14. special section - Outlook health by Darla Lindauer

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010

OUTLOOK | ADVANCEMENTS IN HEALTH

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CYCLOTRON MACHINE BEAMS ENERGY INTO PATIENTS WHILE RESULTS AT THE PROTON THERAPY CENTER BEAM HOPE INTO LIVES

Integris, ProCure zap cancer cases A bit of magic lies beyond the modern artwork-adorned halls of ProCure’s sparkling building on the prairie in far northwest Oklahoma City. The magic comes from a 220-ton, futuristic machine called a cyclotron. The machine, housed six feet beneath the building, splits protons to create an energy beam that zaps cancer out of the body. It’s the latest step in cancerfighting treatment. Patients who have seen their cancer destroyed by the cyclotron’s precision beam speak in reverent terms about the work being done at ProCure Proton Therapy Center, which they see more as a temple than a medical building. ProCure operates the center in partnership with the Integris Cancer Institute of Oklahoma. It is the only center of its kind in Oklahoma and one of only six nationwide. The Oklahoma center opened last year. The cyclotron room looks like something George Lucas could’ve built with scraps from the sets of “Star Wars.” Various hoses and pipes snake in and out of valves, pumps and plugs affixed to a line of machines facing the cyclotron. The cyclotron itself is a hulking saucer mounted on large industrial braces. It’s in there that the magic happens. The process starts by injecting protons into the center of the cyclotron, where they’re met by a series of circular, angled magnets. The magnets

quickly polarize and depolarize, causing the protons to spin in a circle at up to two-thirds the speed of light. From there, the protons are split, generating a beam that flies through a maze of delivery systems throughout the ProCure building. In the treatment rooms, the beam comes out of a snout-shaped funnel that shoots it through a brass aperture custom-designed for each patient. The apertures are shaped like the brains, prostates, and other body parts from which the cancer is being zapped. When it’s all said and done, the patient is exposed to 500 percent less radiation than traditional X-ray therapy, said Dr. Sameer Keole, a radiation oncologist who left the University of Florida’s medical system, which also has a proton therapy center and a cyclotron, to come here. “We can do anything that they can do and vice versa,” Keole said. JOHN ESTUS, STAFF WRITER

A view of the cyclotron, left, and beam line at the ProCure Proton Therapy Center.

A view of the gantry treatment room on March 27 at the ProCure Proton Therapy Center, 5901 W Memorial Road, in Oklahoma City. PHOTOS BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

THE OKLAHOMAN

NEWSOK.COM

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010

OUTLOOK | ADVANCEMENTS IN HEALTH

THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM

New tools move treatments forward BY JESSE OLIVAREZ Staff Writer jolivarez@opubco.com

Advancing technology is giving Oklahoma doctors and patients new advantages in the battle against cancer. Proton therapy, a type of radiation therapy, and the DaVinci Si HD surgical system, are two of the more recent tools for those seeking treatment, doctors say. The DaVinci Si HD surgical system, which can help treat prostate or cervical cancers, allows surgeons to sit inside a console and perform surgery with the aid of robotic arms. Dr. Carson Wong, a urologist and medical director for the center of robotic surgery at OU Medical Center, said the robotic arms are finely tuned to mimic the precise movements of a surgeon’s hands. Special cameras mounted on the arms give a surgeon a three-dimensional view of the procedure, he said. “When I finished my training, if you would have told me that I could take out someone’s prostate without being physically near the patient, I probably wouldn’t have believed you, and here I am four years later and that’s what we’re doing,” Wong said. The robotic arms are able to use smaller cutting instruments than those used by hand, which means the surgeon is able to make smaller incisions. Smaller incisions reduce the amount of blood lost during surgery, which shortens a patient’s recovery time, Wong said.

Direct focus on tumors ProCure Treatment Centers Inc. recently opened a center in Oklahoma City that can provide treatment for those fighting cancers of the head, neck, brain, central nervous system and prostate. Dr. Sameer Keole, a pediatric radiation oncologist with ProCure, said proton

When I finished my training, if you would have told me that I could take out someone’s prostate without being physically near the patient, I probably wouldn’t have believed you, and here I am four years later and that’s what we’re doing.” DR. CARSON WONG MEDICAL DIRECTOR, CENTER OF ROBOTIC SURGERY AT OU MEDICAL CENTER

In this 2008 file photo, Dr. Mark Bodenhamer points to one of the arms on a DaVinci surgical system at Oklahoma Heart Hospital. OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

therapy is a less harmful form of radiation therapy. Unlike traditional radiation therapy, it allows doctors to focus the radiation beam directly onto a tumor, resulting in several advantages for doctors and patients, Keole said. Proton therapy is explained as a type of particle therapy that uses a precise beam of protons to irradiate a tumor site. Protons are large particles that can be manipulated to release their energy. The more energy, the deeper the protons can penetrate the body. Physicians can calculate the precise amount of proton energy needed to release radiation exactly at the tumor site. “The proton beam reduces the dose of radiation to normal, healthy tissue from 50 to 99 percent,” Keole said. “It’s just as effective as traditional ways of treating cancer, but it causes far less side effects,” he said.

SCIENTISTS SEEK CURE, PREVENTION FOR DISEASE

State researchers working on anti-cancer compound BY DIANA BALDWIN Staff Writer dbaldwin@opubco.com

Learning you have cancer can throw your life into a tailspin as you search for the best way to treat a disease that affects more than 1 million people each year. Finding a cure, or even a way to prevent cancer, cannot come soon enough for someone facing the disease. Scientists in Oklahoma and across the world are searching for both. The journey is an ever-changing process. “We have to verify what we understand as to how the drug was developed in the laboratory,” said Doris Benbrook, a cancer researcher at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. “We need to know if it is actually working when it gets into a human. That is the focus of translational research.” Benbrook developed an anti-cancer compound that prevents the formation of tumors and the blood vessels that feed them. The laboratory-tested mixture, known as FlexHets, directly targets cancer cells without damaging normal ones, she said. K. Darrell Berlin, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University Regents professor of chemistry, has been her partner in development of the drug. Testing in the laboratory seems never ending. Finding the answer to one question often brings more questions, said Benbrook, professor and director of the research section of gynecologic oncology. “We want to know if a drug is working right,” she said. “What I do is take some blood from the patient before they’re treated, when they are treated and after they are treated. “I look at markers to see how the drug was working. I want to know if it is working like it was developed to work or if it’s doing something different.” Her drug is currently in preclinical testing in the National Cancer Institute’s Rapid Access to Prevention Intervention Development program. Benbrook anticipates the necessary preclinical testing of her drug will be completed this summer so

ONLINE To watch a video of Doris Benbrook, go to NewsOK.com and search for "Doris Benbrook."

Doris Benbrook Cancer researcher

AT A GLANCE CLINICAL TRIALS Three phases of clinical trials will be needed for the drug. They are: Phase 1 cancer trials are the first in humans. Doris Benbrook said that phase could take six months to a year for her drug. Phase 2 continues to test the safety of the drug and begins to evaluate how well the new drug works. Benbrook estimates that could take another year. Phase 3 tests a new drug, a new combination of drugs, or a new surgical procedure in comparison to the current standard for treatment. Phase 3 trials often enroll thousands of people at multiple locations. “Phase 3 is what really takes the longest because you need so many patients,” Benbrook said.

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she can apply to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to use it as an investigative new drug on animals. “We have to put the drug in an animal and find out the toxicity in the animals. We need to know the maximum tolerated dose,” Benbrook said. In the best case scenarios, she said, it could take another seven years for her work to be completed. That could seem like an eternity for the person who has been diagnosed with cancer.

THE OKLAHOMAN

NEWSOK.COM

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010

THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM

OUTLOOK | ADVANCEMENTS IN HEALTH

City health care centers have homelike comforts

AT A GLANCE

Construction projects Major hospital construction projects recently completed or ongoing in metro area:

MIDWEST CITY

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Midwest Regional Medical Center, 2825 Parklawn Drive, is adding seventh and eighth floors to the hospital’s patient tower. The $25 million expansion will include 102 beds and 47,000 square feet of space. The new floors will be used for medical and surgical patients. Construction is scheduled to be finished by mid-July.

BY DARLA SLIPKE Staff Writer dslipke@opubco.com

New health centers and hospital expansions across the Oklahoma City metro area will give patients more options and a higher level of comfort, architects and building administrators said. Several new health centers opened during the past year, and many other building projects and expansions are in the works for 2010. These new facilities and additions were designed to merge health care and hospitality, while offering state-of-the-art equipment and technology. The Norman Regional HealthPlex, which opened in October, features natural light, larger rooms for patients and more spacious waiting areas to create a more comfortable environment. Daryle Voss, vice president and chief administrative officer, said he has been overwhelmed by positive responses from patients and families. “Someone said it feels more like a hotel than a hospital,” Voss said. The Oklahoma Heart Hospital South, which opened in January, boasts a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1 to 4. “That increases satisfaction immensely from a patient’s perspective,” said John Austin, chief operating officer. The facility offers amenities like a concierge service and a bistro area, Austin said. “The look and feel of the building is not institutionalized,” Austin said. “It’s like you’re walking into a four-star hotel. The OU Cancer Institute under construction — designed with a patient and family focus in mind — is scheduled to open in early 2011. It will feature a host of patient-family amenities that include a cancer education resource center and a cafe with full food service. The main patient waiting area is called a living room and the cafe is called a dining room to give the building a homier feel, said Administrative Director Wade Williams. Every element was designed to give patients a more comfortable environment, Williams said. “The focus of design has been, ‘How do we minimize the clinical

NORMAN

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Norman Regional Health System’s HealthPlex hospital opened in October. The $136 million, 400,000-square-foot facility at 3300 HealthPlex Parkway, houses Norman Regional’s Heart and Vascular Institute, Women’s and Children’s Pavilion and Orthopedic and Spine Center.

OKLAHOMA CITY

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The Oklahoma Heart Hospital South Campus is pictured on March 19. Oklahoma Heart Hospital South, a $98-million, 163,000 square-foot facility located at 5200 E Interstate 240 Service Road, opened in January. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Staff Writer scolberg@opubco.com

We brag on our chubbycheeked babies, but sometimes those cute cheeks are a forerunner of weighty adulthood issues. Oklahoma-specific childhood obesity statistics are lacking, but a national study recently published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine reported almost 20 percent of 4-year-olds are obese. The study looked at 8,500 preschoolers. Judy Duncan, director of Strong and Healthy Oklahoma, said childhood obesity appears to be reaching a plateau. “There is a glimmer of light around our childhood obesity and overweight rates,” Duncan said. Emphasis on the Get Fit Eat Smart OK state plan is showing some results and Duncan said she hopes children will continue to value more physical activity and better food choices as they get older. “In 10 years, yes, we would hope we would see at least a leveling off. That’s kind of our goal that we at least stop the increased rate (of obesity),” she said. “As the Oklahoma Health Improvement Plan notes, the issues surrounding obesity in Oklahoma are particularly difficult to tackle,” said Health Commissioner Terry Cline. Cline said he thinks most Oklahomans recognize the importance of eating better and being more physically active. But Oklahoma has some obstacles to developing healthful habits. “The convenience of fast foods, and often their lower cost, often compete

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Construction of the OU Cancer Institute is pictured on March 19. The OU Cancer Institute, located at the corner of NE 10 and Phillips Avenue on the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center campus, is scheduled to open in early 2011. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN

EDMOND

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feel and really make this feel like a warm place that’s comfortable?’ ” Williams said. Officials who designed the vision for Integris Health Edmond, an acute care hospital scheduled to open in 2011, used the concept of a hospital of the future, said President Avilla Wil-

liams. The new facility will include single-patient rooms with wireless Internet service, temperature control systems, room service dining and over-sized windows, Williams said. “We’re really excited about being able to provide choices to the people,” she said.

Health programs enlist children in obesity war BY SONYA COLBERG

Oklahoma Heart Hospital South, a $98-million, 163,000-square-foot facility, opened in January. The all-digital hospital at 5200 E Interstate 240 Service Road, features 46 beds, 30 general cardiovascular rooms, two operating rooms, three catheterization procedure labs and room to expand. The OU Cancer Institute at the corner of NE 10 and Phillips Avenue on the OU Health Sciences Center campus, is scheduled to open in early 2011. The $120 million, 210,000-square-foot facility will employ about 300 people and have state-of-the-art features such as proton radiation therapy and Oklahoma’s only Phase 1 clinical trials center for cancer. The Oklahoma Health Center campus, located east of Bricktown and Deep Deuce, has had more than $500 million in construction projects ongoing during the past year. They include additions to the Dean McGee Eye Institute, the Oklahoma Blood Institute and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and construction of the OU Children’s Physicians Building and the OU Cancer Institute. Mercy Health System of Oklahoma had several additions and construction projects in Oklahoma City and Edmond. Mercy Edmond Signal Ridge, a new clinic at 416 W 15th, opened in early 2009. Mercy Health Quailbrook, a new metro clinic, opened in July. The 8,100-square-foot facility at 4345 W Memorial Road also houses Mercy’s Sleep Disorders Center, human resources and administration. Other additions include a new neonatal intensive care unit and renovation of the Mercy Health Center emergency room, which is under way.

with more nutritional food choices. And depending on where you live and transportation available, the ability to access healthy foods may simply not exist,” Cline said. When Duncan presented information at a recent health fair, a woman walked up to her afterward and told her, “You’re telling us we have to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, but I have to take three buses to get to a grocery store to where I can even afford to buy something.” “So that’s a real barrier,” Duncan said. She said part of the Health Department’s job is to try to make sure the environment makes it easy for people to make healthful decisions. “Our job as public health folks is to do what we can to make the choice of eating better and moving more and being tobacco-free. We need to remove the barriers and take the obstacles down,” Duncan said.

Unequal opportunities Many Oklahomans live in communities with no sidewalks or bike trails to safely walk or ride, decreasing their opportunities to move more. “While individuals are ultimately responsible for adopting healthy eating habits and leading physically active lifestyles, we must work together to address those social, economic and environmental factors that are keeping Oklahomans from improving their health and fitness,” Cline said. Other discouraging statistics also drive health officials to encourage physical activity efforts in both local policy and personal habits. Oklahoma is the fourth most obese state in the na-

tion, with 30.3 percent of adults in that category, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the fat stats, Rhonda Dennis, administrative director for Pushmataha, Choctaw, Bryan and McCurtain counties health departments, also remains optimistic about the next decade. “I’m hoping. I’m so, so hoping that our health ranking will come way up,” she said. “Some of the new things we’re doing that we hope will make a difference in 10 years are our certified healthy businesses.” The health department assists businesses through work site wellness programs. Dennis said McCurtain Memorial Hospital is considered a model of improving the health and fitness of Oklahoma employees. Instead of serving soda pop and doughnuts at meetings, employers may provide water or juice and fruits. And they are encouraged to establish a policy to allow employees time to get up and stretch each day, under state health efforts. The state Health Department works with adults on a more informal scale, too. In Marshal County, the department has sponsored cooking classes, with a Spanish translator, to turn Hispanic dishes into healthful, lower-fat dishes, Dennis said. But the secret weapon in moving Oklahoma toward a more healthful future remains the same: the kids. Dennis said efforts to develop healthful attitudes toward eating often begins with children who inspire their parents. “And our children are our future,” Dennis said.

Construction of Integris Health Edmond, a new acute care hospital, is under way. The more than 151,400-square-foot facility is on Interstate 35 between Second and 15th streets in Edmond. The hospital will have 40 inpatient beds, four operating suites, an emergency department and a state-ofthe-art imaging center. A 45,000-square-foot medical office building also will open on the 45-acre site.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010

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WEST METRO AREA Chisholm Trail Park 500 W Vandament, Yukon Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: A quarter-mile-plus walking paved path follows the outline of the unique bootshaped flower bed. Path is available year round from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Parking is available.

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“Open Fit” Technology

Lake Overholser Trails NW 10 and County Line Road, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: There’s a 2.3-mile paved walking trail on the east side of this historic municipal lake that was completed in 1919. In addition, the new Route 66 Park, on the west side of the lake, features nearly a mile of winding walking trails.

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Eldon Lyon Park 7401 NW 36, Bethany Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: Large park features a 1.5-mile paved trail.

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EAST METRO AREA Joe B. Barnes Regional Park 8700 E Reno, Midwest City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: A 1.25-mile paved walking trail connects to the historic Soldier Creek Nature Trail, a 5-mile nature walking area from Northeast 10th Street and Midwest Boulevard to Southeast 15th Street and Century Boulevard. The nature walking trail features quartermile markers as well as varied wildlife.

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Minnis Lakeview Park NE 36 and N Hiwassee Road, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: It is near Mary Mahoney Memorial Health Center and is totally accessible for employees and nearby residents to walk before work, after work, lunchtime and weekends.

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NORTH METRO AREA J.L. Mitch Park 1501 W Covell, Edmond Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: A 5.5-mile paved walkway outlines the perimeter of this large park. The walkway provides access various to features of the park including a skate park and several group pavilions.

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Lake Hefner Park Between Lake Hefner Parkway and MacArthur Boulevard from Wilshire to NW 108, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: The 9.2 -mile paved asphalt loop is a favorite feature of this 4,000-acre lake and park.

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Above: A runner uses the Lake Hefner trail in Oklahoma City. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

Edgemere Park NW 33 and Harvey Avenue, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: The park is the centerpiece of this charming neighborhood in the Edgemere Park Historic District,

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Memorial Park NW 35 and Classen Avenue, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: Visitors to this historic park can either enjoy a stroll along a half-mile(+) gravel trail or a nearly half-mile concrete walkway.

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Shartel Boulevard between NW 36 and 41, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: The tree-lined area features rolling hills as well as pedestrian lane on both sides of street. Broadway Park is on the east side at Northwest 38th Street.

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Grand Boulevard between NW 63 and Pennsylvania Avenue, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: The area is within Nichols Hills and features walking trails with small parks.

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Oklahoma City University campus 2501 N Blackwelder, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: A path winds through the campus along well-groomed landscape and historic buildings as well as new construction.

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Martin Nature Park 5000 W Memorial Road, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: The 2.5 mile-nature trail is a key feature of the 140-acre wildlife sanctuary and educational center.

Will Rogers Park’s Horticultural Gardens 3400 NW 36, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: The park offers three gravel trails — one trail features trees and azaleas along a stream; a second travels through the Charles E. Spark Rose Garden that is home to 3,000 rose bushes; and the third trail winds through azaleas, shady perennials and a stream with a waterfall feature. Parking is available.

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Dolese Youth Park 5105 NW 50, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: A 2.1-mile unpaved nature trail winds around a lake in this 139-acre park.

Earlywine Park SW 119 and S May Avenue, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: A 1.5-mile paved walkway attracts people of all ages to this 453-acre park that is now home to a new YMCA branch.

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Oklahoma River The river corridor begins a quarter mile west of Meridian Avenue and extends to Eastern Avenue, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: Asphalt trails alongside both the north and south sides of the scenic sevenmile corridor.

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South Grand Trail SW 36, Oklahoma City Why it’s a Great Place to Walk: 8.75 miles of paved trails are along the street median beginning at May Avenue.

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THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM

OUTLOOK | ADVANCEMENTS IN HEALTH

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010

INTEGRIS HELPS STANLEY HUPFELD ACADEMY BUILD NUTRITION, EXERCISE INTO EVERY LESSON

Charter school students learn health that can cause cavities. “You can have a lot more energy if you are healthy,” she said. Intensive health programs like that at Hupfeld Academy are rare in Oklahoma, which does not mandate health instruction in schools. Prevention programs are most effective when started early in life, said Barbara Smith, school health coordinator for the state Health Department. “If we begin early and consistently (to) give those

BY SUSAN SIMPSON Staff Writer ssimpson@opubco.com

Health education isn’t simply a class at Stanley Hupfeld Academy, it’s integrated into every school activity. With the backing of Integris Health, the elementary school aims to strengthen students’ bodies while it enriches their minds. In a recent physical education class at the northwest Oklahoma City charter school, students played a game that combines running relays, identifying fruits and counting grams of sugar. They followed with a stretching exercise using that week’s spelling words. The students laughed, jumped and shouted encouragement all the way. Integris Health operates the 330-student charter school, offering mentors for every child, free health care and instruction from a licensed nutritionist. Schools for Healthy Lifestyle curriculum elements are incorporated. It’s a public-private partnership that aims to develop the whole child, school officials said. “Every day there is something going on that is health-related,” said Principal Peggy Brinson. “We are so passionate about it.” Test scores have risen with student fitness levels. There are fewer student absences and more parental involvement. Brinson hopes the lessons will last a lifetime. In many ways, these children started school with the odds stacked against them. Nearly all are minority and 90 percent qualify for free or reduced lunches. Crime is common in their neighborhoods. All are factors that can influence later poor health. “The statistics are very scary right now for kids,”

health messages to the kids starting in pre-K, when they graduate school and become adults they are better able to retain those messages and apply them in their everyday lives,” she said. Children’s health is a focus of the state agency’s Oklahoma Health Improvement Plan. The department aims to focus on access to care, dental health, mental health, injury reduction, selfesteem building and parent education programs.

Second-graders Emilee Kelly, left, and Aaleysha Ward spell words in the air during physical education class at Stanley Hupfeld Academy. Health instruction is integrated into all areas of the charter school. PHOTOS BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN

Second-graders race with plastic fruits and learn about nutrition during physical education class at Stanley Hupfeld Academy.

Brinson said. “There’s childhood obesity, sedentary lifestyles, the fear of playing outside.” One child had to have

eight teeth pulled by a visiting dentist. She’d never owned a toothbrush, PE teacher Joy Rainey told her second-grade class.

Eight-year-old Aaleysha Ward responded that she tries to make healthy choices, choosing milk and water over sugary drinks

City-sponsored sports are ‘rewarding’ to youth BY VALLERY BROWN Staff Writer vbrown@opubco.com

Winter basketball and summer baseball are popular activities with Oklahoma City youth. But Jeff Crowe with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department youth athletics program said spring soccer is quickly becoming the choice team sport for kids and families. “Nearly any kid can run and kick a ball,” Crowe said. “It’s immediately rewarding.” Children from kindergarten through fifth grade in Oklahoma City can register for several athletics programs. Most cost about $45 and include the cost of uniform and a trophy. Midwest City, Yukon, Edmond and Norman all have similar programs within their parks and recreation departments. The recently finished basketball season was a huge hit with kids this year, Crowe said. Registration was up more than 20 percent from the previous year, with more than 800 children participating. The Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team partners with the city to sponsor the league. It’s just the kind of activity that health experts recommend to keep kids fit and active. “Whatever they are doing, it needs to be fun. If not, they won’t keep doing it,” said Matt Jacobs, physical activity coordinator with the division of Strong and Healthy Oklahoma at the state Health Department. Children need at least one hour of exercise every day, and the activity

Over 121 Years of Providing “Good & Healthy Things to Eat”

Robert Vaden, of the Oklahoma City Thunder, shoots hoops with players from Thunder Youth Basketball League.

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Personal service has always been important to us, and it will continue to be important. And, where else can you speak directly to the owner? We thank you for your business and look forward to seeing you very soon!

For more information about Oklahoma City’s youth athletics leagues, go to www.okc.gov/parks/ athletics or call 297-3828.

should vary in intensity, Jacobs said. Community sports and activities are the perfect way for kids to exercise and have fun at the same time. Running and jumping around aids muscular and

We have prices comparable to or below those at the national chain stores. We carry the same brands the other stores have. Plus, we will meet or beat advertised prices on any health food item.

bone strengthening, he said. “Parents need to be good role models,” Jacobs said. “If kids see their parents having fun with these activities, kids will have a good time, too.”

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OUTLOOK | ADVANCEMENTS IN HEALTH

Oklahoma losers have better outlook BY PENNY SOLDAN

Daris George

Cheryl George

TV Editor psoldan@opubco.com

25, Ardmore Current season contender, 2010 Starting weight: 346 pounds Weight after eight weeks: 258 pounds How life has changed: “The biggest change in me since ‘The Biggest Loser’ is the confidence that I have walking into every situation, because I know I have what it takes to take on anything. And the ladies sure are paying me more attention. I just really love how I see myself, inside and out.”

51, Ardmore Current season, Top 12, 2010 Starting weight: 227 pounds Weight after eight weeks: 182 pounds Most important thing learned: “How to balance diet and exercise to achieve your goal weight.” How life has changed: “Just knowing that I have to eat clean and exercise for the rest of my life. I have good days and am going to have bad days, but I feel like I’ve finally found a balance in food and exercising. It’s a lifelong journey, and you’re never too old to get started!”

Thanks to “The Biggest Loser,” six Oklahomans have a better outlook on life. Danny Cahill from Broken Arrow, Daris and Cheryl George from Ardmore, Sean Algaier from Glenpool and Amanda and Neill Harmer from Bethany, all credit the NBC weight-loss competition series for helping them get back on track. “My dreams are back and I am ready to take on anything life throws at me,” said Cahill, who won Season 8. “Every day, I thank God for ‘The Biggest Loser.’ ” Last month, The Oklahoman got in touch with all the show’s contestants from the Sooner state, including Jason Ramsey from Oklahoma City. Here is what they had to say about their “Biggest Loser” experiences.

Jason Ramsey

Sean Algaier

31, Oklahoma City (not pictured) Season 3, Top 50, 2006 Starting weight: 353 pounds Weight at season finale: 263 pounds Most important thing learned: “Not to let weight control my life. My life jumped back into gear as soon as I started my weight loss journey. I didn’t have to lose weight first. I just had to realize I have the power to change.” How life has changed: “Currently I have gained all of my weight back and more. Once the pressure of the country watching me dissipated, I started falling back into old habits. The problem was that I was more focused on the competition than on improving my health. During the process, I didn’t have a normal life. I spent two hours in the gym every day and I ate the same meals every day. That and my personality changed. I became very vain and rude. I’m still making attempts to change my habits without changing who I am.”

30, Glenpool Season 8, Top 15, 2009 Starting weight: 444 pounds Weight at season finale: 289 pounds Most memorable moment: “Finding out we (he and wife, Misty) were having a baby girl! My most negative moment was when I found out I had type 2 diabetes. That was a horrible moment!” Most important thing learned: “How to balance eating and exercise, and that balance was the key. Since being home, I’ve enjoyed the process of finding balance.” How life has changed: “I travel and speak a lot about my experience, and I feel like many different doors have opened for me and my family.”

Danny Cahill

Amanda Harmer

Neill Harmer

40, Broken Arrow Season 8 winner, 2009 Starting weight: 430 pounds Weight at season finale: 191 pounds Most important thing learned: “I learned my ‘why’ — why I was overweight, why I wanted to be fit and why it had to be done. Without my why’s, I was just spinning my wheels. How life has changed: “Now, I motivationally speak for a living and soon hope for music to be my profession, too. And my weight is doing great! I gained a few pounds on purpose and at the request of my wife (Darci). Life is good!”

31, Bethany Season 5, Top 15, 2008 Starting weight: 204 pounds Weight at season finale: 140 pounds How life has changed: “The biggest change we’ve experienced since our season is a new addition to our family. Eily SueAnn was born in January 2009. I gained 65 pounds through the pregnancy, so my weight has been all over the place. I’m currently about 15 pounds from my goal weight and working hard to get it off.”

30, Bethany Season 5, Top 15, 2008 Starting weight: 317 pounds Weight at season finale: 229 pounds Most important thing learned: “That I can trust in myself and my choices, and I’m stronger than I ever gave myself credit for.” How life has changed: “I have become an avid, if not addicted, triathlete. I have done eight total multi-sport events and have at least half a dozen scheduled this year, including a couple Olympic triathlons and a Half Ironman.”

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THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM

OUTLOOK | ADVANCEMENTS IN HEALTH

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010

11V

CIGARETTE PACK SALES ARE DOWN BY 100 MILLION OVER PAST NINE YEARS; OFFICIALS SAY STATE HEALTH MEASURES ARE HELPING

Smoking rate on decline in Oklahoma BY JOHNNY JOHNSON Staff Writer jjjohnson@opubco.com

Oklahoma is on track to sell an estimated 270 million packs of cigarettes this year. That might not sound like reason to celebrate, but health officials who have worked to reduce the number of smokers in the state say 270 million packs is actually great news. “When we started the accounting process in 2001, there were 373 million packs of cigarettes being sold,” said Doug Matheny, chief of tobacco use prevention for the state Health Department. For the first six months of fiscal year 2010, “we have had 134 million and we’re on track to be about 270 million.” That’s a reduction of about 100 million packs of

cigarettes during the past decade, Matheny said. “What that reflects is people who continue to smoke are smoking less and trying to quit more,” he said. And while health officials admit there are a variety of reasons for the steady reduction, they say part of the equation is certainly new efforts by the state to improve health.

Youth smoking drops Adding to the good news, the Oklahoma Youth Tobacco Survey for 2009 indicates that there were an estimated 10,000 fewer youth smokers than there were in the last survey in 2007. According to the biennial survey, 20.2 percent of Oklahoma high school students were current ciga-

BY THE NUMBERS OKLAHOMA SMOKING STATISTICS have smoked cigarettes › 11 inin 24 adults adults currently smoke cigarettes › 1 in 5 adults currently smoke cigarettes every › day › 2 in 3 smokers are seriously thinking about quitting. › 1 in 2 adults have made a serious attempt to stop smoking during the past year › 1 in 4 adults live in homes where other adults smoke › 3 in 4 households with children do not allow smoking anywhere in the house › 4 in 5 workers are protected from secondhand smoke at their workplace SOURCE: STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT

rette smokers in 2009, down from 23.4 percent in 2007. The 2009 survey also found that 6.5 percent of Oklahoma middle school students were cur-

Health care budget cuts require tough decisions

A line of people wait to receive free influenza vaccinations Oct. 13 at the community center in Midwest City. PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN

REORGANIZATION | DEPARTMENT MAY HAVE TO CUT SOME JOBS BY VALLERY BROWN Staff Writer vbrown@opubco.com

Recent cost-saving measures at the state Health Department have reduced staffing and cut children’s health service sites in the state. Deeper budget cuts could affect dental care, family planning, immunizations, child abuse prevention and other services to thousands of Oklahomans, said Ray Hankins, chief financial officer for the department. “None of what we do is least important, but we have some tough decisions ahead of us on how to make it all balance,” Hankins said. One of the first program reorganizations cut in half the number of children’s guidance centers in the state. Health Department officials announced in March that 16 sites would close and 18 jobs would go

in the reorganization. The state Health Department workforce of nearly 2,200 hasn’t experienced layoffs, but agency officials have eliminated more than 100 positions though attrition, Hankins said. About 350 employees have been offered early retirement, and workers at the guidance centers have been offered voluntary buyouts. This year’s budget cuts will affect about 11,000 individuals who receive services from the Health Department, Hankins said. Deeper cuts could expand that to as many as 48,000 individuals. “Sometimes we are the only service like this in town,” said Jay Smith, administrative director for the Logan County Health Department. “With other agencies also cutting back, something will have to give.” Logan County is among the 17 counties losing a

child guidance center. Some center employees will be redistributed to other sites. The 16 centers that stay open will have child psychology, development and speech professionals available, Smith said. Previously some county centers didn’t offer all three services. Another cost-cutting measure being considered is eliminating multiple service sites for some county health departments, Hankins said. Currently 65 county departments provide services at 85 sites, he said. Agency officials got ahead of the budget cuts last year by preparing for appropriation reductions to their $74 million budget. Hankins said deeper cuts mean more staff reductions and decreased client care. “The very last thing we are looking at is reducing our workforce and cutting services,” he said.

Older Oklahomans to benefit from MAPS 3 centers, trails BY BRYAN DEAN Staff Writer bdean@opubco.com

Among the $777 million MAPS 3 projects are $90 million in improvements that may be of special concern to the Oklahoma City’s senior residents. MAPS 3 includes $50 million to build four or five large senior centers with pools. The plan also includes $40 million to finish the city’s walking, running and cycling trails. Mayor Mick Cornett said each senior center will cost $10 million to $15 million, and they will be spread regionally north, south, east and west, though exact locations haven’t been chosen. The centers will resemble one built recently in North Little Rock, Ark., which has two pools, a walking track, exercise equipment, a computer room, a small library, a

puzzle room and gathering spots for people to sit and talk. About 700 people use the North Little Rock center each day, and members pay a $25 annual fee to join, he said. “In the next 20 years, the number of seniors in the city is going to double,” Cornett said. One issue the city will have to address is ongoing funding for the centers. North Little Rock subsidizes about two-thirds of the $900,000 annual budget for its center. Cornett said he doesn’t want the city to subsidize the centers, which could mean higher membership fees unless the city can bring in private partners such as the YMCA to help offset costs. Seniors who don’t want to swim will have the option of more walking trails. City officials came up with a master plan for trails 15 years ago. But at

the rate the trails were being built, it would have taken decades to complete the plan without additional funding. MAPS 3 solved that problem. Many of the trails are already built around city lakes and the Oklahoma River. MAPS 3 will connect them with 50 to 60 miles of new trails. “The MAPS 3 money would do the big majority of what we need,” said Hal McKnight, chairman of the Oklahoma City Trails Advisory Committee. “It would create a large contiguous circle around Oklahoma City of about 40 miles.” McKnight said a new trail will extend from Lake Overholser to the Oklahoma River. Overholser is connected to Lake Hefner, and the city has funded a trail to connect Lake Stanley Draper to the Oklahoma River. The trail will connect the waterways.

rent cigarette smokers, down from 7.5 percent in 2007. Oklahoma spends less than half of the $45 million for smoking prevention

and cessation efforts recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still the $21.1 million budget this fiscal year makes Oklahoma’s program to prevent young smokers the 11th highest funded program in the nation, according to The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, a coalition of public health groups.

‘Still way too high’ Tracey Strader, executive director of the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, said the adult smoking rate in Oklahoma dipped below 25 percent for the first time last year. “It’s still way too high,” she said. “But it’s the first dip we’ve had since the beginning of time.” Strader said the decrease

is the result of multiple factors, including new state laws, new federal and state taxes and education and marketing pushes. But, she said, teenagers still are vulnerable to the aggressive marketing practices of the tobacco industry. “The industry never sleeps, so no matter what we do we always seem to find ourselves about 10 steps behind,” Strader said. Oklahoma has one other factor going for it that other states might not have in reducing overall smoking rates, Strader said. “I think people are just tired of Oklahoma being on (the) bottom of health status ratings, and I think everyone is willing to do their part,” she said. “At least I hope so.”

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010

THE OKLAHOMAN

NEWSOK.COM