Heart
BEATS MARCH 2020
Save the Date
Sertoma Grin Iron Classic June 5th
Volunteer Recognition Dinner Save the Date for our Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner coming up on Tuesday, April 28th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. More information to come shortly!
The 18th Annual Sertoma GRIN IRON CLASSIC All-Star High School Football Game will take place at Parkview High School in Springfield on Friday, June 5, 2020. RMHC of the Ozarks and the All-Star Smiles Sertoma Club are hosting this event featuring Southwest Missouri’s all-stars, all graduated seniors. And…it all benefits the Tooth Truck! Volunteers are needed and we’d love for YOU to join us. If you are interested in helping, contact Lacey McKeever at Lacey.McKeever@RMHCozarks.org or at 417-820-0764. Times for volunteer shifts will be announced in April! After 8 great years of celebrating the best volleyball players throughout Southwest Missouri, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks and the All-Star Smiles Sertoma Club have decided to suspend the Sertoma GRIN ACTION CLASSIC All-Star Volleyball Tournament in 2020.
From The
Staff Happy
Anniversary 1 YEAR Lexi Gaono, Mercy House
10 YEARS Anne Schubert, Cox House
Heart of the House House Near Cox South Ann Adams Karis Agnew Brooklynn Anderson Andrew Bandelow Hannah Braden Nadean Burnett John Carr Terri Carr Nancy Clark Tammi Davis Kathy Dennis Lynelle Dock-Peck Cheryl Douglas Blake Dowdy Judy Duncan Angela Fairchild Clydene Freeman Amanda Fronzaglia Becky Gillham Shawn Gott Ashley Grady Amy Grubaugh Dorothy Harlan Laura Harrelson
Aston Heinrichs Kaya Heinrichs Olivia Heinrichs Corine Isenhower Lisa James Laura Johnson Raegan Johnston Clayton Keller Levi Kemp Caleb Kerr Becky Lang Dustin Long Peyton Long Shawn Lowery Evan Mason Eileen Meinsen Larry Meinsen Sandy Morris Roberta Osborn Karla Peck LeRoy Peck Gretta Phillips Lerris Pierce Aidan Plank
Kay Prost Beka Razor Rebecca Reser Abigail Richardson Cliff Ricketts Jan Ricketts Brenda Rosebrough Robin Rueter Timothy Schmelz Anne Schubert Debbie Slocum Randy Slocum T.J. Slocum Mary Smith Gail Sours Grace Stagner Kim Stagner Keith Steenbergen Pamela Stout Kaden Sumter Ava Uzzell Sondra Uzzell Tristen Uzzell Abigail Weitzel
Lucy Weitzel Joanna Weitzel Scott Weitzel Travis Weitzel James Winstead Ryan Winstead Kelly Wirtz Meghan Zengel Sydney Zupan
Stephanie Bube Katherine Bunch April Carmichael David Carmichael Katy Chambers Jerrica Conrad Jennie Crabbe Glory Ehie Sandy Emberton Alexis Gaono Ashley Green Terry Greer Ann Griesemer Shirley Hall
Renae Harrison Brenda Havens Kylee Heishman Thomas Heye Jenni Jacka Leah Jackson Trot Kinser Ami Le Hannah Le Erin Norris Caitlyn Norris Ellie Norris Brady Marshall Kathy Marshall
Kassie Medina Jianna Mills Kiera Mills Krista Mills Rebekah Mitts Marel Morris Jordan Newman Tracie Nicholson Kate Okland Olivia Parks Jamie Phariss Sarah Phillips Payton Polino Cathy Sanchez
Linda Schultz Maricielo SchwartzLeon Lauren Stockam Breanna Sundet Kayla Swearengin Madeline Urhahn Will Vance Kenzie Voyles Hanna Wilken Judy Zorn
House At Mercy Kids
Welcome, New Volunteers To Houses Brooklynn Anderson, Caleb Kerr, Dustin Long, Payton Polino, Robin Rueter, Keith Steenbergen
RMHC Staff Heart Beats is published monthly or bi-monthly for volunteers of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks and The Tooth Truck, Inc. ©2020 RMHC The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald’s Corporation and its affiliates and are used under license: Ronald McDonald House Charities, Ronald McDonald House Charities logo, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, RMHC, Keeping Families Close. The Tooth Truck name and logo are owned by The Tooth Truck, Inc.
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President & CEO Bonnie Keller
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE NEAR COX SOUTH
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE AT MERCY KIDS
Vice President Debbie Kinser
Program Manager Laura Winstead
Program Manager Larry Chainey
Tooth Truck Program Director Mindy Muñoz
Interim Associate Program Manager Heather Hyde
Associate Program Manager Lacey McKeever
Project Manager Amber Price
Family Care Managers Lexi Beaman Elizabeth Bottorff Mackenzie Meyers Emily Ogle Anna Trenkamp Rebekkah Wall Sara Wilken
Development Assistant Kim Booth Administrative Assistant Debbi Gafner
Family Care Managers Jacob Golden Abby Hartman Kennedy Keller Savannah Keller Hannah Major Lacey McKeever Jack Osborn
House Volunteer
Birthdays March 3 Karla Peck
Spotlight
March 4 Corine Isenhower March 5 Debbie Williams
Gail Sours Meet Gail Sours! Gail, who started volunteering at the beginning of this year, is new to our volunteer team at the Cox House. Her bright personality fills our House with joy each time she volunteers. She has 2 dogs, 4 cats and enjoys being outdoors. Let’s learn more about Gail… What is your favorite thing to do (or a couple things) at the House? Cleaning rooms! I also really like to vacuum! What do you enjoy in your free time?
March 6 Heather Hyde Laura Robinson
I was a Respiratory Therapist in the NICU at Cox for 37 years so I always saw how great and helpful RMH was.
I love to golf and mountain bike.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering with our organization?
How did you learn about the Ronald McDonald House?
I just think you guys are good people, you are all very sweet! The organization is such a good thing!
Dinner Groups RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE NEAR COX SOUTH January and February Abacus CPAs Battlefield UMC Buffalo Church of Christ Carr Family Cerner Si3 Cherokee NJHS Chip Covey & Family Church of Jesus Christ of LDS Chesterfield Ward Circle 7 with CUMC CIU Commercial Insurance Underwriters COC-160 Knights of Columbus
Cox Medical Oncology Group Cox Neuro Trauma ICU Cox Pediatrics Unit Cox Post Anesthesia Care Unit Dan Wasmer Downtown Rotary Club Dru & Friends Drury Summit Park Fordland COC Fremont Elementary Hamilton Family Jack Henry Finance Jill Weist and Melissa Cheek Joannah Albright
Just Friends Kickapoo Student Council Knights of Columbus Ozark Knights Templar Kylee Murray & Friends Larissa Jackson and Family Lindsey Allen and Family Little Caesars Pizza MSU Pre-Physician Assistant Society Oak Grove Assembly of God Ozark FFA Parkcrest Baptist Church Rachanda Ray Risbys/Neale & Newman
Second Baptist Church Smart Insurance Agency – SMART Supports! Teresa Stallcup and Family The Girlfriends Tribe Student Small Group Union Hill Church Wajnblom Family Wilson Family Open Dinner Dates: April: 24 May: 9, 15, 24, 28
March 9 Glory Ehie Rebecca Reser March 11 Aston Heinrichs March 12 Jennie Crabbe March 14 Andrew Bandelow Travis Weitzel March 15 Tyler Cockrum March 19 Lerris Pierce Payton Polino March 25 Kathy Marshall March 27 Jeff Bertholdi
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE AT MERCY KIDS January and February Adelsberger Family Arvest Bank Barb Economon Family Battlefield Methodist Church Becca Tennison and Family Bradleyville FCCLA CCC Young Women’s Bible Study DA Mallory Elementary Deedra Long and Family DRG Validation Drury Summit Park East Sunshine Church of Christ Fair Grove National Honor Society
First Baptist Sunday School Class Friendship Assembly #15 Girl Scout Troop 70446 Holy Trinity Catholic Church Hospice Intrepid Houlihan’s Jen and Marcus Smith Jen’s Tribe Jordan Heinz State Farm Joy Sleep and Family Little Caesars Pizza Lois and Jessica Mercy Catering Mercy Central Mercy Health Foundation
Mercy Microbiology and Immunology Lab Mercy Research Missouri State University Child Life Student Association Missouri State University PT Mizzou University School of Medicine Mychelle and Jen OTC Physical Therapy Student Assistants Restoration Christian Church SBU College of Nursing Skidmore/Johnson Family Springfield Catholic High School The Havens
Tobi Roesler and Small Group Turning Point Church Union Hill Church of Christ Union Hill Church of Christ Youth Wellington Hills Friends Wilkins Familys Open Dinner Dates: March: 4 April: 18 May: 2, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16, 18, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31
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Wish List Happy Wheels Wish List Small bottles of lotion Mini hand sanitizers Activity books (crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word finder) Small packs of crayons for the activity books Travel manicure sets Chapstick Individual packs of Kleenex Individually packaged snacks (Goldfish, granola bars, Teddy Grahams, gum, mints, Lifesavers, etc.) 12-ounce water bottles
House at Mercy Kids
HE Laundry detergent Swiffer liquid Coffee filters Coffee & tea Magic Erasers Labels for food Drink mixes Hygiene products Gallon-size Ziploc bags Laundry baskets Aluminum foil Travel-Size Toothpaste Fabric Softener
House near Cox South
8-gallon trash bags Individually wrapped breakfast items White queen deep pocket sheets (fitted and flat) White standard-size pillowcases White bath & hand towels White wash cloths Detergent Stamps 8 1/2 x 11 Paper K-cups Large Tupperware containers White Bath Mats
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Around the Houses
Mission Moment
The Wood Family The Pediatric Unit of a hospital is not the ideal place for any child to spend a birthday. This was the reality however, for David, who celebrated his 5th birthday at Mercy Hospital in February. Due to complications with what was first believed to be the flu, David’s parents Ezra and Whittany rushed him to the Emergency Room just a couple days before his birthday. David’s symptoms included hallucinations, behavioral changes, forgetting things he had already learned and even not seeming to be able to recognize his mom and dad. After several tests in the Emergency Room, David was diagnosed with Hemophilus Influenza Meningitis, a bacterial infection of the brain or spinal cord. Ezra and Whittany were told they should expect David to be treated in the hospital for approximately three weeks. Ezra and Whittany only noticed minimal improvement after David’s first day in the hospital and with the next day being his birthday, they were unsure of how it would go. Luckily for them, several people around them were already putting plans in place to make the day special for David.
and decorations for David’s room, his parents purchased a Buzz Lightyear rocket ship for David to play with on his hospital bed, several people made cards for David that were placed on the wall in his room, one of the hospital staff members drew the Cat in the Hat (one of David’s favorite movie and book characters) on his patient board, a Branson show where Ezra works sent a video of staff members wishing David a happy birthday, and the Ronald McDonald House at Mercy Kids gave him a RMH bag with a few of David’s favorite things: a stuffed Cat in the Hat toy, a book, and some purple nail polish! Based on reports from his parents, David enjoyed the day immensely with the help of several Mercy departments and outside organizations!
According to Ezra and Whittany, major parts of David’s personality started to come back on his birthday. A big smile returned to his face as his excitement grew in anticipation for what would happen throughout his special day – and plenty of things did happen! A team of Pediatric nurses and staff visited David’s room with a cupcake while singing Happy Birthday, a local organization sent a box of streamers
Ezra and Whittany were extremely grateful for everyone who helped make the day special for their son. But what truly made David’s birthday special to them, was that it was the first day David called them Mom and Dad again. According to Whittany, that was a good enough gift for her on David’s birthday. David was discharged after 10 days in the hospital and he is now back home with a clean bill of health.
We want to extend our thanks to Absolute Roofing for donating their time and resources for a recent roof repair at the House near Cox. We are so thankful to count on them as an ongoing community partner through the Roofing Industry Alliance, who is partnering with local Ronald McDonald Houses throughout the country.
Family Dinner Spotlight Jordan Heinz State Farm Let’s learn a little bit more about Jordan Heinz State Farm… When did you start providing meals for families at the Ronald McDonald House?
Monthly Statistics
We started in the late summer of 2019.
January 2020 Do you have any favorite memories?
How did you get involved with the Family Dinner Program? Jordan Heinz, the agent with us, benefited a lot from Ronald McDonald House in Ohio when his son was in the hospital. After his personal experiences, he contacted us about getting involved with the Ronald McDonald Houses in Springfield!
Jordan Heinz mentioned that he does not have a specific favorite, but he thinks the best part about it is people from all different walks of life helping out others in a time of need; those volunteers, the staff at the front desk…everyone, they are all very kind while going through stressful times.
What is your favorite thing about participating in the Family Dinner Program?
What would you like to say to other groups who are considering volunteering with the Family Dinner Program?
It is just a great way to give back. It is sometimes hard to figure out ways to do more in the community, so the dinner program is perfect. Serving just makes the families’ days easier!
I would definitely recommend serving dinner for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald Houses. It just takes a small amount of time and effort compared to what it gives to others. It is so worth it!
Dinner Group Recipe
French Toast Casserole
INGREDIENTS: 12 slices/one loaf of French bread (or a firmer bread), cut into 1 inch cubes 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese powdered sugar 2 cups fresh blueberries 12 eggs 2 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup water 1 tablespoon butter
DIRECTIONS: 1. Grease 9x13 baking pan. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish. 2. Cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar (maybe about ¼ cup). Spread over cubed bread in pan. 3. Sprinkle 1 cup of blueberries over cream cheese and top with remaining bread cubes. 4. In large bowl, mix eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. 5. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 6. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 7. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake another 25 to 30 minutes until center is firm and surface is lightly browned. 8. Mix sugar, cornstarch, and water in medium saucepan and bring to boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup of blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast.
House Near Cox South STATS Families Served.............. 42 Nights...................................317 Families from Missouri................................29 Families from Other States.......................13 Year to Date....................... 42 Program to Date..10,859
House At Mercy Kids STATS Families Served........... 547 Nights..................................285 Families from Missouri................................ 42 Families from Other States.........................5 Year to Date....................... 47 Program to Date.....3,208
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Heart Tooth Talk of the Truck Lauryn Allison Britt Bartels Megan Blake Stephanie Daniels Kathy Evans Angela Fairchild Melinda Fielder Katlyn Frazier Shawn Gott Patrick Hoerning Sarah Jobe Anya Jones Kenny Kleiman Susan Lemmon Connie McCarter Breanna Mareschal Brianna Sanford Blaine Weiss Chloe Williams Jessica Zengel
STAFF
PRESIDENT & CEO Bonnie Keller PROGRAM DIRECTORRONALD MCDONALD CARE MOBILE Mindy Muñoz GENERAL DENTIST Dr. Sarah Cimino COMMUNITY DENTISTS Dr. Raymond Burton Dr. Aaron Dannegger Dr. Brett Durbin Dr. Misty Shelton OFFICE MANAGER Abbie Dohmen DENTAL ASSISTANTS Megan Sanders Gracie Morton PART-TIME DENTAL ASSISTANTS Amy Baker Emelie Foster HEALTHY SMILES ACADEMY PROGRAM MANAGER Tamra Thomas
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New Dental “Tricks” for our Patients By: Dr. Sarah Cimino
Our mission on the Tooth Truck is to empower children with the self-confidence to have a smile they are proud of and know how to take care of. Every spring, I have the chance to impart some small token of wisdom from my previous year’s jaunt around the sun. As I celebrate my ninth year aboard the Tooth Truck, I thought I’d share some new tricks I learned this year that played a role in our mission! You may ask where I learned these new tricks – a dental conference or scholarly journal? While these would be good guesses, the answer is actually Facebook. You read that right, the social media platform, Facebook. This year, I discovered a group on Facebook made up entirely of dentists that are moms. The group is an open forum for moms to share both dental and parenting successes, failures, tips, tricks, and more. While reading through the many posts, I found two techniques that I wanted to implement with the patients of the Tooth Truck.
The first technique that I decided to add was a way to stamp a filling that would leave the final restoration with the same anatomy as the original tooth. The process entails taking an impression, or stamp, of the tooth (that has not been previously filled) before starting. The impression, or stamp, is then saved until the end of the appointment when it is pushed back in place before curing the composite filling material. The end result is a filling that replicates the tooth -– without the cavity! Not only is the tooth esthetically pleasing, but there is little, if any, adjustment to the bite of the tooth since it was returned to its “virgin” state. This new technique has been a fantastic and exciting way to involve the patient, our pre-dental student volunteers, and our dental staff, as we reveal the stamped tooth to show the improvements! The second technique happened to appear on my Facebook news feed the same week. This trick is a quick fix to help a child with a front tooth that has started to erupt into a crossbite position. Meaning, the top tooth is coming in a way that it aligns behind the bottom tooth when the child bites down. In practice, we are able to add filling material to the bottom teeth to form a slide to guide the front tooth into the correct position. After just 5 days, the extra composite was removed Continues Page 7
(Stamping) These are the various stages of the stamping technique for cavity repair, leaving the tooth with a more natural look and feel. We are stamping the very back, permanent molar.
Continued from page 6
and the tooth that was previously in a crossbite position, was now in a new desired alignment. While this is not a replacement for the child’s orthodontic treatment in the future, it is a quick technique that can help a young child have confidence in their smile! As the Tooth Truck continues to treat patients with a variety of dental needs, we hope these techniques can not only provide unique care to our patients, but also serve as a pathway to trying new tricks that could lead to healthy and confident smiles for every child!
Tooth Truck Wish List
Ronald McDonald Care Mobile of the Ozarks January 2020
(Crossbite) This is the second technique used to coax the patient’s tooth into a new position. You can see that there was significant improvement after just a few days!
Action figures Matchbox cars Hair accessories (clips, headbands) Chapstick Clorox Wipes Dixie Cups Handheld games
Jewelry (necklaces, bracelets) DVDs for older children Outdoor toys (bubbles, sidewalk chalk, Frisbees, sports balls) Walmart gift cards Beanie Babies
Children Treated:............... 177 Dental Appointments Provided:................................. 304 Year to Date Dental Appointments:.................... 304 Program to Date Dental Appointments:..............58,352 Program to Date Value of Treatment:..........$17.5 million Children Who Received Treatment: Great Circle Harrison Elementary Holland Elementary Horace Mann Elementary Jeffries Elementary
New Volunteer Welcomes We would like to introduce you to our newest volunteers:
McBride Elementary Study School Wanda Gray Elementary Wilder Elementary
Kenny The Tooth Truck is excited to welcome Kenny Kleiman to its volunteer program. Kenny is currently studying at Missouri State University with goals to attend dental school. He is passionate about helping others and aspires to travel on mission trips, providing dental care to people in need throughout the world. Kenny has jumped right into helping the Tooth Truck staff with a variety of tasks along with escorting children to their appointments. We are glad to have you, Kenny!
Birthdays March 22 Stephanie Daniels
Emelie The Tooth Truck would like to welcome Emelie Foster to the team. Emelie is a Marshfield native who fell in love with dentistry and working with children. Emelie stated that helping people is so rewarding, especially when a patient is uneasy about being at the dentist but they leave with a smile on their face. In her free time, she enjoys reading, fishing, and spending time outdoors with her husband and son. Welcome, Emelie!
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Heart Beats
949 E. Primrose Street Springfield, Missouri 65807-5257
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Dinner Group Recipe
Biscuits & Gravy Casserole INGREDIENTS: 1 (10 oz) tube buttermilk biscuits 6 eggs 1 package powdered pepper gravy mix 1 lb sausage 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Salt and pepper to taste DIRECTIONS: 1. Grease 9x13 baking pan. Line bottom with uncooked biscuits. 2. Cook sausage, drain, and scatter over biscuits. 3. Sprinkle cheese over casserole. 4. Whisk eggs with salt and pepper, and pour over pan. 5. Prepare gravy according to directions on package, and pour over pan. 6. Cook at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes.
WISH LIST ALERT! The Houses are in high need of the following items: paper towels, Clorox wipes, Lysol spray, trash bags (4 gal, 13 gal, & black outdoor), coffee, and k-cups for the Keurig. You can find a Cox House Wish List on Amazon by visiting: http://a.co/cQzH84L and a Mercy House Wish List by visiting: http://a.co/0HQoFbD