An Oklahoma City non-profit agency will commemorate 100 years of service when it honors those that continue its legacy.
Sunbeam Family Services will recognize on Oct. 25 United Way of Central Oklahoma, Jerome and Doris Harris, Edith Kinney Gaylord, Evelyn McCoy and Bob Ross during the ‘Celebrate the Legacy 1907-2007 Centennial Celebration.’ The event will be at the Petroleum Club, 100 N Broadway.
“Since 1907, Sunbeam has played a role in shaping our state’s communities. We are able to continue helping Oklahomans through the generosity of the honorees. We’re not sure where Sunbeam would be without the help of these amazing people,” Sunbeam executive director Ray Bitsche said. “This year is an amazing milestone for Sunbeam, and we want to share it with everyone who has been involved over the past 100 years. We know the role we play in the community is vital and this is our small way to celebrate.”
Since 1924, the United Way of Central Oklahoma has given money to Sunbeam counseling, senior care, foster care and early childhood services.
Jerome and Doris Harris have been foster parents for 25 years.
“Jerome and Doris have changed the lives of 35 adolescents, seeing them grow into productive adults,” Bitsche said.
Gaylord is being honored posthumously. She began making significant contributions in 1983 that led to the creation of The Foundation for Sunbeam. The foundation annually contributes about $100,000 to Sunbeam. In 1991, a gift from Gaylord helped Sunbeam purchase a computer system, allowing the organization to adhere to high standards of fiscal and statistical accountability. This system paved the way for Sunbeam to operate at a higher level of efficiency and enabled it to grow to what it is today. Gaylord’s legacy of supporting Sunbeam continues through grants awarded by the Inasmuch Foundation.
McCoy’s role in starting the Friends of Sunbeam has garnered her recognition at the celebration. Bitsche said that without McCoy’s compassionate ambition and help, many Sunbeam services would not be available.
Ross was noted for his advocacy in raising community awareness about the importance of quality early childhood programs and services. Bitsche said Ross’ commitment to the community and making it better for all ages at all stages is an asset to Sunbeam.
Event tickets are available. Cost is $100 for individuals. Sponsorships begin at $500.
Sunbeam is a volunteer-led and supported, non-profit social service agency offering help for all ages through counseling, senior care, foster care and early childhood services.
For more information, call 528-7721 or go to www.sunbeamfamilyservices.org.
Brian Sargent
Staff Writer
Doctors debate Medicare rule changes
When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid in August announced it wouldn’t pay for hospital mistakes and infections, I expected discussion and debate.
Today’s issue of The New England Journal of Medicine delivered as promised. In it, Meredith Rosenthal, an associate professor of health economics and policy at the Harvard School of Public Health, provided a good, balanced overview of the change’s likely effects.
The rule change, she noted, implemented a congressionally mandated change in hospital reimbursement. It makes the agency’s payment policies “far less passive” than they once were. She further pointed out an interesting — albeit perverse — phenomenon: Hospitals that have improved patient safety and addressed problems such as “nosocomial” (hospital-acquired) infections have seen their Medicare revenues reduced. This she attributed to quirks in the payment system.
I don’t want to go into specifics, and I imagine you’d prefer I don’t.
“The new rule will result in hospitals seeing substantial reductions in payment for the care of individual patients with preventable complications,” Rosenthal wrote. She predicted, however, that the change wouldn’t substantially affect total payments to hospitals because they would be reduced only when the preventable complications were the only factors causing an illness to be reclassified under a more expensive diagnostic code.
Translation: It must be clear that additional problem was related entirely to the hospital stay, and the conditions covered are limited. I imagine proving fault will be a challenge.
The importance of the change is that it tip-toes toward “pay for performance.”
“Hospitals may therefore view the new policy as a harbinger of things to come and act in anticipation of more substantial reimbursement changes,” Rosenthal wrote, predicting hospitals may adopt further quality measures as a result of the new rules and improve reporting.
This began in earnest with reporting a limited number of measures, which the public can view at http://hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.
Today it’s pressure ulcers, bed falls and other things that shouldn’t happen. Tomorrow it’s more complicated stuff.
According to Medical News Today, starting in 2009 Medicare won’t cover “preventable” conditions. Because rules don’t allow hospitals to pass on the cost, they must shoulder the burden. Because Medicare and Medicaid participants make up a large percentage of hospital visitors, the agency has tremendous clout nationally to force changes in the health care system.
The commentary in the medical journal and this week’s news on the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections make this a particularly interesting time. I’ll be curious to see how hospitals respond to the change and if there is an effect on the bottom line.
Because information on hospital-acquired infections isn’t publicly disseminated (at least nowhere I’ve found) or reported to the state, determining the extent of the problem is nearly impossible. Maybe this will shed some light on it.
For more medical news and commentary, check out The Medicine Bag blog at http://blog.newsok.com/health.
Jeff Raymond, Medical Writer
More than a place on a map
I didn’t know that beer and wine tastings could teach me anything about geography. Apparently, though, they can.
The nation’s largest geography education conference starts in Oklahoma City tomorrow. But don’t think that means nothing more than the arrival of 700 people who could pull a Ken Jennings in the geography category on ‘Jeopardy!’
Twenty-four lucky participants will go out to Bricktown on Thursday night for a “blind” tasting of four microbrewery drinks. They’ll learn “how to critically evaluate a malt beverage” and learn about the geography of brewing in America. Another group will discover how soils, hydrology and climate affect crops of grapes and wine production – during a tasting at the Canadian River Winery and Vineyard.
Also during the National Council for Geographic Education conference, geography teachers will learn things like how to integrate global positioning systems into their lessons, how Asian governments are preparing for future disasters and how climate change is portrayed in American films – “reel science.”
Students – many on Fall Break right now – also will take part. Among the opportunities for youngsters, Washita County 4-H members will host a poster session, and a hands-on workshop is designed for elementary and middle school students to create travel brochures.
Geography is not just about memorizing maps. There’s culture, climate, cartography and more. And it’s all in Oklahoma this weekend.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
QUIZ YOURSELF – Can you answer these geography-related questions about Oklahoma?
1. What is the highest point in Oklahoma and where is it located?
2. Forests cover what percent of Oklahoma?
3. In land area, Oklahoma City is how big compared to other U.S. cities?
4. Oklahoma is one of only two states whose capital city includes the state name. What’s the other?
5. Oklahoma has more man-made what than any other state?
6. What does Oklahoma have more miles of than any other state?
7. Oklahoma’s Cimarron County is bordered by more states than any other U.S. county. Can you name them?
8. Oklahoma is home to the highest what in the world?
9. Only one river in Oklahoma flows north. What river is it?
10. The state’s name comes from two Choctaw words meaning what?
ANSWERS:
1. Black Mesa in the Panhandle (4,973 feet).
2. 24 percent.
3. It’s the third-largest city in the U.S. (608 square miles) – before Jacksonville, Fla. (759 square miles) and Anchorage, Alaska (1,698 square miles).
4. Indianapolis, Indiana.
5. Lakes, with more than 1 million surface acres of water.
6. Original Route 66.
7. Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas.
8. The highest hill, Mount Cavanal, at 1,999 feet.
9. The Poteau River.
10. “Red People.”
Quiz information from www.travelok.com and www.50states.com.
More evidence of the obesity epidemic
Maybe you’ve seen this story, but it certainly caught my attention: Tons of kids are taking the “little purple pill” we hear about all the time.
The Associated Press reported Oct. 4 that young children’s use of heartburn drugs has surged 56 percent from 2002-06.
The story rightly put the blame on obesity and overuse.
A survey by Medco Health Solutions, a New Jersey-based pharmacy benefits management company, examined U.S. prescription data from 2002-06. The survey suggested more than 2 million children used drugs for digestive or gastrointestinal complaints last year, The AP reported.
Medco estimated 3 percent of children 4 years old and younger were taking these drugs last year. This was a 56 percent increase, the highest among any child age group.
Acid-reducing drugs, called proton pump inhibitors, are the most commonly prescribed drugs for GI problems, The AP reported. They are used for acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Heartburn and acid reflux is common in children and often goes away with time or lifestyle changes.
The story dealt only with prescription drugs, not those available over the counter, which many are.
Please check out The Medicine Bag blog at http://blog.newsok.com/health.
Jeff Raymond, Medical Writer
Heat wave sets more than 1,000 records
A heat wave across the United States during September set more than 1,000 daily high temperature records, according to scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The record heat helped make September the eighth-warmest for the United States, according to preliminary data. The global surface temperature during September was the fifth-warmest.
Highlights released Tuesday by NOAA:
— The average temperature for September in the contiguous United States was 67.5 degrees Fahrenheit, 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit above the mean for the 20th century.
— A record high temperature at Raleigh-Durham (N.C.) International Airport, N.C., of 101 degrees Fahrenheit was set Sept. 10, the latest date during the year since 1944 that the maximum daily temperature reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
— More than 4.25 inches of precipitation fell in Anchorage, Alaska, in September, which made it the 12th-wettest and 1.43 inches above normal.
— The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for September was 0.92 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th Century mean and the fifth-warmest.
— The global surface temperature for September was the second-warmest.
Click to view “Climate of 2007 — September in Historical Perspective.”
NOAA, a scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, focuses on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere. NOAA warns of dangerous weather, charts seas and skies, guides the use and protection of ocean and coastal resources, and conducts research to improve understanding and stewardship of the environment.
Staff Writer
Knowing Jack Buchanan
Each of us is given the occasional chance to reflect upon the people who shaped our lives. For me, one such opportunity has come in the past few days since reading in our Saturday business section about the passing of Jack Buchanan, founder of an Oklahoma City-area grocery store chain.
One of the eulogists at his memorial service Monday was a man who, like me, owes his first job to Jack Buchanan. He talked about the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of teenagers who learned the values of hard work and customer service from working at Buchanan’s Grocery. Jack was known to sack groceries at his four stores, then carry them out to customers’ cars and thank them for their business.
One story about him that has stuck with me for nearly four decades: One Sunday afternoon when I was about 7, my older brother and I and a couple other kids found ourselves in the Buchanans’ back yard, across the street from our house, where Jack had pitched a tent to let his sons have a pretend camp-out. For some reason, we began throwing dirt clods at the tent. Jack heard the commotion, came outside and told us to stop.
Later that evening, he came to our house and proceeded to give us a lesson in respecting others’ property. There was no anger in his voice. We hadn’t damaged the tent. But he wanted us — and our parents — to know that the way you treat another’s belongings is how you treat that person.
Jack Buchanan was a decent, genteel man. I just wish I’d told him that.
All-in-one cup
This has to be one of the greatest ideas in the history of food: vitamin-fortified coffee.
I couldn’t wait for the embargo to lift Tuesday morning on this press release so I could write about it. I appreciate fortifying bread and cereal with folic acid, and the importance to pregnant women of getting enough of it, so coffee seems like a natural choice.
Folic acid deficiency leads to devastating birth defects.
My question is: Why hasn’t anyone done this before? I guess it could be like fortifying cigarettes — you don’t want to encourage use of some things because they’re made more nutritious. Still, with half the world’s population addicted to coffee, like me, enriching it with all manner of nutrients seems a no-brainer. Maybe there were technical issues.
According to a press release, beginning in early 2008, food technology company Voyava Republic will add 80 micrograms — one-third of the recommended daily allowance — of folic acid to its SPAVA coffee line.
In doing so, SPAVA will become the first coffee line to fortify its beans with folic acid.
CEO Michael Sweeney unveiled the product today in New York City at the National Coffee Association’s fall conference.
“SPAVA’s ground-breaking fortified coffee announcement marks the latest significant step in the food fortification movement, which has benefited the health of U.S.consumers for decades – from the addition of iodine to salt in 1924 to prevent goiter, to the addition of vitamin D to milk for calcium and phosphorus absorption. Long recognized as an essential nutrient for women, folic acid intake was recently linked with lower breast cancer rates among post-menopausal women in a study published this summer by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” according to the release.
SPAVA uses a patent-pending technology to “imbue” Arabica beans with supplements such as gingko biloba and echinacea. The company said the ”innovative coffee line” aims aims to improve physical and mental health, and deliver benefits for joint health, memory, immunity, metabolism and stress relief.
SPAVA appears in health food stores around the country. It sells for $9.99 to $12.99 per 12-ounce bag. To learn more, visit www.SPAVAcoffee.com.
To me, there are four epochs in the history of food for human consumption:
1. Hunter-gatherers establish agriculture, anchoring them to one place and ending nomadic lifestyles
2. Discovery of cooking
3. Use of preservatives and, later, refrigeration
4. Vitamin-fortified coffee
Please check out The Medicine Bag blog at http://blog.newsok.com/health
Jeff Raymond, Medical Writer
The news quiz
It’s time to take the weekly news quiz and find out how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. To test your news knowledge each weekday, take our five-question daily quiz. Go to NewsOK.com and click on the quiz icon. Plus, each Monday in The Oklahoman and here on the newsroom blog, you’ll find the weekly quiz featuring some of the best questions from the past week’s daily quizzes along with some all-new questions, just to keep you on your toes. This week, we’ve got a 40-question megaquiz for you:
1. Nike last month unveiled a new athletic shoe geared toward American Indians, the Air Native N7. The wider taller shoe is based on American Indian foot structure and all proceeds go to fund programs to promote athletics on tribal land. Who will get to buy the shoe when it goes on sale Nov. 1?
a) Tribes that participate in Nike’s Native American business program.
b) Buyers on eBay.
c) Tribes with members in the American Indian National Sports Hall of Fame.
2. This past week, Cuba observed the 40th anniversary of whose death?
a) Woody Guthrie.
b) Ernesto “Che” Guevara.
c) Robert Oppenheimer.
3. Some San Diego residents want to know why the city didn’t tell them about:
a) A major landslide risk.
b) Recent shark attacks.
c) Increased gas prices.
4. The New Orleans Hornets played a preseason game at the Ford Center. Who were their opponents?
a) Houston Rockets.
b) Boston Celtics.
c) Seattle SuperSonics.
5. How many tremor-resistant homes have been rebuilt since the earthquake in Pakistan in October 2005?
a) About 80,000.
b) About 145,000.
c) about 210,000.
6. The Nobel Peace Prize in physics went to two scientists whose work in giant magnetoresistance allowed which popular device to proliferate?
a) Cell phone.
b) Cassette recorder.
c) MP3 player.
7. Midwest City officials had to close a stretch of Douglas Boulevard because of:
a) A multi-vehicle traffic accident.
b) A road collapse.
c) A gas leak.
8. Because of a request from a high school English teacher, Oregon schools are debating whether to allow:
a) P.E. teachers to assign laps.
b) Snazzy new uniforms with especially short skirts.
c) Teachers to carry guns.
9. General Motors’ OnStar system is expected to make it impossible to steal cars equipped with it because:
a) It will inform the police where it is.
b) It will allow the police to bring the vehicle to a stop.
c) It will lock the vehicle’s steering mechanism.
10. What country announced it would scale back its naval support for U.S. troops in Afghanistan?
a) Argentina.
b) Britain.
c) Japan.
11. Helena resident Bonnie Jantz, 67, received national recognition for doing what?
a) Being a teacher.
b) Observing the weather.
c) Making the world’s biggest apple pie.
12. What baseball team swept its AL playoff series?
a) Atlanta Braves.
b) Boston Red Sox.
c) Los Angeles Angels.
13. Last Monday, the state Health Department reported a record number of West Nile virus cases for Oklahoma. Which of the following plays a role in spread of the virus?
a) Humans most often catch it from being bitten by an infected skunk.
b) It can infect the brain of people who swim in warm, stagnant water.
c) It is carried by mosquitoes.
14. Which television show takes place in Oklahoma City?
a) “Saving Grace”
b) “Boston Legal.”
c) “Chicago Hope.”
15. The Dallas Cowboys pulled off a last-second win over the Buffalo Bills when:
a) Kicker Nick Folk made a 53-yard field goal.
b) Tony Romo threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens.
c) Patrick Crayton returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
16. What Central American nation is considering a trade pact with the U.S.?
a) Costa Rica.
b) Andorra.
c) Dominican Republic.
17. According to a state report, a convict who escaped from a private prison in Hinton told investigators it was easy. Why?
a) He said he was able to climb over a wall and swim away.
b) He said a tower was often unmanned and no one noticed when he rattled a fence.
c) He said friends sent him pies that contained wire cutters and fake ID papers.
18. Rebels seized an area in eastern Congo that serves as a wildlife refuge for what endangered species?
a) Manatee.
b) Mountain gorilla.
c) Albino rhino.
19. On Tuesday, Oklahomans began buying reservations for season tickets in hopes for:
a) A 3,000-square acre water park.
b) A Broadway-style theater.
c) A professional football team.
20. Ten people coming back from a skydiving event died when their plane crashed. Where was the crash?
a) The Canadian Rockies in Alberta.
b) The Cascade Range in Washington state.
c) The Ozark Mountains in Arkansas.
21. U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, celebrated which event last week:
a) The passage of his bill to increase agricultural aid in Oklahoma.
b) His marriage to Andrea White, the sister of Heisman Trophy winner Jason White.
c) The birth of a daughter, Janna Lou.
22. Although plans currently are on hold, what kind of car was a Chinese company going to make in Ardmore?
a) Morris Minor.
b) MG.
c) Rolls Royce.
23. What decision did the Oklahoma City Council make regarding the recently attention-getting topic of pet fish?
a) All fish must be kept in aerated aquariums — no fishbowls.
b) Tattooing fish is illegal.
c) It is illegal to flush even tiny dead fish down the toilet because they clog city sewer lines.
24. Health researchers found a bad marriage can put you at greater risk of a heart attack because:
a) Bad personal relationships cause stress.
b) It causes you to overeat, especially high-fat pizza.
c) The vigorous activities of home maintenance wear on your heart.
25. Which of the following Oklahomans was not among the nominees for the American Music Awards?
a) Wayne Coyne.
b) Joe Don Rooney.
c) Toby Keith.
26. Two American scientists and a Briton won the Nobel Prize in medicine for groundbreaking work in:
a) Enzymes that cause heart trouble if you don’t floss.
b) Manipulation of mouse genes for cardiac research.
c) Infant vaccines and making shots hurt less.
27. University of Oklahoma basketball player Courtney Paris has received what honor before the start of the 2007-08 season?
a) Big 12 Player of the Year.
b) Selected to the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team.
c) Associated Press’ best-ever basketball list.
28. Which European country faced a deadlock over forming a new government because of a dispute over portions of the country that speak different languages?
a) Belgium.
b) Canada.
c) Iraq.
29. Bulk purchasing and reselling of tickets to the Oklahoma City Hannah Montana concert has led some people to pay more than they expected for tickets. Who is Hannah Montana?
a) A country music performer who was a 2002 finalist on “American Idol.”
b) A Disney Channel character who is played by a 14-year-old girl.
c) One of the original Woodstock singers who is trying to stage a comeback.
30. Immunologists at Duke University formulated what theory about the appendix:
a) It is still a useless organ.
b) It makes good germs.
c) Everyone should have it removed.
31. Organizers of an annual cook-off in Eufaula expected things to really heat up on Saturday. What food was to be the focus of the competition?
a) Chili.
b) Okra.
c) Catfish.
32. There were how many head of cattle on the drive that ended this month:
a) None, there wasn’t a cattle drive.
b) Started at 450, with that many returning.
c) Started at 450, ended up over 600 because of cattle that joined along the way.
33. Boeing has further delayed the launch date of its 787 airliners. What’s the other name for the plane?
a) Skyliner.
b) Stratoliner.
c) Dreamliner.
34. Who won the Nobel Prize for literature on Thursday?
a) Dr. Seuss, author of “The Lorax.”
b) L. Ron Hubbard, author of “Dianetics.”
c) Doris Lessing, author of “The Grass is Singing.”
35. What is all the sticky, stringy material that’s floating around the state?
a) It’s cotton candy that was thrown away after the state fair.
b) It’s caused by spiders and an increase in their population.
c) It’s coming from research airplanes’ contrails.
36. Gov. Brad Henry planned to visit what touristy site in Florida that is featuring a showcase on Oklahoma food until Nov. 11?
a) Walt Disney World.
b) Kennedy Space Center.
c) Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.
37. Relations between Turkey and the United States are in a state of confusion, with Turkey calling its ambassador back home. What’s the cause of the tension?
a) America’s support of Iraqi Kurds in a border skirmish with the Turks.
b) Turkey’s refusal to allow a U.S. cruise ship to enter its waters.
c) A House resolution criticizing the World War I murders of Armenians.
38. A state conference Oct. 16 and 17 will focus on development of alternative fuels. Which of the following crops are researchers growing as a possible ethanol source?
a) Green algae.
b) Switchgrass.
c) Echinacea.
39. What church is considering the sale of 24.5 acres to Integris Health so a hospital might be built?
a) St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.
b) Henderson Hills Baptist Church.
c) Church of the Servant.
40. Some of the top athletes in the world were in Oklahoma City over the weekend for a competition. What sport were they participating in?
a) Softball.
b) Football.
c) Rowing.
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-A; 2-B; 3-A; 4-A; 5-C; 6-C; 7-B; 8-C; 9-B; 10-C; 11-B; 12-B; 13-C; 14-A; 15-A; 16-A; 17-B; 18-B; 19-C; 20-B; 21-C; 22-B; 23-B; 24-A; 25-A; 26-B; 27-A; 28-A; 29-B; 30-B; 31-A; 32-B; 33-C; 34-C; 35-B; 36-A; 37-C; 38-B; 39-B; 40-C
Tips for a healthy Halloween
With Halloween approaching and childhood obesity a growing national concern, both American Specialty Health Inc.and KidsHealth are offering tips on how parents can help their children enjoy treat or treating without overindulging:
(1) Serve a healthy meal beforehand so that children aren’t hungry when the candy starts coming in.
(2) Set a good example by giving out healthy alternative foods to neighborhood children: unsalted almonds, sunflower seeds, sugar-free hard candy, sticks of sugar-free gum, pretzels, cereal bars, fig cookies, or juice boxes.
(3) Hand out non-food items: stickers, crayons, pencils, erasers, coloring books, costume jewelry, or coupons to a local yugurt store.
(4) Give children collection bags that fit their sizes. For children under age 5, a small bag makes more sense and will keep children from bringing home more treats then they could healthfully eat in a 30-day period. For older children, a larger bag may be OK, but say no to oversized bags such as pillow cases or plastic trash bags.
(5) Set limits to keep kids from eating too many treats in a day. Allow children two pieces of candy each day, then put the treat stash out of their reach. That way, they’ll have to ask for it. Some treats like chocolate candy bars can be cut into smaller pieces and frozen, providing bite-sized treats later in the year.
(6) Know how much candy your child has collected and store it somewhere other than the child’s room. Having it so handy can be an irresistible temptation for children.
(7) Pair treats with healthy snacks. Require your child to pair every sweet treat with a healthy snack – such as a miniature candy bar and an apple. Make sure they eat the apple first. That way, they are less hungry for the treats; they get health benefits from the fruit and they learn healthier eating habits.
(8) Arrange a buyout. Offer the child a nickel or dime for each candy they will “sell” you. That way they can “earn” money to buy a toy or game they want.
-Jim Killackey, medical writer.
Parents’ opinion on Southwest’s policy is going south
Southwest Airlines recently changed the boarding process for parents with small children. Until recently, travelers with children 4 years-old and younger were allowed to pre-board, avoiding waiting in the “cattle call” line with everyone else.
The airline changed that luxury Oct. 2, making these families board after passengers with “A” passes found their seats. Southwest said the change will help the company streamline its boarding process while also giving families more time to grab a last-minute snack or drink in the terminal.
But some parents aren’t hungry or thirsty and instead want Southwest to go back to the old mantra of women and children first.
An East Coast group recently started Stop Southwest Preboard, an online petition asking the airline to change its new policy to the former. The group has a strong message to Southwest Airlines if the company does not rethink its change: “We are parents of toddlers. We fly. And we will be taking our business elsewhere.”
How does the new boarding policy affect you?
Ja’Rena Lunsford, Business Writer
