren can look back and know a little about their loved ones life. Whatever I can do to make a patient’s journey easier, I’m going to do it,” Keisha commented.
If you have a loved one that is in need of Humanity Hospice, please call our office at 405.418.2530. We are located at 1109 N. Bryant, Edmond, OK, suite 100.
A special thank-you to Keisha Jackson for having a vision and following through! Humanity Connect has arrived!

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

The red rocks of Sedona, Arizona have been a fabled attraction for decades. Given the chance to explore a fable is enlightening, surprising, and sometimes disappointing. Upon arrival I was overwhelmed by the traffic and congestion caused by road improvements, which I’m sure have been completed by now. Maybe it was just this weary traveler’s evening arrival that put a haze on first impressions. Where was the red rock spiritually attracting features so often expounded?
Driving a bit out of the main town, one can find amid the building of new residences, a sense of the iconic fable. The natural Arizona desert terrain is appealing, especially when juxtaposed with the Chapel of the Red Rocks, which appears perched half way up a dramatic cliff.
Another side road takes you to a lookout point above the main street, to view the massive red rock backdrop for which Sedona is so famous. The coffee pot outcropping is especially humorous, as it is near the Coffee Pot Restaurant. www.sedona.biz/coffeepotrestaurant.html There you can get your fill of pancakes, and buckwheat waffles with real maple syrup (for an additional price) in place of the common corn-sweetened syrup most people take for maple syrup. A good compliment for any café is returning a second time within a matter of 2 days, which I did.
An early December visit can be flavored with a bit of child-like Christmas lighting displays at the Los Abrigados Resort and Spa www.Los-Abrigados-Resort-Spa.com With spacious rooms and suites, during the Christmas season, Los Abrigados plays host to the Red Rock Fantasy. The resorts 22 acres are decorated by a variety of lighting displays: traditional secular Christmas characters, sacred displays, and your favorite cartoon characters.
Each evening from Thanksgiving to January, the area is open for visitors to walk and take in the displays provided by a variety of local patrons. Over twenty years ago ILX Resorts Chairman, Joe Martori, wanted to boost the slow tourism during winter months and also support local charity, and the Red Rock Fantasy was born. The cool desert air made the warm taste of hot-chocolate-sipping during the tour a welcomed stimulant to the evening’s stroll.
The resort offers popular dining venues at Stakes and Sticks, the sports bar and Joey Bistro with Italian dining. ILX Resort features a spacious outdoor swimming pool, an active exercise room and extensive locker facilities with a hot tub, sauna and steam room. www.ilxresorts.com
With only a brief visit planned, a march through Sedona’s many art and accessory galleries, was mandatory and rewarding. Sculptures of a favorite bronze artist, Joshua Tobey, www.joshuatobeystudios.com/index.html were abundant at the Exposure Gallery, http://www.exposuresfineart.com. Hot art glass can be enjoyed at Kuivato, where I met by chance, Liz Freund, the wife of Bruce Freund, brucefreund1328.startlogic.com, a favorite hot art glass artist.
The glass gallery of Kuivato, www.kuivato.com, is located in the Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts village, which is adjacent to Los Abrigados. The village is filled with shops and eateries. Of course I had to have a farewell martini at the Oak Creek Brewery and Grill to celebrate the splendor of Sedona’s red rock outcroppings, and toast my purchase of two special art martini glasses reserved for upcoming holiday gifts. Sedona can be magical anytime of year, but even more so during holiday times.

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