19th Street March 2021

Moore Students Support Nonprofits

Moore Love

Spring Sports Preview

Moore Lions

Veteran of the Month

Jim Bassett

March 2021 • Issue 3 • Volume 4

HEART HUSTLE

HARKLESS

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Features

MARCH CONTENTS 2021

ISSUE 3– VOLUME 4 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mark Doescher

Moore Love, Moore Strong

10 by Chelsey Kraft

MANAGING EDITOR Lindsay Cuomo

Moore students look past challenges to support local nonprofits.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Mark Doescher

CONTRIBUTORS

Veteran of the Month:

18 Jim Bassett

by Bill Moakley Air Force veteran reflects on nearly three decades of service.

10

Roxanne Avery | Sharla Bardin Lindsay Cuomo | Chelsey Kraft Bill Moakley | Chris Plank Perry Spencer

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

Tracie Gray - tracie@sportstalk1400.com Trevor Laffoon - trevor@sportstalk1400.com Perry Spencer - perry@sportstalk1400.com

PUBLISHER

Casey Vinyard

In Memory of

RANDY LAFFOON

Frontline Focus

24 by Sharla Bardin

Students say technology center’s nursing program equips them for highdemand field.

Heart • Hustle • Harkless

28 by Chris Plank

The Sooners’ newest X-factor looks to keep making an impact deep into March.

18

19th Street Magazine 2020 E. Alameda Norman, Oklahoma 73071 Phone: (405) 321-1400 E-mail: 19thstreetmagazine@gmail.com Copyright © 19th Street Magazine Any articles, artwork or graphics created by 19th Street Magazine or its contributors are sole property of 19th Street Magazine and cannot be reproduced for any reason without permission.

Any opinions expressed in 19th Street are not necessarily that of 19th Street management.

Spring Sports Preview

38 by Perry Spencer

The Moore Lions look to start - and complete - all their spring sports this season.

Norman Regional Hospital:

42 Keeping Families Healthy

by Lindsay Cuomo Primary care doctor steps in to help at Same Day Clinic.

28

A Heartbeat for the Community

48

by Roxanne Avery

Realtor Leslie Switzer shares insights on local real estate market.

sportstalk1400.com

48

Cover photo by: Mark Doescher

COMM U N I T Y

BY: CHELSEY KRAF T

Moore Love, Moore Strong Moore students look past challenges to support local nonprofits

W

hile students attending Moore Public Schools may enjoy a healthy rivalry and a “Moore War” throughout the year, there’s one cause that places them on the same team – the annual Moore Love Fundraising Campaign that benefits local nonprofits.

The campaign was established in 2018, originally as a fundraising effort for the Regional Food Bank’s Backpack Program. Prior to then, Janie Milum raised funds for the Regional Food Bank through Moore Rotary, explained Mandy Kincannon, past president of the Moore Public Schools Foundation who was instrumental in starting the program.

Once Milum retired, the foundation wanted to see her work continue, and the Backpack Program is now fully funded through Moore Love.

“We wanted kids to come together in Moore Love as well because it’s not just a rivalry,” Kincannon said. “We want them to know that they can give back to their community and they can support one another. Yes, there is a little bit of competition that goes along with it now, but that’s what makes it fun. At the same time, they’re doing such good work and learning how to give back.”

Moore Love includes three teams, one for each of the high schools – Moore, Southmoore and Westmoore High School.

These teams also consist of the elementary and junior high schools that feed into each of the high schools, and the older students work with younger groups throughout the fundraising process.

10 March 2021

“It creates a sense of pride,” shared Dr. Robert Romines, superintendent of Moore Public Schools. “If you go into a school and you ask a first grader or second grader or sixth grader where they’re going to end up in high school and what their future mascot’s going to be, they will tell you, ‘I’m going to be a Lion.’ ‘I’m going to be a Jaguar.’ ‘I’m going to be a SaberCat.’ There’s a lot of work that’s gone on behind the scenes to create that sense of pride, and our high school students have done all of that.”

Each year, Moore Love donates funds to the Backpack Program, which provides food in backpacks to help sustain students over the weekends. Romines said that supporting this initiative is “teaching our students to take care of their own.”

Student leadership teams also select other local organizations to receive funding. For the 2021 campaign, students chose the Moore Fire Department’s Santa Express program. Santa Express provides gifts as well as clothing, food, bedding and more to local kids in need identified by district counselors. The goal is to not only help low-income families but to also help families who may just be going through a tough time due to loss of employment, family illness or another personal catastrophe.

Despite a host of challenges to fundraising created due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students have adjusted and are still working to provide financial support to these two nonprofits.

For example, in the past the high schools would host dances for their feeder schools, but those events couldn’t be held

this year. Recognizing the need to fundraise in different ways, high school students have connected with local business owners to ask for donations.

“Seeing these high school students going out and securing donations from community members has been impressive, too,” Romines said. “That’s something that’s always difficult for me as an adult to go in and ask for donations and money, but we’ve got 16, 17 and 18-year-olds doing it now. It’s been a really good experience for them.”

Seniors Jerzi Hawkins and Jackson Lehew sit as co-chairs of Southmoore’s committee. Both talked about how fundraising is a team effort and how much their feeder schools contribute to the overall cause. They also said it’s rewarding to see firsthand the impact that Moore Love has on the community.

Some of the events and activities planned at Southmoore included selling Moore Love T-shirts and Valentine’s grams, a dodgeball tournament and a powderpuff game.

“It’s really cool to see the direct outcome from both of our nonprofits, how they affect our students specifically here in Moore,” Lehew stated. “Just being able to see where our money’s going, it really shows us why we need to raise the money, and it’s encouraging for us.”

“I feel like Moore schools kind of set the precedent of taking care of our own when we started this campaign,” Hawkins echoed. “Our pre-k students even start with this campaign all the way up through the high schools. It creates that culture of giving back and helping people in your own community.”

Beyond the money raised by Moore Love, Romines said the 12 March 2021

foundation laid for students has been a positive aspect of the initiative.

“We are now seeing that as students move on from high school, if they’re going to college, they instantly seek out the philanthropic events that are at their universities and are getting involved with that,” Romines shared. “Seeing that foundation laid for students and moving forward as they leave us, they’re becoming responsible citizens and have a mind and heart of giving and giving back to the communities in which they serve, it’s pretty exciting.” -19SM

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COMM U N I T Y

Veteran of the Month: Jim Bassett

BY: BILL MOAKLEY PRESENTED BY

CENTURIONCG.NET

Air Force veteran reflects on nearly three decades of service

D

uring his first enlistment in the United States Air Force, Jim Bassett thought four years might be enough. Thanks to a supervisor who saw something in him, it would be 28 years before Bassett left the service.

“You know, it’s kind of hard on the first term airman,” Bassett recalled about military life. “And a lot of that is because there’s not a lot of money, you do all the jobs that nobody really wants. You have some freedom but not a lot. I was actually thinking about getting out after my first term when I had a supervisor who convinced me to stay. I will never forget, he said, ‘keep doing it until it’s no longer fun.’ That was good advice. At my retirement, I made that comment to the audience and I said, ‘it’s still fun.’”

The son of military man, Bassett graduated high school in Dunlap, Illinois. Between his father’s service and his own, he’s seen quite a few locations.

“I am a military brat, so I’m from all over,” Bassett said. “I was born on Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach, Florida and between my military service and my dad being in the military, I have lived in or visited every state in the union.”

The younger Bassett, who would also spend time in Germany, began his military service as a member of the Illinois National Guard after working a few jobs for a couple of years after high school and trying some college. In 1980, Bassett joined the Air Force full-time.

After completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, he headed to tech school in Colorado, where he honed his skills in working on gun camera sensor systems.

During his career, Bassett would work on multiple aircraft, serve as a navigator and help organize one of the world’s largest electronic warfare exercises.

18 March 2021

“You know our enemies use jamming equipment and the whole idea is they want to be able to stop our communications or they want to spoof our communications,” Bassett explained about the exercises. “All the fighters and support aircraft and everything learned what it was like to be denied their communications unless they used their equipment correctly.”

While spending time as an instructor in New Mexico, Bassett had the unique chance to connect with his father’s military career.

“I got to meet a navigator who actually flew with my dad,” Bassett recalled fondly. “From talking to him, I found out that not only did I get to meet someone that flew my dad and knew him, but the aircraft I was flying was the same exact aircraft my dad flew.”

The navigator Bassett met flew air rescue missions with the older Bassett, something Bassett would do in the wake of Hurricane Floyd. “It was like the second or third major storm that came through Fayetteville, South Carolina,” Bassett remembered. “They got saturated, so we actually came in and provided communications relay for all the rescue assets, even rescue boats that we could get in touch with. We were only there for, I think, three days, but my crew was credited with well over 700 people rescued.”

Bassett retired as a master sergeant and said his time in the Air Force was everything he was looking for.

“I was extremely lucky,” a very humble Bassett said. “I got to do a lot of different things. I’ve been blessed. I’ve been able to do a lot of different things that a lot of people don’t get to do.”

While stationed at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Bassett met his wife, Sandy. The pair actually unknowingly moved into the same apartment on the same day.

The couple has two adult children. -19SM

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COMM U N I T Y

BY: SHARLA BARDIN

Fron t l i n e Fo cu s Students say technology center’s nursing program equips them for high-demand field

N

ursing is a family tradition for Danielle Holmes. Her grandmother and mother chose nursing as a career and Holmes will soon follow. She is now a student in the practical nursing program at Moore Norman Technology Center.

Holmes said the program has provided her with extensive knowledge, terrific support from instructors and peers and has reinforced her desire to become a nurse, especially given the need for nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s motivating and it makes me want to get out there and help as many people as I can,” she said.

Others connected with the program share her sentiment.

Wendy Perry, the center’s director of health careers, said there has been heightened interest in the center’s health programs.

“We’ve seen an increase in applications,” Perry said. “Students are wanting to help.”

The center provides a variety of classes to accommodate students’ needs and schedules, including short-term and longterm programs. Individuals can also finish programs at an accelerated rate and enter the workforce at a quicker pace than a traditional college setting. For example, long-term programs generally take 10 to 15 months to complete, Perry said.

Practical nursing is one of the options available in the longterm programs. Others include dental assisting, medical assisting, physical therapy aide, pre-nursing, surgical technology, veterinary assisting, nurse aide, biomedical and diagnostic medical sonography.

Justin Smith, of Norman, is a student in the practical nursing program and said he enrolled because he wants to work more with patient care. He now works in a surgery department as a central core technician where his duties include getting supplies and instruments ready for operations. Smith said he chose the center after hearing positive comments from others who completed the program.

“I was impressed with their excellent pass rating,” Smith said. “(That) showed the value they put towards their students’ education.”

The technology center has a 96% pass rate for the National Council Licensure Examination for practical nursing, which is the exam students must pass to become licensed as a practical nurse in Oklahoma, Perry explained.

Smith said another of the program’s strength are the clinical experiences.

24 March 2021

Danielle Holmes, a single mom and student in the practical nursing, said she chose the program because of the extensive training and a convenient location and schedule options.

“The clinicals are my favorite part because we get to apply the knowledge we have learned to real-life situations,” he said, adding that he believes the program “is there to see individuals succeed, and … set you on the right track to do so.”

Holmes pointed to the program’s in-depth training, the affordability and convenient location as to why she enroll at Moore Norman. She graduates in June and plans to take her licensure exam to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. Her next step is to attend Oklahoma City Community College to work toward becoming a registered nurse.

Holmes said she values the knowledge she’s gained and that the training she’s received at the technology center has helped equip and motivate her as she prepares to help others during the pandemic and beyond.

“It’s opened my eyes and showed me that nursing is really what I want to do,” she said. “Nursing is truly my passion.”

For more information about the center’s health programs, visit mntc.edu. -19SM

Justin Smith is a student in the practical nursing program and said he’s impressed with the clinical experience and the licensure pass rating among students.

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S P O RT S

BY: CHRIS PLANK he X-factor is a term often used in sports to define a person who could have a significant impact on the outcome of a game or an event. It’s not always the person who will get the headlines or the praise but, in the end, is the most important piece of a winning team. For the Oklahoma Sooner Basketball team, Elijah Harkless has been the unexpected X-factor, providing the Sooners with the spark, energy and toughness needed to move to another level heading into March Madness.

T

The fact that Harkless has had this type of an impact is not a surprise to those who have played with him, but what is even more impressive is that the Sooner transfer is providing an influence on the court despite not even expecting to play this season.

As a transfer, Harkless had accepted the fact that this season would be a learning season to prepare for next year. But when the one-time exemption for transfers was awarded, Harkless was ready to help in any way he could.

“The transfer rules in college had set my expectations,” he said. “It was a 1% chance that they would allow you to play after transferring. I was recruited to redshirt and that was the mentality that I came in with. But the pandemic opened that up and the coaches felt strongly about me coming out of my redshirt to help the team and I just believed in the coaches and the vision they had for me with the team.”

The Cal State Northridge (CSUN) transfer had been considered an elite perimeter defender, and many projected his skills would add a spark to the Sooner lineup. But not many could have projected just how big of a spark that Harkless would truly add.

After coming off the bench in his first five games, Harkless was inserted as a starter when the Sooners traveled to Lawrence to face Kansas. He has been a part of the Sooner starting lineup, making a noticeable impact since. His spark has turned into a player who is an all-around game changer.

“I think in his case, he was very conscientious about doing the things right,” Sooner Head Basketball Coach Lon Kruger said.

“I think maybe even stepping into the rotation a little bit he was concerned about how other people are feeling about that. Our point was just, ‘Just play. We’ll take care of the rotation’. It takes time… but as you saw, he’s progressed in every ball game and he’s playing awfully well right now.”

Harkless made an impact on his Sooner teammates from the first moment he stepped on the court.

“Since summer, he’s always been showing that dog side of him,” Ker Kuath said. “He can play in this league with us. He hustles.

He works hard. He’s just like that. He comes to fight day in day out. I like that about E.J.”

HEART • HUSTLE In a lot of ways, Harkless has been the glue guy, or a dog as Kuath put it, for every team he has played for, the piece that helps hold a team together. His passion for the sport is contagious and his hard work is a character staple. It is something that coaches like David Kleckner noticed from the first time they saw him on a basketball court.

“You can see how he can impact the game in a variety of ways,” Kleckner told the OU Daily in a feature. “His toughness, the loose balls, the deflections, the steals, the rebounds, just the value to have someone like that in the lineup, it impacts the game.”

Kleckner coached Harkless in high school at Etiwanda in Rancho Cucamongo, California and won a state championship. While Harkless was a star for Etiwanda, his friends over at Chino Hills were stealing most of the national and local headlines. The Ball brothers and their bombastic father Lavar were preaching to the world how they were ready to take over basketball. While Harkless was staying out of the spotlight, his close friends were dominating the sports headlines and he was learning in the process.

“I witnessed it from a young age how they handled their exposure,” Harkless said of his friendship with the Ball brothers. “Melo was getting it at 14 and Lonzo was getting at 16. Just seeing the national publicity and watching how they handled it I took a lot of pages out of their book and I saw what it was like to work hard like they did every single day. So, I saw what it took to be good and I learned a lot from them.”

Photos by: Mark Doescher

Hard work is often overshadowed in the media by the swagger and attitude but not many could see how hard the Ball family worked behind the scenes and it made an impact on Harkless.

“They put the work in,” he shared. “Lavar is a character and he brags on his kids, but he knows the work they put in… running the hills every day, putting up the shots every day. They’ve been doing it from a young age.”

With the Ball brothers off to the NBA, Harkless was ready to chart his path to the next level. After his high school career wrapped up, the offers were not necessarily flying in.

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“He was not getting recruited by anybody,” Kleckner said. “I was like, are you guys kidding me? I’m sitting here, begging these scouts. I said, “Hey, guys, Elijah Harkless is not getting the credit he deserves. You need to put him out there… and promote him as being a top player.”

As had typified his career, Harkless worked hard at CSUN under the guidance of an experienced and focused coaching staff.

Harkless had a vision for himself and the style he wanted to play. He took everything he could from the staff at Northridge and used that to continue to improve.

“It was an incredible amount of knowledge,” Harkless said of the CSUN coaching staff. “Mo Williams fresh out of the NBA, Jeff Dunlap won a Canadian championship, Jim Harrick won a national championship at UCLA and was good friends with Coach Kruger. Mark Gottfried was our head coach and had a great run at Alabama. Mo played for him, there was a lot of knowledge there for sure and I learned from it.”

When Harkless decided to move on from CSUN and find a different school, his options had increased. His numbers were not jaw dropping at Northridge, but his reputation had become more known. His ability and desire caught the attention of more schools.

“The staff supported me. They definitely did,” Harkless said.

“I don’t think my goal was to go a Power 5. It just happened to be at a Power 5 conference. I was looking for a school that plays up-tempo and takes pride on the defensive end of the 30 March 2021

floor. Somewhere they take pride in getting me a lot better and becoming their ideal point guard in my year off.”

Kruger and the Sooners reached out to Harkless quickly, and he committed before being able to visit campus due to COVID-19, choosing OU over Montana State, Fresno State and Loyola Marymount.

“Northridge coaches talked often about how physical and how aggressive he is,” Kruger said. “And that’s certainly been the case here. He’s a very on-ball, physical defender … any coach would want that type of attitude and mentality in a program.”

“Right about a month into the pandemic I started hearing about Oklahoma and honestly, I didn’t know too much,” Harkless said of his knowledge of Oklahoma Sooner basketball. “I had heard about the run to the Final Four with Buddy Hield and his unbelievable year. I’m on the West Coast so I didn’t see too much of it. I mean I didn’t even know that Buddy wore 24.

Coming in I just picked a number that was valuable to me. If I would have known it was his, I wouldn’t have picked it.”

For Harkless, the Sooner fit has been perfect, and, more than anything, it was refreshing to see hard work and grit rewarded. While the first round of recruiting did not go the way that he anticipated out of high school, his commitment to making the most of the situation earned him the opportunity to play in one of the best conferences in college basketball.

“It was unbelievably cool to feel wanted,” Harkless said.

“Where I grew up, how I play the game, I was not into the camp thing and we didn’t get all the publicity through the camps, so I was under recruited. But the people who knew my game felt I was capable to play in any conference and it just took a couple of years for me to fill out and I guess it took a while for everyone to figure that out.”

While Harkless is contributing and helping the Sooners, it’s hard to ignore how different the past year has been as athletes continue to play through a pandemic. The off-the-court fun is minimized, if not nonexistent. Activities like team meals and get-togethers, even full team practices, are limited. But, Harkless has not allowed that to affect him too much.

“I keep to myself. I keep my circle small,” he said. “I like video games, that’s my thing. I’d rather play video games than go out so I’m not missing that part of life. People go out and love campus corner but we really didn’t have that at CSUN so I haven’t really known nor cared for the social scene. The part I don’t like is the opportunity to get in the gym every day. Some games it’s tough because you can’t get in the gym as much due to protocols.”

With defense, hard work and hustle as noted benchmarks of his game, the junior transfer has also shown a knack for scoring big buckets in key moments. Against Alabama, Harkless hit a jumper with 20 seconds left to help secure the win for the Sooners over the 9th ranked team in the country. The headlines in the Norman Transcript the next day read, “How Could You Be So Harkless.”

But for Elijah, it was not a moment to say “I told you so” or to even beat his chest. It was a moment that magnified his ultimate motivation...winning.

“I do anything to help the team,” he said. “If that’s scoring that night, if that’s rebounding that night, if it’s assisting another night, I think I’ll be able to help the team. I can’t wait to see where we’re at in March.”

“He’s been fantastic,” Kruger said. “He’s been super aggressive, he’s a very physical player… those are winning plays and Elijah has no hesitation to get on the floor and stick his nose in there on a rebound and play in a physical way.”

“Me and my people, we never thought any of those guys that were recruited over me were better than me,” Harkless added.

“Nobody really appreciated the way that I played the game. It wasn’t all about points. It’s all about wins. Wins are more important than stats to me, in my opinion.”

X-Factor, glue guy, hard worker, hustler, grinder… all adjectives that correctly describe what Harkless is all about, but the most important thing to Harkless is not how he is described.

What matters most to Harkless is winning.

“I’m a winner. I’ll do anything to win. Anything it takes for the team to win that night, I’ll do to the best of my ability. Put guys in the right spot so ultimately we can succeed, that’s the goal, to win every game.” –19SM 32 March 2021

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HI G H S CH O O L S P ORTS

BY: PERRY SPENCER he Moore district, just like the others in the state, had their spring sports season cut short last year because of the pandemic. We had a chance to visit with a few coaches from Moore High School to talk about what they are looking forward to this spring, in anticipation of finishing the spring sports season.

T

Sheldon Spelman returns for his third season as head coach of the Moore Lions boys soccer program. The team will return four starters from a season ago when Spelman saw his team start out with a 2-1 record before the season ended abruptly, including shut-out victories over Choctaw and Stillwater.

There are a few guys to look out for this year including senior Ivan Cardenas, who is in the process of making his college decision to play at the next level. Juniors Moises Perez and Jake Kielty will play a leadership role and are two of a handful of underclassmen that will be playing at the next level.

SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW

Not being able to play last year took a toll on Spelman’s squad. He said “the opportunity to compete in 2021 means everything” to his program.

“We’ve had March 2 circled on our calendar for a long time now. The short end to 2020 was hard but it’s instilled an appreciation of what we have and get the chance to do every day so we’re excited.”

The Moore program is shooting for a top four finish this season in district play, which would mean a playoff berth for the Lions.

“When we talk about goals as a team, it’s all about progressing,” Spelman said. “We look at our regular season and our aim is team and individual improvement. As we progress into district play, our objective is to finish in the top four and qualify for the playoffs.

If we’re able to realize these two goals, in playoffs, our mantra becomes ‘let’s win this game, and think about the next one later.’”

The Lions will roll out a brand-new white kit that they didn’t get to use last season because of the shortened season, and the district also recently renovated the turf on the practice field.

The Moore pom squad coached by Jennifer Jacks is looking forward to competing this spring. With 16 members coming back this year, they have a lot of experience that Jacks is counting on.

When asked about the short season a year ago, Jacks said her team feels “so fortunate to be able to complete our season this year.”

“We were able to compete at nationals last year, but the pandemic caused our tryouts to be pushed back almost two months. This has made everything feel rushed, but my teams are handling it like total pros.”

The Moore pom squad has been so close at the national level the past couple of years and their goal this year is quite simple: to “win our first national championship after placing second the last four years,” Jacks said.

This team is well prepared to make the jump to winning the title, so stay tuned to see if the Moore Lions can bring home their first national championship.

The Moore tennis team has a ton of experience coming back from a season ago. They return nine starters. The two leaders for the boys and girls team will be junior Gunner Ivey and senior Lily Truchet. Theodore Baker returns for his second year as head coach.

38 March 2021

Baker said his athletes have added pressure after losing an entire season of competition.

“It gives us a new focus - especially for our seniors who have had to skip forward to their last year in high school tennis,” he said.

The goal for the season was pretty simple.

“Cultivate a love for the sport in the team and have a few make it to state,” Baker said.

The Moore Lions girls slow pitch team is always one of the top teams in the state, and this year it will be no different. The Lions will return 10 starters from a season ago, which saw them start the season 4-0 including wins over rivals Westmoore and Southmoore.

There will be two players on the team moving on to play fast pitch at the next level, with seniors Morgan Max and Bridgett Morales leaned on for leadership, also look for Brea Lutz and Heidi Noisey to make an impact this season.

Steven Peeler is back as head coach, and last season he feels like they had a really good team so the season being cut short was hard on his team. They have lofty goals for this season.

“We had very high expectations last year and feel that a good chance to win a state title was taken away,” Peeler said.

sportstalk1400.com

So what’s the Peeler’s goal for this season?

“We have high expectations again this year and hope to make it to the state tournament and have an opportunity to play for a state championship,” he confirmed.

There is a real possibility that Peeler and his squad can bring a title back to Moore High School, so it should be fun to watch.

The Moore track and field team, coached by Stefan Seifried, in his ninth season, has a lot of talented individuals on this team this year. Katie Byrd has signed with Rogers State, and Ansley Scott, Sierra Brewer, Shiloh Hutchinson, Trevon Baysinger and Brenden Sanders will also compete at the next level.

This track season is obviously filled with heavy hearts after the loss of some very close teammates, Seifried said.

“After last February, our kids have extra motivation for this season, R4RKY.” The goal for this season, according to Seifried, is to “stay healthy and perform strong.”

This courageous team is running for more than just themselves this season, motivated to honor Rachel Freeman, Kobly Crum and Yuridia Martinez, inspired by the team mantra #R4RKY. –19SM

19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 39

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HE A LT H

BY: LINDSAY CUOMO

Keeping Families Healthy

Dr. Jason Taylor

Primary care doctor steps in to help at Same Day Clinic

W

e’ve been practicing social distancing and various levels of quarantining for a year now. Some might be wondering what lasting impacts all this separation might have on our immune systems. Dr. Jason Taylor, a primary care physician with Norman Regional’s Same Day Clinic, advised that the benefits of social distancing definitely outweigh the risks.

“We aren’t in a complete bubble,” he explained. “Quarantining is not going to take away decades of immunity we have developed or the vaccines we got as kids. Our daily comings and goings are enough to keep our immune systems going.”

That, paired with overall healthy habits like a balanced diet, daily exercise, taking a multivitamin and getting your COVID vaccine, he added, should help give your immune system its best fighting chance.

Even still, from time to time, we are all going to get sick and getting in to see your primary care doctor for a same-day appointment can be a challenge and that is where Dr. Taylor’s clinic can step in. Taylor sees patients for a variety of medical needs, especially when your regular doctor’s office is booked and you need to be seen more urgently than the wait would allow.

The Same Day Clinic, located on Main Street in Norman, is equipped to take care of a host of issues from minor injuries and burns to rashes and pink eye. They can even help patients needing a referral.

“If a patient needs a referral for a specialist or a study ordered, oftentimes we can get those things started and then you can follow up with your doctor,” Taylor said. “Patients can get things addressed quickly and we are able to relay the

42 March 2021

appointment information to their doctor. Patients seem to really appreciate that.”

However, Taylor cautions that urgent care visits should not be a replacement for an annual checkup with a primary care doctor.

“An urgent care visit isn’t going to replace the primary care relationship because long-term care needs aren’t addressed,” he shared, which is why Taylor and the clinic’s other provider, David Sparlin, a nurse practitioner, also offer established care.

Taylor joined the Norman Regional team in October and the Same Day Clinic expanded its hours a month later in November. He previously worked at Southwest Medical Center in a fast track clinic in the ER. He said he has enjoyed working in Downtown Norman and getting to know more about the Norman community.

“It’s interesting to walk out the front door and see Main Street,” he shared. “I see people from all over Norman and all over the metro.”

“The people are great and very friendlyand that’s coming from a guy who went to Oklahoma State,” he joked.

Norman Regional - Same Day Clinic is located at 119 E. Main St and is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Walk-ins are welcome. To schedule an appointment, call 515-6246.

If you are experiencing COVID-like symptoms, including fever, cough, difficulty breathing or the loss of smell, taste or appetite, please call the office before coming in or call the health system’s COVID hotline at 515-4328. –19SM

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44 March 2021

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W E ’L L

Y O U.

B U S I N E SS

BY: ROXANNE AVERY

A Heartbeat for the Community Realtor Leslie Switzer shares insights on local real estate market

L

eslie Switzer has been part of the south metro community since 2005 and, as a real-estate specialist, she has a passion for the area where she lives and works.

“Knowing the heartbeat of my community that I live in gives me a special expertise that is critical in the SW OKC and Moore real estate market today,” she said.

That passion and knowledge helps Switzer sell homes quickly, she explained. Homes she has listed to sell are on the market for an average of 15 days or less, with some selling in less than a week. Caring customer service is Switzer’s number one priority.

“I want to do an excellent job and know at the end of the day I have done my best. People come to me with the largest, most important investment of their lives...their home. Sometimes it is in the most stressful time of their life, such as after the death of their spouse or their children moving away to college. It is my honor to take that stress off them because working for my clients is a serious responsibility to me,” she shared.

Switzer said she spends time helping homeowners present their home in the best light because making a great first impression is important to selling homes quickly.

“Before listing a home, I help my clients by offering suggestions on ways to declutter each room and reuse items from their own home to stage with and make a great first impression,” she said She also invests in professional photographers and videographers for her properties.

“Buyers are buying homes online from their couch these days,” she explained. “Professional photos, walkthrough videos and an overall great impression are key to getting home tours scheduled from potential buyers.”

Helping people has always been the centerpiece of Switzer’s life and she is very passionate about helping active military, veterans and first responders buy and sell their homes.

48 March 2021

“Military families and first responders are our local heroes and they deserve the very best service I can provide to them as my thank you,” she said. “Part of helping is to be a great listener and excellent communicator. Listening to my clients’ selling or buying desires is extremely important in the overall success of the real estate project. I work together as a team with my clients to achieve the success they are hoping for.”

As the spring real estate season is ramping up, Switzer has tips for both buyers and sellers:

BUYERS TIPS: 1. Get pre-approval by a lender.

2. Begin looking at available homes to determine specific requirements such as size, location and price.

3. Because the market is very competitive, be prepared to make a decision quickly.

SELLERS TIPS: 1. Do small touch ups throughout the home. Declutter to make more space in each room. “Most times sellers don’t need to spend a lot of money ‘updating’ their home. I help my clients with low cost ideas to put their home in the best possible light so it is more of an investment of their time, rather than money.”

2. Get on the market early in the season before everyone else.

“I offer free, no-obligation consultations for people needing more information about buying or selling a home and a free market analysis,” Switzer offered.

For more information about buying a home or selling your home in the south metro or to schedule your free consultation, call Leslie Switzer with Prime Realty, Inc., located at SW 89th and S. Pennsylvania Ave, at 580- 421-1075. –19SM