Fort Worth Magazine - April 2023

THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF CAMP BOWIE WEST

SWAN SONG: Bidding Adieu to a Staple, The Original / PREPARING TO DIE: The Local Company with a Morbid Mission

Top Doctors

568 of the city’s best physicians as chosen by their peers

José Iglesias, M.D. Pediatric surgeon, Cook Children s Medical Center

VOLUME 26 ISSUE 04

60

Viva, Las Vegas Trail Camp Bowie West was once an idyllic thoroughfare, but this portion of U.S. Highway 80 has a brighter future with a movement to revitalize this historic Fort Worth roadway.

BY BRIAN KENDALL

68

The Art of Dying Enduring, accepting, and embracing the inevitability of one of mankind’s greatest fears — end of life.

BY JOCELYN TATUM

74 A Separation Physicians, nurses, and technicians at Cook Children’s Medical Center would spend 11 hours on a historic procedure to separate conjoined twins AmieLynn and JamieLynn Finley 16 weeks after their birth.

BY BRIAN KENDALL

89

2023 Top Doctors List

Our list of Top Doctors, 560 physicians in 52 specialities whom we deem leaders in their fields.

the fort

: know

16 Buzz

Colonial Country Club is undertaking a project of progress by walking back into revered history: taking Marvin Leonard’s 18 holes of bentgrass renown back to its original Perry Maxwell-John Bredemus form when it opened in 1936.

22

Calendar

The MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival returns for a 36th edition in downtown, April 20 – 23. Plus, comedian Lewis Black brings his special form of irreverence to Bass Performance Hall on tax day. Politicians, beware. He’s going to express opinions about you.

24 Fort Worthian

Kevin Lombard is what you might call a human emotional support animal. By day, he is a counselor offering guidance to clients about areas of their lives. By night, he’s a baseball fanatic, offering fanatical support as an unofficial mascot of baseball’s Cleburne Railroaders.

26 History

The Four Sixes Ranch, purchased in the past year by a group led by Taylor Sheridan, is representative of Texas’ Wild West of yesteryear and the empire built by Burk Burnett more than 100 years ago.

30 Culture

Bass Performance Hall is a quarter-century old, and since its opening in 1998, this cultural cathedral has been the anchor in Fort Worth’s cultural ecosystem it was designed to be.

32 Art

From Monahans to Meow Wolf, Fort Worth artist Adam Palmer has gone from creating worlds to sharing his art with the world.

34 State Lines

A visit to Ennis, this onetime railroad hub hailed as one of the best places to take in Texas’ state flower, the bluebonnet.

38 Closet Raid

Taking a peek at the wardrobe options of Tiffany Ortez Parish, owner of Honeysuckle Rose Vintage, a secondhand clothing store.

44 Entertainment

The magical realm of the Scarborough Renaissance Festival, where every spring more than 200,000 flock to Waxahachie for what is consistently rated as among the top 10 of such fairs.

: snaps

174 Lightscape! Members, sponsors, and donors gathered to preview the Fort Worth Botanic Garden’s winter wonderland. Plus, snaps from the Grand Entry Gala.

48 4 Courses

Reggie Robinson, the mastermind behind local popup Lil Boy Blue BBQ, shares four scrumptious springtime dishes.

52 Restaurant News

For nearly a century, the Original Mexican Eats Café has been a gathering place for friends and family, passed down from one generation to the next, like an heirloom. We say goodbye.

180 An update to Fort Worth Magazine’s dream abodes.

200 Vacant grain elevators, a thing of the past, and a Mini Cooper, a thing of the present, captured on a still-relevant 1950s-era Yashica-C.

CLOSE

DREAM STREET

For the Kids

It was a press release, so Fort Worth Magazine wasn’t anything special. We weren’t breaking any news, and we didn’t have the scoop. But, when I first received an email in January from Kim Brown, Cook Children’s public relations manager, that announced the separation of conjoined twins AmieLynn and JamieLynn Finley, I can’t deny that my first thought was, “That’s our April cover story.”

The press release was making us, and other publications, aware of a press conference where the doctors who had a hand in performing this miraculous surgery (the lead surgeon, Dr. José Iglesias, graces this month’s cover) would discuss the procedure. I couldn’t make it. I don’t remember why, but our wonderful digital editor, Stephen, covered the event.

A week passed, and I hadn’t yet reached out to Kim — I figured I had another week before we started setting things in stone. But she emailed me first, asking what our plans were for April. I know it’s Kim’s job to do this — to get press, and, specifically, to get good press — but I still enjoyed responding with an emphatic, “Of course! I was thinking the same thing!”

Our subsequent requests weren’t easy: long, individual interviews with each physician; individual photographs at our studio; and a group shot. (Yes, if it’s our cover story, we ask for the moon.) But, despite my putting Kim in the awful position of having to wrangle some of the

Brian Kendall EXECUTIVE EDITOR

busiest people in the world, physicians, there was never a complaint.

Everything went swimmingly — the doctors loquacious in their interviews and confident in front of the camera, and my mind completely blown by everything they accomplished. I know we cover Cook Children’s a lot, but when I’m pitched stories like this, I will shrug and say, “Well, I can’t not do that.”

With all of this being said, the PR Awards, or something or another (I can’t remember what it’s called) in New York are taking place, I believe, in the next couple of months. And, I’d just like to say that we wish the PR team at Cook Children’s the best of luck. While journalists and those on the PR side of things have different core objectives and answer to very different people, we also just want to tell a damn good story. And, well, this was a damn good story.

ON THE COVER:

I was asked by our publisher why we went with a purple background on the cover. In this town, if you’re going to use the color synonymous with the Horned Frogs, one better get some TCU content. In this case, the color is synonymous with JamieLynn Finley, one of the conjoined twins whom physicians separated in a historic operation at Cook Children’s Medical Center in January of this year. JamieLynn, as you’ll find out in our cover story (page 74), had her fingernails painted purple so doctors didn’t confuse her with her twin, Amie, who had her fingernails painted green. With each twin having her own team of physicians, you’ll see that the background of each doctor featured in this magazine is either purple or green, signifying which twin they worked with.

Corrections?

Comments? Concerns?

Send to executive editor Brian Kendall at bkendall@fwtexas.com.

NEXT MONTH

Abraham Alexander

Ben Hogan

Country Club Guide

Let’s Chat

A few words from our readers

I just devoured this article it was so good!!! Thank you for sharing! I’ve been making trips to the Stanley hotel and other paranormal sites… never imagined Mineral Wells had it all!

carolinaimperial

My great-grandfather was the manager of The Baker & Crazy Water Hotel for years. My grandmother grew up there dining with the celebs of the day. pragmaticcreativeco

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DIGITAL EDITION: The virtual editions of both current and previous issues are available on our website. Flip through the pages to read more about the great city of Fort Worth by visiting fwtx.com.

Back to the Future

Colonial is bringing Marvin Leonard’s 18 holes of bentgrass renown back to its original form.

BY JOHN HENRY

Ever since arriving in Fort Worth in 2020, a mantra — perhaps “the” mantra — of club founder Marvin Leonard has stuck with Frank Cordeiro as inspiration in carrying out his tasks as chief operating officer and general manager of Colonial Country Club.

“Excellence knows no completion,” the august Leonard once said.

And to that end, Colonial is undertaking a project of progress by walking back into its revered history. This era of the acclaimed club will forever be known as the “Originalist” as Colonial undertakes to bring Leonard’s baby, his 18 holes of bent-grass renown, back to its original Perry Maxwell-John Bredemus form when it opened in 1936 in a $20 million renovation project to begin on May 28 as the final putt drops at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Over the course of its eight decades, the club has tinkered with the course, making alterations and modifications, including some made by Ben Hogan and Ralph Plummer. So many, in fact, that the course has changed significantly over its 87 years.

To restore it to its glory of the 1941 U.S. Open, Colonial has turned to Gil Hanse, the golf architect known round the world who emerged as a major player in the industry after designing the Olympic Golf Course for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. More recently, Hanse just finished up the 36-hole PGA Frisco with Beau Welling, the PGA of America’s new headquarters.

Hanse says the objective is getting the course back to something that looks as if it’s “been there forever.”

The Charles Schwab Challenge’s new champion in May might not have even put on the iconic plaid jacket before Hanse orders in the John Deeres.

An 18-month project must be completed in 11 months, in time for the 2024 tournament. It’s a tight deadline that requires all the bentgrass greens be seeded by Sept. 1, at the very latest, and grown in before North Texas’ moody and fickle winter arrives.

It’s doable, says Hanse, as long as Mother Nature is agreeable. Luckily, as longtimers of these parts can attest with exasperation generally reserved only for the Dallas Cowboys, that won’t be our rainy season, but any storms like the one that troubled the bishop so in “Caddyshack” will be problematic.

Cordeiro is calling the face-lift a “monumental opportunity to celebrate our proud legacy with a nod to our storied history, but with an eye to the future.”

“It will still be the revered Colonial course we are all familiar with seeing and playing, but the Hanse work will improve, update, and maximize the legendary course and routing.”

It will also be high tech. Innovation finally caught up with Marvin Leonard, an original thinker, if there ever was one.

Colonial is installing a hydronics system on each green that can circulate warm or cool water to alter the temperature of the soil, the essential ingredient to a healthy putting surface. It’s like radiant heating and cooling of floors, Hanse says. The superintendent at Southern Hills described the concept as being able to trick the grass in August into believing it’s June.

Conversely, if it’s a cool spring, you can “give them a little bit of a shot [of warmth] to get them ready” for the tournament.

It’s all somewhat ironic, considering Leonard built Colonial because River Crest wouldn’t take him up on his offer to try a — one — bent-grass green and to replace it, if it didn’t work out, all at his expense.

The experiment at Colonial was

revolutionary in Texas because everyone, not just River Crest, was telling him the bent-grass greens couldn’t grow in North Texas because of the heat, a not-so-new phenomenon. So, he put them on his championship-caliber course he built near TCU. The other club he built, Shady Oaks, had them, too.

There’s a common theme of the greats among us: They’re the ones who do things conventional wisdom says aren’t possible.

Imagine how much easier Leonard’s life would’ve been with a hydronics system.

However, with that kind of history behind Colonial’s founding and its subsequent years, it seems only fitting that a guy with affection for history would be the one to dig into this hallowed ground.

Hanse, a native of upstate New York, took up golf as a teenager, introduced to the game by his grandfather.

“There was something about the golf landscape that hooked me,” he says.

But a career in it seemed as feasible as becoming an NFL football player.

Instead, he went off to undergraduate school with a future in government in mind. He studied political science and history at the University of Denver, while, he says, always doodling golf holes. After graduation, he enrolled at Cornell, a few par 5s from Robert Trent Jones Golf Course, with plans to study city and regional planning.

Fate intervened in the form of an introduction. While in a class for parks and recreation, he met a fellow Cornell graduate student studying landscape architecture.

“You can actually become a golf architect?” Hanse remembers thinking. “You can actually do that?”

He tossed his plans for the bureaucracy into the Cayuga Lake, like one might a club after a sliced Titleist.

“I jumped in with both feet,” he says of a new career path, which eventually led him to the UK to study the history of golf course design.

Over the last 30 years, his handiwork is seen in dozens of original designs, such as Rio and

Scotland, and renovations and restorations all over the world. Hanse and his wife, Tracey, coincidentally a native of Wichita Falls, just an hourand-a-half-or-so ride up U.S. 287, essentially move to each location. They’ll basically live in Fort Worth for the duration of the project.

The work at Colonial is something he relishes.

“It’s something we really enjoy, studying and trying to understand what the original architects did there and how it evolved over time,” Hanse says. “When you look back, particularly the 1941 U.S. Open, it was a very different golf course in appearance and character.”

As part of that study, Hanse and his team sat with Marty Leonard, Marvin Leonard’s daughter, and Dan Jenkins, the late esteemed writer of golf, prolific author, and friend of Ben Hogan. (This project has been in the works for the better part of six years. Jenkins died in 2019. The project was first supposed to begin after the 2022 tournament but was postponed.)

“We had a great lunch with Marty and Dan Jenkins,” Hanse says. “I just sat and listened. It was great to hear the two of them reminisce about the character of the course.”

Jenkins recalled it as a “dark golf course,” Hanse says, the metaphoric language used to describe all the trees. “He said it felt as if you were hitting into these dark corridors,” Hanse says. “Greens were shrouded in the trees.”

The trees aren’t coming back. Neither are some bunkers, many of which will be removed. In its place will be rough, light enough for amateurs but thickened during tournament week. Just about every green will be lowered and “more receptive as targets.”

The biggest changes will be to holes 8 and 13, both par 3s.

No. 8 will be brought back to its former self, with the green shifted to the left to bring the creek into play. No. 13, a gathering place for failed AA members during the tournament, will also get a makeover.

Hanse called the changes on those holes “dramatic.”

The fairway on No. 5, as good of a hole as any you will play, will be leveled on the left side. Trees will

be removed on the right side, so, by 2024, you will be able to watch your ball fly into the Trinity River. Right now, it’s hard to even know the Trinity is over there.

“I was a little nervous at the beginning because of how great Colonial is,” says Ryan Palmer, a PGA Tour professional who lives in Colleyville. “It always stands up to the professionals.

“I was really skeptical.”

Colonial, though, asked Palmer and his caddie, James Edmonson, a member of Colonial and club champion on more than one occasion, to be part of the process.

“To give our two cents,” Palmer says.

Palmer and Edmondson jumped in with both feet, too. Palmer consulted from a pro’s standpoint, and Edmondson gave perspective as an amateur, walking each hole with Hanse and sitting for hours-long lunches going over every hole.

“I was shocked and impressed by how much Gil listened to us and took our advice,” Palmer says. “That said a lot about him and gave me more confidence in him and what the plan is.

“I think it’s going to be magnificent.”

Like Palmer, pros were concerned when first hearing about plans for the renovation. “Don’t screw up Colonial” was a common theme.

For the everyday golfer, the course will play fairer without the traps, which the pros favor. Pros have no trouble getting out of them and actually prefer them to alternatives. The amateur, of course, has trouble getting out of them.

Now the everyday golfer doesn’t have to fly every bunker. There will be more opportunities to bump balls forward. For the pro, the rough will make the course harder.

“Most guys said, ‘You’re going to make it even harder,’” Palmer says of his conversations with professional peers. I said, ‘That’s the point. That’s the plan.’

“Most guys I’ve talked to have been very supportive. They love Colonial, which is a great thing to hear.”

» Holy Alliance

Bob Bolen is smiling down on us undoubtedly.

Officials with AllianceTexas released a report this week building on data suggesting that Hillwood’s 27,000-acre, master-planned, mixed-use community in North Fort Worth continues to be one of the state’s most formidable economic engines, just as the late former Fort Worth mayor predicted when he went to bat for a legacy pet project in the late 1980s.

The numbers, however, might have even surprised him.

According to Insight Research Corp.’s annual economic impact report, AllianceTexas has generated roughly $111.5 billion in regional economic impact, including more than $3.4 billion in total taxes paid to local public entities during the past three decades.

More than $10.88 billion of the development’s economic impact was generated in 2022 alone.

“AllianceTexas is an absolute powerhouse in Fort Worth,” said Mayor Mattie Parker. “By every metric — job creation, economic impact, property tax contribution, opportunities for innovation, and more — AllianceTexas proves itself year after year to be incredibly impactful not only locally, but also across the region, state, and country.”

The report showed that the development was responsible for more than $684 million in property taxes paid to the city of Fort Worth since 1990. In 2022, AllianceTexas paid $61.1 million in direct property taxes to the city. Conversely, the city has made investments totaling $133.6 million since 1990.

Property taxes paid to Tarrant County total more than $626 million.

AllianceTexas is home to 562 companies, with more than 55 million square feet of office, retail, and industrial space built since 1989.

Widely considered one of the country’s most successful public-private partnership endeavors, total investment at AllianceTexas surpassed $14.2 billion in 2022, with $13.1 billion coming from the private sector.

Public investment totaling $1.08 billion has been invested in the project to date, representing a 12-to-1 private-to-public-dollar investment multiple.

AllianceTexas encompasses nine municipalities, five independent school districts, and two counties. Since 1990, more than $3.4 billion has been paid in property taxes cumulatively to the cities of Fort Worth, Haslet, Roanoke, Northlake, Westlake and Corral City; Tarrant and Denton counties; and Northwest, Keller, and Argyle independent school districts.

“AllianceTexas is primarily a private sector-led economic engine, but what excites us most about the report is the exponential return on public investment evidenced by taxes paid and jobs created now occurring on an annual basis,” said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood. “These are numbers nobody could have ever imagined in 1989.”

» The Opal Breaks Ground

FORT WORTH DIGNITARIES, INCLUDING MS. OPAL LEE, THE 96-YEAR-OLD RETIRED EDUCATOR AND COMMUNITY LEADER KNOWN AS THE “GRANDMOTHER OF JUNETEENTH,” TURNED OUT FOR GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONIES ON THURSDAY FOR THE OPAL.

The Opal is an affordable housing endeavor of the Fort Worth Housing Solutions in the 3300 block of Keller Haslet Road.

Half of the units will be offered at market rate. The other half will be available to households earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income — about $50,650 for an individual. The Opal will reserve 5% of the units for households earning 50% or less of AMI — $31,650 or less for an individual.

This is the sixth property developed by FWHS and AMTEX.

The 19-acre development is the sister property to The Holston, a resort-style community of 265 units that opened in 2021. AMTEX company officials said demand for units at The Holston encouraged partners to fast-track development of The Opal.

“We are thrilled to be able to recognize a woman who has become a national icon in the Juneteenth movement by naming a beautiful new community in honor of Opal Lee,” FWHS President Mary-Margaret Lemons said in a statement. “Ms. Opal has always advocated for opportunity, and residents who choose to make The Opal their home will love the access this community has to job centers, great schools, and the thriving Alliance Airport area.”

Lee was Fort Worth Inc.’s Person of the Year in 2022.

Amtex President Arjun Nagarkatti presented opening remarks, and Lee gave the keynote address at the ceremony. Fort Worth City Councilman Leonard Firestone also gave remarks.

A donation of $3,000 was made in honor of Lee for Benefitting Citizens Concerned with Human Dignity.

“I’m humbled by the naming of this property for me,” Lee said in an interview with Southern Living. “I’ve lived in some really bad housing in my lifetime, and I am thankful that others are reaping the benefit of excellent housing developed today.”

– Fort Worth Magazine Staff

Good Company

The Big Good teams with the Rainwater Charitable Foundation to do good.

BY FORT WORTH MAGAZINE STAFF

The Big Good co-founders

Gary Patterson and Leon Bridges announced in March that they are partnering with the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, which has committed $500,000 to the endeavor with the purpose of expanding its network of donors for its three local nonprofit beneficiaries, The Tarrant To & Through Partnership (T3), United Community Centers, and UpSpire, according to a press release sent out with the news.

“The Rainwater Foundation is honored to officially partner with The Big Good to support three exemplary organizations that provide life-changing services in our community,” said Jay McCall, education program manager with the Rainwater Charitable Foundation.

The Rainwater Charitable Foundation is a private family foundation based in Fort Worth and founded by Richard E. Rainwater in 1991. The education grant making focuses on families and children in resilient communities that stand to benefit the most from funding and partnership.

Part of its grantmaking strategy has been investing in local nonprofits focused on boosting student and family outcomes for our most deserving communities in Fort Worth.

“This grant from Rainwater is allowing us to reach more people than ever before,” said Kelsey Patterson, Gary Patterson’s wife and treasurer of the Gary Patterson Foundation, which in 2020 teamed with Fort Worth recording artist Leon Bridges to form The Big Good.

The joint charity’s fundraising efforts gather notable leaders in business, philanthropy, music, and sports to raise funds for its three local beneficiaries to reach various corners of the community, including adolescent educational enrichment, increasing opportunities for postsecondary pathways, and breaking down employment barriers due to homelessness.

In April 2022, The Big Good hosted its inaugural fundraising event in Fort Worth, welcoming a host of community leaders, athletes, and philanthropists, including tennis legend Andy Roddick, Tony Awardwinning actor Eric Nelsen, and Fort Worth local artist Abraham Alexander.

The event, to be conducted annually, raised more than $1 million.

In its first year, The Big Good granted $250,000 to each beneficiary partner to apply to the advancement and growth of their programs. Through this new partnership with the Rainwater foundation, The Big Good said it was seeking new donors both locally and outside of Fort Worth to get involved with its mission.

“We are growing, so to have this partnership and this support is invaluable to what we are trying to do in the community,” said Kelsey Patterson. “Through this partnership, we hope to maximize people’s attention of charitable giving toward the causes they care about in the Fort Worth community.”

To get involved with The Big Good, visit thebiggood.org.

REQUIESCAT IN PACE »

FORT WORTH LOST A GOOD FRIEND ON SUNDAY, MARCH 5. Writer and historian Mike Nichols died from complications of cancer, friends and colleagues said on social media outlets.

He was 74.

Nichols was a former scribe for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and more recently an expert as a chronicler of the history we love most — Fort Worth history. He did it all from the seat of his bicycle or, as he put it, “Cowtown as seen from a very narrow bicycle seat.”

The blog today contains close to 2,000 posts and 1.1 million words, according to the author. By any measure an accomplished wordsmith, Nichols will certainly be as remembered for his friendly demeanor and great sense of humor, describing himself as “a journalist by training, a slacker by inclination, [and] a talented procrastinator.”

Nichols, former columnist and travel writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and author of Balaam Gimble’s Gumption, Lost Fort Worth, and Live from the Boneyard, also said he was a Texan by providence.

Born a sixth-generation Texan on the East Side of Fort Worth, Nichols’ family tree includes Gen. Edward Burleson, who accepted the surrender of Col. Juan Almonte, one of Santa Anna’s highest-ranking officers in the Battle of San Jacinto.

Twelve years ago, at age 62, Nichols moved to the West Side where he began rediscovering his hometown history on a bicycle. From those adventures on a hand-me-down, entry-level Trek 820, Nichols created an almost daily blog.

“I grew up on the East Side not knowing anything about the West Side, and really not caring,” he said. “I went to work for the StarTelegram, traveled all seven continents, and I came back home thinking that Fort Worth is a really interesting place. I did not know 99% of what I know when I first got on a bicycle. I was rediscovering my own hometown, one neighborhood, one greenbelt area, one church or school or commercial building at a time.”

To read Nichols’ blog or more information about his books, visit hometownbyhandlebar. com.

APR. 1

Zoo Run

Well, we suppose one way to enjoy one of Fort Worth’s most renowned institutions is to run right through it. And that’s exactly what participants can expect if they choose to register for the 24th annual Zoo Run, which benefits the Fort Worth Zoo’s local and international conservation and education e orts. Yes, the animals will remain in their enclosures, but don’t expect to outrun any of the felines if they choose to chase along the fence.

Fort Worth Zoo 1989 Colonial Parkway fortworthzoo.org

APR. 1 – OCT. 1

Avedon’s West

Before there was Annie Leibowitz, there was Richard Avedon, one of the original celebrity photographers who, himself, was a celebrity. Thanks to Mitchell Wilder, then director of the Amon Carter Museum, Avedon famously changed his preferred subject matter when Wilder commissioned him to complete a project on the American West. Taking place during what would be the famed photog’s 100th birthday, this exhibition will showcase the commissioned project’s complete series of iconic photographs. Amon Carter Museum 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. cartermuseum.org

APR. 6 – 9

Disney on Ice: ‘Frozen’ & ‘Encanto’ We contend “Frozen” might be the most apropos animated title to ever make it to the ice-skating format of Disney movies. But the famed movie will share the ice with yet another famed movie, “Encanto,” which took home last year’s Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Dickies Arena 1911 Montgomery St. dickiesarena.com

Pink Martini

The dozen-plus performers of Pink Martini, a 28-year-old band famous for fusing classical, Latin, traditional pop, and jazz, takes the stage at Bass Performance Hall for three performances. The band’s massive oeuvre includes recent collaborations with Darcelle XV, Jimmie Herrod, and Edna Vazquez. 525 Commerce St., basshall.com

APR. 7 – 9

Magnolia at the Modern presents ‘Paint’

Owen Wilson takes on the role of Carl Nargle, a Bob Ross-like landscape painter with a public-access show, soothing voice, and perm to boot. Written and directed by Brit McAdams, in his first full-length feature, this will be the only opportunity Fort Worthians will have to see the film before it streams on AMC+ later this year.

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth 3200 Darnell St. themodern.org/films

APR. 9

Easter Brunch at the Omni Easter Sunday and brunch go together like Mother’s Day and, well, brunch. And few places do it as well as the Omni Hotel. Once you’ve had your fill of church, head over to the downtown hotel, where brunchgoers will experience a petting zoo, egg hunt, live music, and an appearance by the varmint of the morning, the Easter Bunny himself.

Omni Fort Worth Hotel 1300 Houston St. omnihotels.com

APR. 13 – 15

NCAA Gymnastics Championships

For the fourth year in a row, Dickies Arena will play host to the NCAA Gymnastics Championships. Oklahoma, the previous year’s champion and, as of press, the current No. 1-ranked team, will try to defend its title against the likes of Utah, Florida, and Michigan. Attendees will get a chance to see current, former, and future Olympians in action.

Dickies Arena

1911 Montgomery St. dickiesarena.com

APR. 14

Cactus Blossoms

The Minneapolis-based indie rock band with a sense for twang and seamless, Everly Brothers-esque harmonies takes the stage at this year’s editors’ choice for best music venue in Fort Worth. The duo is currently touring behind a pair of albums they’ve released in the past year, so expect the group to perform a lot of new material.

Tulips

112 St. Louis Ave. tulipsftw.com

APR. 15

Bubble Run

Let’s face it, unless you’re trying to best a previous PR, a basic 5K leaves a lot to be desired. What could one possibly do to make such a physically exhausting activity fun for the whole family? The answer is simple: bubbles. Yep, this run will take participants through a 3.1-mile obstacle course made up entirely of bubbles. Dreams do come true.

Texas Motor Speedway

3545 Lone Star Circle bubblerun.com

APR. 20 – 23

MAIN ST. Arts Festival

A diverse collection of carefully curated local and nationally recognized art vendors will line the red bricks of downtown’s Main Street for the 36th time.

The four-day festival will include hundreds of live music performers, delicious eats, and plenty of art to fill any blank walls that might exist in your abode.

Downtown Fort Worth, mainstreetartsfest.org

APR.

15

Lewis Black

The comedian with a knack for hypertensive delivery will no doubt shower the audience with worldly ruminations and jokes at the expense of many politicians. Fair warning: This show will have language — so no kiddos — and is not for the easily offended.

Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St. basshall.com

APR.

15

Drake Milligan

The Mansfield-born musician got his start as an Elvis impersonator before moving to Nashville and catching his big break on last year’s season of “America’s Got Talent.” After finishing the contest in third place, Milligan released his first full-length album, Dallas/ Fort Worth. This performance at the world’s biggest honkytonk marks Milligan’s first return to Cowtown since his move to Tennessee.

Billy Bob’s 2520 Rodeo Plaza billybobstexas.com

APR. 22 – 23

Spring Japanese Festival

The family-friendly, biannual event that swings through Cowtown in the fall and spring includes performances by Taiko drumming groups, traditional dancers, karate experts, and a master swordsman. And for those who prefer hands-on activities, the festival also offers demonstrations in origami, calligraphy, and Japanese games.

Fort Worth Botanic Garden 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd. fwbg.org

APR. 22

Tasting the Past: 19th Century Vegetarians

Curious as to how vegetarians managed to dine pre-Spiral Diner in the 1800s? The Log Cabin Village, a living history museum owned and operated by the City of Fort Worth, will scratch this curiosity during this exhibition, where participants will cook and taste some of the recipes from early examples of vegetarian cookbooks. Impossible burgers will be absent from the menu.

Log Cabin Village 2100 Log Cabin Village Lane logcabinvillage.org

APR. 27 – MAY 7

‘Baba’

Amphibian Stage’s cast takes on a script that was originally developed and performed as a solo performance by Denmo Ibrahim. The play, equal parts comedy and drama, follows the complex relationship between Mohammed, a newly immigrated father, and his U.S.-born daughter, Layla.

Amphibian Stage 120 S. Main St.

Kevin Lombard

BY HANNAH BARRICKS

BY

Counselor and cheerleader for the Cleburne Railroaders

PHOTO

CRYSTAL WISE

Kevin Lombard is a character. The best kind of character. A guy you can let loose with because he is so authentically himself that it makes you feel comfortable doing the same — someone you take off the existential mask with to hang out unencumbered for a while.

It’s a disposition that is not only contagious, but it makes him great at his jobs.

Yes, “jobs.” He has two of them. Lombard is a counselor, recently licensed, who previously ministered to young couples before they entered into marriage for his home church: Burleson Church of Christ.

But most people know Lombard as the guy in a bright red wig who bangs on a Home Depot bucket during the Cleburne Railroaders games as an unofficial mascot but confirmed hype man.

For him, the motivation to participate in these two differing occupations comes from the same place inside.

“It’s about supporting people,” says Lombard, 57, earnestly with hands clasped together.

“I oversee the fan experience. We engage them through games on the field, being out in the crowd, getting them excited, leading cheers, and ensuring they are having a good time.”

Lombard’s involvement with the team began with him and his wife, Sudona, hosting Railroaders players who lived outside of town.

Then, in 2021, the Railroaders were playing a weekend series, needing one victory to clinch a berth the playoffs.

Lombard was sitting in the stands with Sudona when he realized the crowd was merely lukewarm during a heated inning. With owner John Junker’s approval, Lombard decided to get on top of the dugout and led the crowd in a chant.

Let’s get this thing going.

“That’s who I am,” he laughs. “I love sports and getting a crowd going.”

The team lost that game, but Lombard, an Ohio native, roused the crowd with his performance, so much so that Junker asked him to repeat the routine every Wednesday night.

“I’ll be there,” was Lombard’s response.

He gets what he gives. “The ballpark is my therapy,” the counselor says, laughing. “I’m outside, I have peanuts in my hand, and it’s like I’m a kid again.”

The Cleburne Railroaders are a relatively new team, getting their start in 2017 as a member of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an independent pro league. They play at The Depot at Cleburne Station, a nifty ballpark at the intersection of U.S. 67 and the Chisholm Trail Parkway.

The team is gaining popularity.

Being centrally located in Johnson County makes the team not only the Cleburne Railroaders but all of DFW’s Railroaders, made more true by the loss of the Fort Worth Cats, who played in an iteration of the independent league, in 2014 — and, more recently, the folding of the Texas Airhogs of Grand Prairie.

“It’s about the community,” says Lombard about the team’s success.

“The access that fans get to our players and the fun people have at our games are really what separates us from other teams in the league and keep people coming back.”

And that’s where Lombard is at his best: finding out what people need.

“It won’t be as fun, maybe, with counseling,” laughs Lombard, comparing the two.

“But it’s building relationships and helping people. I want people to know that it’s going to be OK. And really that’s what got me into all of this at the ballpark. Whether I’m supporting the players or sitting down to counsel a family, I want everyone to know that it’s going to be OK.”

1. Mascot Gandy celebrates his Rally Towel giveaway night. 2. Kevin competes in a corn-onthe-cob eating contest with local 4H students. 3. All-star center fielder Zach Nehir tips his hat to the crowd after a home run. 4. Noah Vaughan and Riley Sartain take in the La Moderna Friday night fireworks. 5. Ballpark brisket nachos are piled high with rib meat, sausage, brisket, jalapeños, and beer cheese. 6. Kevin the Konductor of Fun with two fans. 7. Kevin and The Cleburne Floral Sweetheart of the Game honoree.

The Cowman and His Kingdom

No story of Texas is complete without chapters on Burk Burnett and his Four Sixes Ranch.

BY JOHN HENRY

The early 20th century rhymist Berta Hart Nance, a product of a frontier family in Texas, dedicated some of her vast repository of words to the ranchman and his impact.

Other states were carved or born, Texas grew from hide and horn.

Those lines could just as easily be used to describe the ascent of Burk Burnett, whose storied oil and cattle empire began with a seminal event in the northern parts of what was then known as Indian Territory. Burnett’s father had put him in charge of driving 1,700 head of longhorn cattle to Abilene for sale at market. Under him were 10 other men.

At 18, he was said to be the youngest man on the Chisholm Trail in charge of a herd at the time.

It didn’t take long for Burnett to be fully immersed in the baptismal waters of the hardship and trials of the frontier. In the early morning hours, determined warriors of the Osage raided Burnett’s camp with a ferocity known all too well to the travelers of the pioneer West and Midwest.

The target was horseflesh. In all, 20 horses were said to be stolen, the perpetrators absconded as quickly as they had descended. Lost were needed steeds, a shortage now that compromised the mission to Kansas.

According to his obituary, the year 1922, Burnett “never dreamed of turning back.”

“We’ll move on,” said Burnett, the trail boss, according to Cattle Kings of Texas, by C.L. Douglas, first published in 1939. “This herd is going through.”

During the remainder of the drive, the men walked during the day so that the horses — now 10 in all, one for each man — could be saved for another emergency at night.

The cattle indeed made it to market, and Burnett returned with a nice profit.

Douglas called the trip Burnett’s coming of age and the beginning of a new cow kingdom in North Texas, its base of operations eventually the Four Sixes Ranch, headquartered in Guthrie, just under a two-hour drive to the south and west from Wichita Falls.

The Four Sixes name matched the brand and family coat-ofarms — 6666. A story emerged, as they often do, that Burnett adopted the brand after winning a big stake with four sixes in a poker game.

It is likely merely an urban — or perhaps rural — legend.

However, when he drove 1,100 steers to Wichita, Kansas, in 1873, they all wore what had become a permanent brand, “6666.”

In the past year, the ranch has made news through its transferal of ownership to a group led by actor and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. For the first time since the mid1870s, the Four Sixes, and its predecessor Burk Station, is not in the hands of Burnett descendants.

The estate of Anne Marion, Burnett’s great-granddaughter, sold the property for a reported $192 million.

Burnett began assembling the ranch property as he drove cattle purchased on the Pecos and Rio Grande to a point 15 miles from Wichita Falls, establishing what was later called Burk Station on the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad on a grand cow pasture.

He built the first frame house in Wichita County, hauling the lumber from Fort Worth by ox team. The Burnett ranch, consisting of about 30,000 acres, surrounding Burk Station, later became the smallest of the Burnett ranches.

At that time, the Wichita country was all open. Burnett had what were called line riders, a ranch employee who patrolled boundaries, checked conditions (like water), and retrieved straying cattle. Wire fences were then unknown.

In the years that followed, Burnett was said to have done

as much as anyone to make the cattle business a science. According to his obituary in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he was a pioneer in the work of grading up the native Texas longhorn steer, and by constant elimination of inferior stock and purchase of thoroughbred bulls, Burnett brought his herds to the top of the market.

Burnett was also perhaps the first to adopt the plan of buying in steers and holding them for the market, a plan “so patently good that the other big ranchmen of the section followed suit almost immediately.”

It was the drought of 1881 that forced Burnett and other cattlemen up north of the Red River to the rich, fertile lands of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache tribes. Working with Comanche Chief Quanah Parker, son of Cynthia Ann Parker and Chief Pete Nocona, Burnett secured the lease rights to about 300,000 acres. Within a very short time, 30,000 head of cattle were fattening on the property, bringing those tribes nearly $20,000 a year, according to reports at the time.

The cattlemen, including the Waggoners and Suggs, among others, would meet often to discuss leasing problems. Burnett, more often than not, would meet the Comanche chief and close the deals. Working as this liaison gained Burnett a Comanche name, Mas-sa-suta.

Being a friend of the hereditary chief, Quanah Parker, he acted as a sort of liaison agent between the cattlemen and the Indians, who gave him the Comanche name of Mas-sa-suta Burnett, meaning “Big Boss,” or “He says so,” according to Cattle Kings of Texas.

Tom Slack, who worked for Burnett’s partner and father-inlaw, Martin B. Loyd of the First National Bank of Fort Worth, once made a trip with Burnett to make the annual payments to the tribes. Said Slack, according to Cattle Kings of Texas: “I was working for Mr. Loyd in the California and Texas Bank at Fort Worth in the late ’80s, and I recall that when Burnett and I left Fort Worth, we carried two satchels filled with currency … his share of the lease money.

“We traveled to Wichita Falls on the Fort Worth and Denver and met other cattlemen at Four Sixes headquarters near the present town of Burkburnett. Next morning all the cattlemen belted on their six-shooters, took up their Winchesters and satchels of currency, boarded hacks and crossed the Red River to be met on the Territory bank by an escort of cavalry from Fort Sill. Then we were escorted to the Indian agency at Anadarko.

“The Comanches and Kiowas were waiting, and for three days we passed $10 bills through the windows at the agency — $10 a head on presentation of the ration tickets the government issued to Indians in those days. Some of the Comanches opposed the leasing and were too proud to take the money, and we came to the end of the payment with a good surplus on hand. The cattlemen turned this money over to the government to be credited to the tribes.”

The business with the leases earned Burnett another close friendship.

The federal government sent orders for the cattlemen to vacate their leases in order to institute the government’s plan to open the Territory to homesteaders. Texas Sen. Joe Bailey organized a meeting between President Theodore Roosevelt and Burnett.

Bailey: “Mr. President, I want you to meet a cattleman from Texas, Mr. Burk Burnett.”

TR, extending his hand: “Glad to know you, Mr. Burnett. I’m a kind of cattleman myself.”

Burnett: “I’m glad to hear that, Mr. President. It’s a cattleman I’m huntin’.”

After explaining the pitfalls of a hurried exodus and the risk to cows and calves, and, ultimately, financial calamity, Roosevelt granted Burnett, the Waggoners, and others, a twoyear stay.

Roosevelt was a frequent guest of the Four Sixes over the years that ensued.

In 1904, Burnett bought what was known as the “S” Ranch in King County from Louisville Land and Cattle Company, comprising at that time 141,000 acres and 15,000 head of stock. This was destined to be “the great ranch about which he had dreamed and planned for many years,” with Guthrie as its base. He also began buying up adjoining lands in King County, accounting in total more than 200,000 acres under fence.

The name was later changed to the Four Sixes Ranch.

The same year, Burnett bought the Dixon Creek Ranch in Carson County, containing at that time 107,500 acres.

All the property was needed because Burnett soon found his cattle competing for space with oil derricks, which precipitated the move out further west. The town that took his name, and Roosevelt lobbied for, Burkburnett, developed into an oil boom town.

Burnett left the bulk of his estate to his granddaughter, Anne Burnett Tandy. In 1980, the Four Sixes was passed down to Tandy’s daughter, Anne Marion.

However, after more than 140 years, the acclaimed Four Sixes is no longer in Burnett hands but remains a working ranch, as well as a site to stage Hollywood-style productions.

Burnett’s story would be one worth telling.

In 1917, Burk Burnett set out to build the “finest ranch house in West Texas.” And he did, spending $100,000 ($2.3 million today) to construct the house in Guthrie. A photo of a living area is above. The house in this picture was Burnett’s residence at 1424 Summit Ave. in Fort Worth.

Cultural Cathedral

Bass Performance Hall has been the anchor in Fort Worth’s cultural ecosystem that it was designed to be.

BY STEPHEN MONTOYA

It’s my first time visiting the iconic Bass Performance Hall, and within 20 minutes, I’m already more than 80 feet off the ground looking down at an empty stage from a vantage point through some clouds.

No, this is not a dream. The experience is very real, this visit. That this is my first time stepping into this space is magnified since many a Fort Worthian who enjoys the cultural arts considers a visit to Bass Hall, welcomed by two iconic angels blowing trumpets, a rite of passage since its emergence in downtown in 1998.

That’s actually why I’m here: The Bass — this civic and cultural cathedral built to house symphony, ballet, opera, stage musicals, and concerts from metal to yacht rock and Robert Earl Keen — is 25 years old.

The 25-year-old structure is as grand today as when Van Cliburn, Frederica von Stade, and Carol Burnett opened it more than two decades ago in “Let the Angels Play,” a comic gala revue. Designers built it to last 300 years! The hall’s gold leaf, the grand lobby’s thick marble floors, and the exterior’s 4,000 pieces of limestone exemplify that philosophy.

My view from the catwalk is the 80-foot-diameter dome painted by brothers Scott

and Stuart Gentling. It adorns the audience chamber.

“I know that Bass Hall is one of 20 theaters in the world that actually have four stages that get packed away in the ceiling,” says Dylan Walker, an assistant technical director at Bass, while pointing at an intricate system of levers that run along stage right. “It takes like 40 minutes to deploy this section, and that’s when we have to get lots of hands involved to make sure everything runs smoothly.”

Many of these unseen sections of Bass Hall are as impressive as some of the shows it has hosted, including the Tony Award-winning “The Lion King” musical, “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Miss Saigon,” just to name a few.

Bass Hall has been touted for having such great acoustics that Fleetwood Mac guitarist and singer Lindsey Buckingham recorded an entire live album on its stage.

But like any iconic space, Bass Hall began as an idea of what could be for the cultural arts.

The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition made the city and its arts patrons realize that a worldclass competition required a worldclass competition hall, one with world-class acoustical and logistical dimensions.

A study was conducted for updating the city-owned Will Rogers Auditorium. In the end, it was determined that renovations were neither practical nor suitable for this space.

In 1989, a committee was formed to then explore the option of replacing the auditorium at Will Rogers in favor of a performance hall. Voters, however, balked at the cost, rejecting the bond that would’ve provided the public portion of the funding.

A feasibility study led by Ed Bass resulted in the formation of Performing Arts Fort Worth Inc., the nonprofit organization formed to fund, design, and operate the more than 2,000-seat, multipurpose hall.

In March 1993, a $60 million capital campaign, under the leadership of

PHOTO

civic leader and former Mayor Bayard H. Friedman, began. Initial gifts of $18 million and $10 million were donated by the Sid Richardson Foundation and the Burnett Foundation.

Two years later, the general campaign was launched. According to Performing Arts Fort Worth, the capital campaign, which received more than 2,000 gifts — some as low as $10 — was the most widely supported capital campaign ever undertaken in Tarrant County.

In April 1995, ground was broken for the new performance venue to be named for Bass’ parents, Nancy and Perry Bass.

Bass friend and renowned architect David M. Schwarz was selected to design it. Schwarz’s fingerprints are all over Fort Worth and the greater DFW area, including the Basses’ Sundance Square development, the Texas Rangers new ballpark constructed in 1994 and, more recently, Dickies Arena. Other designs include the Cook Children’s Medical Center South Tower, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, and the Fort Worth Public Library. In Dallas, the American Airlines Center, home to the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and NHL’s Dallas Stars, is the work of Schwarz.

For the great hall in Fort Worth, Schwarz studied performance halls throughout Europe and around the U.S. Carnegie Hall in Midtown Manhattan, built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1891, captured his eye.

“The central goal in the hall’s design was to achieve the similar warm ambiance of Carnegie Hall with the traditional and elegant feel of a classical opera house but still be technologically modern and sophisticated,” says Dione Kennedy, president and CEO of Performing Arts Fort Worth.

The exterior façade featuring the two angels were designed to be showstoppers, and they have been every bit of that.

Sculpted by Marton Varo, the 48-foot-tall pair were sculpted out of

104 blocks of Cordova Crème limestone from quarries just outside of Austin. The wings are 30 feet high and 18 feet broad. The trumpets are 13 feet long, and each angel weighs 250,000 pounds.

Varo spent three years carving the angels at his outside studio in California. He carved the angels in pieces, using an 8-foot model, then shipped them in blocks to Fort Worth in November 1997 where he assembled them on-site. Varo then carved the wings in Fort Worth because they were too fragile to ship.

It was rumored that it took him two months to buff the angels to the state of perfection they are.

The interior façade of the hall features foyers graced with pilasters, fluted columns, and the iconic 80-foot Great Dome I was talking about earlier.

This architectural feature in the audience chamber is made from 98,000 pounds of plaster. The dome is 80 feet in diameter and rises 82 feet above the orchestra level seating. It was built using three-dimensional scaffolding and a temporary 10,000-square-foot platform. The Gentlings left their signature on the Great Dome as two golden eagles flying in the sky.

During the painting of the dome, the Gentlings’ mother died. As a tribute to her, they painted a small crescent moon, which is located three panels to the right from the golden eagles. But this isn’t the only contribution of the brothers. Two paintings at opposite ends of the lobby depict a sunset on the west side and a sunrise on the east side.

“Obviously, the architectural design with the iconic angels on the outside of Bass Hall and the Great Dome have helped make Bass Performance Hall a preeminent cultural icon in the North Texas area,” Kennedy says. “But what really comes to mind as we celebrate our 25th anniversary are the thousands of world-class performances that have taken place on our stage,” Kennedy says.

Another part of Bass Hall’s legacy has been its dedication to education.

Bass Hall has served as a classroom

to more than one million students with its Children’s Education Program, according to Kennedy. This program offers a variety of performing arts educational opportunities, free of charge, to all students and educators. Some of the programs include student matinees, virtual programming, master classes, summer camps, and more.

Other notable additions to the hall include the Maddox-Muse Center, which houses the Van Cliburn Recital Hall and McDavid Studio, which were all completed in May 2001.

Today, Bass Hall and MaddoxMuse Center host more than 300 performances annually, sometimes with multiple performances a day.

Bass Hall serves as the home of four resident companies: Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Opera, Texas Ballet Theater, and the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Bass Hall also hosts traveling Broadway productions, which means shows like “Cats,” “Hamilton,” and “Dear Evan Hansen.” These facilities are also used for nonmusical venues like corporate meetings, weddings, receptions, and parties each year.

“Beyond the economic impact, performing arts centers are, alongside universities and hospitals, anchor institutions in their respective communities,” Kennedy says.

“Performing arts centers are at the core of the cultural ecosystem of a community; their health and capacities to support partners and make space [literally and strategically] for other organizations in the market are critical to the longevity of a community’s cultural ecosystem.

“I’m proud to say that over the last 25 years, Bass Performance Hall has served as one of those anchors. We look to the future with optimism and purpose as we strive to further strengthen the cultural ecosystem of Fort Worth and the North Texas region.”

Getting Artsy with Adam Palmer

From Monahans to Meow Wolf, how a Fort Worth artist went from creating worlds to sharing his art with the world.

BY SHASTA HAUBRICH

Anyone who grew up in small-town Texas before the proliferation of the internet knows how to

combat boredom by creating one’s own entertainment. For local artist Adam Palmer, growing up in the West Texas town of Monahans, this meant playing

sports or drawing and doodling as a form of escapism. “We didn’t have a skating rink, we didn’t have an arcade, nothing like that,” Palmer says. “So, for my entertainment, I had to create my own little world. And the friends around me, we had to create our own kind of humor.” Palmer creates ornate drawings and doodles with imagery that is a nod to the Saturday-morning cartoon, which served as his first introduction to art. “I didn’t go into an art museum till I was like, I’d say 22. I never even stepped into one. So, my art was MTV, Nickelodeon.”

After receiving his undergrad at Angelo State University before making his way to Denton for grad school, Palmer eventually settled in Fort Worth, where he took part in shows at Fort Works Art. His work recently caught the eye of the people behind Meow Wolf, an informal DIY collective that rebooted the trend of immersive art spaces in Santa Fe in 2008 and will soon open a new exhibition space in Grapevine. Palmer is among over 40 DFW artists picked to work on the project, including Fort Worth favorites Mariel Guzman and Katie Murray. For the exhibition, he is creating two 3-feet by 4-feet dioramas, bringing his cartoon-like creations into another dimension by experimenting with jigsaw cutouts, which he says he “Frankensteined” together with plastic sculptures.

Amazingly, he somehow manages to create new work while still finding value in teaching art at the high school level despite struggling in school himself. “If you saw my grades in school, God bless my parents,” Palmer says. “They were nice about it, but my grades were not great. I won the band award. I won the art award. I was good in the wood shop. If it was that side of the brain, I was focused. I tried my best. But if it was something else, even if I tried, my brain said, ‘You don’t need to know this.’ I was kind of drawing ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ on my book cover, too, at the time, but I wanted to teach because I noticed when I’d help a friend draw, I got joy out of seeing them be productive at it. I would give ‘em a

little tip, and they could do it. I think it’s a rewarding job, too. I know a lot of people complain about being a teacher. I love it. It’s just like any job — there are days I want to ram my head through the wall, but there’s times where I’m sitting or standing in class, like, ‘I get paid to do this, to teach art?’”

Now that the Meow Wolf pieces are almost done, Palmer is getting back to where it all started and spending at least three hours a day listening to music and creating mini worlds in sketch books. “That’s my ultimate joy, now that football season is over. I just put on music and zone out.”

Ennis, Texas

Population: 21,210

BY SHILO URBAN

First they pop up on the roadsides. Then the pastures begin to fill in. Pretty soon it seems like a blanket of blue has descended from the heavens, a bounty of flowers with just enough space for the angels to dance.

Nothing makes you wax poetic about Texas like bluebonnet season in Ennis. Planted in the blackland prairie just south of Dallas, this one-time railroad hub has been hailed as one of the best places to see bluebonnets — not just in the DFW metroplex, but in the entire state.

The railroad arrived here first, in 1871, and was followed shortly after by the town of Ennis. Soon the fertile fields were covered in new growth, not fragrant blue flowers but fuzzy cotton bolls — white gold. The popula-

tion increased tenfold in the next two decades. Most of the immigrants were farmers; many left behind war-torn homes in the American South or Czech lands like Bohemia and Moravia. Ennis’ Czech heritage can still be felt and certainly heard every Memorial Day weekend at the Polka Music Festival. Poppy seed kolaches and dancers in lacey kroj (folk costumes) take over the entire downtown, from the red brick streets to the cast-iron storefronts.

The charming downtown you see today looked very different in May 2013 after a tornado sucker-punched the city and wreaked a miles-long path of devastation along Ennis Avenue. Seventy-two buildings were damaged or destroyed, and many of the historic structures faced demoli-

tion. But the townspeople rallied to save their home, launching grantfunding campaigns and volunteering with restoration efforts — and a decade later, the downtown is back.

One new addition is the Welcome Center on Main Street. It evokes an 1890s train depot with modern additions, like a theater and a “floating” glass art installation. This is blue-

bonnet central, with all-hands-on-deck in April to answer questions and share maps of the Bluebonnet Trails (also available online at bluebonnettrail.org). Members of the Ennis Garden Club drive the roadways regularly and report back on the flowers, not just bluebonnets but also purple wine cups, pink primroses, and crimson clovers. Welcome Center staff can also give you the skinny on any pop-up attractions along the routes as well as “secret” off-trail photo ops. You can also check social media or simply call for the latest updates. In general, mid-April is the sweet spot, coinciding with the Bluebonnet Festival from April 14 through 16.

But all month long you can explore the three main Bluebonnet Trails, and each has a unique personality. Looking for big fields of bluebonnets? Hit the South Trail. Want to snap pics of your kids framed by flowers? Take the West Trail around to Lake Bardwell and Meadow View Nature Area, which is seeded every year for copious bloomage.

For sheer scenic beauty, the North Trail is the literal high point — it’s the tallest elevation between Dallas and Houston. The 20-mph roads all seem to lead to one place: Sugar Ridge Winery. The three-generation family business began under the Christmas tree with the simple gift of a home winemaking kit. Today the winery specializes in sweet, fruity wines like blackberry merlot and cranberry chianti, with a few dry reds including a smoky tempranillo. A popular hangout in bluebonnet season, the winery plans to offer valet parking this year as well as charcuterie boards for impromptu picnics.

As you cruise through the flower-dappled countryside, keep an eye out for lemonade stands and a veritable Noah’s Ark of animals: African antelope, giant Belgian draft horses, stolid longhorns and snow-white swans — and with enough imagination, you just might see a dancing angel.

Savor: Local foodies are flocking to the newly opened Fern in the Wild, which has a “real chef,” according to the Welcome Center staff (one diner admitted she’d eaten there three times in the past week). The chef in question is Eric Wolf, who has lived in nine countries and brings an adventurous flair to blackberry chipotle BLTs and quail with mascarpone polenta and red wine grapefruit. Open for breakfast, lunch, and bar bites until 8 p.m., the restaurant plans to launch a second-floor cocktail bar “hopefully” by April. For dinner, try the scratch-made meals at Daniel’s Kitchen or head to The Vine at 119, a wine and whiskey bistro with small plates like smoked gouda dip and bacon-wrapped shrimp.

Shop: Bluebonnet Market springs up every Saturday morning from April through October; browse this downtown farmers market for fresh berry pies, homemade sauerkraut, and justpicked cucumbers. Cute stores with gifts, clothing, and sassy accessories dot the nearby area, like the Bluebonnet Spirit Shop and AllieOop (they offer tanning as well). Fern in the Wild’s boutique is also fun to explore. If you need to re-up your supply of beef jerky or buy a shirt that says “Good Lord Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise” — there’s a Buc-ee’s right on the freeway.

Enjoy: You’ll find the usual smalltown suspects for entertainment (cornhole tournaments, men’s brown-bag Bible studies, bingo with guns for prizes) — but most visitors show up for annual events, like the Bluebonnet Fes-

tival (April 14-16). Funnel cakes and corn dogs abound, along with inflatables and face painting for the kids. Shop for arts and crafts, sample local honey, and stop by the beer garden for a Czech-style pivo. Live music this year includes Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, and George Strait tribute bands. Ennis is also home to the old-fashioned Galaxy Drive-In Theatre and drag racing at the Texas Motorplex.

Snooze: If you’re going to stay overnight in Ennis, you’ll want to do something special — like sleeping in a beautifully refurbished, glamped-out Airstream at The Range Vintage Trailer Resort. Located off the North Trail in Bristol, this rustic-luxe getaway features a farm-to-table restaurant in a cedar barn and a shop with Texas-made goodies. Organic touches like cowhide rugs and reclaimed wood tables help create a back-to-nature vibe, and there’s also a bar, pool, and bass-stocked ponds. Winding Ridge Bed & Breakfast is another convenient getaway on the North Trail that’s just half a mile from Sugar Ridge Winery.

How to Get There: Drive south from Fort Worth on U.S. 287 for a straight shot to downtown Ennis, a trip that takes just under an hour with no traffic.

Fern in the Wild is open for breakfast, lunch, and bar bites until 8 p.m.

Closet Raid:

Tiffany Ortez Parish

When the owner of a secondhand clothing store invites you to check out the digs in her closet, you RSVP immediately.

BY BRIAN KENDALL PHOTOS BY CRYSTAL WISE

Iremember once lamenting that some people are just really good at finding things, and I’m not one of them.

Some people just have a knack for discovering all of the gems in the world. Whomever I was speaking to shot back, “I think those people are just always on the lookout.” When it comes to sourcing and curating vintage clothing, this describes Tiffany Ortez Parish, owner of Honeysuckle Rose Vintage, to a T. With a well-curated secondhand store and closet full of jaw-droppingly stylish threads, one could easily assume she has the combination to that locker where everything cool exists. But, really, she’s just always on the lookout.

“I was raised in the business [thrifting and antiquing],” Parish says. “So, I think that helped with that eye. I learned a lot of tricks of the trade.”

Growing up in small-town Azle, Tiffany cites her

grandmother showing her classic films and being an admirer of Broadway and magazines (back in their heyday) as inspiration for getting her involved in fashion.

“When I was younger, I feel like I was trying to wear the trend,” Parish says. “But when I’d run into old friends who see me now, they’ll say, ‘You always were different and standing out from the crowd.’ But the whole time I thought I was conforming.”

Anyone who’s visited Parish’s secondhand clothing store, Honeysuckle Rose Vintage, would immediately sniff this out as a case of someone being their own harshest critic. Parish’s fashion took a lifetime to perfect.

You can check out Tiffany’s shop online at honeysucklerosevintage.com or visit her brick-and-mortar at 5112 White Settlement Road.

25 Years Celebrating of

BASS PERFORMANCE HALL

Cliburn International Piano Competition and the Cliburn.

Performing Arts Fort Worth, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates Bass Hall, also presents touring productions, including the presented by PNC Bank

For the last 25 years, Bass Hall has enhanced the range, quality and accessibility of cultural fare available to the public; promulgated arts education; and contributed to the cultural life of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and North Texas.

Join us in Fort Worth this April as we celebrate 25 years with two free community events: a Resident Company Showcase featuring the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Opera, and the Cliburn on Saturday, April 8; and a Community Open House for a chance to get a rare behind-the-scenes look at this wonderful venue on Sunday, April 16.

Resident Company Showcase

April 8, 2023

Bass Hall Open House

April 16, 2023

Visit www.basshall.com for more information about both of these free events.

Style Tips:

Stay true to yourself and dress in a way that represents who you are.

Stay away from the “perfect outfit.” Wear what makes you comfortable and happy.

Don’t be afraid of what others may think of you. If you want to mix and match your decades, colors, or patterns, then go for it. There are no rules when it comes to your personal style.

When in doubt, try belting it or add a hat.

Dress: 1970s Italian Designer Pianoforte

Jacket: Family heirloom, 1940s Japanese Sukajan Bomber Jacket

Jewelry: Family heirloom gold pieces

Shoes: The Resale Shop

Hat: 1970s Stetson from Honeysuckle Rose Vintage

Dress: 1970s from Lola’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Rummage Sale

Boots: Larry Mahan from Honeysuckle Rose Vintage

Earrings: 1980s zipper clip-ons

Rings: Vintage sterling from travels

No one knows Fort Worth like The Schweitzer Group.

Experts in every neighborhood and nuance of this city, these four agents know Fort Worth’s homes, schools, shops, restaurants and attractions.

■ Between the four of them, these agents have spent a combined 126 years living and working in Fort Worth. Barbara wins with 44 years in Cowtown, while Thurman has been here 37 years. Trey has called Fort Worth home for 23 years and Shelly has been a resident for 22 years.

RAVE REVIEWS

The Schweitzer Group gets a lot of love from clients — whether they are buying, selling or just dreaming big. What are they saying?

Thurman

Schweitzer

817-475-4060

tschweitzer@briggsfreeman.com

Trey Young 817-680-6611

tyoung@briggsfreeman.com

Barbara Schweitzer

817-821-2694

bschweitzer@briggsfreeman.com

Shelly

Forrest 817-521-8113

sforrest@briggsfreeman.com

■ Barbara and Thurman are passionate about the community and support local education through their involvement in Fort Worth Country Day School. In 2022, they served as the ambassador family at the Signature Chefs Auction for the March of Dimes.

■ When they’re not hard at work, these agents have a wide range of interests. Barbara is a lifelong tennis player; Thurman is active with the Boy Scouts of America; Shelly is a professionally trained chef and yoga instructor; and Trey devotes his free time to his two young sons and volunteering at Trinity Valley School.

One of the smartest decisions we made was using The Schweitzer Group to sell our parents’ home. Losing both Mom and Dad in the same year — and parting with a home chock-full of our childhood memories — seemed like a daunting task. The Schweitzers and their team of amazing professionals literally rolled up their sleeves and went to work on our behalf. They did their research, applied sound marketing strategies and partnered with us for the successful sale of a unique property. We recommend them highly!” —Diana J. & Kimberly B.

“Thurman is the best! He is knowledgeable and upto-date on the current market. Great communication, always helpful and timely when getting answers to any questions. He does a fantastic job and does whatever needs to be done. Thurman has the client’s best interest in mind. He’s not just trying to get the deal done, he’s there for you!” —Gary S. —

Fashion Tips:

Break the mold and don’t follow the latest trends to a T. You can take what’s fashionable right now and still make it your own.

Wear that amazing outfit even to the grocery store! Who cares if it’s the right time or place. You do not have to have an excuse to wear those fabulous garments in your closet.

Try to buy vintage and secondhand first; this way you are shopping sustainably and take out the risk of looking just like everyone else.

Kimono: 1940s Japanese silk

Shoes: 1950s from a collector

Necklace: 1970s South American

Rings: Vintage sterling from Lola’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Rummage Sale

1960s

Belt: 1970s from Honeysuckle Rose Vintage

Shoes: 1970s from Azle Antique Mall

Dress: Wearable Art by The Lovey Dovies

Hat:

Resistol from Rare Heart Vintage

Family owned and operated since 1986, we tailor the purchase experience to fit your needs, not ours; we don’t just want to sell you a vehicle — we want to build a relationship. Our goal is to become your trusted advisor for all purchases and service. Drive a little further, save a LOT more.

We Drive the Difference:

Platinum Cadillac Valet Service which includes:

• Online or over the phone sales purchases and delivery

• Service pick-up and delivery

Our Promise to You:

• Transparent Pricing - no dealer ads and no prices over MSRP ever.

• Luxury Service Experience: 15 service bays to get any job done fast and efficiently, transparent service pricing with realistic completion times, and well-appointed waiting area with complimentary refreshments, working stations, and child play area.

“We will work hard to earn your business for life.”

Stephen Gilchrist, owner Gilchrist Automotive

Come Out and Play

Eat

meat, drink ale, and be merry at Scarborough Renaissance Festival.

BY SHILO URBAN

Knives fly through the air.

Acrobats flip. Belly dancers jiggle, flaming whips break the sound barrier, and knights on horseback joust at full tilt.

Colorful dresses swirl as ladies carouse around a maypole, their hair braided up with velveteen ribbons. Dodging fairies and barbarians, you follow the aroma of cinnamon-roasted pecans through a village of half-timbered shops. A fiddler serenades a smattering of tiny elves. Artisans peddle handcrafted books and ink-drawn

maps of Middle-earth. You realize you can’t live without a flower crown or a battle-ready Saxon sword. You throw an axe — or maybe a tomato — and then try to conquer the mighty turkey leg with naught but a tankard of ale as your squire. You chat with a mermaid about her trip on a trailer from Galveston Bay, then find yourself oddly excited to glimpse King Henry VIII as he swaggers past. Wait — did you just say “Huzzah!”?

Welcome to the magical realm of Scarborough Renaissance Festival.

Every spring more than 200,000 people flock to the Waxahachie event, which is consistently rated as one of the top 10 such fairs in the country. Opened in 1981, the festival is still owned by the same two families that first raised their banners on a small patch of pastureland south of Dallas. Today, that patch is much bigger.

The enduring success of Renaissance fairs was born in the post-war era when American boys came back from the battlefields with new interest in European history. Hollywood fanned the flames with epics about Robin Hood and King Arthur, and in 1962, California schoolteacher Phyllis Patterson hosted the first true Renaissance festival in her Hollywood Hills backyard. The idea caught fire.

Now there are hundreds of Ren fairs in existence, largely in America. Europeans — with their authentic castles and real medieval towns — tend more toward living history approaches, while Americans go all-in on fun and entertainment (as we do). Renaissance festivals like Scarborough embellish history into an immersive fantasy that

lights up all five senses, from the billowing smoke at the blacksmith’s forge to the Italian ice scooped into orange rinds. English village architecture, archaic parlance, and an abundance of bodily adornment come together to create a shared world, an unconventional sense-scape with rich environmental texture and contagious mirth.

“You can leave your problems behind and escape,” says performing artist Mick Moreau, who’s growing a beard to portray King Henry VIII this season. The notorious monarch had two of his six wives beheaded and is beloved by history buffs, who delight in knowing the past is far more scandalous than the dusty dates we learned (or didn’t) in school. After all, true events inspired many of the ghastliest scenes in “Game of Thrones,” like the Red Wedding and the crown of molten gold. But you don’t have to worry about losing your head at Scarborough (except in a good way). “All of us are totally approachable,” says Moreau. His Royal Highness will oversee knighting ceremonies aside wife No. 6 Catherine Parr and stroll the grounds to hobnob with the plebs. “We do our best to intermingle with the guests and give them moments to remember.”

A tactile escape in a digital world, the Renaissance fair is an earthy antidote to modern life and its meaningless, made-for-Instagram vapidity. It’s the definition of untrendy and decidedly low-tech. All the rides and games are human-powered. You’ll find no screens, no cutting-edge special effects, no app to speed you from one attraction to the next. Corporate sponsors are thankfully absent; there’s no Pepsi stage or Toyota lane. Spectators actually watch the joust instead of recording it on video … for the most part. Either way, it’s a far cry from the ocean of phones you see held aloft at many performances these days.

“The moment you walk through the gates, yowu are transported to another time and place, and all your stressors disappear,” says woodcarver Sherrie Phillips, who’s at Scarborough every day to run her shop Wondrous Works in Wood.

“You feel like you’re in a different

world,” agrees Helaine Thompson, the festival’s spokeswoman for the past 14 years. “People really love escaping themselves, and the Renaissance festival is one of the few places where we celebrate that.” While Ren fairs of the ’70s had a crusty hippie vibe, today’s events are much more influenced by pop culture phenomena like cosplay, Star Wars and Marvel.

All this creates a human spectacle unique in its audacity. In addition to more than 100 roving performers in full historical dress, many patrons arrive in costume as well: men in kilts, women in corsets, dragon children, and even a Klingon here and there. People-watching doesn’t get any better than this.

“Scarborough has always been inclusive,” says Phillips, “even when we’re talking about costumes. It doesn’t matter how cool you are or what you look like or how old you are or if you’re special needs or not, everybody loves you at the festival.” You can go all-out on your garb or show up in a polo and khakis and fit right in. “Everyone’s welcome,” adds Moreau. That includes all ages; Scarborough is one of the most family-friendly Ren fairs around. “We do have some shows that are a little on the bawdy side and geared toward 16-plus, like Arthur Greenleaf Holmes,” says Thompson. But in general, it’s PG. “You can feel very comfortable bringing your kids.”

Drawing jovial crowds to a tuckedaway tavern, Holmes’ “Wildly Inappropriate Poetry” is not recommended for those with sensitive dispositions.

“People often ask me how dirty my show is going to be … but they never ask me how poetic it’s going to be,” chuckles Holmes aka Gordon Boudreau. His verses may be vulgar, tasteless, and completely irresponsible — but they’re also quite lyrical. “I can draw people in with a use of language that some of them haven’t gotten in a while … before I pull the rug out and make them laugh or turn red.”

Salacious poetry is just the beginning of the eclectic amusements at Scarborough. You’ll also encounter sword swallowing, Scottish bagpipers,

circus cats, and combat competitions — more than 200 performances each day spread across 25 stages. You can learn to courtly dance or practice wielding a sword. Pet a purple-maned unicorn or sing a sea chanty. Duck raptors as they swoop. Watch artisans blow glass and chisel gargoyles out of stone. Are you not entertained?

The word “artisan” has lost some of its meaning lately; even McDonald’s has an “artisan” sandwich. But at Scarborough, these are true artisans. Candlemakers carve, scribes illuminate, weavers twist and plait. Live demonstrations and hundreds of shops ignite a riot of creativity, a celebration of makers like the woodworker Sherrie Philips and her crew of nine. Opened by her father in the early ’90s, Wondrous Works in Wood is a three-generation affair — that’s Phillips’ niece you’ll see beside the wooden mugs and goblets. Multigenerational allure is an essential facet of the festival for vendors as well as guests, who shop a kaleidoscopic array of goods like steampunk bone art, drinking horns, and wearable puzzles. Ninety-five percent of everything is made by hand.

Scarborough’s food scene is just as diverse with heirloom recipes from

the bakery and feasts of fresh pasta at Prince Pasquali’s Palace of Pasta Pleasure. Steak-on-a-stake is a perennial favorite. Many people head to the Ren fair mainly to eat, drink, and be merry, a ritual of carnivalesque revelry with deep roots in Western civilization. Ancient Romans let loose at Saturnalia, Greeks had the Anthesteria, Brazilians have Carnival — and Americans dress up for Renaissance festivals. Such celebrations turn normality on its head in favor of joking, play, and debauchery. Class boundaries go out the window, and the rules need not apply. The silly, protean nature of the carnivalesque engenders a level of public playfulness that adults rarely encounter, especially today. More than ribald parties, however, these events provide invaluable social steam valves: liberation from the monotony of life. Businesswomen become bosomy wenches, and accountants turn into Teutonic warriors … then they go back to work on Monday renewed, like travelers returning home from a foreign land.

And in a way, they are. We all know that Scarborough Renaissance Festival isn’t actually in 16th century Europe … but it’s not quite 21st century America, either. It’s somewhere in between, neither here nor there. Called liminality by anthropologists, this ambiguous state is a threshold between two worlds — and a place where magic is afoot. Numerous cultures have considered crossroads to be mystical hotspots where spirits hang out, from the Yoruba of West Africa to the early Hindus and Odin-worshiping

Norse. Offerings at intersections are still a common sight in some countries. The Chinese avoid stepping on thresholds, and Texan brides are carried over them. Even the enduring mythos of the American Frontier owes some of its appeal to its liminality between civilization and the wilderness.

A liminal space doesn’t just invite magic, it also prompts a vividly felt camaraderie between the “travelers” who pass through it together. At the Renaissance fair, this sense of fellowship is further enhanced by the fluid boundary between stage and audience. Performers wander the lanes and interact with the crowd, spilling jokes and kissing hands with chivalrous flair. If you wear a crown, they’ll bow and address you as Your Majesty. “Our cast is totally interactive,” says Thompson. “It’s a very unique experience that you just don’t find anywhere else.” This first-person interplay draws you deeper into the imaginary world, and the more you participate — the greater the escape. “There is such a connection between the audience and the performers,” adds Boudreau. “There’s a real communal feeling.”

And perhaps this is the most powerful magic of Scarborough Renaissance Festival: the human connection and the simple magic of merrymaking with friends, our phones put away and a hearty huzzah! on our lips.

Scarborough Renaissance Festival is open from April 8 through May 29 on Saturdays, Sundays, and Memorial Day Monday.

Maketh the Most of the Festival: Insider Tips

“Get there early and wear comfortable shoes,” advises Phillips, who says it’s common for first-timers to underestimate the vastness of the village and the amount of time they’ll want to spend there. “Plan on having a full day of fun and festivities.” Early arrivals also get the best parking!

Highway 287 is the shortest route from Fort Worth, but taking I-35 to FM 916 through Grandview avoids the traffic from Dalla s — and FM 916 is a pretty, rural stretch of road to put you in the time-traveling headspace.

Bring cash. Most shops and all food/ drink outlets accept credit cards, but additional attractions require cash (like the petting zoo and monster museum, $5 each). Games and rides are also cash-only, and you’ll probably want some greenbacks for tipping performers.

Want to dress up? Costume rentals are available just inside the entrance for $25 to $150 and are thoroughly washed and sanitized after each use. You’ll also find surprisingly affordable costumes to purchase online before you go.

“Pay special attention to what’s happening on the street. Be open to people approaching you … you’ll see some really funny stuff,” says Boudreau. “Say, hello,” adds Moreau. “Be part of the show.”

You may want to see a few signature acts, like the jousts, birds of prey, or whipmaster Adam “Crack” Winrich (who holds 30 Guinness World Records). But otherwise, just wander, says Thompson. “I think people enjoy the festival most when they don’t try to follow too much of a schedule, because there are so many wonderful things that you’ll just come upon as you’re exploring the village. That’s when you really feel the magic.”

“You can’t see it all in one day — there are so many shows, there’s so much good food, and there are options all day long,” says Moreau. “If you don’t catch it the first day, come back and see us again later.”

4 Courses Reggie Robinson

The mastermind behind local pop-up Lil Boy Blue BBQ shares four delectable springtime dishes.

BY REGGIE ROBINSON

CREAM CHEESE DEVILED EGGS WITH CRISPY BACON

Ingredients:

• 8 large hard-boiled eggs

• 3 tablespoons Miracle Whip, or more as needed

• 1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened

• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon of pickle relish

• Salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Paprika for optional garnish

• 4 slices of hickory-smoked bacon

Instructions:

1. Prepare bacon and let it drain.

2. Cut peeled eggs in half lengthwise and pop out the yolks into a mixing bowl.

3. Mash the yolks with the Miracle Whip, cream cheese, vinegar, mustard, and pickle relish until smooth.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. If the mixture seems too dry, add a touch more Miracle Whip.

6. Using a spoon or a pastry bag, generously fill the holes in the egg-white halves with the egg-yolk mixture.

7. Sprinkle the tops with paprika and chill before serving.

8. Garnish deviled eggs with bacon..

PHOTOS

SMOKY BRISKET BURNT ENDS

Ingredients:

• 1, 6-pound brisket flat

• 1/3 cup kosher salt

• 1/3 cup coarse ground pepper

• 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup honey

Instructions:

1. Preheat the smoker to 250 F.

2. Evenly coat the brisket flat with half of the salt and pepper.

3. Smoke the brisket until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees.

4. Remove from the smoker and then, using a sharp knife, cut the point into 1½-inch cubes and place them into a smoker-safe tray.

5. Season with the reserved salt and pepper, then add barbecue sauce, butter and honey, and toss together.

6. Place uncovered back into the smoker for 2 hours stirring occasionally.

7. Remove from smoker when the internal temperature ranges from 190 degrees to 205 degrees, or when the meat thermometer inserts into the cube like butter (expect an additional 1 or 2 hours). Serve immediately.

Reggie Robinson, Lil’Boy Blue BBQ

BANANA PUDDING

Ingredients

• 2 cups cold milk

• 1 (5-ounce) package of instant vanilla pudding mix

• 1 (14-ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

• 1 (16-ounce) package of vanilla wafers

• 14 bananas, sliced

• 1 (8-ounce) bottle of caramel sauce

Instructions:

1. Place milk and pudding mix in a large bowl; beat with a whisk for 2 minutes.

2. Blend in condensed milk until smooth.

3. Layer wafers, banana slices, and pudding mixture in a bowl. Chill overnight.

4. Drizzle each serving with caramel.

SMOKED

MEATLOAF WITH ROASTED GARLIC POMME PUREE, BABY SPINACH, CRISPY ONIONS, AND CHIANTI REDUCTION

Ingredients Smoked Meatloaf:

• 2 pounds of ground beef

• 1/4 cup milk

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 medium red onion

• 1/2 medium bell pepper

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Ingredients Meatloaf Sauce:

• 3/4 cup ketchup

• 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

• 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon onion powder

• 1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper

• 1/4 tablespoon salt

Instructions:

1. Fire up your favorite smoker and preheat it to 225 F (hickory and oak are fan favorites with this recipe).

2. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the meatloaf. Gently mix to prevent a tough meatloaf and use a grill basket that allows smoke to penetrate all sides to form your loaf.

3. In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients together for the sauce.

4. Spread an even layer of the sauce over the meatloaf.

5. Place meatloaf in the smoker, close the lid, and smoke for 4 hours or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 165 degrees.

6. Let meatloaf rest for 6 minutes before slicing.

ROASTED GARLIC POMME PUREE

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

• Kosher salt

• 3 tablespoons of roasted garlic

• 3 thyme sprigs

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

• 1 cup heavy cream, warmed

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and season generously with salt.

2. Add the thyme and garlic, bring to a simmer, and cook until tender — about 40 minutes. Drain well.

3. Let the potatoes cool, then slip off and discard the skins.

4. Using a ricer and working over a large bowl, rice the potatoes and roasted garlic with half of the butter.

5. Strain through a fine sieve into a large saucepan, pushing them through with a sturdy rubber spatula.

6. Mix in the remaining butter and the heavy cream. Season with salt.

BABY SPINACH

Ingredients

• 10 ounces baby spinach leaves

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 large garlic cloves, peel and smashed

• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 2 pinches

Instructions:

1. In a sauté pan, over medium heat, add enough olive oil to coat the pan.

2. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

3. Add the spinach and cover with a top for 90 seconds.

4. Remove the lid and stir and cook about 30 seconds more, until the spinach is fully wilted but still bright green.

5. Stir in the kosher salt, then remove from the heat.

CHIANTI REDUCTION

Ingredients

• Olive oil for coating the pan

• 1/4 cup shallots, minced

• 1/2 cup Chianti

• 1/2 cup beef stock

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped, optional

Instructions:

1. In a sauté pan, over medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to coat the pan.

2. Add the shallots and cook until translucent.

3. Add the Chianti and the stock and reduce by half, then add the butter and chopped rosemary.

A Fond Farewell

As

The

Original Mexican

Eats Café — the oldest Mexican restaurant in Fort Worth — prepares to move, longtime diners and employees reflect on the restaurant’s nearly 100-year history.

BY MALCOLM MAYHEW

On a recent Tuesday night at The Original Mexican Eats Café on Camp Bowie, there was a sight not normally seen there on a Tuesday night: a long, long line of people waiting to eat.

But it’s not every day that The Original is on the verge of closing. On April 1, at least as of this writing, the restaurant that so many Fort Worthians ate at and worked at and hold dear to their hearts will move to a different location, for many putting an end to family traditions that have spanned nearly 100 years.

The Original is the city’s oldest

Mexican restaurant — older than Joe T.’s, older than Mexican Inn. For nearly a century, it’s been more than a restaurant; it’s been a gathering place for friends and families — one generation has passed it down to the next, like a family photo album.

That’s why, since The Original announced that March 31 would be its last day in this location, young and old have filled the place, wanting to have one last meal, one last memory, in what they describe as their second home.

“I’ve been coming here since I was 3,” says longtime patron and onetime employee Gary Summers. “My mom

worked there as a server for 34 years. I worked there for 26. I started out rolling silverware, then became a barback, then a server. I knew everyone I waited on. Everyone knew me. It was a family.”

Former Fort Worth resident Delbert McClinton, the four-time Grammy Award-winning blues singer and guitarist, spent much of his youth at The Original. “Nearly every Sunday,” he says. “I remember my first time there, in 1951. We had just moved to Fort Worth and my family wanted to try this place out. I’ve never had a better plate of nachos than the ones I had there back then.”

Like so many others who lived on the west side of Fort Worth, McClinton became a regular. “Everyone was a regular there, especially if you lived on that side of town,” he says. “During that time of my life, it played a big role. I hate to see it go.”

The closing is the result of an ongoing lease dispute between restaurant owner Robert Self and building owner

Joe Frank Muzquiz. The two are at odds over the restaurant’s current lease, signed in 2003 by Muzquiz’s mother, Leticia Grimaldo, who, at the time, owned the Arlington Heights strip mall where The Original is a tenant.

After Grimaldo passed away in 2014, Muzquiz inherited the property. Muzquiz claims that while his mother’s original lease may have been acceptable in 2003, it no longer is today. Citing costs associated with property taxes, roof replacement, and parking lot improvements, costs Muzquiz is responsible for, he says he may be relegated to a property that could cost him more to maintain than it generates in revenue, according to the El Paso state appeals court, which recently heard the case.

Since the issues cannot be resolved, Self is closing the original The Original. It’s tempting to remind The Original followers that all is not lost. The Original is moving to — and consolidating with — its sibling restaurant on the North Side.

Last year, Self purchased the building that once housed El Rancho Grande —a fantastic Mexican restaurant whose owners retired — and opened an Original spinoff. Called The Original del Norte, it’s somewhat of an unusual concept: Many of the menu items from The Original are included on the menu, some new ones were added, and El Rancho Grande’s chips, flour tortillas, and pralines were revived, making del Norte a hybrid of the two restaurants.

The Camp Bowie location of The Original even started serving El Rancho’s chips and tortillas, as if they were giving diners a sneak peek of what was to come.

With its chocolate-colored tin ceiling and indoor water features, the North Side space, located at 1400 N. Main St., is beautiful. The owners of El Rancho Grande took good care of the property, which, ironically, is older than The Original’s Camp Bowie digs. Del Norte’s red brick building opened in 1918, according to the Tarrant Appraisal District, and was for many years a drugstore.

Even though The Original is moving

from one historic space to another, Camp Bowie holds memories that can’t be replicated — anywhere, followers say.

They’ll miss the squeaky, hardwood floor — made from 100-year-old barn wood — that rumbles every time someone walks across it.

They’ll miss the beautiful murals painted by acclaimed Fort Worth artist Pattie East, the fates of which are still unknown.

They’ll miss the cool bar and good margaritas and running into people they know — family, friends, people who’ve been a part of their lives for decades.

“You’ll hear this over and over here, ‘I’ve been coming here since I was in a highchair,’” says general manager Tammy Holt. “Their grandparents came here, then their parents, and now the kids of those parents are bringing their kids.”

Holt can easily relate: She’s worked at The Original for 25 years. Her mother, Pat, has her beat, though — she’s worked there 45 years.

“She’s taking it better than I expected,” Holt says of her mom. “She’s 73 now. Change is hard for some people, especially as we get older. But she’s happy we have a place to go.”

Three out of four of Tammy’s children have worked there, too, off and on through the years.

“Everybody has their memories here,” Tammy says. “We haven’t had anyone tell us that they’re not going to the North Side location, but that’s not where their memories are. They’re here – they have memories of dad’s birthday party or mom’s birthday party, and their parents aren’t with them anymore. This place reminds them of when they were. When we move, those memories will be gone. For them, this is a big loss, and I understand that. I have so many of those memories of my own.”

Tammy says every employee of the Camp Bowie location has been invited to work at the North Side store.

“That’s one thing that’s making this transition a little easier to handle — the fact that everyone will

be coming along,” Tammy says. She says she and the staff are also excited about working in the El Rancho Grande/del Norte building. “First off, we own it, so no one can take it away from us,” she says. “Structurally, it’s so much better, too. We have a lot of big things planned for it.”

There’s little doubt The Original is the area’s oldest Mexican restaurant. But whether it’s the city’s oldest restaurant, period — a popular claim, especially now, as it nears its end — remains unknown. It’s long been believed to have opened in 1926; that’s what its outside sign and website proclaim.

But most likely it opened in 1930. The Star-Telegram first mentioned it in a 1931 article and said the restaurant had been open for a year. Echoing that fact, an advertisement placed by the restaurant itself in the Fort Worth StarTelegram proclaimed, in 1930, that the cafe was “now open for business.”

The property, however, with its Spanish tile roof, was built in 1926, according to website Fort Worth Architecture. Even that site’s sharp-shooting

Iris Gonzales, Pat Holt, Tammy Holt

fact-finders seem uncertain about when The Original opened, saying it was “around the time” the building was erected.

What is clear is that the restaurant was opened by Geronimo Pineda and his wife, Lola, at 4317 Camp Bowie Blvd. A native of Barcelona, Spain, Pineda came to Fort Worth with nearly a decade’s worth of experience in running a similar Mexican restaurant in Waco called the Texas Café. In an interview with the Star-Telegram in 1931, he said he sold the Texas Café to partners and moved to Fort Worth to open The Original.

Pineda died at age 69 in 1941, and Lola and the couple’s daughter, Eva, ran it until 1965, when the two sold it to their accountant, Gordon Sheffield. Tom Holton, Sheffield’s stepson, acquired it in 1972. Various members of the Holton family ran it until 1999, when the restaurant was purchased by Self, its current owner.

The restaurant has grown significantly over its nearly century-long existence. “It started out in one small room, then little by little grew and grew,” says Holt. “Every time a new space would become available, we’d take it over, until it took over most of the building. There’s an old black-andwhite photo of what the restaurant looked like not long after it opened. All the servers were dressed up in nice shirts and ties. It was considered ‘high end’ food back then.”

Throughout the 1930s, the restaurant was a constant in the pages of the Star-Telegram, no doubt thanks to Pineda’s colorful descriptions of his restaurant; he was extremely quotable.

“There is an ever-increasing number of people who have learned that Mexican foods, when prepared properly and served under sanitary and pleasing surroundings, are the most satisfying, especially during the winter months,” he said in a December 1931 article.

“When once a patron for even one meal or as the guest at some social function, there is afterward nothing but praise and appreciation for the fine quality of food we serve, the super-excellence of our service and the

reasonable prices we charge,” he was quoted as saying.

At the time, most dishes were priced between 50 cents and a dollar.

Little remains of the original building. “The ceiling tiles in the downstairs dining room, that’s about it,” Holt says. When asked about the painted sideboard that serves as a server station, Holt pauses for a moment.

“That could be an original piece,” she says. “If you look at the black-andwhite photo of the servers dressed up, you can see that piece in the far right corner. So there’s a chance it’s been with us since day one. And it’s going with us to the North Side.”

The origins of the Roosevelt Special, the restaurant’s most famous dish, are clouded in a bit of ambiguity, too. It’s well documented that Elliott Roosevelt, one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s sons, was a regular. At the time, Elliott was living in the Fort Worth area. According to the Star-Telegram, he was such a regular that he began to request his own meal, made up of a cheese enchilada with chili sauce, a bean chalupa, and a beef taco. Others claim it was FDR himself who ordered that, on one of his many trips to see his son.

“No one really knows if he ate there or not or what he ordered if he did,” Summers says of the President. “When I worked there, I tried to find out, but even the people who’d been going there for years and years had no idea.”

Other famous people did dine there, from Fort Worth-based celebrities such as Bill Paxton to Hollywood stars like Brooke Shields.

“I got the best autograph from Brooke,” says Summers, who waited on her. “She signed it, ‘Love, Brooke, and don’t smoke.’ She was a big antismoking advocate. I thought that was the coolest.”

Noted Fort Worth musician Charlie Bassham considers himself a regular. “I started going there in 1957,” he says. “My parents would take me there once a week. It became my favorite place to eat. I remember Amon G. Carter Jr. would eat there every Wednesday by himself.

“We’d have parties there all the time — people’s birthday parties, wedding

receptions, anniversaries,” Bassham says. “Whatever milestone was being celebrated, it was being celebrated there.”

Summers recalls when local musician Stephen Bruton passed away, The Original stayed open late to accommodate those who had organized and attended his funeral, including musician T Bone Burnett.

“There’s something about The Original that just automatically makes people feel comfortable, like they’re home,” he says. “A lot of people would come eat at the restaurant after experiencing some tragic event in their lives. Because they knew everyone there, because we were considered family.”

Holt says she’s optimistic about the restaurant continuing in its new location, but she admits saying goodbye to the original The Original won’t be easy.

“It hurts our hearts that our home is being taken away from us,” she says. “That last night, March 31, is going to be so sad. But we’re blessed that we have a new place to call our home, and we’re blessed that the staff is coming with us. Hopefully, we’ll be around for another 100 years.”

Grate Scott

Local

foodie and author Scotty Scott’s new grilled cheese food truck is the brie’s knees

BY MALCOLM MAYHEW

Last year, almost to the day, Fort Worth-based author, cook, and online personality Scotty Scott released his debut book, a terrific cookbook called Fix Me a Plate: Traditional and New School Soul Food Recipes from Scotty Scott of Cook Drank Eat (Page Street Publishing).

Little did we know Scott would follow up the book by bringing to life some of those recipes via a food truck. In March, he opened Cheezy Does It, a food truck devoted to gourmet grilled cheeses and other

chef-inspired takes on comfort food staples. Located next door to The Holly Natural Wine Bar + Bottle Shop on the Near Southside, the truck is open for lunch, dinner, and brunch Thursday-Sunday.

Scott chatted with us about his latest endeavor.

FWTX: Dude, you didn’t say anything about a food truck when I talked to you last year.

SS: At that point, it was still just a thought spinning around in my head. I knew I wanted to do something,

maybe a little café, something chill and laid-back, something that flew under the radar a bit. But then the book came out. It surpassed all my expectations, so I was gone a lot last year and didn’t have time to focus on opening a restaurant. When I got back into town, I started looking for spots.

FWTX: What made you go in the food truck direction?

SS: I stopped by The Holly to look at renting a small studio space, and the owner [Liz Mears] was there. We decided the studio space wasn’t going to work, but she asked if I’d ever thought about doing a food truck. It was definitely more of an investment than renting a space, but the more we talked about it, the more sense it made. We worked out a deal where I would set up next to them. I would sell grilled cheeses, and they would pair my food with their wine. Wine and cheese — sounds like a great combo.

FWTX: Do you have a particular affection for grilled cheeses?

SS: I love making them. Each one is like a blank canvas. They’re like pizzas. You can do anything with them. You can put your own spin on them. I’d say mine are approachable but elevated a bit.

FWTX: Tell us about the menu.

SS: Right now, I’m doing three grilled

cheese sandwiches. My favorite is probably the one made with gouda, apple, mint, and truffle butter. The Holly has a wine that pairs beautifully with it. I’m also doing a few sides — duck fat fries, a blistered pepper and cucumber salad, and a secret menu item, karaage-style chicken bao bun. I have a weekend brunch menu with some dishes that are based on recipes from my book, like chicken and brown butter sweet potatoes with maple bourbon sauce; blackened shrimp and fried grits; and biscuits and gravy. I’m also doing a collaboration with Smokeaholics — their pecan smoked chicken with my white Alabama barbecue sauce, provolone, and avocado. That’s called the Bammy Bird.

FWTX: It’s not easy to open a food truck or restaurant in Fort Worth. What were some of the challenges you faced?

SS: It was my first time, so, there were a lot of things I had to learn — the city likes certain things done in certain ways. The truck was built from scratch, so I didn’t think I’d have any problems with it, but I’m on my fourth, yeah, fourth, hot water heater. The one that came with the truck broke in that bad freeze we had a while back. I got another one and accidentally broke a piece off — I almost cried. A couple days before our soft opening, the third one caught on fire. I was washing the dishes, and this thing’s on fire. This time, I got an electric one, and now we’re off and running and everything’s great.

305 W. Daggett Ave., instagram.com/ cheezydoesit

Restaurant news written and compiled by Malcolm Mayhew. You can reach Malcolm at malcolm. mayhew@hotmail.com or on Twitter @foodfortworth.

Bits and Bites

There’s been a change in the kitchen at Beast & Co., one of the city’s best new restaurants. Founding chef Michael Arlt recently departed, leaving the kitchen in the hands of owner Dustin Lee, a chef himself, and sous-chefs Cecilia Lopez and Cesar Ortiz. The three recently unveiled an enticing spring menu that consists of a three-course prix-fixe menu for $45 a person (a good deal, IMO), available Tuesday-Thursday from 5-9 p.m. Dishes include butter poached cod, chipotle carrots, grilled eggplant, and wild boar meatballs. facebook.com/beastandcoftw

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, the coal-fired brick oven pizza chain with a location at the Shops at Clearfork, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its expansion beyond its New York homebase with several limited menu items. Some are kinda clever, like the NY Hot Dog Pizza, a white pizza topped with all-beef hot dog slices, red onions, sauerkraut, and stone-ground mustard. Not sure my stomach would be cool with all that, but it sounds good (although no relish?). Other specialty items include the Arugula Snap Salad, an arugula salad with sugar snap peas and feta cheese tossed in a lemon-mustard vinaigrette; coconut cream cheesecake; and the Peroni Coney Island Spritz, made with Peroni Italian lager, Lazzaroni limoncello, and Aperol. grimaldispizzeria.com

Granbury’s Revolver Brewing is releasing a lighter version of its incredibly popular ale, Blood and Honey, mid-April. Blood and Honey Light is made with wheat, blood orange peel, and secret spices. The lighter, brighter version keeps all the ingredients while changing up the ratio. Its calorie count is only 110. A press release says it took Revolver staff 10 tries to get the formula right. It’ll be available year-round at local grocery and liquor stores. revolverbrewing.com

Branch & Bird, the swanky restaurant that sits on the 12th floor of the Frost building downtown, has reopened after a three-month renovation. The dining room now offers skyline views practically anywhere you sit. And you can sit more comfortably now, thanks to comfy high-back chairs and handsome booths. If spring ever gets here, you’ll be able to dine on the patio while musicians pluck and sing nearby. Branch & Bird is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and happy hour. branchbirdfw.com

Harvest Hall, the food hall attached to the Hotel Vin in Grapevine, lost a vendor but gained three new ones. Out is Easy Slider, a local spot that specialized in mini-burgers. In are Dock Local, which serves East Coast-inspired lobster rolls and fish and chips; Firehawks Hot Chicken; and Pizza by Luigi, a pizza concept from Italy native Luigi Iannuario. harvesthall.com

Viva Las Vegas Trail

The relics of the once-bustling Highway 80 are reminders of what used to be, where things are, and the potential that remains untapped.

BY BRIAN KENDALL

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRYSTAL WISE

Nostalgic neon signs, blinking lights, restaurants, bars, and a bevy of places to rest your head — squint for a bit on Camp Bowie West and you just might convince yourself you’re cruising down Las Vegas Boulevard. But open your eyes wide, and you’ll see drug deals, gang violence, and dubious characters occupying dingy motel rooms. While most associate Camp Bowie Boulevard with classic brick roads, boutiques, and Lucile’s Lobsterama, when one continues to drive west — like, way west — and one veers right at the fork that separates 377 from Camp Bowie West, a sudden sea change worthy of whiplash occurs. The street aligned with multiple Starbucks and some of the city’s most popular and pricey restaurants transforms into dollar stores, check-cashing services, weekly-rate motels, and windowless gentlemen’s clubs.

What was once the epitome of a vibrant highway in the heyday of road trips and motel stays has turned into a shell of its former self. Yet, remnants of its glorious past remain prevalent along this two-mile stretch of road — which extends from Alta Mere Drive to Interstate 820. And there are many — the city included — who are invested in the hope that history will repeat itself, and the old Highway 80 has better days ahead.

PastWell before power steering came standard yet these motorized four-wheeled contraptions were becoming reliable enough to trek long distances, routes connecting large cities across the U.S. began to form. One such route that connected Washington, D.C., to San Diego was the Bankhead Highway. Part of the National Auto Trail System, this 2,500-mile stretch of piecemealed road went right through Fort Worth, some of the remnants of which remain active roads today.

According to local Bankhead Highway guru Dan Smith, an early route of the cross-continental road went through the middle of downtown Fort Worth and traveled along what is today Camp Bowie Boulevard. Once the road reached what is today the fork that divides U.S. 377 from Camp Bowie West, the road continued south along its current U.S. 377 route. However, at the fork was the Kuteman Cutoff, which served as a shortcut for motorists to travel to Weatherford. The Kuteman Cutoff would eventually

become Highway 80.

In 1941, just north of what was now Highway 80, the U.S. military would establish Carswell Air Force Base. During the Cold War, Carswell served as a major Strategic Air Command base that housed some of the military’s latest heavy bombers.

That same year also saw the opening of the government-owned Air Force Plant 4, an aircraft manufacturing plant that initially housed Convair — which was eventually bought by General Dynamics in 1953.

Spillover from the base and an influx of employees at the new aircraft manufacturing plant created a necessity for new homesites in the area between Highway 80 and Carswell. This thenbooming area, then called Western Hills but now known colloquially as Las Vegas Trail, increased both the population of Fort Worth and the need for additional businesses in the area.

Post-World War II also saw a significant boom in tourism. And Fort Worth, in many ways, was one of the cities leading the way in highway construction — the city catering to the car-bound tourist. According to Dallas-Fort Worth Freeways, a chronicle of North Texas roadways by Oscar Slotboom, “In the 1953, Fort Worth and Houston were ‘neck and neck’ in freeway construction.” This, as Slotboom reports, was according to a delegation from Houston that visited the city famous for its Stockyards. In fact, in 1951, Fort Worth had 7.4 miles of freeway

open to traffic, besting every other city in Texas.

Add all of this up, and Highway 80 just south of Carswell — then the western most part of the city — was primed for an economic boom. And that’s precisely what happened.

The front page of the Feb. 18, 1947, edition of the Star-Telegram featured a story on Highway 80 and the decision to raise sections of the highway due to high waters — declaring it an “all-weather route.” The piece went on to describe the famed highway as “the most frequently named strip in Texas.”

In the years that followed, Highway 80, in many ways, became Fort Worth’s own version of the famed Route 66. Mom-andpop motels began popping up (targeting the tourist trade rather than permanent guests) and restaurants started opening.

A 1953 story in the Star-Telegram announced the construction of the Landmark Lodge — likely the most memorable of the street’s neon retro signs — at a cost of a whopping $200,000. The family that opened the motel, the Robinsons, had moved to Fort Worth the previous fall from the state of Washington.

These new establishments that flaunted contemporary designs and modern appeal catered to travelers, locals, and military personnel alike. Even tall tales of celebrity guests from the era persist — one of which includes actor Jimmy Stewart, a bomber pilot in World War II who remained a reservist and would visit Carswell, staying in one of Highway 80’s

many roadside motels.

Other prominent names from the golden age of Hollywood like Bob Hope and Doris Day would frequent the nearby Western Hills Inn, which sat on the 6400 block of Camp Bowie, where a Tom Thumb and Goody Goody Liquors current sit.

“Some of the places that are there now began as really nice motels,” local historian Richard Selcer, says. “And people going west or coming back east before [the construction of] I-20 would stop there when they came into town.

“It was the last stop before you hit miles and miles of nothing going through West Texas.”

But the end of the decade would also bring about the end of the prominence of Highway 80. Interstate 20 in Texas was designated in 1959, and it was to replace the existing US Route 80. By 1967, the highway was officially complete from Louisiana to the western side of the city. In addition, Interstate 30 had expanded through Fort Worth, and it now ran just north of Highway 80. Thus, Highway 80, the once well-traveled bustling road filled with restaurants and motels, found itself in between two of the most-trafficked interstates in the nation.

PresentThings took a turn for the worse in the decades following the one-two punch of twin interstates bypassing Highway 80. New restaurants and motels opened along these eight-laned behemoths, making those that existed on the adjacent Highway 80 superfluous. The businesses would eventually shutter, their vacant buildings taken over by strip clubs, pay-by-the-hour motels, check-cashing services, and drab bars — the kinds of trades that attract sordid characters.

“You drive out there now, there are the remnants or the relics of those old motels,” Selcer says. “But, today, you wouldn’t want to stay in them.”

A curious stay at one of these motels resulted in a night of constant noise through paper-thin walls, interactions with seedy personalities, and multiple questions about overall motel cleanliness.

In 1993 General Dynamics was sold, and the following year, Carswell Air Force

Base shut down. This created a perfect storm of negative economic impact, accelerating what was already a socioeconomic slide caused by population shifts, neglect, and a lack of infrastructure investment. The area was now deteriorating at an exponential rate.

Today, the Las Vegas Trail is dominated by poverty (many live in the drab motels with retro signs or the low-income apartments erected between 1967 and 1985), a cycle of violence, substance abuse, unemployment, underemployment, anger, hopelessness, and general disorder. For decades, it’s all been a vicious cycle.

While this section of the city is home to only 1% of the population, it accounts for 4% of the city’s total crime. According to a recent story published by the Star-Telegram, the area’s median income is half of the rest of the city’s median income and has a 33% poverty rate, triple the city’s average.

“There just hasn’t been investment in a way that should happen around neighborhoods in that area,” Michael Crain, the area’s councilmember, says. “When General Dynamics was here, all of those businesses were supported up and down the strip. But they’ve turned into businesses that are not healthy for the neighborhood.”

While Mexican fast-food chains, burger joints, and even a Planet Fitness exist, they’re interspersed with cabarets and convenience stores that advertise food stamps. This area of Camp Bowie was also once part of the larger Camp Bowie Public Improvement District (PID), which saw improvements made on the street on or near where the street is clad in bricks and boutiques and coffee shops receive plenty of foot traffic. But business owners on the west side of Camp Bowie weren’t seeing improvements on their side of the street, and they elected to withdraw from the PID in 2017.

Future

In November of last year, the city of Fort Worth announced a plan to revitalize the Las Vegas Trail area after getting a third party, Interface Studio, involved.

“They [Interface Studios] have done this before,” Crain says. “Philadelphia is one of their main areas where they take

areas and ask, ‘What do the residents of the area need? What are they looking for?’”

Ultimately, the firm recommended improved access to food, health care, and quality housing while also seeking improvements in public safety and education.

The city has now invested $3.5 million as part of its neighborhood improvement program. This will bring more streetlights, security cameras, and trash cans to the area. According to the Star-Telegram, they’re also looking at traffic solutions to deal with roads and speeding cars. The plan also calls for improvements to public safety and park specs, and a new network of trails will connect joggers, walkers, and bikers to the area.

Three years ago, the city purchased the Westside YMCA and rechristened it the RISE Community Center. According to an article published by Fort Worth Weekly, the center provides a food bank, job training, after-school care, and health living resources through LVTRise, a collaboration and partnership of private companies, human service organizations, and government agencies dedicated to helping residents of the Las Vegas Trail area. And, in 2021, the city opened RISE Library, which offers literacy programs and access to technology to residents.

The hope is that dropping crime rates, improving housing, and investing in the area’s educational programs will attract new businesses to come to the area. And, with a large cluster of midcentury modern buildings and a city willing to invest in the area’s improvement, Las Vegas Trail is primed for revitalization.

“The area is definitely ripe for investment,” Crain says. “I’d love nothing more than to see those motels turn back into places where people wanna stay. Because I think that will bring some other legitimate businesses back to the area. I put a lot of time and attention into the Las Vegas Trail area because it used to be that area where you really entered Fort Worth. And there are some great people who call Las Vegas Trail home. We are doing what we can — not just from a public safety perspective — but just making the area feel like a neighborhood again.”

THE ART OF DYING

Enduring, accepting, and embracing the inevitability of one of mankind’s greatest fears.

BY JOCELYN TATUM

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRANDON HAYMAN

ON MY DESK AT HOME, I HAVE A TRUE-TOLIFE-SIZED CONCRETE SCULPTURE OF A SKULL WITH LITTLE PORCELAIN BLUE BIRDS RESTING ON ITS MOUTH, EARS, EYES, AND ONE ON ITS CROWN. I found it at ArtsGoggle in Fort Worth 13 years ago when the local arts festival was just starting out. I gravitated toward it because it reminded me how fleeting and fragile life can be. The birds, to me, represented the creativity that comes forth in the face of our finitude. The idea was that this mortal reminder would help me get past writer’s block. After all, as a journalist, these stories are not my own. They are your stories. I am merely the vessel who delivers them using my passion and acute sensitivity to humanity. And I borrowed this idea from 14th century monks who kept skulls on their desks as a reminder of their mortality as they wrote their philosophical dissertations, so this idea wasn’t new. “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Sounds familiar, right? This symbol of death on my desk was a reminder to face my fears head on and that I am just passing through this world, adding my thread to the massive tapestry that is the story of all us.

I have always thought of myself as a pilgrim. Just passing through. The joys in life like my son, friendships, or romantic partners are merely finite gifts lent to me from the universe, never mine to keep or clutch. I have found that the pain is in the clinging to life or avoidance thereof, whether it is my own or another’s. Peace and serenity lie somewhere in the middle. Everything temporal, everything passing. Life doesn’t have to be so serious, and I think my journey exploring my own non-imminent death has reminded me of this. When achieved, this allows me to live with a free spirit and detachment to the things that weigh me down. And as things have gotten heavier for me lately with my father starting palliative care for his cancer and the loss of a great love in a breakup, I decided it was time to stare death and grief boldly in the face.

Two Fort Worth women just launched their business, The Art of Dying, in January 2023 after completing their death doula train-

ing. When I came across their Instagram (@theartofdyingfw), I became curious. Very curious. So, I kept digging. It turns out that a death doula is like a birth doula but assists with the process of dying. They are an end-of-life companion who can guide the dying, whether that is connecting them to a number of resources or inspiring ideas for how to celebrate the life they have left. “The Art of Dying [is] a small collective that offers support, celebration, and companionship to individuals and their loved ones through the end of life.” They offer services for those who have a terminal diagnosis or those who want to plan early in life and are non-imminent.

These end-of-life practices have been steadily growing since the pandemic, according to Alvin Harmon, the head of the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance on an NPR news segment that aired Jan. 17. “How people died, that was what became important, having that safe space, that whole space, people dying in a manner that felt safe to them and was important to them,” Harmon said on air. Any little dignity people had left when dying was stripped of the dying during the isolating loss of COVID-19. This phenomenon led Fort Worth’s Lacy Buynak to get her death doula training. She lost her grandmother during the pandemic.

“As I was grieving her death, I was having this huge collective grief for all of these people who didn’t get that,” she says as tears form in the corners of her eyes. “I started thinking that that has got to be one of the worst ways to go.” She got to say goodbye to her one last time before she died but realized so many others did not have this experience.

Now business partners in all things death, Buynak and Taylor Bell had been friends since attending school together in 2001. Twenty years later, in April 2021, Buynak called Bell to catch up. They had been talking about something else when Buynak said, “I did a crazy thing. I signed up for a training program to be a death doula.” She remembers getting a “holy shit, so did I”-type of response.

The two had been keeping an ear on the heartbeat of death for years as a separate fascination while a parallel nationwide

phenomenon of making death more palatable, eco-friendly, meaningful, and even enjoyable was disrupting the $20 billion funeral industry, which celebrity mortician death advocate Caitlin Doughty argues exploits people’s grief and turns it into a profit. After their own experience with death, Buynak and Bell saw a need to provide a comprehensive and holistic service in Fort Worth that also educates the community one death at a time. “We want to hold space for people in those moments. Raising awareness for collectivism, the practice or principle of giving a group priority over an individual, for being there for people,” Bell says.

Bell had her first existential crisis in grade school. She thought about dying and going to heaven and thought, “That is forever.” Her mind kept seeing “road barriers” to this thought of permanence, and anything past that scared her (to death). She couldn’t understand forever. For her, something so big and unknown brought up this debilitating fear. She knew then that death would be her biggest teacher, and her training for this vocation is her life experience. Not only has she read many books over her 40 years alive, but she was able to be there for her mother as she was dying in a way that she would want someone to be there for her. It occurred to her that many people die in the most isolated and sterile way in the U.S. even before the pandemic.

“The vision is to put ourselves out of business to remind our culture to do this for each other. This is a business needed more than ever. There are so many ways people can feel vulnerable and alone, and death is when that is most poignant,” Bell says.

This year marks the 10th year since Bell’s mother died of adrenal cancer. The story gave me chills. When Bell decided to leave her current career, she looked at the amount of money her mother left her, an account she was hesitant to touch because it was the last lifeline to her mom, and it was the exact amount she needed to get her death doula training. Then Buynak called.

MY JOURNEY

I met with Bell and Buynak for sparkling tea at Leaves Book and Tea Shop in Fort Worth’s SoMa district. They had a big biodegradable binder waiting for me on the table with their logo on the front. Page 1: “In this binder you will find a comprehensive list of legal documents to gather, logistics and arrangements to consider, as well as various comfort and care services you may be interested in learning more about.”

Section 1, “Legal: Advance Directive, Durable Power of Attorney, Last Will and Testimony.” This is definitely the least enjoyable part of the process. I went to the websites, which were about what I expected from government sites. Then I had to download a bunch of PDFs to print, fill them out, and then take them to be notarized. Then file them. Bell recommended using RocketLawyer (not a shameless plug) unless you have some massive estate to work through.

Not going to lie, this part made me feel uncomfortable. Itchy. It asks a lot of questions that I really don’t feel like I know the answers to yet. And when it got to the body disposition authorization that included some subtext about whether your body remains are acceptable if you want to donate it to science, I had to step away and get some fresh air. “So you’re saying my body

could be rejected even after I die?” I thought.

“We want people 40 and younger to get their [act] together. It can be sad, confusing, and beautiful,” Bell told me regarding the Art of Preplanning, a service they offer to those who get their affairs in order even if death isn’t imminent.

Well, I do not have my act together. And I am not going to lie, this has brought up some feelings. So I decide once more to procrastinate on the legal paperwork, which Bell and Buynak have both said I need to knock out first because something can happen to us at any moment. Digging into the resistance, I redirected my efforts into research about how to overcome this fear. What I found brought me peace beyond what I could have ever expected.

OVERCOMING FEARS

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek,” said 20th century author Joseph Campbell.

We have a very “look away” habit in the U.S. that has its roots in Puritan history. Nudity, mental illness, racism, disabilities, obesity — just look away. Death is among those things we tend to look away from. But in my experience, resistance only makes the discomfort grow. This doesn’t mean I have to dive into the pool of death, swim around, and drown in it. I am not going to let that vulture build a nest in my brain. But what if I took a healthy look at it square in the face? Could this actually ease that anxiety?

The New York Times reported a phenomenon in an article titled “South Koreans, Seeking a New Zest for Life, Experience Their Own Funerals” where people choose to face their mortality. “After an instructional lecture and video, participants are led into a dimly lit hall decorated with chrysanthemums, where they sit, often tearfully, beside caskets and write their last testaments. Then they put on burial shrouds and lie down in the coffins,” the article reports. What surprised me is many participants photographed were young and healthy with no end in sight, but some had a terminal illness and wanted to prepare while others struggled with suicidal thoughts and wanted to put those to rest. They reported emerging from their mock funerals and meditations around death with a new and hopeful perspective on life.

Buddhist monks contemplate images of decaying bodies to unlock the door of living in the present and letting go of fears. “It makes disciples aware of the transitory nature of their own physical lives and stimulates a realignment between momentary desires and existential goals. In other words, it makes one ask, ‘Am I making the right use of my scarce and precious life?’” Arthur C. Brooks wrote in an op-ed piece for the NYT.

Guided meditations on mortality such as this can be one of many life-affirming activities that can give us a new take on life, according to the resourceful website orderofthegooddeath. com. The website is an endless resource for all things death with everything from how to have conversations about it to how to have an affordable and intimate funeral at home. It was created by YouTube star, mortician, former cremator, and best-selling author of the memoir Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory, Caitlin Doughty. In an interview on a segment on “CBS Sunday Morning,” Doughty says, “Americans need to think more about end-of-life rituals, instead of keeping death at a distance.”

Her advocacy around changing the way we die and think about death has started a movement across the country. “They are just of the belief that the more we talk about it openly and honestly, the less terrifying it needs to be,” the “CBS Sunday Morning” reporter narrates. Doughty’s more recent book, From Here to Eternity, illustrates how death is handled in a more meaningful and intimate way in cultures across the world. What does it mean to have a good death? Is it not to be so separated and detached from the process, to stop looking away?

Doughty even offers a course, complete with videos, lessons, and guided meditations for the price of $195, called Mortal that gives patrons the tools for facing death. Lessons with titles like, “I create my own meaning,” “I meet my true self on my deathbed,” and “There are parts of my death I can control,” help people better cope. It made me think, why do we wait until the end to start celebrating life? Why do we wait until we are at our rock bottom, when life strips us of everything that we think validates us as humans, to start living in the way we were always meant to?

Ironically, facing death and working with death doulas like Bell and Buynak helped me release the inhibiting fear of loss and to rethink the way I live. And I have been able to show up differently around my father’s terminal cancer. I don’t need to look away, nor do I need to fix it. I can just be with him in it. It puts me at ease to know there is a slew of tools and support out there. When I was little, I had a fear of being eaten by a monster and dying. I would lie in bed each night staring at the closed closet door waiting for it to open at any time to claim my life. One night, I had the thought, “What is actually in there?” I got up and looked. Nothing was in there, and I started sleeping through the night again. Peace ensued, and a nascent lesson was learned — the pain was in the resistance, the looking away.

American Poet Andrea Gibson’s YouTube video went viral after she famously shared her story about how her cancer diagnosis transformed her lifelong debilitating fear of death into “boundless bliss.” Once she learned that her whole torso was filled with masses, she said she felt her heart immediately begin to open up. She now walked through the world realizing that she may not be here tomorrow, which pushed her deep into the present moment. The paradox is that facing death cured her fear of death. “Why would I waste my time not in search of the celebration [of life] and not in search of awe? There has been so much love this year that I believe legitimately everything is on my side, and I believe death, too, is on my side. And the second I realize that death itself is on my side, I felt like nothing could kill me,” Gibson says in an interview.

THE DYING

“It is the most supremely interesting moment in life, the only one in fact when living seems life,” wrote Alice James — William and Henry James’ sister — as she faced death. Whenever I experience some tragedy in life that brings me to my knees, there is also a death to my “self” that happens, which then strips away my ego. All spiritual transformations and religious conversions speak of this. Nature does too after a roaring forest fire burns thousands of years of story to only be reborn in new growth that is stronger. I have to ask myself, is the key to a more

meaningful and deeper life that usually comes after facing death, figuratively or literally? “All life is lived in the shadow of its own finitude, of which we are always aware — an awareness we systematically blunt through the daily distraction of living. But when this finitude is made acutely imminent, one suddenly collides with awareness so acute that it leaves no choice but to fill the shadow with as much light as a human being can generate — the sort of inner illumination we call meaning: the meaning of life,” Maria Popova of The Marginalian wrote in an essay.

I watched the movie “Marcel the Shell” the other day, and at the end, the main character, Marcel, reflects on a great loss, the loss of his beloved grandmother, Connie, also a shell played by Isabella Rossellini. Before Connie dies, she led Marcel to a quiet place to perch in the basement where the window was always cracked. There the wind blew through Marcel’s shell, creating a new sound, a new experience. In the face of loss, Marcel experiences the meaning of life. “It connected me, I felt, to everything. Because if I wasn’t there, the sound wouldn’t exist, and I felt like everything was in pieces, and I stood there and suddenly we were one large instrument. I like to go there a lot because it reminds me that I am not just one separate piece rattling around in this place, but that I am a part of a whole. And I truly enjoy the sound of myself connected to everything,” Marcel says.

Just before she dies, Connie reads the poem “The Trees” by Philip Larkin.

The trees are coming into leaf

Like something almost being said; The recent buds relax and spread, Their greenness is a kind of grief.

Is it that they are born again

And we grow old? No, they die too, Their yearly trick of looking new Is written down in rings of grain.

Yet still the unresting castles thresh

In full-grown thickness every May.

Last year is dead, they seem to say, Begin afresh, afresh, afresh.

We tend to look at death as a failing of our bodies (or minds) when it is a natural part of living, of returning, of renewing. Experiencing death is one of the few things all humans have in common, which makes it a thing that connects us in our humanity like the wind in Marcel’s shell. I learned many lessons planning my death with The Art of Dying’s Buynak and Bell. Lesson 1: When that wave of grief hits, whether it is losing my father to cancer, my boyfriend to a breakup, or facing the end of my own life, I can’t swim against the current. I shall surrender to the fear and pain and fall back into the healing water until that final wave washes me ashore.

Lesson 2: To start living as if it could all end tomorrow and work with the doulas to plan a dinner party with my favorite people complete with toasts and convivial conversations about dying, loss, bucket lists, and to celebrate life.

Jose Iglesias, M.D., primary surgeon

aSEPARATION

AmieLynn and JamieLynn Finley were born in a perpetual state of embrace, their livers fused together. Physicians, nurses, and technicians at Cook Children’s would spend 11 hours on a historic procedure to separate the conjoined twins 16 weeks after their birth.

BY BRIAN KENDALL

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRYSTAL WISE

Ithad only been 16 weeks since they were born, but the personalities of twins AmieLynn and JamieLynn, both sporting big brown doe eyes, were on full display. Sure, they were both doing all the normal things babies do — smiling, crying, eating, and crying some more. They communicated annoyances, hunger, and joy in the crude yet universal language of infants and took plenty of naps and required lots of diaper changes. In other words, both were a delight and a handful. You know, like babies.

But Jamie was proving spunkier than her sister. She was feisty and sensitive. After she was born, any time doctors would reach for her, she would start to cry. Amie, on the other hand, was “more chill,” appearing to take the pair’s situation in stride. The way doctors speak of them, one might as well have been the proverbial Dr. Jekyll and the other a Mrs. Hyde. And all of this added up — that is, if we are to believe that the Napoleon complex is a legitimate psychological diagnosis.

You see, despite being identical twins, Amie was a little bigger than Jamie. She came into the world as the gentle giant to Jamie’s plucky underdog. To put it simply, Jamie had to fight like hell to catch up to her sister. In most instances, one would shrug and call this instinctive sibling rivalry. But in this case, for Jamie, catching up to her sister — eating more, gaining weight, being a bit of a bully — was a necessity to survive.

While the two don’t share a personality, they do share a few things: an unfortunate plight and a liver. While in the womb, Amie and Jamie began as one — a single egg that, after it was fertilized, split into two embryos. But these embryos wouldn’t separate entirely. They would remain partially connected, refusing to break apart as the early stages of Amie and Jamie began to form. In the coming weeks, Amie and Jamie would grow separate heads, hearts, arms, and legs. But all of this growing

happened while they were fused near their bellies, face-to-face, appearing as though they were in a constant state of embrace. As it turns out, these seemingly normal babies had a very abnormal condition: thoraco-omphalapagus — this being the technical term for twins conjoined at the lower abdomen.

After 34 weeks in their mother’s womb, a full month before the two were at fullterm, Amie and Jamie were delivered via a Cesarean section at Texas Health Harris Hospital. In the weeks and months after their delivery, the two would remain in the hospital (being transferred next door to Cook Children’s Medical Center) with feeding tubes, ventilators, and beeping machines attached to their small, delicate bodies. Throughout this time, in the sterile environment of a hospital room — their separate heart rates and blood pressures on perpetual display — the two were, both literally and figuratively, inseparable.

But behind the scenes, Dr. José Iglesias, a pediatric surgeon at Cook Children’s, was prepping an entire team of physicians for a procedure that would separate the conjoined twins. After weighing an improved quality of life against any potential risks that come with such a complex procedure, the family and the team decided that AmieLynn and JamieLynn, autonomous and unique in so many ways, deserved to be separated physically. By making it this far — most conjoined twins don’t survive birth — giving each girl the chance to live a life with greater possibilities seemed the only reasonable choice. And because Amie and Jamie were thoracoomphalapagus twins (representing 28% of conjoined twins), and shared only a liver, the conditions seemed tilted in Amie and Jamie’s favor. While it’s difficult to describe circumstances that still require a high-risk procedure as good, they were as good as one could hope. In other words, the deck

wasn’t stacked against them.

But Amie and Jamie would have to place their trust in the hands of a team of doctors, a hospital, and a city that had never performed a procedure like this before. Such miraculous medical outcomes are typically reserved for the Hippocratic hubs of Houston, Cleveland, New York, Los Angeles, the Mayo Clinic, and Johns Hopkins. But the team at Cook Children’s, a nationally recognized hospital in its own right, were confident that Amie and Jamie would be separated, and they would be the ones to do it.

The team, led by Dr. Iglesias, had already had a couple of dress rehearsals, using dolls they had Velcroed together to fill in for the real-life bodies of Amie and Jamie. Such an operation required a certain amount of medical choreography, but the team also had to prepare for the unknown, for complications. The list of potential risks and outcomes was nearly infinite, and those in the room had to know how to think on their feet.

Recalling the day of the surgery, Dr. Iglesias is honest about the nerves he and his crew of 20 surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and surgical technicians felt. “For me, it was a component of, like, they’re all my babies,” he says. “And the higher the risks, the more butterflies you get. I still get butterflies even 20-something years into this.”

It’s one of the great paradoxes that the very nature of bringing life into the world carries a significant risk. Miscarriages, preterm labor, and stillbirths are all possible outcomes of a pregnancy for which, despite their frequencies, a family cannot prepare. These potential complications are typically washed away by pure elation once a family finds out they’re having a baby.

Bannie Tabor, M.D., obstetrician/ gynecologist

Ben Gbulie, M.D., plastic surgeon

James Finley and Amanda Arciniega had been hoping to add another child to their family and were overjoyed to learn that Amanda was pregnant. Having already had five children, the couple knew the drill and had little reason to suspect that this pregnancy would be any different from their previous experiences. As most hope and presume, the pregnancy would last nine months and, while feelings of nausea and discomfort were inevitable, the baby would be delivered healthy and happy.

The first surprise came at 10 weeks during the first ultrasound — Amanda was pregnant with twins. While not an unpleasant surprise, the unexpected announcement of twins is a surprise, nonetheless. But this wouldn’t be the only revelation from this first ultrasound. The twins were also conjoined. The feeling of elation that had turned to shock ultimately became sadness and concern.

“I mean, you go from this very high, ‘Yeah, we’re pregnant,’ to the shock of having twins, then get slammed with, ‘Well, they’re conjoined, and we’re not sure they’re going to make it,’” Dr. Bannie Tabor, the obstetrician-gynecologist at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital who delivered Amie and Jamie, says. “It’s the ultimate high to the ultimate low.”

According to a 2022 study by King Edward Medical University, only 7.5% of conjoined twins survive, with most being stillborn and many dying soon after delivery. So, news that Amie and Jamie were conjoined meant one of three things: a death sentence for the twins; lives with several inherent difficulties; or a risk-laden procedure. No potential outcome could be described as good.

The ultrasound did show that the two were connected at the abdomen and that, in all likelihood, they each had their respective vital organs. This meant separation following delivery was still on the table.

At 65, Dr. Tabor has been in the business of delivering babies for decades, and he’s a man who’s confident in who he is and what he does. He has long locks of straight silvery hair and manages to sustain an expression of aloofness while simultaneously being incredibly attentive. To get an idea of who he is, just Google his name and see his five-star rating on U.S. News

and World Report right next to a bio pic of him sporting a black tee, goatee, and Oakley sunglasses. Yeah, he’s seen a thing or two, but he had never seen or delivered conjoined twins.

While Tabor drolly admits that the delivery was not nearly as complex as the separation Amie and Jamie faced in the coming months, he had been coordinating and working closely with the neonatal team of Dr. Chad Barber and Dr. Mary Lynch from Cook Children’s to ensure a successful delivery.

And that delivery had to come early. As Dr. Tabor puts it, there were potential mechanical issues if Amie and Jamie entered their mother’s birth canal — if she went into labor. So, only 34 weeks into Amanda’s pregnancy — full-term is 40 weeks — Amie and Jamie were born via a Cesarean section and weighed a collective 8.8 pounds.

tell the two apart — remember, they are identical twins — and the hues have since become synonymous with each girl. If you see a doctor in the NICU or OR wearing a green cap, you’ll know they care for Amie, and the same goes for Jamie and the color purple.

“Instead of using their names or A and B like we would typically do with twins, because they were conjoined, we didn’t want any type of chance of anything getting mixed up or confused,” Dr. Barber says. “We didn’t want to accidentally double dose or anything like that.”

It also ensures they won’t have to struggle when the day comes that they’re inevitably asked, “What’s your favorite color?”

“It was a difficult delivery,” Dr. Tabor says. “We just made it look easy.”

When I asked about his feelings following the delivery, he gets a little tongue-tied and freely admits he can’t form the right sentence. Whether it’s due to tiredness or being overwhelmed, I can’t tell, but he finally finds the right words. “It was reassuring that what I’ve devoted my life to has a purpose.”

Despite the absence of complications during the birth, this wasn’t an outpatient procedure for Amie and Jamie. No, being both premature and conjoined meant they would be spending significant time in the neonatal intensive care units of both Harris Hospital and Cook Children’s to ensure proper care and to prepare for their potential separation.

Directly after the birth, Dr. Lynch and Dr. Barber painted the fingernails of Amie and Jamie, each with a different color — green for Amie and purple for Jamie. The neonatologists did this so they could

Even as the doctors and nurses grew accustomed to Amie and Jamie, becoming more aware of each baby’s peculiarities — even if they could guess who was who 10 times out of 10 — the twins would remain marked with their respective color until the moment they separated.

Dr. Ben Gbulie admitted that Jamie always cries when he reaches for her belly. He said that Amie never cries around him, but with Jamie, it’s an everyday thing. During the separation procedure, when Amie and Jamie had their own respective teams, Gbulie was on team Jamie. He’s the one who closed her wound. “But she clearly didn’t get that memo,” Gbulie laments.

Gbulie is a plastic surgeon who has a private practice in Mansfield, but he admits that his work consulting and covering trauma calls at Harris Fort Worth and Cook Children’s takes up 70% of his time. So, he’s in Fort Worth a lot. Born in Nigeria, he came to the U.S. when he was 25 and trained as a general surgeon at Howard

University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Gbulie eventually made his way to Cowtown after his wife demanded a metropolitan area larger than the one where they were living — Memphis. It doesn’t take long to gather that Dr. Gbulie’s a lively guy with a quick wit and a sense of humor that has a devious undercurrent, but in the absolute best way possible.

Oh, and he’s done this three times. And by this, I mean been part of a team that successfully separated conjoined twins. Such procedures are far from commonplace, occurring only a few times every year. Yet, in his 20 years of practicing medicine stateside, Gbulie had already been involved in separating conjoined twins twice and was now entering the OR of Amie and Jamie’s procedure as a de facto veteran.

Interestingly, Gbulie’s involvement with Amie and Jamie’s separation began when the twins were still fetal figures on an ultrasound. As it turns out, Amie and Jamie’s grandmother had a best friend who was a patient of Dr. Gbulie’s. Properly vetting her doctor, the friend came across Gbulie’s website, where she saw information about his involvement in the successful separation of two sets of conjoined twins in Memphis. So, when she got wind that her friend’s great-granddaughters were conjoined twins, she said, “Oh, I know someone who does this.”

ably be able to pull this off.”

According to Dr. Tabor, the family met with Texas Children’s but, ultimately, Amanda “just didn’t feel comfortable down there.”

“I mean, by then, I’d been here for four years and done pretty complicated stuff for Cook,” Gbulie says. “So, I spoke with [Dr. Tabor], and I assured him that if there’s any problems with the pregnancy that requires leaving the area for high-level of care. Absolutely [go to Houston]. If there’s any problems after delivery that requires a high-level of care. Absolutely [go to Houston]. But, if there isn’t, I feel comfortable that we can take care of this here.”

Ultimately, the inclusion of specialists from Cook Children’s came after the parents decided to keep the medical care of Amie and Jamie near home, foregoing the opportunity to work with doctors and staff who might have previously cared for conjoined twins.

“I mean, we had never done this before,” Tabor says. “But I had worked closely with the surgeons at Cook [Children’s], and I knew what we could do and had to offer. And so, I empowered [Amanda] to make the decision and encouraged her to. I felt we could take care of things here where she would be close to home.”

those of Dr. Barber and Dr. Lynch, Amie’s neonatologist and Jamie’s neonatologist respectively. When Amie and Jamie were born, weighing just over 4 pounds each, Barber and Lynch were the first people to lay hands on them. The two doctors, who have worked with one another at Cook Children’s for years, were charged with not only keeping Amie and Jamie alive and healthy but also getting both to a place where they were physically prepared — a nice way to say “put on weight” — for a major surgery.

Unfortunately, the team quickly discovered that Amie and Jamie were sharing a blood supply, and it wasn’t being dispersed evenly. Amie, despite her relaxed disposition, was hogging the supply, which made it difficult for Jamie to grow. Jamie, size-wise, was lagging behind and still had some pounds to gain before the separation.

“That was our challenge and, really, that was our most important goal. It’s not very newsworthy or exciting, but the only way these babies get to the point where all of the fancy separation can happen, is if they grow,” Dr. Lynch says. “And not just gain weight. They have to grow in a healthy way.”

Jamie was taking a decent amount of food orally, while Amie had yet to become comfortable with food in her mouth. The irony is that Jamie, despite being smaller, despite being the one who needed to grow, was eating more than her larger sister. As Dr. Iglesias opined, with one glance at Amie, one would think, “Man, you should be really chugging this [food] down.”

After a cold call to Gbulie’s office one afternoon, the family began consulting with the plastic surgeon. And he, in many ways, became an advocate for the family — a trusted advisor. He was someone who was going to point them in the right direction.

“They had some concerns because it sounded like the initial thought was that their care would be better by going to Houston,” Gbulie says. “The thought process was that Texas Children’s would be the one place that would prob -

Following their birth, there were many faces Amie and Jamie saw regularly. Some of these faces would stay a while, and others would just fly in and out. Some faces, like those of their mom and dad, who visited every day, were there to show affection and calm any fears. Other faces, usually wearing hospital scrubs, might pick and prod, making them cry. And other faces might be doing all of the above. A couple of concerned faces who they saw on a constant basis were

“It was like all the groceries had gone into AmieLynn,” quipped Dr. Chandra Reynolds, who would be the anesthesiologist during the separation procedure. “JamieLynn had to fight for ’em. Maybe that’s why she was a little bit feistier.”

Though weight gain was the neonatologists’ main challenge, it was far from the only wrench that had been thrown into their gears. In addition to Jamie’s size, she was also having intestinal issues. There were times when Jamie’s intestines were not working well, and Dr. Lynch had to resort to IV nutrition to help support her growth. Amie, meanwhile, was developing scoliosis. Fueled by her natural inclination to lean back and incessantly pull away from Jamie, Amie’s spine was beginning

Doctors used 3-D models to study and prepare for the separation.

Mary Frances Lynch, M.D., neonatologist

Chad Barber, M.D., neonatologist

Chandra Reynolds, M.D., lead anesthesiologist

to curve, which could have a devastating impact on her development. As weight gain can only come with time, and the scoliosis was worsening as time passed, these issues were working against one another.

“We wanted them physically to get bigger, to mature a little bit,” Dr. Iglesias says. “At some point, that stuff is going OK, but then you start losing ground on other things.”

Finding the right time to pull the trigger on the procedure became a delicate balancing act. Too soon, and there could be complications due to a lack of weight. Too late, and the team is opening themselves up to grim developments from which Amie and Jamie could never recover.

Dr. Lynch and Dr. Barber ultimately wouldn’t be in the room when Amie and Jamie were separated. But they would be some of the first people welcoming the twins once the procedure was over because, for them, the job of caring for Amie and Jamie will continue. As the famous proverb goes, no rest for the weary. Their work is far from finished.

reason in the world to think the positive outcome will be the same.

Yes, things have come a long way over the past 300 years. Dr. Iglesias and his team used multiple sonograms, echoes, CT scans, and even had a 3D reconstruction to give the operating team an idea of what they were working with. However, imaging only does so much. According to the doctors, there was still some fear that Amie and Jamie could be sharing something else — major vessels or intestines, for instance. So, it remained important to expect the unexpected.

Dr. Iglesias had known that this operation was a possibility since May of last year and had been doing his homework. He had received advice from other pediatric surgeons who had previously been involved in separating conjoined twins, most of whom would tell him to

for pediatrics. “I was, like, Dad, ‘I love the kids.’ So I had to have a heart to heart and sit down and tell him I’m not going to take over the practice.” After sneaking out of Texas for a couple years for his fellowship at St. Jude’s in Memphis, where he subspecialized in pediatric surgery, he got what he calls his first job at Cook Children’s in 2001 and has been there ever since.

“Next thing you know, you turn around, and you’re the oldest one in the room,” he says. “I’m not quite sure how that happened.”

The first recorded successful separation of conjoined twins took place in 1691, when Johannes Fatio separated Elisabet and Catherina in Basel, Switzerland. The twins were fused together between the middle of the chest and the navel, including their umbilical cords. According to documents recovered after Fatio’s execution as a political prisoner, the surgeon and revolutionary performed the procedure in two separate parts that included cutting and ligating blood vessels followed by severing the connecting tissue nine days later. The twins were reportedly fully healed within two weeks.

While the procedure Amie and Jamie underwent was different, there is every

keep an eye out for unexpected things and to not underestimate the amount of media attention he’s going to receive. He and his team had gone through dress rehearsals, choreographing their moves, and had prepped extensively. As one would expect of someone delegating and leading a large team on a journey to accomplish something miraculous, Iglesias speaks with a calm confidence — never too high and never too low, direct without being curt. It’s a pitch-perfect delivery akin to mission control on a tense moon landing.

The son of a vascular surgeon, Iglesias was born in Colombia before moving to the U.S. when he was just a baby and grew up in Houston. He would receive his undergrad at Baylor and attended UT Southwestern for both his medical school and residency. Iglesias, at the time, had always thought he would do what his father did and take over his practice as a vascular surgeon. But, after he began his residency and started rotating at Dallas Children’s Hospital, he found his passion

It’s an early Monday morning in January, and Amie and Jamie receive a bevy of kisses, prayers, and best wishes from nervous family members. The twins are only minutes from being wheeled into the OR, where a painstakingly difficult procedure months in the making would separate their fused bellies. In 11 hours, the length of the operation, any subsequent embraces from the two sisters would be strictly voluntary.

Clad in blue scrubs, surgical masks, latex gloves, and green or purple scrub hats, a large assembly of physicians, nurses, and other specialists — 20 in total — await Amie and Jamie in the OR. Despite the bevy of people, wires, tubes, and machines, the atmosphere appears surprisingly calm and orderly. The physicians are divided into two groups — team AmieLynn (green scrub hats) and team JamieLynn (purple scrub hats). Each girl gets two pediatric surgeons, an anesthesiologist, a plastic surgeon, two nurses, and two surgical technologists.

“In the beginning, everything was very focused,” the head anesthesiologist, Dr. Reynolds, says. “It really was rather quiet, which is kind of surprising considering how many people that we had in that room.”

Amie and Jamie arrived in the OR, and the first order of business was the anesthesia. The team would devote the first five hours to prep and the all-important and meticulous process of sedating the twin girls. While the two are conjoined and share blood supply, Amie and Jamie also have separate organs, are different sizes, and have different dispositions, which

means that they will require different doses of anesthesia. But, at the same time, if you put something in the bloodstream of one, it will affect the other, too. Not surprisingly, Amie goes to sleep, Jamie does not. Despite being the smaller of the two, Jamie’s natural feistiness is at odds with the sedative, and the anesthesiologist, Dr. Reynolds, is forced to administer more. “[The anesthesiologist] doesn’t want to put them completely asleep because they don’t know how their reaction is going to be,” Dr. Iglesias says. “And their hearts are in a nefarious position.”

With Amie already intubated, Reynolds’ team — she had an anesthesiologist for each baby — would go through the cycle of giving Jamie a little more medicine and watching to see how Amie would respond. After doing this dance several times, Reynolds was finally able to get Jamie intubated.

The previous day, Dr. Gbulie had marked where the planned incisions would be. With the babies lying on their sides — Amie on her left side and Jamie on her right — Dr. Gbulie makes the incision from lower part of the breastbone (the very top of where they’re conjoined) down to the belly button. Following the initial skin incision, Dr. Iglesias and Dr. Marty Knott, Amie’s lead pediatric surgeon, begin penetrating Amie and Jamie’s abdominal walls. No longer following the S-shaped skin incision, Iglesias and Knott cut right down the middle of where the muscle meets the breastbone. At this point, the doctors have Amie and Jamie’s intestines visualized and breathe a sigh of relief when they discover they’re separate. Iglesias and Knott then began working on the liver separation, which they meticulously chipped away at layer by layer. “It’s the same type of procedure we would do when we’re taking out a liver tumor,” Iglesias says. “Except this time nothing went to the pathologist.”

Saying that Amie and Jamie shared a liver isn’t entirely correct. They actually shared two livers. While their livers were fused together, the systems that make up this complex organ were entirely separate. The difficult part was finding the little area of their conjoined livers where these systems did not exist and cutting through that part with microscopic precision. Thanks to CT Scans, Iglesias and Knott had a rough idea of where this section of the conjoined livers was located, but they couldn’t just slice through it as if it was a stick of butter. No, they had to carefully divide the liver layer by layer, removing the tissue and sealing the ducts of the liver and blood vessels as they went. Luckily, where the division occurred, there were no big blood vessels or surprises, and the liver was now separated.

Following a separation of Amie and Jamie’s diaphragms, pericardium sacks — the sack that encases our hearts — and additional muscle, Amie and Jamie were now entirely separated. “We’ve got two babies for the first time rolled onto their back,” Iglesias says. “Wow.”

“Once we had official separation, it was celebratory,” Dr. Reynolds says. “It really was. Everybody was very excited and, granted, there was still work to be done, and important work to be done, but there was just an excitement. There’s not really another way to describe it.

“But, then it’s literally within two seconds you’re right back at work.”

With Amie and Jamie no longer conjoined, Dr. Knott immediately gets to work on Amie in her separate bed, while Dr. Iglesias gets to work on Jamie. The steps for the process of putting Amie on a separate bed was choreographed to waste as few precious seconds as possible.

“The operation, once they were separated, was focused on getting all of their

shared space covered and closed,” Knott says.

And because they were forced to open the diaphragm during separation, both Amie and Jamie have a diaphragm hernia, which requires closing — if left be, the intestines could go up into the chest cavity. So, they had to stitch their diaphragms so each could be closed.

For lack of a better way to phrase this, each surgeon had to shove everything back inside of their respective twin.

As Dr. Iglesias reminds me, Amie and Jamie were both born with this essential opening, so each sister was now losing a certain amount of area to contain all of their organs. When they close them up, it’s going to be tight. For Jamie, it was very tight, but everything was able to fit. Amie’s dimensions, however, were not able to contain everything, so they were only able to partially close her and were able to do a temporary patch. (Doctors would close her the rest of the way exactly a week after the separation.)

After 11 grueling hours, the surgery was over. Amie and Jamie, born conjoined, were now separated. Dr. Iglesias, Dr. Gbulie, and Dr. Knott all deliver the news to ecstatic and grateful parents whose daughters they will soon be able to hold, hug, kiss, and dance with separately.

As of this writing, Amie and Jamie aren’t entirely out of the woods. The two remain in the NICU at Cook Children’s Medical Center, where Dr. Lynch and Dr. Barber continue to care for the now-separated twins. But, every day, the two inch toward a full recovery and continue to show their distinct personalities — Jamie still won’t let Dr. Gbulie touch her belly.

Doctors appear confident Amie and Jamie will be able to live long, happy, healthy lives, and to be kids, teenagers, and adults who are free from the devastating hardship that was thrust on them at birth. The only remnant of their journey will be the inevitable scar on their abdomens, showing where they were once attached, which will serve as a friendly reminder for each to be nice to her sister.

Marty Knott, D.O., primary surgeon

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From allergy to urology and pediatrics to psychiatry, we asked Tarrant County doctors to nominate their peers for inclusion in our annual Top Doctors list via an online ballot. With over 4,020 votes cast, the magazine staff vetted each physician through the Texas Medical Board and asked a panel of more than a dozen physicians to review our final selection and make recommendations. The result is a list of 560 physicians in 52 specialties whom we deem leaders in their fields.

TOP DOCTORS 2023

TOP DOCTORS 2023

Adult Reconstructive Orthopedics

Adam Brekke

Theodore Crofford

Uche Davidson

Jeffrey McGowen

Steven Ogden

Hugo B. Sanchez

David Shau

Abdolreza Siadati

Daniel B. Wagner

Russell Wagner

Nathan E. Williams II

Allergy/ Immunology

Andrew Beaty

James R. Haden

Rene Alberto Leon

Alireza “Ali” Shakouri

Millard L. Tierce IV

Anesthesiology

Kathleen Bajaj

Napoleon Burt

Michelle Craven

Katherine Hege

Kimble Horak

Melissa Z. Murphy

Maulik Parikh

Patricia Vories

Breast Surgery

Anita Chow

Amelia Gunter

Jennifer Hecht

Joseph Heyne

Vaishali Kent

Cardiology

Farhan Ali

Majid Asawaeer

Neeraj Badhey

Rim Bannout

Gurpreet Baweja

Sanjay Bhargava

Paul Bhella

Sukesh Burjonroppa

Sanjayanth “Sanjay” Chamakura

Louis Cristol

Denzil D’Souza

Vassilis Dimas

Scott Ewing

Matt Fay

Randall Hall

George Cheeran James

John Vijayaker

Jayachandran

Vijay Kalaria

Goeffrey “Geoff” Kline

Yuvaraj “Darren” Kumar

Vinit Lal

Lianxi Frank Liao

Deval Mehta

Giridhar “Giri” Mundluru

Arun Padala

Brijesh Patel

Deepak Hirabhai Patel

Amit Prasad

Alvaro Rios

Mohanakrishnan

Sathyamoorthy

Syed Nayyar Shah

Steve Simpson

Balaji Veerappan

Venkatesan Vidi

Rajesh Vrushab

Cardiothoracic Surgery

James Edward Anderson Jr.

Seyed Reza Khalafi

Ganesh Kumpati

Michael Nazarian

Child/Adolescent Psychiatry

Nanette Allison

Debra Atkisson

Brian Dixon

Carol Nati

Ross Tatum

Amelia Villagomez

Colo/Rectal Surgery

Jason W. Allen

Michael W. Bryan

many people Trust Methodist.

TOP DOCTORS 2023

Eduardo D. Castillo

Lori L. Gordon

Nezar Jrebi

Paul Senter

Critical Care

Medicine

Razaq Badamosi

Kevin Connelly

Rajesh R. Gandhi

Madhu Kollipara

Jocelyn Zee

Dermatology

Amir Aboutalebi

Sanober Amin

Gabriela Blanco

Angela Bowers

Michael Carletti

Sara Greer

Catherine Harrell

David Hensley

Boris Ioffe

Patrick Keehan

Sreedevi Kodali

Stephen Maberry

Saira Momin

Rosalyn H. Nguyen

Betty Rajan

Allison Readinger

Robin Roberts

Heather Volkman

Stephen Weis

Dustin Wilkes Emergency Care

Christopher W. Houston

Charles Huggins

Curtis Johnson

Terence J. McCarthy

Angela Straface

Endocrinology

Chris Bajaj

Madhuri Devdhar

Vani Kotha

Darren Lackan

Anjanette Tan

Robin Thomas Foot & Ankle Surgery

William S. Crawford

Gary Driver

Donald S. Stewart

Long Truong Hoang

Jody Houston

Scharles Konadu

Arthi Kumaravel

Thomas “Trey” Lyles III

Jeffrey Mills

Susan Moster

Mark D. Murray

James Nackley

Nandini Nagaraj

Peter J. Naus

Murali Pathikonda

Jessica Shah

Joseph Shelton

Sanjeeb Shrestha

Karen Steffer

Monte Troutman

Kenneth Yang

Jay Yepuri

Gastroenterology

Abdullah Abdussalam

Vinay Antin

Mike Bismar

Virat Dave

Josh George

Stevan A. Gonzalez

General Surgery

Hossein Bagshahi

John L Birbari Jr.

Lee Scott Bloemendal

Cathryn Coleman

Tai Do

Hyungmin Jung

Wesley Marquart

Ashley Mekala

Long Nguyen

Denish Patel

Jay Arvind Patel

Paresh Rajajoshiwala

Congratulations to HSC’s 2023 Top Doctors!

HSC’s 2023

Stephen Weis, DO Dermatology

Priya Bui, DO Pediatrics

Long Hoang, DO Gastroenterology

Meaghan Nelsen, DO Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Michael Carletti, DO Dermatology

Geoffrey Kline, DO Cardiology

Dante Paredes, DO Family Medicine

Sandra Davis, MD Psychiatry

Janice Knebl, DO Geriatrics

Katrina Roop, DO Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Toyya Goodrich, DO Pediatrics

Yein Lee, DO Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Sarah Ross, DO Geriatrics

Stephen Weis, DO Dermatology

Long Hoang, DO Gastroenterology Cardiology Geriatrics Osteopathic

HSC Health is the academic clinical practice of The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth . Our primary and specialty care clinics are focused on improving health outcomes in our community, through a patient-centered approach.

We empower patients to take ownership of their health with a whole-health approach to quality care.

Schedule an appointment here!

Nusrath Habiba, MD Pediatrics

Brittany Love, DO Geriatrics

Ryan Seals, DO Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Raheela Hafeez, MD Pediatrics

David Mason, DO Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Sajid Surve, DO Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Malinda Hansen, DO Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Sarah Matches, DO Pediatrics

Monte Troutman, DO Gastroenterology

Kendi Hensel, DO Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Christopher Medina, DO Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

TOP DOCTORS 2023

Leslie Reddell

Steven Schierling

General/Family Practice

Michael Ampelas

Tracey Angadicheril

Daniel Casey

Daniel Chadwick

Todd Cowan

David T. Dunn

Justin Ezell

Melanie Gray

Daria Greer

Amanda Brooke Hall

Malinda Hansen

John “Jay” H. Haynes III

Margaret Holland

Alfred Hulse

David C. Jordan

Craig Kneten

David C. Mason

Allyson Matthys

Sarah Meredith

Brighton Miller

James Murphy

Dante Paredes

Zareena Shama

Brady Simonak

Ryan Simonak

Matthew Stine

Richard Stuntz

Chanida Kathelene

Supavong

Lynne Tilkin

Michelle Torres Geriatrics

Janice Knebl

Brittany Love

Alvin Mathe

Sarah Ross

Gynecological Oncology

Noelle Cloven

Kenneth Hancock

DeEtte Vasques

Hand Surgery

Kristen Fleager

Nathan Lesley

Steven Niedermeier

William Pientka

Ryan Reardon

Brian Tobias

Eric Wroten

Hematology

Mary Ann Skiba

Infectious Diseases

Nikhil Bhayani

Cheryl McDonald

Vivek Ramarathnam

Obulakshmipriya

“Priya” Subramanian

Mary Suzanne Whitworth

Internal Medicine

Olutoyin Abitoye

Basil Bernstein

Theresa Brown

Denise Bruckerhoff

N. Alan Davenport

Craig Dearden

Sumeesh Dhawan

James Kevin Eldridge

Donald Frusher

Sreevani Gudiseva

Jennifer R. Hinkle

Priya Jimmy

Allan Kelly

Paul K. Kim

Andy Le

Jason Ledbetter

Amber Lesley

Rey Marquino

Vasu Nalajala

Hetal Rana

Morvarid Rezaie

Mai Sharaf

Meenu Sharma

Dr. Mitch Conditt

Oral Appliance

Putting our best care forward.

“Best Doctors in Tarrant County.”

Introducing the 2023 “Best Doctors in Tarrant County,” as voted by the doctors in Tarrant County.

William S. Crawford, M.D. Texas Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics

Neeraj Badhey, M.D. Texas Health Heart & Vascular Specialists

Gurpreet Baweja, M.D. Texas Health Heart & Vascular Specialists

Paul K. Kim, M.D. Texas Health Internal Medicine

Rey Marquino, M.D. Texas Health Internal Medicine

Adrian Harvey, D.O. Texas Health Neurosurgery & Spine Specialists

Tanya Dixon, D.O. Texas Health Neurosurgery & Spine Specialists

Ahmed Shakir, M.D. Texas Health Neurosurgery & Spine Specialists

Harish Badhey, M.D. Spine Team Texas

Priya Jimmy, M.D. Texas Health Internal Medicine

Vasu Nalajala, M.D. Texas Health Internal Medicine

Neil N. Patel, M.D. Spine Team Texas

Todd Cowan, M.D. Texas Health Family Care

Justin Ezell, D.O. Texas Health Family Care

Alfred Hulse, D.O. Texas Health Family Care

Texas Foot & Ankle Texas Health Heart & Vascular Specialists Texas Health Heart & Vascular Specialists

Paul K. Kim, M.D. Texas Health

Rey Marquino, M.D. & Spine Specialists

Tanya Dixon, D.O. & Spine Specialists & Spine Specialists

Harish Badhey, M.D. Texas Health

Vasu Nalajala, M.D.

Alfred Hulse, D.O. Texas Health

Gregory H. Smith, D.O. Texas Health Neurosurgery & Spine Specialists

Christopher Shank, M.D. Texas Health Neurosurgery & Spine Specialists

Steven Ogden, M.D. Texas Hip and Knee Center

Robert Schmidt, M.D Texas Hip and Knee Center

Ajai Cadambi, M.D. Texas Hip and Knee Center

Theodore Crofford, M.D. Texas Hip and Knee Center

Jeffrey McGowen, M.D. Texas Hip and Knee Center

Adam Brekke, M.D. Texas Hip and Knee Center

Daniel Wagner, D.O. Texas Hip and Knee Center

David Shau, M.D. Texas Hip and Knee Center

Cyrus Wong, M.D. Texas Health Neurosurgery & Spine Specialists

Mark Wylie, M.D. Texas Health Orthopedic Specialists

Elizabeth Batterton, M.D. Texas Health Orthopedic Specialists

Hugo B. Sanchez, M.D. Texas Health Orthopedic Specialists

Di Parks, M.D. Texas Health Orthopedic Specialists

TOP DOCTORS 2023

Sakthiraj Subramanian

Radhika Vayani

Basanti Vrushab

Interventional Cardiology

George Khammar

Maternal Fetal Medicine/ Perinatology

April Bleich

Tracy Papa

Neonatology

Russell Lawrence

Megan Schmidt

Nephrology

Oladapo Afolabi

Samantha Chandupatla

Ira Epstein

Nishant Jalandhara

Prasad Kannaeganti

David R. Martin

Patrick Nef

Geethanjali Ramamurthy

Daniel Richey

Dar Shah

Davindar Singh

Raghuveer Vanguru

Neurology

Yamini Chennu

Charlece Hughes

Sheri Hull

Hamid Kadiwala

Cynthia Keator

Shane Kennedy

Rebecca Luke

Saleem I. Malik

Vinit Mehrotra

Dave Shahani

Neurosurgery

Saeid Aryan

Grant Booher

Tanya Dixon

Thomas S. Ellis

Daniel R. Hansen

Atif Haque

Adrian Harvey

Anthony W. Lee

Ahmed Shakir

Christopher Shank

Gregory H. Smith

Cyrus Wong

Obstetrics/ Gynecology

Linda Bernstein

Catherine Bevan

Laura Bradford

Lindsay Breedlove Tate

Stephanie CarsonHenderson

Shanna Combs

Cynthia English

Jamie Erwin

Noushin Firouzbakht

Teri Forney

Ashita Gehlot

Sunny Glenn

Martha Guerra

Pattyann Hardt

James P. Herd

Natalie Hughes

Asra Jawed

Beatrice Kutzler

Alicia Larsen

Rachel Lusby

Heather Neville

Manisha S. Parikh

Martin Read

Cynthia Robbins

Roopina Sangha

Bannie Tabor

Gladys Tse

Elisabeth Wagner

Christiaan Webb

Ruth Wiley

Rita Wood

Robert Zwernemann

Breast Oncology Surgery

Dr. Anita Chow

General/Family Practice

Dr. Lynne Tilkin

Dr. Lynne Tilkin

Dr. Joseph Heyne

Dr. Joseph Heyne

Cardiology

Dr. Scott Ewing

Dr. Michelle Torres

Hand Surgery

Dr. Nathan Lesley

Dr. Ryan Reardon

Colon & Rectal Surgery

Colon & Rectal Surgery

Dr. Brian Tobias

Dr. Jason Allen

Dr. Jason Allen

Dr. Eduardo Castillo

Dr. Lori Gordon

Dr. Paul Senter

General Surgery

Dr. John Birbari

Dr. John Birbari

Dr. Lee Bloemendal

Dr. Eric Wroten

Dr. Eric Wroten

Internal Medicine

Dr. Alan Davenport

Dr. Craig Dearden

Dr. Jason Ledbetter

Dr. Jason Ledbetter

Dr. Amber Lesley

Transforming Healthcare.

Obstetrics & Gynecology

Dr. Catherine Bevan

Dr. Cynthia English

Dr. Jamie Erwin

Dr. Ashita Gehlot

Dr. Sunny Glenn

Dr. Martha Guerra

Dr. James Herd

Dr. Natalie Hughes

Dr. Beatrice Kutzler

Dr. Alicia Larsen

Dr. Rachel Lusby

Dr. Martin Read

Dr. Lindsay Breedlove Tate

Dr. Elisabeth Wagner

Dr. Ruth Wiley

Dr. Robert Zwernemann

Ophthalmology

Dr. Mark Alford

Orthopedic Surgery

Dr. David Brigati

Dr. James Bothwell

Dr. Stephen Brotherton

Dr. Donald Dolce

Dr. Andrew Lee

Dr. Joe Milne

Dr. Torrance Walker

Otolaryngology

Dr. Sean Callahan

Dr. Yadro Ducic

Dr. John Fewins

Dr. J. Bradley McIntyre

Dr. Jesse Smith

Dr. Jeremy Watkins

Pain Management

Dr. Chris Pratt

Rheumatology

Dr. Rajni Kalagate

Spine Surgery

Dr. James Brezina

Sports Medicine

Dr. Greg Bratton

Dr. Steven Meyers

TOP DOCTORS 2023

OMM

Matthew Barker

Kendi Hensel

Yein Lee

Christopher Medina

Meaghan Nelsen

Jay Roop

Katrina Roop

Ryan Seals

Stuart Williams

Oncology

Cristi Aitelli

Asad Dean

Prasanthi Ganesa

Bassam Ghabach

Patrick Griffin

Henrik Illum

Anuradha Lingam

Mary Milam

Latha Neerukonda

Alberto Parra

Mrugesh Patel

Vinaya Potluri

Bibas Reddy

Talha Riaz

Jeremy Ross

Henry Xiong

Robyn Young

Ophthalmology

Musa Abdelaziz

Mark Alford

Charles Bradley Bowman

Richard Chu

Courtney Crawford

Brian Flowers

Jerry Hu

Aaleya Koreishi

Shaam Mahasneh

Eric Packwood

Hiren Parekh

Luv Patel

Patricia Ple-plakon

Jawad A. Qureshi

Brian Ranelle

Johnathan Warminski

Joshua Zaffos

Orthopedic Surgery

Gurpreet Bajaj

Eric Barcak

Bret Beavers

Michael Boothby

James Bothwell

David P. Brigati

Stephen Brotherton

James W. Burnett

Curtis A. Bush

Ajai Cadambi

Tyler Caton

Thad Dean

Douglas Dickson

Donald Dolce

Kerry Donegan

Hannah Kim

George Lebus

Andrew Lee

Joseph “Joe” Milne

Bryan Ming

Jeffrey Moffett

Gregory T. Moore

Ryan Mulligan

Arvind Nana

Dean Papaliodis

Di Parks

Shiv P. Patel

Joshua “Josh” Payne

Pat Peters

Mayme Richie-Gillespie

Bantoo Sehgal

Steven Singleton

Eric Stehly

Casey Stuhlman

Torrance Walker

Keith Watson

Brian Webb

Otolaryngology

Mary Ashmead

Sean Callahan

Opeoluwa Daniyan

Yadranko “Yadro” Ducic

John Fewins

Christopher T. Lee

Because of your dedication to children and their families, you help us to fulfill our Promise and connect to what’s possible.

DALLAS NEPHROLOGY ASSOCIATES (DNA) congratulates Dr. Daniel Richey who was nominated by his peers as one of Fort Worth Magazine's Top Docs in 2023 For over fifty years, DNA has been a trusted source of quality kidney care in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. DNA cares for patients with kidney disease, hypertension, kidney transplants, and complicated electrolyte disorders. Crowley Fort Worth

FORT WORTH AREA LOCATIONS: Keller Weatherford

Introducing the Largest Physicians Group in Tarrant County

Congratulations to the many Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group physicians named as the “2023 Fort Worth Magazine Top Doctors of Tarrant County” as voted on by their peers.*

* Named as 2023 Top Doctors

Same day appointments for some specialties

Providers and hospital privileges throughout Tarrant County

Convenient and accessible self-parking

Free valet service available

Handicap accessibility

The best and most unique personalized care to patients, allowing them to get back to living their best life.

Acclaim is dedicated to improving health together

1250 8th Ave. Suite 600 @ the Baylor Professional Pavilion in Fort Worth’s Medical District Congratulations to the many Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group physicians named

1250 8th Ave. Suite 600 @ the Baylor Professional Pavilion in Fort Worth’s Medical District Fort Worth, TX 76104 | 817-702-9100 main | 817-882-9242 fax | teamacclaim.org

Front row left to right: Steven E. Mapula, MD; *Mayme Richie-Gillespie, MD; *Lena M. Levine, DPM; *Hannah H. Kim, MD; *Arvind D. Nana, MD; Patrick Chen, MD; Victor J. Olivas, MD; Fernando Garcia, MD; Domenico Gattozzi, MD; *Brady W. Rhodes, DPM; Vincent M. Moretti, MD

Back row left to right: Gregory (Kyle) Youngs, MD; *William F. Pientka II, MD; *Brian G. Webb, MD; *Tyler D. Caton, MD; *Alan G. Garrett, DPM; Andy Vu, DO; *Michael E. Wimmer, MD; Bryan W. Ming, MD; Oliver L. Kesterson III, MD; *Travis Motley, DPM; R. Justin Garling, MD

Podiatry | Hand

Sports Medicine | Orthopedic Adult Reconstruction

General Surgery | Neurosurgery | Plastic Surgery

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | Orthopedic Oncology | Urogynecology

Oliver L. Kesterson III, MD Neurosurgery

William F. Pientka II, MD Hand & Upper Extremity

Hannah H. Kim, MD Hand & Upper Extremity

Eric A. Barcak, DO Orthopedic Trauma

Tyler D. Caton, MD Orthopedic Trauma

Bryan W. Ming, MD Orthopedic Trauma

Arvind D. Nana, MD Orthopedic Trauma

Alan G. Garrett, DPM Podiatry

Lena M. Levine, DPM Podiatry

Travis Motley, DPM Podiatry

Dong V. Nguyen, DPM Podiatry

Brady W. Rhodes, DPM Podiatry

Brian G. Webb, MD Orthopedics, Sports Medicine

Travis C. Rhodes, DO Sports Medicine

Gregory (Kyle) Youngs, MD Sports Medicine

Vincent M. Moretti, MD Orthopedic Adult Reconstruction

J. Mark Bayouth, MD General Surgery

Victor J. Olivas, MD General Surgery

Fernando Garcia, MD General Surgery

R. Justin Garling, MD Neuro Surgery

Ryan Kostka, DO General Surgery

Domenico Gattozzi, MD Neurosurgery

Steven E. Mapula, MD Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Patrick Chen, MD Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Michael E. Wimmer, MD Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Mayme Richie-Gillespie, MD Orthopedic Oncology

Andy Vu, DO Urogynecology

Alex N. Autry, DO Sports Medicine

TOP DOCTORS 2023

John Bradley McIntyre

Timothy Ragsdale

Jordan Rihani

Charles Saadeh

Tyler Scoresby

Jesse E. Smith

Stuart Thomas

Ceisha Ukatu

Jeremy Watkins

Pain Management

Harish Badhey

Mark Dirnberger

Artee Gandhi

Raul Llanos

Mike Martinez II

Robert D. Menzies

Christopher C. Pratt

Christopher Tucker Pathology

Janet Miles Pediatrics

Diane Arnaout

Priya Bui

Roger Eppstein

Aakanksha Gera

Cynthia Giovannetti

Toyya Goodrich

Nusrath Habiba

Raheela Hafeez

Maha Haroon

Eriel Hayes

Jose Iglesias

Mark S. Jones

Suzanne Kelley

Ramon Kinloch

Kathryn Mandal

Devona Martin

Sarah Matches

Bradley Mercer

Lindsay Newton Huggins

Alice Phillips

Likhitha Reddy

Jenica Rose-Stine

Bianka Soria-Olmos

Kara Starnes

Jason Terk

Amani Terrell

Heidi Tomlinson

Andrea Wadley

Krystyna Wesp

Kevin Wylie Plastic Reconstructive Surgery

Saad Alsubaie

Casey Anderson

Robert G. Anderson

Edgar Bedolla Perez

Steven Camp

Dustin C. Derrick

Nabil Habash

Jonathan Heistein

Emily Kirby

Kelly Kunkel

Theodorus Jon Kurkjian

Danielle LeBlanc

Yukihiro Nakamura

Sacha Obaid

Maxim “Max” Pekarev

Kiran Polavarapu

Vishnu Rumalla

Louis L. Strock

Podiatry

Glen Beede

Michael Downey

Alan Garrett

Gregory “Greg” Jaryga

Lena Levine

Travis Motley

Brady Rhodes Preventative Medicine

Beth A. Mewis

Psychiatry/ Neurology

Helene Alphonso

Sandra Davis

Dustin DeMoss

Marija Djokovic

F I GHT CAN CER

WITH AWARD-WINNING PHYSICIANS

Cristi Lynn Aitelli, D.O. • Noelle Gillette Cloven, M.D. • Asad Dean, M.D.

Ajay K. Dubey, M.D. • Patrick Thomas Griffin, M.D. • Kenneth Hancock, M.D.

Jennifer Hecht, D.O., FACOS • Henrik B. Illum, M.D. • Mrugesh P. Patel, M.D.

Kathleen L. Shide, M.D., FACR

When you’re treated at Texas Oncology, you can be sure you’re getting leading edge cancer care. In fact, Fort Worth Magazine recently recognized our expertise by presenting ten of our physicians with the “Top Doctors” award. These physicians are part of our knowledge base of cancer specialists. That means at every Texas Oncology location you have access to a network of award-winning experts. For more information on Texas Oncology or to find a location near you, please call 1-888-864-4226 or visit us at TexasOncology.com.

Priyanka Jalandhara, MD www.tarrantarthritis.com DFW Kidney Care Clinic

Nishant Jalandhara, MD www.dfwkcc.com

Helping to build a healthy community by providing excellent care to patients with Kidney diseases and Hypertension.

Phone: 817.912.5900 Fax: 817.912.5902

Tarrant Arthritis Center

Board Certified, American College of Rheumatology

Helping patients suffering with rheumatoid conditions achieve highest quality of life.

Phone: 817.865.3939

Fax: 817.865.3846

Breast surgery

Vaishali Kent, MD

Cardiology

Paul Bhella, MD

Hepatology

Stevan Gonzalez, MD

Neurosurgery

Atif Haque, MD

Psychiatry

Ashley Johnson, DO

Family medicine

Michael Ampelas, DO

Tracey Angadicheril, DO

Daria Greer, MD

Margaret Holland, MD

David Jordan, MD

Craig Kneten, MD

Allyson Matthys, DO

Sarah Meredith, DO

Brighton Miller, DO

James Murphy, MD

Richard Stuntz, MD

Congratulations to our 2023 Top Doctors!

David T. Dunn, M.D.

Family Practice

901 E FM 1187

Crowley, TX 76036

817.568.2023

Texas Health Huguley Hospital

Sonia Bajaj, M.D. Rheumatology

795 E FM 1187

Crowley, TX 76036

817.293.9681

Texas Health Huguley Hospital

Aakanksha Gera, M.D.

Pediatrics

11807 South Freeway, #365

Burleson, TX 76028

817.551.5539

Texas Health Huguley Hospital

Ceisha Ukatu, M.D. Otolaryngology

12001 South Freeway, #209

Burleson, TX 76028

682.385.7010

Texas Health Huguley Hospital

Christiaan Webb, M.D. OB-GYN

2302 Lone Star Road, #260

Mans eld, TX 76063

682.341.7330

Texas Health Hospital Mans eld

William Lawrence, D.O. Psychiatry/Neurology

11801 South Freeway Burleson, TX 76028

817.568.5950

Texas Health Huguley Hospital

Maha Haroon, M.D.

Pediatrics

11807 South Freeway, #365

Burleson, TX 76028

817.551.5539

Texas Health Huguley Hospital

Scharles Konadu, M.D. Gastroenterology

112001 South Freeway, #300 Burleson, TX 76028

682.268.6670

Texas Health Huguley Hospital

Texas Health Medical Associates manages the practices of over 30 primary care and specialty physicians throughout the North Texas area. Our team is proud to provide patients with only the most compassionate and personalized care, and that is re ected in their recognition as Top Doctors. Whether you need a new family doctor or specialized care, our expansive network of providers has you covered.

TOP DOCTORS 2023

Justin Dyniewski

James Haliburton

Jennifer Heath

Alesha Hill

Ken Hopper

Cheryl Hurd

Ashley M. Johnson

William Lawrence

Prema Manjunath

Nekesha Oliphant

Alan Podawiltz

Garrick Prejean

Paul Schneider

Douglas “Doug” Segars

Leslie Smith

Erica Swicegood

Pulmonology

Hisham Bismar

Steven Q. Davis

Salam Jarrah

Gbonjubola Onawunmi

Paras Patel

Harpreet Suri

Radiation/ Oncology

Jerry Barker Jr.

Marta Dahiya

Ajay Dubey

Kathleen Shide

Nabila Waheed

Radiology/ Diagnostic/ Interventional

Stuart Aronson

Jeffry Brace

Adam Chandler

Matthew “Matt” Fiesta

Ronald “Ron” Gerstle

Rajesh Gogia

Craig Harr

Thomas “Tom” Livingston

Matthew Mitchell

Keith Pettibon

Jason Pond

Abdul Rahman Quadeer

Robert “Rob” Reeb

William Gregory Reese

Kanwar Singh

Lloyd Glenwood Wilbert

Reproductive Endocrinology

Ravi Gada

Robert Kaufmann

Laura T. Lawrence

Anna Nackley

Rheumatology

Sonia Bajaj

Ricardo Guirola

Priyanka Jalandhara

Rajni Kalagate

Rosy Rajbhandary

Rehabilitation/ Physical Medicine

Lan Le

Omar Selod

Neha S. Shah

Sajid Surve

Kristen Taylor

Austen Watkins

Benecia Williams

Michael Wimmer

Spine Surgery

Adewale Adeniran

Brian Braaksma

James Brezina

Michael Briseno

Michael F. Duffy

Carson Fairbanks

Christopher Happ

Neil Nipul Patel

Jeffrey Phelps

Cezar Sandu

Mark Wylie

Cynthia Robbins, Dr Laura Bradford, Dr. Pattyann Hardt, Dr. Rita Wood, Dr. Ruth Wiley, Dr. Heather Neville, Dr. Natalie Hughes, Dr. Noushin Firouzbakht

Dr Robbins, Bradford, Hardt and Wood

1425 8th Avenue

Ft Worth, Texas 76104

Fax: 817-926-4362

Dr Wiley, Neville and Hughes

1307 8th Ave, Suite 602

Ft Worth, Texas 76104 Fax: 817-920-5980

Dr Noushin Firouzbakht

1125 S Henderson St

Ft Worth, Texas 76104

Phone: 817-878-2667

“We listen to you, even when you have found that no one else will. We can help you work through your symptoms and figure out the root cause, not just cover it up with medications. You know when you don’t feel like yourself & we can help.”

TOP DOCTORS 2023

Sports Medicine

Alex Autry

Elizabeth Batterton

Damond Blueitt

Jennifer Bontreger

Gregory “Greg” Bratton

Daniel Clearfield

Sarah L. Kennedy

Steven J. Meyers

Thoracic Surgery

Jeffrey Chai-Pui Lin

Richard Vigness

• Reduced mental focus & memory

• Difficulty sleeping

• Irritable, anxious or depressed

• Decreased muscle strength, joint pain

• Reduced sexual desire and performance

Urology

Jeffrey Applewhite

James J. Kelley

F.H. “Trey” Moore III

Andrew Pumphrey

David Rittenhouse

Robert G. Stroud

Scott Thurman

Todd Young

Vascular Surgery

Besem Beteck

Saadi Halbouni

DIANE BLAISING, AU.D., ADA, ABA, FAAA

CITYVIEW AUDIOLOGY & HEARING AIDS, INC.

It should have been no surprise to Diane Blaising’s family when she found her calling helping others live a better life through improved hearing. Way back in elementary school, it was a young Diane who wowed her classmates with a science project demonstrating bone-conduction hearing.

“This was back when we had portable record players,” she says. “I took the record player to school, and instead of using the needle on the record, I had a sewing needle stuck into a pencil eraser. We’d hold the wooden end of the pencil between our teeth and place the needle on the turning record and could hear the record through our teeth and bones in our skulls. It’s not coming through your ear canals. It’s bone-conduction hearing.”

The workings of the human auditory system haven’t ceased to amaze Diane. Now, as a board-certified doctor of audiology, she’s discovered she likes the human side of audiology even more than the medical/science side. “I love the patient contact and making a difference in the lives of my patients the most,” she says.

After more than 26 years serving as an audiologist, the last 14 with her own practice, Dr. Blaising provides a source for total hearing care. “I want my office to serve as a resource center for everything hearing,” she says. “I opened Cityview Audiology & Hearing Aids because I wanted to do more for my patients. For instance, we offer a free aural rehab class for anyone who wants to learn coping strategies for people with hearing loss and their families. Sometimes family members need a little education about how to communicate with the one with hearing difficulties.”

Dr. Blaising says, “Our entire team joins me in our mission to help our patients obtain a better quality of life by enhancing their ability to communicate with

By Meredith Knight

family and friends, leading to deeper, more meaningful relationships,” she says. “We love helping working men and women be more successful in their careers. We love helping grandparents have better communication with their grandchildren. We live in a time when hearing aid technology is extremely sophisticated, and we have the ability to treat any hearing loss successfully. Every patient is different. So we stay abreast of advancements in the programming software that allows us to correctly fit hearing instruments to each unique hearing loss.”

“Research is out now that proves hearing loss is a major contributing factor for dementia. Our office now offers our patients a cognitive domain screening. This helps us to help our patients as we treat their hearing loss.”

Dr. Diane Blaising began her career in audiology in 1992. She received her doctor of audiology degree from the Arizona School of Health Sciences and her master’s degree in audiology from the Callier Center for Communication Disorders at the University of Texas at Dallas. She has years of experience working with hearing-impaired adults and children in otolaryngologists’ offices and as a pediatric audiologist at the Louisville Deaf Oral School. Dr. Blaising is board-certified in audiology by the American Board of Audiology and has twice been given the Ace Award for continuing education.

Alliance | Arlington | Carrollton | Corsicana | Ennis | Fort Worth | Hillsboro | Houston | Irving

*Long Nguyen, MD Bariatric | General Surgery

*Jay Patel, DO Bariatric | Surgical Oncology | General Surgery

*Ashley Mekala, DO Bariatric | General Surgery

*Denish Patel, DO General Surgery

*Saadi Halbouni, MD Vascular Surgery

*Tai Do, MD General Surgery

*Leslie Reddell, DO, FACS General Surgery

*Hyungmin Jung, MD General Surgery

*Steve Schierling, MD, FACS Bariatric | General Surgery

Alliance | Arlington | Carrollton | Corsicana | Ennis | Fort Worth | Hillsboro | Houston | Irving

Not Pictured: Dr. Arvind Patel, General Surgery.

At North Texas Surgical Specialists, our patients come first. We recognize everyone is unique, therefore we tailor care to achieve the best possible outcome through personalized approaches that enable an active role in each patient’s treatment plan. Our surgeons are experts at a range of surgeries such as robotics, minimally invasive, general surgery, surgical oncology, vascular, colorectal, and weight loss. By using state-of-the-art technology and advanced techniques, we’re dedicated to delivering high-quality care with incredible results giving patients the tools and confidence to take charge of their health.

*Doctor was selected for the 2023 Fort Worth Top Doc award

*Nezar Jrebi, MD Colorectal Surgery

*Besem Beteck, MD Vascular Surgery

Andre Graham, MD, FACS Bariatric | General Surgery

*Cathryn Coleman, MD General Surgery

*Paresh Rajajoshiwala, MD

Bariatric | General Surgery

John Paek, DO Bariatric | General Surgery

Travis Corgan, MD General Surgery

The RM Restaurant Group has been serving the Fort Worth and surrounding communities for 2 decades. At the core of its two brands, Rio Mambo Tex Mex y Mas and THE RIM scratch craft, relationships have been the key to success. Eloy Reyes, Executive Chef along with key leaders including Luis Suarez (Fort Worth), Angelica Banuelos Rocha (Weatherford), and Laura Rivera

(Colleyville) have been instrumental in bringing Rio Mambo to the forefront of the industry. Dave Mueller (Operating Partner) and Keith Hicks along with Chef de Cuisine Jesus Gonzalez have been essential in the development of THE RIM brand opening location number two in the Waterside development in May of 2021. This location is under the leadership of Jose Mireles. www.riomambo.com

CATER LINE: 877-536-2626 www.therimrestaurant.com

FOCUS

Doctors to Know

The doctor-patient relationship is one of life’s most important partnerships, and choosing the right practitioner can make a marked difference. To help you select a practitioner who will meet your needs, the following doctors want to tell you more about themselves, their practices, and how partnering with them will improve the quality of your life.

The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth Magazine.

DOCTORS TO

SPECIALTY: Plastic Surgery. EDUCATION: B.A., UT Austin; M.D., UTMB, Galveston; Intern resident and general surgery, LSU School of Medicine, Charity Hospital New Orleans; Plastic Surgery resident, UTMB, Galveston. CERTIFICATION: Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, Texas Medical Association, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dallas Society of Plastic Surgeons, Fort Worth Society of Plastic Surgeons. WHAT SETS US APART: My concentration in the body contouring part of aesthetic surgery, as well as 30-plus years of experience in knowing what works and what doesn’t.

COSMETIC SURGERY CENTER SERVICES: Breast enlargement, breast lift, liposuction body contouring, Tummy tuck, waist tuck, and mommy makeover.

MEDI SPA SERVICES: Wrinkle relaxers, facial fillers, lip enhancement, Sculptra, SkinPen Microneedling, Diamond Glow Facial, and ZO ® Skin Health Products.

PATIENT CARE: My goal is to create a beautiful and natural appearance. To ensure the highest level of care possible, our beautiful facility combines a surgery center that is fully accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. with a medical spa. We are one of very few surgery centers that has a private, one doctor, fully accredited facility. CHARITABLE WORK: Boys & Girls Club, Wounded Warrior, and CWC.

Accent On You

Cosmetic Surgery Center and Medical Spa

Y. Anthony Nakamura, M.D., P.A.

Accent On You

3030 S. Cooper St. • Arlington, Texas 76015 817.417.7200 • Fax 817.417.7300 accentonyou.com

FOCUS DOCTORS TO KNOW

Key-Whitman Eye Center

SPECIALTY: Ophthalmology – adult eye care including treatment for cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, and dry eyes. Also offering laser vision correction and high-tech lens implants for reduced dependence on glasses and contacts, as well as cosmetic eyelid surgery. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Chian-Huey “Amy” Hong, M.D. – cum laude, Columbia University; B.A., pre-med and economics; medical degree, UT Southwestern Medical School; internship, ophthalmology residency and glaucoma fellowship, Tulane School of Medicine. Ronald Barke, M.D. – undergraduate and medical school, University of Southern California; internship, Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center; fellowship, Jules Stein Eye Institute in lens and cataract biochemistry; training, UT Southwestern Medical School, fellowship in oculoplastics and residency in ophthalmology; currently on staff as a clinical volunteer at UT Southwestern Medical School. Lauren May, M.D. – Northwestern University in Chicago; medical degree, Duke University in Durham, North Carolina; two-year fellowship in oculoplastics. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Key-Whitman is one of the few eye centers that offers the full range of options to improve your vision, with customized LASIK and high-tech lenses for cataract

procedures. INNOVATIONS: The advances in high-tech lenses like the Light Adjustable Lens, Vivity, PanOptix, and Symfony using the latest techniques with Femtosecond laser, which give many patients a wide range of vision for near or far distances with less dependency on glasses or contacts. FREE ADVICE: Everyone needs to have regular eye health exams. Oftentimes, permanent vision loss can be easily prevented with early diagnosis and treatment of conditions before any symptoms are present. PICTURED: Ronald Barke, M.D.; C. Amy Hong, M.D.; Rosmary Sanchez, O.D.; and Tara Hardin, O.D.; (not photographed) Lauren May, M.D.

Key-Whitman Eye Center

910 N. Davis Drive • Arlington, Texas 76012

400 W. Arbrook Blvd. • Arlington, Texas 76014

3400 N. Tarrant Parkway • Fort Worth, Texas 76177

817.460.2272 • Toll-free 1.800.442.5330 • Fax 817.265.9684 patientservices@keywhitman.com • keywhitman.com

Texas Eye and Laser Center

Texas Eye Surgery Center

Texas Eye Research Center

Jerry G. Hu, M.D.; Brian D. Ranelle, D.O.

WHAT SETS THEM APART: Texas Eye and Laser Center (TELC) has been a mainstay in Tarrant County for more than 45 years. They have been offering LASIK and PRK in Tarrant County since 1997 and have remained at the forefront of laser vision correction ever since. In 2011, TELC introduced LenSx® Blade-Free Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery to the metroplex. As clinical investigators in numerous FDA studies, they have also pioneered in each generation of intraocular lenses for the treatment of cataract, presbyopia, and astigmatism, including the PanOptix trifocal implant, Tecnis Synergy IOL which combines extended depth of focus and multifocal technology, Vivity extended-depth-of-focus lens, Tecnis Toric II lens, and lightadjustable-lens by RxSight. In 2019, they brought to Fort Worth the most advanced laser vision correction — SMILE (aka no-flap LASIK). Advanced technologies aside, what makes Drs. Hu and Ranelle truly special is their emphasis on personal touch and exceptional patient experience. AREAS OF SPECIALITY: TELC offers a complete range of eye-care services including Blade-Free Customized LASIK; SMILE (no-flap LASIK); LenSx® Blade-Free Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery; premium cataract implants including PanOptix, Synergy IOL, Vivity, Tecnis Symfony, Toric IOLs, light-adjustable-lens by RxSight, Visian™ Phakic ICL; cornea collagen crosslinking (CXL), Intacs intracorneal rings, corneal transplants; glaucoma care; treatment of macular degeneration, and diabetic eye disease. EDUCATION: Jerry G. Hu, M.D. – Duke University School of Medicine; fellowship in Cornea and Refractive Surgery, Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA; Certified, American Board of Ophthalmology. Brian D. Ranelle, D.O. – University of Texas, Austin; Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences Medical School; Certified, American Board of Ophthalmology. INNOVATIONS: TELC is nationally recognized as a leading investigational site for numerous FDA clinical trials of advanced intraocular lens implants including the latest PanOptix trifocal IOL. Drs. Hu and Ranelle are early adopters of many diagnostic and surgical devices including ORA Intraoperative Wavefront Aberrometry. TELC offers a full range of advanced technology packages that enable patients to see clearly at all distances with little to no dependency on glasses after cataract surgery. Their state-of-the-art facilities include an on-site Laser Vision Correction Suite, the AAAHC-accredited Texas Eye Surgery Center, and Texas Eye Research Center where patients can become participants of FDA clinical trials. PICTURED: Jerry G. Hu, M.D.; Brian D. Ranelle, D.O.; Stacey Webb, O.D.; Keith Head, O.D.; D’Laine Heisterkamp, O.D.; and Megan Solis, O.D.

Texas Eye and Laser Center

1872 Norwood Drive • Hurst, Texas 76054 3405 Locke Ave. • Fort Worth, Texas 76107

817.540.6060 • Fax 817.571.9301 texaseyelaser.com

Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group

Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Emory University School of Medicine and University of California, Davis for Residency.

MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: American Academy of Otolaryngology, TCU School of Medicine, and TCOM Assistant Professors. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: JPS Health Network.

INNOVATIONS: Comprehensive Sub-Specialty Care. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: We provide direct attending to patient care at all times and comprehensive care within the spectrum of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. FREE ADVICE: Avoid smoking! It can cause ear infections, sinus infections, and head and neck cancer. PICTURED: Mai Nguyen, M.D.; Peter Wickwire, M.D.; Lindi Berry, AuD; Amanda Switzer, APRN, FNP; Cassie Dean, PA-C.

Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group

1500 S. Main St.

Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.702.2986

Fax 817.702.1605

Acclaim | Fort Worth, TX | Acclaim Physician Group (teamacclaim.org)

Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group

Neurology/NeuroSurgery

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Neurosurgery. EDUCATION: UTSW School of Medicine and UT San Antonio School of Medicine. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Congress of Neurological Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgery, TCU School of Medicine

Assistant Professors. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: Baylor Scott & White All Saints, Baylor Surgical Care, JPS Health Network. INNOVATIONS: Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery, Minimally Invasive Brain & Spine Surgery. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: We provide a high-level care to so many cultures. Continuity of care with face-to-face interaction with the surgeons and advance practice providers. FREE ADVICE: Feel free to ask questions. PICTURED: O. Lee Kesterson, M.D.; R. Justin Garling, M.D.; Domenico Gattozzi, M.D.; Haley Hutson, PA-C; Amanda Tice, APRN, ACNP-BC, RNFA; Taylor Whiddon, PA-C.

Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group 1250 Eighth Ave., Ste. 600 Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.702.9100

Fax 817.882.9242

Acclaim | Fort Worth, TX | Acclaim Physician Group (teamacclaim.org)

SPECIALTY: Board certified in allergy and immunology, treating adult and pediatric patients. HONORS: Consistently named a “Top Doc” in Fort Worth Magazine, Dr. Haden has been frequently quoted in newspapers and featured on local and national news discussing the impact and control of allergies. PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY: The patient is always the focus, not the disease. We offer tailored, individualized care for allergies, asthma, and related conditions. Treatment regimens are customized to the patient’s needs and lifestyle. Few conditions affect quality of life more than allergy-based symptoms, resulting in missed days of school and work, lost productivity, and fatigue due to the impact of allergies on quality of sleep. Allergies can impact almost every facet of a person’s life. Our practice empowers our patients to take control of their symptoms. INNOVATIONS: RUSH immunotherapy, a “jump start” to the allergy shot process that provides relief months faster than traditional allergy shots with very high patient satisfaction. We employ multiple latest-generation injection and infusion asthma therapies. Also, we were one of the first private sites in Texas to be chosen to deliver COVID-19 vaccine and have remained at the forefront of pandemic treatment, safety, and response techniques. CONDITIONS TREATED: Allergies (nasal and eye), asthma, food allergy, recurrent infections, immune deficiency, sinusitis, headache, medication allergy, hives, chronic cough and many others.

Allergy and Asthma Clinic of Fort Worth

1000 College Ave. Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.336.8855

Fax 817.336.4228

allergyfortworth.com

Allergy and Asthma Clinic of Fort Worth

SPECIALTY: Dermatology. EDUCATION: Texas A&M, summa cum laude; M.D., U.T. Southwestern Medical Center; Internship, Baylor University Medical Center for Internal Medicine; Residency, U.T. Southwestern Medical Center. AWARDS/ HONORS: Texas Monthly Super Doctor; Fort Worth Magazine Top Doc; Healthcare Hero; Medical Honor Society-AOA; Chief Resident in Dermatology. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Past-president, Dallas Dermatological Society; American Society of Dermatological Surgery; Texas Dermatology Society; American Academy of Dermatology. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: Baylor Scott & White Medical CenterGrapevine and Southlake Methodist Hospital. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS: Started Southlake Dermatology in 1999 and mother of two sons. HOPES FOR THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE: Keep government and insurance companies out of medical decision-making. INNOVATIONS: One of the first offices in DFW to offer Potenza, which helps create healthy skin and restore our youthful glow. ONE THING I’D CHANGE ABOUT MEDICINE: Patients would have incentives to make healthy choices and consequences if they don’t. BEDSIDE MANNER: We offer the latest in dermatological care in a serviceoriented practice. CHARITABLE WORK: Grace Community Medical Clinic, Gatehouse, and supporting charitable organizations financially. FREE ADVICE: Wear daily sunscreen with zinc oxide and consider Heliocare oral pills when more protection is needed.

Southlake Dermatology

431 E. State Highway 114, Ste. 300 Southlake, Texas 76092 817.251.6500

southlakedermatology.com

Angela Bowers, M.D.

Southlake Dermatology

Central Park Ear, Nose & Throat, L.L.P.

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Otolaryngology. FOCUS: Central Park ENT is dedicated to being a premier provider of extensive/all-inclusive pediatric and adult ear, nose, throat, head, neck audiology, and allergy care. WHAT SETS US APART: Central Park ENT & Surgery Center is committed to compassionately providing our patients at a reasonable cost the highest quality medical services and to constantly improve and strive for excellence in the best interest of patient care. SERVICES: A few of Central Park Ear, Nose & Throat services and medical procedures offered include adenoid and tonsillectomies, allergy testing and treatment, audiological testing and hearing aids, balloon sinuplasty, ear tubes, ear wax removal, head and neck cancer surgery, hearing and balance disorders, minimally invasive nasal and sinus surgery, salivary gland disorders, sinus disorders, snoring and sleep apnea treatment, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, voice and swallowing disorder.

PICTURED: Tyler W. Scoresby, M.D.; Stuart N. Thomas, M.D.; Christopher T. Lee, M.D.; and Rene M. Pena, M.D.

Park Ear, Nose & Throat, L.L.P.

800 Eighth Ave., Ste. 632 Fort Worth, Texas 76104 • 817.335.6336

221 Regency Parkway, Ste. 111 Mansfield, Texas 76063 • 817.261.9191

centralparkent.net

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Connections Wellness Group specializes in mental health and provides a comprehensive array of services designed to treat anything from mild anxiety to acute depression. It has treatment facilities across the DFW metroplex, and in Tarrant County, its locations are in Southlake, Keller, Arlington, and Mansfield. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Dr. Atkisson – Texas Tech University School of Medicine and the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry; board-certified in adult and child and adolescent psychiatry; Professional Certified Coach, International Coaching Federation.

RECOGNITIONS: Connections Wellness Group — Best Mental Health Practice, Best Psychiatry Practice, Best Child & Adolescent Practice, and Best Trauma Treatment Center. Awstin Gregg, CEO – Social Worker of the Year, 2018; Entrepreneur of the Year, 2019; CEO and founder of Connections Wellness Group. Dr. Atkisson — Distinguished Service Award, Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians; John R. Bush Leadership Excellence Award, Federation of Texas Psychiatry; Resident and Fellow Mentor Award, American Psychiatric Association; Fort Worth Magazine Top Doctor; Texas Monthly Super Doctor. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Connections Wellness Group empowers patients to take the steps moving forward to their wellness. FREE ADVICE: Do not hesitate to seek help for any mental health concerns you have. Taking that first step can move you to the positive place you wish to be. PICTURED: (standing) Catherine Kwarteng, PMHNP; Casey Green, M.D.; Abraham Abegunde, PMHNP; (seated) Debra Atkisson, M.D. (Top Doctor).

Connections Wellness Group

Debra Atkisson, M.D., Regional Medical Director

Connections Wellness Group

3312 Teasley Lane, Building 100 Denton, Texas 76201

940.222.2399

ConnectionsWellnessGroup.com

Cornea Associates of Texas

SPECIALTY: Ophthalmology – Specializing in Corneal Crosslinking, Corneal Transplantation, Premium Lens Cataract Surgery and Refractive Surgery including LASIK, PRK, and EVO ICL. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION: C. Bradley Bowman – M.D., University of Oklahoma School of Medicine; Residency, Ophthalmology, The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute; Fellowship, Cornea and Refractive Surgery, Emory Eye Center; Licensed, Texas Medical Board; Board-Certified, American Board of Ophthalmology. Joshua Zaffos – M.D., Medical College of Georgia; Residency, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore/Krieger Eye Institute; Fellowship, Cornea and Refractive Surgery, University of California, Irvine, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute; Licensed, Texas Medical Board; Board-Certified, American Board of Ophthalmology. AWARDS/HONORS: America’s Best Ophthalmologists 2022, Newsweek Magazine; Best Doctors by D Magazine; Top Doctors by Fort Worth Magazine; DFW Top 100 Places to Work, 10 consecutive years by the Dallas Morning News INNOVATIONS: For 40 years, Cornea Associates of Texas has been the name to know for patients in need of medical and surgical cornea treatment. Cornea Associates is dedicated to achieving exceptional eye care results and providing first-class service to their patients at all their office locations.

PICTURED: (right to left) C. Bradley Bowman, M.D., and Joshua Zaffos, M.D.

Cornea Associates of Texas 1101 Sixth Ave., Ste. 100 Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.850.9282 Fax 817.850.9218 corneatexas.com

Cornea Consultants of Texas

Aaleya Koreishi, M.D.

Patricia Ple-plakon, M.D.

Joanne Francis, M.D.

SPECIALTY: Drs. Koreishi, Ple-plakon, and Francis are fellowship-trained ophthalmologists providing compassionate, cutting-edge specialty care in cornea transplantation, cataract, and refractive surgery. We are experienced in the newest cornea transplant techniques, advanced cataract surgery/ intraocular lenses, and LASIK. We perform the only FDA-approved corneal crosslinking procedure for keratoconus. EDUCATION: Dr. Koreishi — B.S. and M.D., University of Michigan; ophthalmology residency, Johns Hopkins Hospital; fellowship in Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. Dr. Ple-plakon — B.A., Rice University; M.D. and ophthalmology residency, University of Michigan; fellowship in Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Francis – B.S., University of Akron; M.D., Northeast Ohio Medical University; ophthalmology residency, SUNY Stony Brook; fellowship in Cornea and External Disease at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. PATIENT CARE: We are committed to providing quality and state-ofthe-art care in a friendly atmosphere. Patient education is the key to successful treatment, and we strive to educate our patients so that they can play an active role in their treatment. We are humbled by the trust our patients put in us and honor that trust by providing the best care possible. The Cornea Consultants of Texas team strives to provide exceptional and individualized care to every patient.

Cornea Consultants of Texas

3455 Locke Ave., Ste. 220 • Fort Worth, Texas 817.529.3100

707 N. Fielder Road, Ste. B-1 • Arlington, Texas 817.987.1248

4825 Alliance Blvd., Ste. 100 • Plano, Texas 469.246.1824 corneaconsultantstx.com

DFW Fertility Associates

Ravi Gada, M.D.

Laura Lawrence, M.D.

SPECIALTY: Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (Board-Certified). SERVICES: Treatment of infertility, PCOS, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine inseminations(IUI), donor sperm and donor eggs, minimally invasive surgery including robotic surgery. AWARDS/HONORS: Newsweek Top Clinic; D Magazine Best Doctors; Fort Worth Magazine Top Docs; Patients’ Choice Award; Mom Approved Award; Center of Excellence – Aetna, Cigna, and United.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT:

DFW Fertility Associates has maintained high success rates from fertility treatments over the past decade. With expert fertility physicians, an excellent IVF lab, and great nursing care, couples are able to experience the joys of parenthood. INNOVATIONS: DFW Fertility Associates is a leader in IVF and treats couples from all over the world. Our IVF lab continues to produce ground-breaking research to improve the field of infertility. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Assisting couples with infertility is done with knowledgeable physicians but also compassionate ones, who can help patients during this emotional time. PICTURED: Ravi Gada, M.D. and Laura Lawrence, M.D.

DFW Fertility Associates

910 East Southlake Blvd. • Southlake, Texas 76092

5477 Glen Lakes • Dallas, Texas 75231

7777 Forest Lane • Dallas, Texas 75230

6300 W. Parker Road • Plano, Texas 75093

817.442.5510 • Fax 817.442.8855 dallasfertility.com

SPECIALTY: DFW Infectious Diseases is part of an integrated health care delivery system comprised of physicians, hospitals, case managers, community clinics, managed care partners, and other health care professionals, all of whom work together as a team to deliver the integrated care that is more effective to managing patient infections. MISSION: Our mission is to develop and maintain a patient care environment that enhances our ability to provide comprehensive care in a sensitive and caring setting. PHILOSOPHY: Our philosophy is to approach each patient as an individual and address his or her concerns through proper research and examination, effective and accurate diagnosis, proper treatments, early prevention. and up-to-date education. We constantly strive to significantly improve the health and quality of life of our patients, decrease the duration of illness, and have more positive outcomes. PICTURED: (top row, left to right) Tiffany, RN; Alexandria, medical assistant; Marilyn, lead medical assistant; Roy, with nursing; (second row) Dr. Subramanian; Dr. Bhayani; (front) Pious, nurse practitioner.

DFW Infectious Diseases, PLLC

1615 Hospital Parkway, Ste. 200 Bedford, Texas 76022

817.916.8877

Fax 817.527.2969 dfwid.com

Diabetes and Thyroid Center of Fort Worth, PLLC

SPECIALTY/CERTIFICATIONS: All of our physicians are board-certified by The American Board of Internal Medicine in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. Drs. Bajaj, Lackan, and Tan are Fellows of the American College of Endocrinology and are Endocrine Certified Neck Ultrasonographers. OUR PRACTICE: DTC remains honored to be proudly serving our community with the highest quality endocrinology care in Fort Worth. WHAT SETS US APART: Our providers deliver compassionate patient care with the most medically advanced treatments available. State-of-the-art and personalized care includes in-office thyroid ultrasonography, ultrasound-guided fine needle biopsy, radioactive iodine treatment, bone density measurement, and continuous glucose monitoring. DTC’s active clinical research trials in the fields of diabetes, lipid and osteoporosis management provide our patients with access to the newest therapies available. APPROACH: Our clinic specializes in a treatment philosophy built around a team approach to manage and prevent the complications of diseases including diabetes, osteoporosis, pituitary, adrenal and thyroid disorders. DTC continues to answer the needs of our patients with facilities in Southwest Fort Worth and Southlake. Our physicians are excited to open our new patient-centered, state-of-the-art medical office building in April 2023. We are actively hiring more physicians to better serve our community. PICTURED: (left to right) Chris Bajaj, D.O.; Anjanette Tan, M.D. (@anjanettetanmd); Darren Lackan, M.D.

Diabetes and Thyroid Center of Fort Worth, PLLC

6844 Harris Parkway, Ste. 300 Fort Worth, Texas 76132

817.263.0007 Fax 817.263.1118

info@dtc-fw.com dtc-fw.com

Fort Worth Colon and Rectal Surgery Associates

Paul R. Senter, M.D., FACS, FASCRS

Jason W. Allen, M.D., FACS, FASCRS

Bethany C. Malone, M.D., FACS

SPECIALTY: Colon and Rectal Surgery. All surgeons are dual board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. EDUCATION: Senter – B.S., University of Dallas; M.D., UTHSC at San Antonio; General Surgery and Colorectal Surgery Residencies, Baylor University Medical Center. Allen – B.S., Davidson College; M.D., UT Southwestern; General Surgery Residency, Baylor University Medical Center; Colorectal Surgery Fellowship, Cook County Chicago. Malone – B.A., Boston University; M.D. SUNY Downstate; General Surgery Residency, Summa Health System; Colorectal Surgery Fellowship, Allegheny Health Network. AFFILIATIONS:

THR Harris Methodist Fort Worth, Baylor All Saints, Baylor Surgicare at Oakmont, Southwest Fort Worth Endoscopy Center, Fort Worth Endoscopy Center, and Baylor Surgicare at Fort Worth. INNOVATIONS: Robotic surgery with enhanced recovery protocols. Screening and diagnostic colonoscopy at convenient outpatient endoscopy centers. Novel Interstim ® therapy for the treatment of fecal incontinence. PATIENT CARE: We provide personalized care plans incorporating medical and lifestyle considerations. FREE ADVICE: Follow screening guidelines, including colonoscopy for early detection of colon polyps and cancer.

PICTURED: Jason W. Allen, M.D., FACS, FASCRS; Bethany C. Malone, M.D., FACS; Paul R. Senter, M.D., FACS, FASCRS.

Fort Worth Colon and Rectal Surgery Associates

1325 Pennsylvania Ave., Ste. 400 Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.250.5900 • Fax 817.250.5901 fwcrs.com

SPECIALTY: Otolaryngology. EDUCATION: Callahan – University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas; Residency, University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas. McIntyre – University of Oklahoma Health Science Center; Residency, University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas. Watkins – Louisiana State University of Medicine; Residency, University of Tennessee.

AFFILIATIONS: Park Hill Surgery Center, Baylor Surgical Hospital, Baylor Scott & White, Medical City Surgery Center, Chisholm Trail Surgery Center. MEMBERSHIPS: Texas Medical Association, American Academy of Otolaryngology, American Board of Otolaryngology, American Rhinologic Society, American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy. GREATEST INNOVATIONS: In-office balloon sinuplasty, minimally invasive sinus surgery, minimally invasive thyroid surgery, comprehensive allergy management (medications, allergy shots, and allergy drops), state-of-the-art hearing aids. PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: To maintain devoted relationships between physicians and staff, as well as their patients. BEDSIDE MANNER: We strive to care for each patient from a multidisciplinary perspective and treat each patient as if they were our own family.

PICTURED: (left) Sean M. Callahan, M.D.; (seated) J. Brad McIntyre, M.D.; and (right) Jeremy P. Watkins, M.D.

Fort Worth ENT

5751 Edwards Ranch Road, Ste. 200 Fort Worth, Texas 76109

817.332.8848

Fax 817.335.2670 fortworthent.net

Fort Worth ENT

SPECIALTY: Obstetrics and Gynecology.

EDUCATION: Bradley – B.A., University of Texas at Austin; M.S., D.O., University of North Texas Health Sciences Center; residency, University of Texas at Houston, Board-Certified. English –B.S., University of North Texas; D.O., University of North Texas Health Sciences Center; residency, Texas Tech University HSC, BoardCertified. Gehlot – B.S., University of Delaware; M.D., Medical College of Georgia; residency, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Board-Certified. Jones – B.S., Abilene Christian University; D.O., University of North Texas HSC; residency, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Burnett – B.S., University of Texas at Austin; P.A., University of North Texas Health Sciences Center. AFFILIATIONS: Texas Health Resources - Harris Methodist Southwest; Baylor Scott & White Surgicare Oakmont. INNOVATIONS: Leading the community in opioid-free, gentle cesarean deliveries and providing minimally invasive procedures both in office and in hospital setting. PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY: Our team is dedicated to advocating for the best health plan for our patients and providing compassionate individualized care. The trust our patients place in us to help guide their care is something we value immensely. FREE ADVICE: Be good to yourself, so you can be there for others.

PICTURED: (front) Katie Burnett, PA-C; Taylor Bradley, D.O.; (back) Ashita Gehlot, M.D.; Cynthia English, D.O.; (not pictured) Timothy Jones, D.O.

Fort Worth Obstetrics & Gynecology

6317 Harris Parkway, Ste. 400

Fort Worth, Texas 76132

817.423.2002

Fax 817.423.2004

fortworthobgyn.com

Fort Worth Plastic Surgery & MedSpa

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Robert G. Anderson, M.D. – American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Board of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery. Tony Daniels, M.D. – American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dustin C. Derrick, M.D. – American Board of Surgery; American Board of Plastic Surgery - Board Eligible. AWARDS/HONORS : Voted Top Docs 2001–2023 by peers in Fort Worth Magazine; voted Top Docs 2017–2023 by peers in 360West Magazine; awarded a “Best Companies to Work for in Fort Worth” by Fort Worth Inc.; honored by Forbes magazine as Top 10 Reconstructive & Cosmetic Surgeon in the U.S. and Newsweek magazine as a Texas Plastic Surgeon You Should Know. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Retaining longtime dedicated staff and patients who continue to choose us each year. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Our commitment to the total well-being of our patients. Looking good is only one piece of the puzzle. Our physicians and team are certified in Advanced Bioidentical Hormone Therapy offering the complete package of looking and feeling your best. FREE ADVICE: Cosmetic Surgery is a personal choice. Consultations can feel overwhelming; create a list of questions in advance so you stay prepared. We are dedicated to educating patients and strive to create the most comfortable environment.

Fort Worth Plastic Surgery & MedSpa

800 12th Ave., Ste. 100

Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.810.0770

fortworthplasticsurgery.com @fortworthplasticandmedspa

Robert A. Kaufmann, M.D.

Fort Worth Fertility

MEDICALSPECIALTY: Reproductive Endocrinology. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: M.D., Sackler School of Medicine; board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist; board-certified Obstetrics and Gynecology. AWARDS/HONORS: Patients Choice, 2009 - 2022; Mom Approved Doctor, 2012 - 2022; Most Honored DoctorsTop 1%, 2022. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: Baylor All Saints Fort Worth; Baylor Surgicare Fort Worth; Harris Methodist Fort Worth. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: The number of patients who trust us to help create their families. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Our goal is to provide patient-centered care no matter the diagnosis or financial situation. Our front desk greets you by name, each patient has a nurse dedicated to her care, and all sonograms and clinical procedures are performed by your physician. FREE ADVICE: Understand your fertility options and then follow your heart. PICTURED: Dr. Biren V. Patel and Dr. Robert A. Kaufmann.

Fort Worth Fertility

1800 Mistletoe Blvd.

Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.348.8145

Fax 817.348.8264 fwivf.com

Heart Center of North Texas

Aleem I. Mughal, M.D., FHRS

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Cardiac Electrophysiology. Electrophysiology represents a branch of cardiology focused on heart rhythm disturbances, aka arrhythmias. EDUCATION: Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship/Clinical Cardiovascular Medicine, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center; Internal Medicine Chief Resident/ Internal Medicine Residency, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; medical school, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; undergraduate, Texas A&M University, cum laude, University Honors, Foundation Honors. CERTIFICATIONS: American Board of Internal Medicine to practice Internal Medicine, Clinical Cardiovascular Medicine, and Cardiac Electrophysiology. MEMBERSHIPS: Fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital, Medical City Fort Worth, THR Harris Hospital, Medical City Weatherford, Huguley Hospital; Medical Director of Electrophysiology at Baylor All Saints Medical Center. INNOVATIONS: Conduction system pacing, advanced catheter ablation of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, left atrial appendage occlusion. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: My father has been a part of the Fort Worth medical community since the early 1980s. Fort Worth is my home, and I am honored to be a part of Heart Center of North Texas. It is a blessing to serve my community. Fluent in Spanish and Urdu. GREATEST HONOR: Father of four children. FREE ADVICE: My favorite quote: “If I have seen further than those before me, it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

PICTURED: Aleem Mughal, M.D., FHRS.

Heart Center of North Texas

1017 12th Ave.

Fort Worth, Texas 76092

817.334.2800

Fax 817.334.7985

hcntx.com

heartcenterofnorthtexas.com

SPECIALTY: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery; Craniofacial Fellowship, Salt Lake City, Utah; Plastic Surgery Residency (Chief), University of Kentucky; M.D., Texas A&M College of Medicine; B.S., Vanderbilt University, cum laude. AWARDS/ HONORS: Aggie 100; Super Doctors Texas; Super Doctors Texas Rising Star; Castle Connolly Top Doctor, first female Chief of Plastic Surgery at THR Harris Fort Worth Hospital. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Our private, luxury, in-office surgical suite, City Surgery Center at Kirby Plastic Surgery, within the Shops at Clearfork, is fully accredited by QuadA, the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, the highest level of certification and the gold standard for office-based operating facilities. INNOVATIONS: Surgical patients enjoy Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) using Dr. Kirby’s protocols to streamline recuperation for a faster, easier post-operative course, with minimal discomfort. Dr. Kirby and her team utilize the latest proven techniques and devices to provide safe, natural results with optimal comfort at Kalos Medical Spa. Kalos is home to multiple national trainers in Coolsculpting, PDO Thread Lifts, tox and fillers. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Dr. Kirby is passionate about her patients and feels that patient education is imperative. She takes time with each patient to make sure they are comfortable and that every question is answered.

Kirby Plastic Surgery

Kirby Plastic Surgery

5075 Edwards Ranch Road • Fort Worth, Texas 76109 817.292.4200 • Fax 817.292.4205

info@kirbyplasticsurgery.com

KirbyPlasticSurgery.com • KalosMedicalSpa.com

Kelly R. Kunkel, M.D., P.A.

SPECIALTY: A board certified plastic surgeon, specializing in cosmetic surgery of the face, breast, and body, and breast cancer reconstruction. EDUCATION: Undergraduate, Notre Dame; M.D., University of Texas Medical Branch; Plastic Surgery, Oregon Health and Sciences University. AWARDS/HONORS: Kunkel has been selected by Fort Worth Magazine as one of the area’s Top Docs 22 times, by Texas Monthly magazine as a Texas Super Doctor 19 times, and by 360 West Magazine as a Top Doctor seven times. He was also named a Health Care Hero by Fort Worth Business PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Medical Association, and Tarrant County Medical Society. AFFILIATIONS: Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center, Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth Hospital, Texas Health Fort Worth Hospital. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: We have created a remarkable culture of compassion, care, education, and service in our office. BEDSIDE MANNER: We treat you like you are a person who has desires and needs; you’re not just another surgical procedure. OFF HOURS: Kunkel enjoys playing golf, taking photographs and blogging about murals found around Fort Worth, and enjoying and enhancing the environment of his adopted segment of the Trinity River. FREE ADVICE: In cosmetic surgery, experience matters. Find someone who not only understands your needs but can also demonstrate experience with a variety of techniques.

Kelly R. Kunkel, M.D., P.A.

1830 Eighth Ave. Fort Worth, Texas 76110

817.335.5200

info@kunkelplasticsurgery.com kunkelplasticsurgery.com

SPECIALTY: Plastic Surgery, sub-specializing in cosmetic surgery of the face and body.

EDUCATION: Aesthetic surgery fellowship, Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital; plastic surgery residency, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas; medical school, UT Southwestern Medical School, summa cum laude; undergraduate, University of Oklahoma, B.S., microbiology, summa cum laude. SPECIAL INTERESTS: Face lift, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, nonsurgical facial rejuvenation. CERTIFICATION: Board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. AFFILIATIONS: UT Southwestern, Clinical Assistant Professor; Baylor All-Saints Medical Center; Harris Methodist Fort Worth; Baylor Surgical Hospital; Texas Health Surgery Center Fort Worth Midtown. PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Building a busy clinical practice from the ground up while maintaining a focus on academic pursuits including the education of both current and future plastic surgeons. UNIQUE BEDSIDE MANNER: We always aim to fulfill the golden rule: Treat every patient as we would want to be treated ourselves. The rest falls into place.

Jon Kurkjian, M.D.

5825 Edwards Ranch Road, Ste. 200 Fort Worth, Texas 76109

817.870.5080

Fax 817.870.5064

jkplasticsurgery.com doctor@jkplasticsurgery.com

Jon Kurkjian, M.D.

SPECIALTY: Board-Certified in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. EDUCATION: B.S., University of Texas at Austin; M.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical School; residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Breast reconstruction featuring direct to implant and pre-pectoral breast reconstruction, revision reconstruction, breast augmentation, breast lift and body contouring, fat grafting and facial injectables.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Medical Association, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Texas Medical Association, Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons, Tarrant County Medical Society, Fort Worth Plastic Surgery Society. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: Harris Methodist Fort Worth; Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center; Texas Health Surgery Center Fort Worth Midtown. BEDSIDE

MANNER: I offer a realistic female perspective and enjoy taking the time to develop a relationship with my patients in order to fully address their concerns and goals. DURING OFF-HOURS: I find my joy in spending time with my husband and our 13-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. I also enjoy fly-fishing, hiking, skiing, traveling to exotic places, and photography. PHILOSOPHY: “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” – Aristotle.

800 Eighth Ave., Ste. 406 Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.698.9990

Fax 817.698.9997

info@drleblanc.com drleblanc.com

Le Blanc Plastic Surgery

SPECIALTY: Board Certified Dermatologist. EDUCATION: David Hensley – undergraduate, University of Texas, Austin; M.D., Texas Tech University; residency, Geisinger Medical Center; P.A., fellowship, University of Texas, Houston. Stephen Blum – Southwestern Medical School. Richard Brandt – Doctorate, Texas Tech University; P.A.-C, Hahnemann University; MPAS, University of Nebraska. Heather Le – Master of Science in Nursing, Texas Woman’s University; Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Texas in Arlington. Josie Karl – Dermatologic P.A., University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. Jana King – B.S. in Nursing, Texas Christian University. Mary Ann Culwell, Jr. – RN, Texarkana College. MEMBERSHIPS: American Academy of Dermatology, DFW Dermatology Society, Tarrant County Medical Society, Texas Dermatologic Society, Arlington Chamber of Commerce. AFFILIATIONS: Texas Health Resources Arlington. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Serving patients and their families locally and abroad on our medical mission outreach. INNOVATIONS: Xtrac Laser, Blue-U (PDT) for medical treatments, Body Sculpting, HydraFacial, and new state-of-the-art lasers. FREE ADVICE: Be smart when enjoying outdoor activities — wear sunscreen and protective clothing. Watch for new and changing spots on yourself and loved ones. PICTURED: (back, left to right) Mary Ann Culwell, RN.; David Hensley, M.D.; Richard Brandt, PA-C, PhD; Heather Le, MSN, APRN, FNP-C; (front, left to right) Josephine Karl, PA.; Stephen Blum, M.D.; Jana Hargrove, RN.

Metroplex Dermatology

300 W. Arbrook Blvd., Ste. D Arlington, Texas 76014

817.704.4777

Fax 817.701.2323

info@metroderm.com

metroderm.com

Northstar Dermatology

Amir Aboutalebi, M.D., FAAD

Nicole Strickland, M.D., FAAD

Shalini Vemula, M.D., FAAD

Christine Read, PA-C

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Medical, Surgical, and Cosmetic Dermatology. EDUCATION/

CERTIFICATIONS: Dr. Amir Aboutalebi – M.D., Baylor College of Medicine (AOA member); residency, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Nicole Strickland – M.D. and residency, UT Southwestern Medical School (AOA member). Dr. Shalini Vemula – M.D. and residency, Boston University School of Medicine (AOA member). Christine Read, PA-C – MPAS, UNT Health Science Center; BS, University of Dallas. AWARDS/HONORS: Fort Worth Magazine Top Docs for five years.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Building a practice that boasts the talents of the most exceptional physicians, physician assistant, and staff. This incredible team has allowed us to serve an amazing patient population. We’ve also recently moved into a building that’s gained national recognition and whose architecture embodies our values of transparency and “be even better.” UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Given every individual’s unique genetic background and varying environmental exposures, we recognize each patient’s skin as inherently different, meriting personalized medical attention. We emphasize evidence-based medicine but also maintain an eye to the human aspect of health care. We treat you like family. FREE ADVICE: Invest in your skin now for visible returns in the future. Whenever possible, seek to prevent conditions before they arise. Wear sunscreen, use retinoids, maintain a healthy diet. Don’t waste time, money, and energy on fads. Seek the expertise of a board-certified Dermatologist. It’s your skin; wear it proudly.

Northstar Dermatology

8169 Precinct Line Road, Building 2 North Richland Hills, Texas 76182

817.427.3376 Fax 817.427.3379 northstardermatology.com

North Texas Plastic Surgery and Medspa

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Plastic Surgery. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. AWARDS/HONORS: Harvard, Mayo, and UT Southwestern trained as well as double board-certified physicians on staff. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: North Texas Plastic Surgery has its own AAAASF surgical suite. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: In addition to being board-certified, compassionate, and caring, our doctors’ techniques are very advanced. We have embraced the latest advancements in cosmetic surgery, continuously learning the latest techniques with the latest technology and safety measures. The latest technologies in our industry like Crislix 3D simulation and 3D virtual reality allow patients to have an astonishingly realistic image of their results before they step into surgery. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Patient experience is everything! We also have an application called Klara that keeps us in contact 24/7 for any patient needs before and after surgery. We are always available to our patients throughout their surgical journey. FREE ADVICE: Do your research before choosing a physician for elective surgery. Go to a board-certified physician with experience and make sure they have a certified surgery center. If you are interested in meeting with one of our board-certified physicians to discuss options to enhance your appearance and self-esteem, we are available for one-on-one consultations in one of our five locations: Southlake, Dallas, Plano, Frisco, and Fort Worth. PICTURED: Saad Alsubaie, M.D.; Sacha Obaid, M.D.; Edgar Bedolla, M.D.; Casey Anderson, M.D.

North Texas Plastic Surgery and Medspa

817.416.8080

northtexasplasticsurgery.com

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Glaucoma Consultation and Surgery, Cataract Surgery. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: M.D., The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Residency, Washington University/Barnes Hospital; Glaucoma Fellowship, University of California - San Francisco. AWARDS/HONORS: 2021 American Glaucoma Society Surgery Day Lecturer; American Academy of Ophthalmology Senior Achievement Award, 2019; American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award, 2006; 30 papers published in peer-reviewed journals; hundreds of presentations given nationally and internationally. Tennis: Ranked #7 in the U.S. in singles and was the #1 doubles player in the country as a youth. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/ AFFILIATIONS: Examiner - American Board of Ophthalmology, Board Member - American Glaucoma Society Foundation, Fellow - American Academy of Ophthalmology. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: Fort Worth Surgery Center, Cook Children’s Hospital - Director Glaucoma: Child Vision Center. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Awarded the 12th Surgery Day Lectureship at the annual American Glaucoma Society meeting this year. This keynote address is awarded to the “individual who has contributed to the excellence and advancement of glaucoma surgery.” INNOVATIONS: Our practice is one of the leading glaucoma research centers in America. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: We care deeply about our patients, and because of our standing, we are able to offer tomorrow’s technology today. FREE ADVICE: The options for glaucoma and cataract care today are truly incredible. Excellent vision, less dependency on glasses and eyedrops are all possible.

Ophthalmology Associates of Fort Worth

1201 Summit Ave.

Fort Worth, Texas 76102

817.332.2020 fortworth2020.com

The Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute

SPECIALTIES: Orthopedic Surgery; Sports Medicine; Minimally Invasive Arthroscopic Surgery of the Shoulder, Hip, Knee, Foot and Ankle; Shoulder, Hip, and Knee Replacements. CERTIFICATIONS/MEMBERSHIPS: Board Certified ABOS, Fellow AAOS; Board Certified Foot and Ankle Surgery. AFFILIATIONS: Baylor Surgicare Fort Worth and at Mansfield; Park Hill Surgery Center; Baylor Surgical Hospital Fort Worth; Texas Health Downtown Fort Worth, Southwest, Cleburne, Mansfield; Methodist Hospitals Mansfield and Midlothian; Wise Health Surgical Hospitals at Argyle and Parkway; Medical City Fort Worth. INNOVATIONS: OSMI provides excellent diagnostic and conservative treatment. State-of-the-art robotic assisted hip, knee reconstruction and anterior approach hip replacements are done by our fellowshiptrained surgeons. WHAT SETS OSMI APART: Orthopedics Today, walk-in clinic for sameday treatment of orthopedic injuries, provides convenient expert care on-site at OSMI. Physical therapy at Fort Worth and Willow Park delivers expert rehabilitation by highly experienced therapists. Adjustable-depth Hydroworx pool with underwater treadmill for training and rehabilitation is available at Fort Worth. BEDSIDE MANNER: OSMI doctors and staff listen, and patients come first. PICTURED: (clockwise) Michael H. Boothby, M.D.; Jonathan N. Tran, M.D.; Vincent J. Inglima, DPM; G. Keith Gill, M.D.; Nicholas E. Martin, M.D.; Bret D. Beavers, M.D.; G. Todd Moore, D.O.

The Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute

2901 Acme Brick Plaza Fort Worth, Texas 76109

305 Regency Parkway, Ste. 405 Mansfield, Texas 76063

817.529.1900

1000 Medical Center Drive Decatur, Texas 76234

940.626.2410 osmifw.com

SPECIALTY: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Our physicians specialize in all aspects of rehabilitation including neck and back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, sports medicine, orthopedic rehabilitation, amputee care, and occupational medicine. Our physicians perform EMG and nerve conduction studies, baclofen pump management, botulinum toxin injections, peripheral joint injections, and Visco supplementation. We provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient therapeutic management. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION: Omar Selod, D.O. – Residency, Baylor University Medical Center; Internship, Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas; Medical School, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. Austen Watkins, D.O. – Residency, UT Southwestern Medical Center; Internship, Plaza Medical Center; Medical School, UNTHSC, TCOM. Benecia Williams, D.O. – Sports Medicine Fellowship, John Peter Smith Hospital; Residency, Baylor University Medical Center; Internship, John Peter Smith Health Network; Medical School, UNTHSC, TCOM. Hayden Smith, D.O.– Residency, Baylor University Medical Center; Internship, John Peter Smith Health Network; Medical School, UNTHSC, TCOM. AFFILIATIONS: Medical City Fort Worth, Baylor Scott & White, Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth, Kindred Southwest. PICTURED: Lan Le, D.O.; Neha Shah, D.O.; Austen Watkins, D.O.; Benecia Williams, D.O.; Hayden Smith D.O.; (not pictured) Omar Selod, D.O.

PMR Fort Worth

New Office: 5632 Edwards Ranch Road, Ste. 100 Fort Worth, Texas 76109

817.336.7188

Fax 844.231.8865 pmrfortworth.com

PMR Fort Worth

TO KNOW

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: American Board Certified in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and fellowship trained in Cosmetic /Aesthetic Surgery. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Harvardteaching program) (General Surgery); Louisiana State University (Plastic Surgery) and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (Aesthetic Fellowship).

AWARDS/HONORS: Compassionate Doctor Recognition, Super Doctors Texas Rising Stars, Fort Worth Magazine Top Doctors.

MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

Closing a practice in Chicago and moving to New York City to train under world-renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Donald Wood-Smith to complete an Aesthetic Fellowship. INNOVATION AND SPECIAL INTERESTS: Dr. Polavarapu specializes in facial rejuvenation with personally compounded chemical peels and creates a “natural look” with her approach to anti-aging, fillers, neuromodulators, and lasers. She has a unique approach on breast augmentation, tummy tucks and body contouring and otoplasty. She is also certified in the hidden scar approach to breast reconstruction. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Ability to relate to all patients and treat them like family. FREE ADVICE: Do your research and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Look at before-and-after pictures and help set expectations with your plastic surgeon ... as everybody and everyone is unique.

Polavarapu Plastic Surgery, PLLC

5701 Edwards Ranch Road, Ste. 113 Fort Worth, Texas 76109

817.615.8576

Fax 817.615.8197

facebook.com/fwplastics Instagram @fwplastics polavplastics.com

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Board-Certified Dermatologist. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: M.D., Baylor College of Medicine - Houston; Dermatology residency, Texas Tech Health Science Center. PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: American Academy of Dermatology, Texas Dermatological Society, Tarrant County Medical Society, Cornerstone Assistance Network volunteer. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Dr. Rajan has been practicing in Fort Worth for over 25 years and is proud to have a practice that offers comprehensive dermatological care. Dr. Rajan and her other providers — Jennifer Gamez, N.P.; Karen Moreland, P.A.; Sonya Tanna, P.A.; and nurse injector and certified laser specialist Sommer Durante-Murray, R.N. —are accepting new patients and have immediate openings for medical and cosmetic appointments.

INNOVATIONS: Facial rejuvenation in the form of Tixel and radiofrequency, fillers, Botox® Dysport®, SkinCeuticals ® skin care products, and HydraFacials.

Betty Rajan, M.D. 6600 Bryant Irvin Road Fort Worth, Texas 76132  817.820.0011  bettyrajanmd.com rajandermatology.com

Betty Rajan, M.D.

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Interventional Pain Management, Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine, and Sports Medicine. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: Mark Dirnberger, D.O. –medical degree, Texas College of Osteopathic Medical, UNTHSC; internship, Medical City Fort Worth; residency, OMCT Hospital Fort Worth in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine. AWARDS/ HONORS: Dr. Dirnberger – Top Doc and Best Of for Pain Management in the Mansfield/Arlington area, multiple years. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: Baylor Scott & White Surgicare, Mansfield; Methodist Mansfield Medical Center and USMD Hospital, Arlington. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Dr. Dirnberger is an adjunct professor in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. INNOVATIONS: Regency utilizes multiple modalities when treating pain patients. One treatment option unique to Regency and Dr. Dirnberger’s practice is Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment. SERVICES: Regency Pain & Therapy Institute provides a full range of treatment options and services for patients suffering from chronic and acute pain. Our practice is all inclusive utilizing education, medications, physical therapy, injections, and various procedures to treat pain. And for patient convenience, everything is available under one roof. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Dr. Dirnberger’s patients appreciate the time he takes with them to make sure he understands their unique situation. Once diagnosed, he will customize a treatment plan utilizing the safest and most advanced treatment options available.

PICTURED: Mark Dirnberger, D.O.; Cindy Ng, D.O.; Jason Butler, M.D.

Regency Pain & Therapy Institute

74 Regency Parkway

Mansfield, Texas 76063

817.419.6111

Fax 817.419.9582

painandtherapy.com

SPECIALTY: Ophthalmology: Cataract Surgery, Premium Lens Implants (Toric Lens, PanOptix, Vivity, Tecnis Symfony), Diseases of the Retina and Vitreous, Diabetic Retinopathy/Lasers, Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma Treatment.

EDUCATION: B.A., magna cum laude, Harvard University, 1986; M.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, 1990; Ophthalmology Residency, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, 1995; Vitreoretinal Fellowship, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 1997.

CERTIFICATIONS: Board Certified, American Board of Ophthalmology. AWARDS: Physician’s Recognition Award, American Medical Association. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Texas Ophthalmological Association, Texas Medical Association, Tarrant County Medical Society. AFFILIATIONS: Baylor Scott & White Surgical Hospital Las Colinas, Baylor Scott & White-Irving, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Texas Health Surgery Center Arlington. PATIENT CARE: A commitment to excellence in eye care is enhanced by our outstanding, caring staff. Dr. Reinke is a uniquely talented surgeon who personally provides all preoperative and postoperative care.

Reinke Eye and Laser Center

1310 N. White Chapel Blvd. • Southlake, Texas 76092 817.310.6080 • Fax 817.310.6014 1916 Central Drive • Bedford, Texas 76021 817.283.6607 • Fax 817.283.2674

7433 Las Colinas Blvd. • Irving, Texas 75063 972.556.1915 • Fax 972.556.1877

reinke.southlake@gmail.com dfwlasercataract.com

Reinke Eye and Laser Center

Martin Reinke, M.D.

Retina Center of Texas

SPECIALTY: Retina specialist; board-certified, fellowship-trained ophthalmologists specializing in the most advanced treatments for medical and surgical diseases of the retina including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular occlusions, retinal detachment, macular holes, epiretinal membrane, and intraocular tumors.

EDUCATION: The physicians have trained at leading institutions, including the Johns Hopkins Hospital Wilmer Eye Institute, Duke University Eye Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University of California San Francisco, and the Georgetown University/Retina Group of Washington.

PATIENT CARE: We believe the most important qualities of the doctor-patient relationship are communication, trust, and compassion. As physicians, we should know more than our patients about their disease; our goal is to have them understand their disease at least as well as we do. With communication, we strive to educate our patients every day. We are humbled by our patients’ trust and feel that trust is a strong foundation upon which our relationship is built. Our goal is to heal; often, that healing comes from soothing the mind or the heart through compassion. We advise our patients to take an active part in their treatment.

Retina Center of Texas

3455 Locke Ave., Ste. 310

Fort Worth, Texas 76107

305 Morrison Park Drive, Ste. 100 Southlake, Texas 76092

3804 W. 15th St., Ste. 130 Plano, Texas 75075

12222 N. Central Expressway, Ste. 250 Dallas, Texas 75243

817.865.6800 • Fax 817.865.6790 retinacentertx.com

SPECIALTY: Rheumatology. EDUCATION: Internal Medicine Residency at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey; Fellowship in Rheumatology at Los Angeles County/University of Southern California. CERTIFICATIONS: BoardCertified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine from the American Board of Internal Medicine, Certified in Medical Humanities, Drew University; certified in rheumatological procedures under ultrasound guidance by the Ultrasound School of North American Rheumatologists (USSONAR). AWARDS/HONORS: Top Doc 2017-2022; Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars 2020-2022; 360 West Top Doc 2020-2022; Medical Honoree for the Arthritis Foundation; Barbara Sloan Patient Comfort Award for outstanding compassion and care of patients; Assistant Chief Medical Resident. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: American College of Rheumatology (ACR), American Medical Association (AMA), Texas Medical Association (TMA). AFFILIATIONS: Texas Health Huguley Hospital. INNOVATIONS: Dr. Rajbhandary specializes in treating both common as well as rare rheumatic conditions, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, gout, fibromyalgia, sarcoidosis, Bechet’s disease, and osteoporosis. She does steroid and Visco supplementation injections, trigger point injections, injections for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger and bursitis. PATIENT CARE: Dr Rajbhandary provides evidence-based, patient-centered, rheumatological care to help her patients who are suffering from acute and chronic pain due to their autoimmune disease.

Rheumatology Clinic of DFW, PLLC

11803 S. Freeway, Ste. 104 • Fort Worth, Texas 76115 817.551.3812 • Fax 817.551.3813

rheumatologyclinicofdfw.com

SPECIALTY: Both Drs. Heistein and Rumalla specialize in plastic and reconstructive surgery, including breast augmentation, breast lift, liposuction, tummy tuck, mommy makeover, facelift, eyelid lift and more. CERTIFICATION: Both Drs. Heistein and Rumalla are boardcertified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery. OUR FACILITY: The Southlake Surgery Center is a state-of-the-art, AAASF-certified ambulatory surgery center designed to cater to the needs, desires, and privacy of our patients. PATIENT CARE: Our philosophy is to provide each patient with a first-class surgical experience. We deliver the highest level of integrity and expertise in all of our cosmetic procedures. From the first phone call, and all the way through the post-operative visits, we assure that each patient will receive kind and compassionate care. We have an experienced and professional team who are dedicated to helping each patient feel better inside and out. PICTURED: Jonathan Heistein, M.D.; Vishnu Rumalla, M.D.;

Southlake Surgery Center

521 W. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 175 Southlake, Texas 76092

Dr. Heistein • 817.820.0000

Dr. Rumalla •817.334.0030 Fort Worth and Keller offices tarrantplasticsurgery.com Jonathan Heistein, M.D. Vishnu Rumalla, M.D. Southlake Surgery Center

Fort Worth and Southlake offices drheistein.com

Spine Team Texas

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Comprehensive spine care. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Dr. Neil Patel, Orthopedic Spine Surgeon – Residency, Wayne State University, Orthopedics; Fellowship, University of Southern California, Spine Surgery; Medical School, University of Illinois, Doctor of Medicine; Board Certifications, Orthopedic Surgery, American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, Diplomat. Dr. Harish Badhey, Anesthesiologist/Pain Management – Residency, Rush University, Anesthesiology; Fellowship, Wake Forest, Interventional Pain Medicine; Medical School, Armed Forces Medical College, Doctor of Medicine; Board Certifications, Anesthesiology, American Board of Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, American Board of Anesthesiology. AWARDS/HONORS: Both doctors have been recognized as Top Doctors in either Fort Worth Magazine, Southlake Style, 360 West Magazine D Magazine, or Living Magazine. Dr. Patel is the recipient of many honors and distinctions, including the Herbert E. Pedersen M.D. Orthopedic Research Award and the Resident Outstanding Achievement Award. INNOVATIONS: Our practice is constantly researching and adding innovative treatment options for our patients to be able to effectively treat our patients’ symptoms in the most conservative and minimally invasive manner. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Spine Team Texas is a comprehensive spine center that specializes in the treatment of back and neck pain. Through our conservative approach, we’re able to treat more than 92% of patients without surgery. PICTURED: Neil Patel, M.D., FAAOS; Harish Badhey, M.D.

Spine Team Texas 10900 Founders Way, Ste. 101 Fort Worth, Texas 76244

817.442.9300

Fax 817.416.0108

SpineTeamTexas.com

Matthew H. Steele, M.D.

SPECIALTY: Plastic Surgery. EDUCATION: B.S., M.D., University of Florida; Board Certified, American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, LSU Health Sciences Center; Board Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine. AWARDS/HONORS: Top Doctor, Fort Worth Magazine, 2013–2016; RealSelf 100 Award; Exemplary Teacher Award, University of Florida, College of Medicine; Outstanding Young Alumnus, University of Florida Alumni Association. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: American Society of Plastic Surgeons; American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Being accepted into a prestigious accelerated medical school program at the University of Florida and teaching young residents and medical students at my alma mater. INNOVATIONS: We offer virtual reality 3D breast imaging so that patients can get a more realistic visualization of their results after breast augmentation. Additionally, Dr. Steele offers awake, in-office liposuction combined with BodyTite/FaceTite for optimal skin contraction and a speedy recovery. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Our team prides itself on providing an individualized, first-class experience. We take the time to build a trusting, collaborative relationship with each patient. FREE ADVICE: Always check for board certification and get a few opinions from several plastic surgeons. PICTURED: Dr. Matthew Steele, Keri Steele, Jessica Garcia, Erica Ramos, Jennifer Geyer, and Victoria Puff.

Matthew H. Steele, M.D. 5656 Edwards Ranch Road, Ste. 202 Fort Worth, Texas 76109

817.731.5330

info@drsteeleplasticsurgery.com drsteeleplasticsurgery.com

SPECIALTY: Cosmetic surgery of the breast, body and face, and breast reconstruction.

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION: B.S., Amherst College; M.D. and residencies in Surgery and Plastic Surgery at UTMB Galveston; Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. MEMBERSHIPS: The Aesthetic Society, American Association of Plastic Surgeons, Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons. INNOVATIONS: Dr. Strock is an internationally recognized authority on breast implant surgery. He is widely known for his expertise in the treatment of complications from previous breast implant surgery, including both implant replacement and removal, with use of the patient’s own tissue to create optimal breast shape. He is also well known for his expertise in first time breast enhancement, including transaxillary endoscopic breast augmentation, an approach that allows patients to have silicone gel implants placed using a short incision in the armpit, avoiding any incisions on the breast. Dr. Strock teaches plastic surgeons in practice the latest concepts and techniques in breast implant surgery at The Aesthetic Society’s Sponsored Symposia and Annual Aesthetic Meeting. He has served as president of the The Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation, Traveling Professor for The Aesthetic Society, and serves as adjunct faculty at UTSW. This dedication to education and his specialty gives him access to the latest information that he routinely applies to help his patients.

800 Eighth Ave., Ste. 606 • Fort Worth, Texas 76104 817.335.1616 • drstrock.com

Strock Plastic Surgery

Louis L. Strock, M.D., P.A. Strock Plastic Surgery

Texas Back Institute

SPECIALTY: Orthopedic Spine Surgery. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS: Participating in spine research, teaching and training new spine surgeons, and being a part of advancements in spine surgery.

INNOVATIONS: Texas Back Institute has a research arm where it does FDA studies and trials. Research and education are the foundation TBI was built on, and the culture continues 45 years later. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Something unique about TBI is its educational component. Its doctors attend neuroscience, share interesting cases, have a peer review committee and journal club, and have many other learning opportunities. ADVICE: Michael F. Duffy, M.D. – If you are told you need fusion, ask about disc replacement (motion preservation). Uche Davidson, M.D. – Arm and/or leg pain, numbness, tingling or weakness when associated with neck or back pain could be an early sign of severe nerve compression and should be evaluated by a spine specialist right away. Brian Braaksma, M.D. – Get all your questions answered. You should understand what is going on in your body, what your treatment plan is, and what are expectations from recovery. Adawale Adeniran, M.D. – Don’t delay seeing a spine surgeon for an evaluation if you are losing balance, developing weakness in your arms or legs, or having more and more difficulty walking long distances. PICTURED: (Top Docs) Uche Davidson, M.D.; Brian Braaksma, M.D.; Adawale Adeniran, M.D.; (Not pictured) Michael Duffy, M.D.

Texas Back Institute Alliance • Flower Mound Fort Worth • Mansfield 972.608.5100 texasback.com

Texas Center for Urology

SPECIALTY: Urology/Urologic Surgery. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Todd Young – D.O., UNTHSC; Urology Residency, Michigan State University. David Rittenhouse – D.O., Oklahoma State College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery; Urology Residency, University of New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Osteopathic Medicine, John F. Kennedy hospitals. Michael Waters – D.O., Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine; Urology Residency, Michigan State University. James Kelley IV – D.O., UNTHSC; Urology Residency Charleston Area Medical Center in Charleston, West Virginia. Jay Carpenter – D.O., UNTHSC; Urology Residency, Rowan University. AFFILIATIONS: Texas Health Huguley Hospital, Texas Health Huguley Surgery Center, Texas Health Mansfield Hospital, Baylor Scott & White Surgicare Fort Worth, Medical City Fort Worth, Medical City Weatherford, Baylor Surgical Hospital of Fort Worth. PRACTICE INNOVATIONS: Our doctors are committed to providing leading-edge, minimally invasive, and solutions-oriented treatments for a wide range of urological needs. We work closely with each patient to come up with a treatment plan that considers all aspects of a patient’s life. PICTURED: David Rittenhouse, D.O.; Todd Young, D.O.; Michael Waters, D.O.; James Kelley IV, D.O.; and Jay Carpenter, D.O.

Texas Center for Urology

2900 Acme Brick Plaza

Fort Worth, Texas 76109

817.871.9069 • Fax 817.871.9067

11797 South Freeway, Ste. 330 Burleson, Texas 76028

817.769.3370 • Fax 817.769.3377

1212 Clear Lake Road, Ste. 200 Weatherford, Texas 76086

817.871.9069 • Fax 817.871.9067

1759 Broad Park Circle, Ste. 101 Mansfield, Texas 76063

817.769.3370 • Fax 817.769.3377

texascenterforurology.com

Texas Nephrology Consultants

SPECIALTY: Nephrology and Hypertension. EDUCATION: Dr. Bahrami – Master’s degree in Neurophysiology; medical school, University of North Texas Health Science Center; residency, Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; nephrology fellowship, Long Island College Hospital of New York. Dr. Albaalbaki – Internal Medicine, University of Connecticut; nephrology fellowship, Texas A&M University: Scott and White Program. Dr. Sunnoqrot – Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins University - Sinai Hospital of Baltimore; nephrology fellowship at UT Southwestern University. AFFILIATIONS: Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, Texas Health Harris Southwest Hospital, Medical City of Fort Worth, Medical City of Weatherford, Medical City of North Hills, Baylor Scott & White Hospital. PATIENT CARE: Utilizing the minimum medical interventions possible to deliver the best of care to patients to achieve goals in simple, realistic, and sustainable ways. Using numbers only as a guidance to individualize plans of hope aiming to impact patients’ quality of life positively at any stage of kidney disease. ADVICE: Stabilizing and monitoring your blood pressure and blood sugar and eating a healthy diet along with exercise can help protect your kidneys in the long run. PICTURED: Dr. Carlos Bahrami, Dr. Naseem Sunnoqrot, Dr. Albaalbaki (Dr. Alba).

Texas Nephrology Consultants

508 S. Adams, Ste. 102 Fort Worth, Texas 76104

6100 Harris Parkway, Ste. 270 Fort Worth, Texas 76132

920 Santa Fe Drive, Ste. 103 Weatherford, Texas 76086

817.339.8855

Fax 817.339.8889

Texas Oncology

Fort Worth and Southwest Fort Worth

UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: We provide comprehensive care to women with cancer including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, genetic counseling, nutrition assessment, and social services. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: Noelle Cloven, M.D. – Gynecologic Oncology; M.D., Baylor College of Medicine; Residency, UC Irvine; Board-Certified in Gynecologic Oncology. Jennifer Hecht, D.O., FACOS – Breast Surgical Oncology; D.O., Oklahoma State, Breast Surgical Oncology, Grant Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; Board-Certified in General Surgery. Cristi Aitelli, D.O. – Medical Oncology; D.O., UNT-HSC; Residency, BUMC; Board-Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. Kathleen L. Shide, M.D., FACR – Radiation Oncology; M.D., UT Southwestern Medical School; Residency, Mayo Clinic; Board-Certified in Radiation Oncology. Rachel Theriault, M.D. – Medical Oncology; M.D., Baylor College of Medicine; Residency- Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine; Board Certified in Medical Oncology. Chi Pham, M.D. – Medical Oncology; M.D., UT Southwestern; Residency - Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern; Board Certified in Medical Oncology. Reagan Street, M.D. – M.D., Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; Residency, University of Texas Medical Branch; BoardCertified in Gynecologic Oncology. INNOVATIONS: Minimally invasive surgery, genetic counseling and testing, molecular profiling to allow for targeted therapy, clinical trials through NCI and Gynecologic Oncology Foundation. MOTTO: More breakthroughs. More victories.® PICTURED: Jennifer Hecht, Chi Pham, Rachel Theriault, Kathleen L. Shide, Noelle Cloven, Cristi Aitelli, and Reagan Street.

Texas Oncology

Fort Worth Cancer Center

500 S. Henderson St.

Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.413.1500

Southwest Fort Worth 6500 Harris Parkway

Fort Worth, Texas 76132

817.263.2600

texasoncology.com

Trinity Foot & Ankle Specialists

SPECIALTY: Foot & Ankle Surgery. EDUCATION: Beede – California College of Pod Medicine, San Francisco; Surgical Residency in Portland, Oregon. Driver – Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine, Chicago; Surgical Residency, Rocky Mountain Regional, Colorado; Fellowship, Professional Education and Research Institute, Virginia. Jaryga – University of Toledo College of Pharmacy; Ohio College of Pod Medicine; Surgical Residency in Fort Worth. AWARDS/HONORS: All doctors graduated with Honors from medical school and are Board Certified. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: Texas Health Resources and Baylor Health Care System. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: The evolution of foot/ankle practice to trauma and true reconstruction/limb salvage surgical practice that allows patients the opportunity to return to a higher-level quality of life. INNOVATIONS: Trauma; minimally invasive surgical techniques; Lapiplasty; total ankle replacement surgery; the usage of the only FDA-approved laser for foot and ankle and pain issues; Charcot limb salvage surgery. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Our goal is to deliver comprehensive quality care using the latest proven and sophisticated techniques in treating your foot/ankle problems. Our dedicated team of trained professionals remains committed to working with our patients to maintain and improve foot/ankle health. Our doctors are known for transparency and compassion when treating patients, including clear and concise communication to all. PICTURED: Dr. Gary L. Driver, Dr. Glen A. Beede, and Dr. Gregory A. Jaryga.

Trinity Foot & Ankle Specialists

5801 Oakmont Trail, Ste. 140 Fort Worth, Texas 76132

817.377.3668

trinityfootandankle.com

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Chronic Pain/Anesthesia. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Medical School, UNTHSC; Anesthesia Residency, University of Missouri; Pain Fellowship, University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston; Boarded Certifications, American Board of Anesthesiology – Chronic Pain + Anesthesia. AWARDS/HONORS: Sigma Sigma Phi Honor Society. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Participation in the creation of Fort Worth’s first Anesthesia residency at Baylor Scott & White All Saint Hospital as its chronic pain and site director. INNOVATIONS: Use of virtual reality as an adjunct to ketamine therapy, which has shown promising results in enhancing the therapeutic effects of ketamine in treating various health issues such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, or chronic regional pain syndrome. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Listening to patients so they truly feel heard during their visit. At the end of the day, my goal is to provide each patient with the level of care that I would want for my own mother. FREE ADVICE: Appreciate the abilities you have and try to take joy in the activities you can do. Try not to dwell on things and appreciate the people in your life who are willing to help. PICTURED: Blake Richard, Natalie Gomez, Malakai Richard, Mike Martinez, Indie Martinez, Brooke Hyatt, Max Martinez.

120 St. Louis Ave., Ste. 100 Fort Worth, Texas 76104

682.285.1044

Fax 855.361.0894 wowspine.com

Denise Bruckerhoff, D.O.

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Internal Medicine. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine. AWARDS/ HONORS: ACOI Fellow of Internal Medicine; 2014 American College of Osteopathic Internists Fellow; 2011 Fort Worth Magazine Top Doc; 2009 American College of Osteopathic Internists Board Certification; 2019 Top Doc, Fort Worth Magazine, Internal Medicine; 2020 Top Doc, Fort Worth Magazine, Internal Medicine; 2020 Inner Circle Executive Top Doc, Internal Medicine; 2022 Top Doc, Fort Worth Magazine MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: AOA, TOMA, ACOI. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: Methodist Mansfield, Texas Health Resources.

Denise Bruckerhoff, D.O.

1900 Matlock Road, Building 6, Ste. 604 Mansfield, Texas 76063

817.755.1005 bimadr.com

Atif Haque, M.D., FAANS, FACS

Baylor Scott & White Neurosurgery and Spine Associates

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Neurosurgery. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: Medical School, University of Mississippi School of Medicine; Internship and Residency, UT Southwestern Medical Center; Fellowship, Spine Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center; Board Certification, American Board of Neurological Surgery. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Consistently rated as a top doctor in the community, I receive word-of-mouth referrals to see prior patients’ family members and friends. INNOVATIONS: Whenever possible, I try to recommend motion-sparing surgery, including artificial disc replacement. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: So many patients tell me that they have never actually met their surgeon — only his or her assistant(s). I have built my practice from the ground up to be able to see every patient, every time, myself.

Baylor Scott & White Neurosurgery and Spine Associates

1400 Eighth Ave., Ste. A1131 • Fort Worth, Texas 76104 817.912.9250 • NeurosurgeryAssociates.com

Physician is an employee of HealthTexas Provider Network, a member of Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2023 Baylor Scott & White Health.

TO KNOW

Rajni Kalagate, M.D.

SPECIALTY: Rheumatology. EDUCATION: Internal medicine residency; rheumatology fellowship, Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia; board certification in internal medicine and rheumatology. AWARDS: Gold medal for highest score in internal medicine during medical school; Top Doc, Fort Worth Magazine, 2017-2023; Top Doc, 360 West, 2021-2023; Arthritis Foundation Medical Honoree, 2019. INNOVATIONS: Specialization in management of several rheumatic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriatic arthritis, vasculitis, osteoarthritis. PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY: Patient-centered health care is practiced where patients are actively involved in making decisions about their treatment plan based on their goals and values. Treatment consists of a holistic approach to health including nutrition, sleep, exercise, and stress management. FREE ADVICE: Speak up about your health care concerns with your doctor during office visits. They will be able to help you better if they know your specific concerns.

Rajni Kalagate, M.D.

6601 Dan Danciger • Fort Worth, Texas 76133

817.294.2531 • Fax 817.294.7425 thcrheumatology.com/doctors/dr-rajni-kalagate/

Vaishali Kent, M.D.

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Breast Oncology Surgery. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: B.S., Molecular Biology, UT at Austin; M.D., University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; board-certified General Surgeon trained, INOVA Fairfax Hospital; fellowship in Breast Oncology Surgery, the University of Southern California. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Dr. Kent has been in practice for over 10 years and values a strong multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer treatment. She takes pride in offering quality, individualized care and works closely with her oncology and reconstructive colleagues to achieve a quality outcome for patients. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: Baylor Scott & White – All Saints. ADVICE: Start mammograms at the age of 40 and get them annually.

Vaishali Kent, M.D.

1250 Eighth Ave., Ste. 650 Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.912.8080

Fax 817.912.8089 bswhealth.com/Vaishali-Kent

Physicians are employees of HealthTexas Provider Network, a member of Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2023 Baylor Scott & White Health.

Craig Kneten, M.D. James A. Murphy, M.D.

Baylor Scott & White Signature Medicine – Fort Worth

SPECIALTY: Primary care, concierge medicine. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: Drs. Kneten and Murphy – Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center - Houston; Internship/ Residency, John Peter Smith Hospital; Board Certification, American Board of Family Medicine. AWARDS/HONORS: Dr. Kneten – chairman, HealthTexas Provider Network. Dr. Murphy – held multiple medical staff offices at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center - Fort Worth, including chief of staff. PATIENT CARE: We provide you with private, attentive primary care services at an affordable annual rate. With concierge medicine, you have access to many services beyond those offered through a traditional practice, including a personalized wellness exam, enhanced availability and communication, and specialist referrals and care coordination. PICTURED: Craig Kneten, M.D. and James A. Murphy, M.D.

Baylor Scott & White Signature Medicine – Fort Worth 900 W. Magnolia Ave., Ste. 202 • Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.912.8090 • BSWHealth.com/SigMedFtWorth

Physicians are employees of HealthTexas Provider Network, a member of Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2023 Baylor Scott & White Health.

Paras M. Patel, M.D., FCCP, DAABIP Director, Interventional Pulmonology

John Peter Smith Hospital

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Interventional Pulmonary; Pulmonary; Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. CERTIFICATIONS: American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM): Board-Certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine and Sleep Medicine. American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP): Board-Certified in Interventional Pulmonology. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Assisting patients struggling with life impacting breathing difficulties; providing minimally invasive endoscopic and percutaneous procedures for diagnosis and treatment of neoplastic as well as non-neoplastic diseases of the airway, lungs, and pleura. These techniques, instead of surgery, offer faster diagnosis, quicker recovery time, and less pain for our patients. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE:

A multidisciplinary approach is used in the care of patients — specialties include medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, ENT, and cardiothoracic surgery.

Paras M. Patel, M.D., FCCP, DAABIP

1400 S. Main St., Ste. 501 • Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.702.9192 • Fax 817.702.7012 • teamacclaim.org

TO KNOW

David Nathan Shau, M.D., MBA

SPECIALTY: Orthopedic Surgery Specialist – Joint Replacement. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION: Dr. Shau studied biomedical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and trained at leading academic orthopedic institutions, including Vanderbilt University, Emory University, and University of California, San Francisco before returning home to practice at the renowned Texas Hip and Knee Center (THK). UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Dr. Shau utilizes a variety of techniques and approaches for hip and knee care and specializes in robotics, anterior hips, and complex, revision joint surgeries. ACHIEVEMENTS: Fellowship Co-Director at THK and Physician Development Coach at the TCU School of Medicine. He wears several professional hats and enjoys serving at the intersection of clinical care, innovation, and business.

David Nathan Shau, M.D, MBA

10900 Founders Way, Ste. 201 • Fort Worth, Texas 76244 6301 Harris Parkway, Ste. 300 • Fort Worth, Texas 76132 5450 Clearfork Main, Ste. 100 • Fort Worth, Texas 76109

817.877.3432

817.433.8301

Jennifer Bontreger, D.O., FACP

Southern Horizon Healthcare

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Board-Certified Internal and Sports Medicine. EDUCATION: Medical school, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine; internship, Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai/Beth Israel; residency, Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai/Beth Israel; residency, Anesthesiology; fellowship, Primary Care Sports Medicine. AWARDS/HONORS: Best internal medicine physician in Denton County, Reader’s Choice, 2018-2022; Best Clinic in Highland Village, 2014-2023. ACHIEVEMENTS: Assistant professor of Medicine, Texas Christian University School of Medicine, 2021-present; Team Physician, Lewisville Independent School District; prior Ringside Physician for USA Boxing. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: In our boutique-like clinic, I spend at least 20 minutes with each of my patients. I do offer services in internal and sports medicine but focus more on wellness and overall the look and feeling of health, which does include some aesthetics in our office via chemical peels, Botox, weight loss services, and medical grade product sales.

Southern Horizon Healthcare

2280 Highland Village Road, Ste. 100 • Highland Village, Texas 75077 469.645.0200 • Fax 469.320.9550. southernhorizonhealth.org

Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group

Vascular Surgery

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Vascular Surgery. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: General Surgery Trained and Fellowship Trained Vascular Surgeons. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: SVS, APCA. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: JPS Health Network. INNOVATIONS: Open and Endovascular Interventions for complex vascular disease, including trauma. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Bilingual. We strive to provide high quality vascular care in a compassionate and efficient manner. FREE ADVICE: Vascular health is of utmost importance! Invest in your health! PICTURED: Gabriel Gonzalez, M.D., RPVI; Vikram Palkar, D.O., RPVI.

Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group

1500 S. Main St. Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.702.3000 Fax 817.702.1605

Acclaim | Fort Worth, TX | Acclaim Physician Group (teamacclaim.org)

Andy Manhan Vu, D.O., MHA

Urogynecology, Acclaim Physicians, Team Acclaim

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery or Urogynecology. The specialty focuses on female pelvic floor disorders such as incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. EDUCATION: Residency OBGYN at UT Southwestern/Parkland Hospital; Fellowship FPMRS at University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine/Northshore Health System. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: I offer my patients a fair and unbiased discussion of options which can include surgical and nonsurgical options. I do not tell patients what they should do but rather explain all the pros and cons. I give them all the information needed to make a good decision based on their risk tolerance and expectations. FREE ADVICE: Urinary incontinence and prolapse should not be accepted as a normal process of pregnancy and aging. These pelvic floor disorders are very common but should not be considered normal.

Acclaim Multi-Specialty Clinic

1250 Eighth Ave., Ste. 600 • Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817.702.9100

Lightscape Preview Party

Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Fort Worth Botanic Garden members, sponsors, and donors gathered to preview the debut of Lightscape, presented by Bank of America, on Nov. 17.

Special thanks to the Fort Worth Garden Club for underwriting this party and the many friends and supporters who have ensured Lightscape’s success.

Debbie Reynolds, Maurie Reynolds, Judy Koslow, Mary Lynn Garrett

Mitch Whitten, Kristin Sullivan, Dave & Amy Lewis

Hillary & Shelby Amos, Mandy Kizer, Tara & Marc Croker, Marti Lowe, Zach Cohen

Lisa Banks, Laura Lynch, Henry L. Caldwell III, Marie Holliday, Edwin Abriham, Alyce Jones, Arlene & John Barnett

Bruce & Donna Street

PHOTOS BY RACHEL DELIRA

Grand Entry Gala Junior League of Fort Worth

On Jan. 7, the Junior League of Fort Worth hosted the Grand Entry Gala, its annual kickoff event for the following rodeo season, at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum. This year featured three legendary performers: Neal McCoy, Tracy Byrd, and Mark Chesnutt.

Michelle & Scott Marlow

Tate Sawyer, Debbie & Johnny Boudreaux

Thomas Salyer, Michelle Pond, Stephen Gilchrist, Craig Crowell, Matti Crowell, Clint Sanders

Top: Kathleen Carter, Sara Dameron, Katy Branch, Caroline Padron, Michel Toon, Jessica Davidson, Heather Martin, Maurie Holster, Mackenzie Zwick

Middle: Krista Bohr, Amanda Landfried, Kelly Kinard, Rachel Jorden, Pamela Gilchrist, Gwen Harper, Vivian Bailey, Amanda Wetzel, Elizabeth Brhlik Bottom: Megan Coleman, Christine Heflin, Carley Montemuro, Diane Alvarado, Brianna Washechek, Brooke Reeb, Elizabeth Warren

Wilson Franklin, Neil McCoy, Martha Franklin, Tracy Byrd, Susann Larson, Mark Chesnutt, John Ripps

Home for the Holidays Gala

Presbyterian Night Shelter

On Dec. 2, Presbyterian Night Shelter held its 28th annual Home for the Holidays Gala. The Fort Worth Club was buzzing with excitement around the live and silent auction, food, and entertainment. The event raised over $460,000 in critical funds to help support Presbyterian Night Shelter’s mission of guiding the journey from homeless to home for our Tarrant County neighbors in need.

Pamela Nelon, Debbie Dolins Hyde, Linda & Shane Kennedy, Mary Frances & Jim Wood

Charity Aughinbaugh, Toby Owen, Molly Snyder

Toby Owen, Joanna & Michael Crain

Patrick Borer, Hannah Lacamp, Jim & Maggie Lacamp, Ashley Lacamp, Marshall Moore

Bryan & Audrey Ballew, Brian & Megan Coulter

PHOTOS BY RACHEL DELIRA

Leaks? Drips? Clogs?

Reliable Repairs, Replacements & Installs: Faucets, Toilets, Water Heaters, Sewers, Drains, and much more!

Call For The Solutions To Your Plumbing Problems

(817) 999-7363 | 1319 Madeline Pl, Fort Worth www.eclecticplumber.com

Print creates an emotional connection. Print builds relationships.

Physical material is more “real” to the brain, involves more emotional processing, is better connected to memory, with greater internalization of ads—all important for brand associations. (FORBES)

• Focus is on quality of life and comfort

• Symptom management experts

• Patient and family-centered care approach

• A comprehensive clinical team dedicated to meeting the goals of the patient and family

• In-home visits at a time that is convenient for you

• Coordination with your primary care physician

For over 20 years, we’ve had our ears to the ground, our eyes on the ball, and our fingers on the pulse of Fort Worth. This gives us an edge to deliver the city’s best lifestyle, business, and home content. Don’t miss out on anything Fort Worth. Subscribe now.

Plumber license number M-44554

Margarita Ball

Children’s Charities of Fort Worth

Children’s Charities of Fort Worth hosted the 33rd Annual Fort Worth Margarita Ball on Dec. 3 at The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel to raise funds for 13 local children’s charities. Proceeds provide new toys and clothing for underprivileged children at Christmas, as well as a second gifting event in the spring and school uniforms in the summer. The Fort Worth-style gala featured live music by Stratosphere, a charity casino, live and silent auctions, photo booths, and of course, complimentary margaritas.

PHOTOS

Brian Zollweg, Monica Spence, Steve Ortega, Cristal Clark

Edward Mikkelsen, Rosa Maria Berdeja

Kristy Wright, Ernie Gomez

Beth Driskill, Erin Wilde-Paine

Karen & Larry Anfin, Patricia Burns

Afton & Nick Smith, Amber & Tim Miller

RJ Choppy, Sarah Countryman, Skyler Ewing, Brittany Bird, R. Jason Neuman, Shelbie Shackelford, Cody Admire, Bonnie & Jason Stockton

Rachel “Rae” Marker, Drew Hayden

2023 Dream Street:

Update

Three luxury homes built in the Colleyville subdivision of Oak Alley will open for touring this fall.

BY BRIAN KENDALL

BY BRIAN

PHOTO

DEMMA

Fort Worth Magazine’s 2023 Dream Street, the third iteration of the popular multi-home concept, has officially broken ground in the new Oak Alley development in Colleyville. In fact, the project has gone beyond groundbreaking, and the trifecta of luxury homes is starting to take shape. Foundations have been poured, and beams are beginning to rise.

The three homes, which will feature the latest in homebuilding and

design trends, are the latest in the magazine’s nearly two decades-long series of Dream Homes, in which the magazine collaborates with the area’s top luxury builders, designers, and subcontractors.

This year’s homes celebrate the diversity of current architectural and interior design trends and will undoubtedly pique the interest of those intrigued by home design.

The home, constructed by firsttime Dream project builder Brian Demma of Brian Michael Distinctive

Homes, will be taking on a Tuscan home style. And he’ll be paired with interior designer and Dream Home veteran Traci Darden — Darden was an interior designer for one of the homes during the magazine’s inaugural Dream Street.

Having previously participated in the neighborhoods of Oxford Place and last year’s Montrachet, John Webb of Heritage Homes returns for his third Dream Street project in a row — he was also previously a Dream Home builder for the 2019 iteration in Colleyville’s Oakleigh neighborhood. This year’s home will take on a Mediterranean style and will include an interior design by Susan Semmelmann Interiors. Like Webb, Semmelmann is also a veteran of the Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street, having previously done interior designs for the Dream Street projects in Southlake and West Fort Worth.

The third and final home will feature another first-time Dream Street builder, Nick Smith of Kensington Custom Homes. The planned 7,600-square-foot home will don an English Arts and Craft style. The architectural style of the Arts and Crafts movement, having originated in England in the mid-19th century, has returned to popularity in recent years. And pairing their interior designs with this unique façade will be Angela Hough and the team at Heritage Design Studios.

The three homes will be open for touring this fall, and all proceeds from ticket sales will benefit local nonprofit a Wish with Wings, which grants wishes to children with lifethreatening conditions.

For more information about the builders and designers, and to stay up to date on all things Dream Street, please visit our website at dream.fwtx.com.

Dream Street 2023 Project Partners

FortWorthMagazine’sDream Street wouldn’t be possible without the partnerships of local home industry professionals. Our project partners bring talent, passion, and experience to the project and are an integral part in bringing the homes to life.

HERITAGE HOMES

Appliances: The Jarrell Company

Architect: Arch House Collaborative

Artificial Grass: WinterGreen Synthetic Grass

Cabinets Kitchen: The Kitchen Source

Cabinets Closets: Closet Factory

Countertop Fabrication: Absolute Stone & Tile, Inc.

Countertop Materials: KLZ Stone Supply, Inc.

Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall Inc.

Electrician: Powered Solutions

Fireplaces Interior: Fireside Hearth & Home

Flooring Wood & Carpet: Premier Designs Flooring

Flooring Tile Material: Daltile

Framing: Lone Star Framing & Construction LLC

Garage Doors & Openers: Open Up Garage Doors

Garage Epoxy Coating: Firehouse Garage

Glass (Shower-Mirror-Etc): Galactic Glass

Gutters: Loveless Gutters

Hardware: Rick’s Hardware & Decorative Plumbing

HVAC (Materials and Labor): Interior Climate Experts

Insulation: Texas Insulation

Interior Designer: Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Landscape/Irrigation/Grade: Guardado Landscaping

Lighting: Passion Lighting

Low Voltage/Security/AV: Multimedia Solutions

Painting: J&V Painting

Patio Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace

Plumbing Fixtures: Expressions

Plumbing Labor & Supplies: Pro Serve Plumbing

Pool: Leschber Designs

Roofing/Flashing: Tarrant Roofing

KENSINGTON CUSTOM HOMES

Appliances: The Jarrell Company

Architect: Heritage Design Studio & Interiors

Cabinets Kitchen: The Kitchen Source

Countertop Fabrication: Absolute Stone & Tile, Inc.

Countertop Materials: KLZ Stone Supply, Inc.

Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall Inc.

Electrician: Prewitt Electrical Services

Fireplaces Interior: Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth

Flooring Wood and Carpet: Vintage Floors

Flooring Tile Material: Daltile

Front Door & Gate: Silverado Custom Door & Window

Garage Doors & Openers:

Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth

Garage Epoxy Coating: Premier Custom Floors

Glass (Shower-Mirror-Etc): Galactic Glass

Gutters: Loveless Gutters

Insulation: Texas Insulation

Interior Designer: Heritage Design Studio & Interiors

Landscape/Irrigation/Grade: Guardado Landscaping

Lighting: Passion Lighting

Low Voltage/AV/Security: H Customs

Patio Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace

Patio Screens (Motorized): Blinds Brothers

Plumbing Fixtures: The Jarrell Company

Pool: Claffey Pools

Roofing/Flashing: Texas Tile Roofing

Stairs and Railings: Aaron Ornamental Iron Works

BRIAN MICHAEL DISTINCTIVE HOMES

Appliances: Expressions

Cabinets Kitchen: The Kitchen Source

Countertop Materials: Levantina

Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall

Electrician: MPT Electric

Fireplaces In/Out Isokerns: Fireside Hearth & Home

Fireplaces Interior: Fireside Hearth & Home

Flooring Wood & Carpet: Galvan Floors

Flooring Tile Material: Daltile

Garage Doors & Openers: Open Up Garage Doors

Glass (Shower-Mirror-Etc): Galactic Glass

Insulation: Texas Insulation

Interior Designer: Elements of Design

Landscape/Irrigation/Grade: Guardado Landscaping

Patio Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace

Plumbing Fixtures: Expressions

Plumbing Labor & Supplies: Pro Serve Plumbing

Pool: Blue Water Pools

Roofing/Flashing: Texas Tile Roofing

Luxury Made Easy Atwood Custom Homes is the premier luxury home builder specializing in designing and building high-quality, luxury homes in Southlake, Keller, Westlake, Colleyville, Argyle, Aledo and surrounding cities. From transitional clean lines to traditional estates, Atwood Custom Homes is committed to personalizing each home to the lifestyle and dreams of their clients.

Jon Atwood

Give Back

There’s nothing more rewarding than giving back and making a difference in the lives of people in this great community. As the city’s magazine — which has the eyes and ears of some of Fort Worth’s most affluent and philanthropic citizens — we feel a responsibility to give back to the people of the city that is our namesake, which is why Philanthropy is one of our core values.

Every year, Fort Worth Magazine sponsors more than 100 charity events, which range from luncheons to black-tie galas. The following promotional section is devoted to these charities and their fundraisers. We invite you to consciously peruse and consider lending a helping hand by either making a donation or attending these events.

APR. 2

Hunt & Gather: A Southern Brunch Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival

APR. 6

Project Goodwill Goodwill North Central Texas

APR. 8

Cinderella Charity Ball

The Ladies’ Auxiliary of Arlington

APR. 14

ABLAZE

Alzheimer’s Association

APR. 14

Butterfly Wishes Gala a Wish with Wings

APR. 15

Syndicate Smokedown Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate

APR. 20

TCU Night of Champions

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

APR. 21

Black Dog Dinner

Black Dog Charity

APR. 21

Purple Party

Safehaven

APR. 22

Tarrant County Heart Ball

American Heart Association

APR. 30

Barrett Havran Memorial Big Taste of Fort Worth

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Changing Lives One Stove at a Time

Three billion people in the world still cook over open fires, risking smoke inhalation, burns, and sacrificing their family’s living space to the possibility of danger. Almost 900 million people live without access to safe, drinkable water. This non-profit in Guatemala is making immediate change in the lives of families in Guatemala, by installing smoke-free safety stoves and water filters.

International Esperanza Project (IEP) founded in 2017 with the mission of inspiring hope in people in the developing world through healthcare, community infrastructure, and education. Community infrastructure is focused on the installation of wood-saving, safe cooking stoves, and water filters through communities. These smoke- free stoves use 50% less wood than traditional fire cooking. Because of its efficiency the families that buy wood save up to $400 per year. This accommodates to the needs of families living below poverty line in Central America.

for the families, preventing waterborne diseases.

So far, more than 1,300 homes have received a stove and water filter, helping over 6,000 people, and saving the equivalent of over 700 pine trees. Without the need to gather wood, women regain a full day of their time each week. These smoke-free stoves also reduce the risk of respiratory diseases caused by open fire smoke by 90%. Water filters provide clean, safe, drinking water

IEP’s stove teams travel to Guatemala where they donate their time and spend a week installing stoves and water filters in different communities.

If you´d wish to donate a stove and water filter, or join a team, visit www.i-ep.org or click here www.i-ep.org/community

IEP Volunteers Senator Mary Landrieu, AMN Past-CEO, Susan Salka and Michelle Hollaender, Founder and CEO of IEP

Save the Date

May 10, 2023

Hurst Conference Center

The Girl Scouts Annual Women of Distinction Luncheon program brings together and recognizes a group of purposedriven leaders in business, government, education, and philanthropy; who, like our girls, are dedicated to service and leadership.

For sponsorship and ticket information, please contact Emily Garvin at egarvin@gs-top.org

Luncheon & Awards

Special Thanks to:

Laura Geninatti Monica Carter

Women of Distinction Co-Chairs

115 YEARS. COUNTLESS LIVES TRANSFORMED.

It takes a lasting strategy to transform lives. Over the last 115 years, Center for Transforming Lives has been focused on exactly that - helping women and children in Tarrant County as they look for a second chance. Through our programs, tools and leading edge research, 85% of families that follow our program remain stably housed. Learn more about how we can create a brighter future for Tarrant County together at transforminglives.org/115.

Sunday, April 30, 2023

THE WORTHINGTON RENAISSANCE FORT WORTH HOTEL

Attire: Cowboy Chic

5 PM - VIP WINE & SPIRIT TASTING

Acre Distilling Co. | Blackland Distillery | Curves & Edges

Wines Daylight Wine & Spirits | Duckhorn Winery

Huneeus Family Wines | Matchbook Wines | Pinea Wine

Rose Gold | Sanglier | Silver Ghost | Sledge Distillery

SuTi Craft Distilling Co | Tooth & Wine Nail Company

6 PM - MAIN CULINARY TASTING

3rd Street Market | B&B Butchers and Restaurant

Bob's Steak & Chop House | Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse

Don Artemio Mexican Heritage | Fitzgerald

Michaels Cuisine Restaurant & Bar | Nothing Bundt Cakes

Old Texas Brewing Co. | Stone House Restaurant

Tokyo Cafe | Toro Toro

PRESENTING SPONSORS

The Dorothea Leonhardt Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas Andrea Harkins, Donor Advisor

Gilchrist Automotive

Master of Ceremonies: Scott Murray

Honorary Chairs: Karen & Larry Anfin

Event Chairs: Joy Ann & Bob Havran Lead Chef: Jon Bonnell

Gold Sponsors: Novatech | The Magnolia

Bronze Sponsors: Buyers Barricades | GM Financial | Higginbotham | James & Dorothy Doss Foundation | Louella Martin Foundation Cathy & Bruce Moon | Texas Bank | The Miles Foundation

Media Sponsors: NBC5 | T39 | Fort Worth Business Press | Fort Worth Magazine

Sponsors: Alston & Bird | Karen & Larry Anfin | ARCA Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages | Ben E. Keith | Paula Blackmon | Clay Pigeon Food & Drink | Joy Ann & Bob Havran | LAUNCH an NTT Company | Jennifer & Mike Patterson Family | Law Offices of Paup, Shutt & Associates, P C Sally & Paul Prater | RedTail Community Foundation | Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust | White Tail Automation & Crimson Engineering

Celebrity Judges: Jon Bonnell | Hal Brown | Chris Cassiday | Chester Cox | Weston Eidson | Deborah Ferguson | Leslie Ford | Stephen Gilchrist Steve Lamb | Eric Nelsen | Sainty Nelsen | Marcus Paslay | Mikey Rioja

Honorary Committee: The Honorable Kay Granger | The Honorable Mattie & David Parker | The Honorable Betsy & Tom Price

The Honorable Patty & Roger Williams | Grant Coates | Richard Connor | Olivia Eudaly | Kelly Fuhrman | Andrea Harkins | Adam Jones

Greg Kalina | Sarah Knotts | Richard Minker | Shayne Moses | Carole & Scott Murray | Emily & Marcus Paslay | Charles Pierson

Norman Robbins | Nada & Dwight Ruddock | Jerry Scott | Gloria Starling | Michael S Thomson

Committee Members: Larry Anfin | Abby Bargholz | Billy Biffel | Jon Bonnell | Brad Bloxom | Danielle Boyd | Camille & Hal Brown

David Chicotsky | Cortney & Ryan Craft | Nick Davis | Marty Englander | Alex Harrison | Michael Harrison | Blake Havran | Ben Hood

Cyndi Jochum | April & David Knight | Amanda & Bond Malone | Natalia Mendoza | Melissa Mitchell | Maggie Moore | Rachel Pillar

Courtney & Will Radcliffe | David Werner

Special Thanks To:

Bartles, Bickleys, Bloxoms, Jolie & Sonny Burgess, Brunick, Deans, FastSigns, Florsheims, Grossmans, Hawkins, Sarah Knotts, Mitchells, Nothing But A Tea Thang, Odigos Photography, Party Designs & Production, Reid, Senter, Simons, Smith, Taylors, Tracys and Waldrons

BARRETT HAVRAN MEMORIAL

Join community leaders in Tarrant County at our Light The Night Executive Breakfast, hosted by Corporate Walk Chair, Michael Deslatte, VP Bell. Learn how you and your company can bring light to the darkness of cancer. For more information, please scan the QRcode.

WE APPRECIATE THIS PAST YEAR’S PARTNERSHIP AS WE WORKED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE FOR THE PATIENTS AND FAMILIES AT COOK CHILDREN’S. BENEFITING COOK

You might recognize medium format cameras as the old cube-shaped boxes with a large pop-up viewfinder that required one to look straight down into the camera. Thus, most photos were shot at chest- or waist-height. To capture this image, Thomas Tarbet used his grandpa’s medium format camera — a Yashica-C from the 1950s. Unlike the vacant grain elevators in the image, which have become statuesque reminders of a previous way of life, the camera is still put to good use and perfectly captures the Mini Cooper juxtaposing the antiquated structure.

Get your photo on this page and win a $100 gift card to Fort Worth Camera. Just tag Fort Worth Magazine (@fwtxmag) and Fort Worth Camera (@fwcamera) and use the hashtags #fwtxmag and #fwcamera on all your amazing Cowtown images. main line 817.560.6111 | subscriptions 817.766.5550 | website fwtx.com

@tomtinfw PHOTO BY THOMAS TARBET

Introducing Platinum Chevrolet’s

Showroom

Now Open in Terrell, Texas

Family owned and operated since 1986, we tailor the purchase experience to fit your needs, not ours; we don’t just want to sell you a vehicle — we want to build a relationship. Our goal is to become your trusted advisor for all purchases and service. Drive a little further, save a LOT more.

We Drive the Difference:

Platinum Chevrolet Valet Service which includes:

• Online or over the phone sales purchases and delivery

• Service pick-up and delivery

Our Promise to You:

• Transparent Pricing - no dealer ads and no prices over MSRP ever.

• Luxury Service Experience: 40 service bays to get any job done fast and efficiently, transparent service pricing with realistic completion times, and well-appointed waiting area with complimentary refreshments, working stations, and child play area.

“We will work hard to earn your business for life.”

Stephen Gilchrist, owner Gilchrist Automotive

Turning Heads

Turning heads is a cinch when Southlake residents Preston and Tiffany Bowen are behind the wheel of one of their Land Rovers from Park Place Jaguar Land Rover DFW. The Bowen fleet includes a 2023 Land Rover Defender, a 2023 Land Rover Carpathian Edition, a 2017 Land Rover Evoke Convertible, and a 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. Throughout the years, these parents to two daughters, Kennedy, 21, (not pictured) and Reese, 16, and son, Jude, 19, have owned a handful of the attention-grabbing, luxury off-roaders for good reasons — they are partial to Land Rover for its reliability, quality, amenities, and style. Tiffany, an active community volunteer, has been driving the white 2023 Land Rover Defender for about a month and absolutely loves it. “She says it’s the best handling and most responsive SUV she’s ever had,” Preston says. The couple’s

oldest daughter, Kennedy, is at Ole Miss driving a handsome 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, a vehicle that attracts attention with its amazing sport exhaust sound.

For the Bowens, Park Place Jaguar Land Rover DFW isn’t merely a place to purchase a vehicle. “We have built a relationship with the entire Park Place team over the past six years,” Preston says. “Park Place is My Place because of its exceptional customer care and responsiveness. They work hard to earn your trust, confidence, and business by exceeding your needs and expectations.”