August 2016 Right at HOME

HOME RIGHT AT

AUGUST 2016

EXPANDING TO SERVE Methodist Stone Oak Hospital Page 4

(L-R) Dr. Richard Marple, Chief Medical Officer, Mrs. Ann Winn, Chief Nursing Officer, Mr. Scott Rausch, Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Marc Strode, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Gabriel Marrufo, Chief Financial Officer

22

9/2-4

9th Annual American Wounded Heroes® Golf Classic—Mon., Aug. 29 Offering veterans and first responders a chance to play and win an $8,000 purse, this annual event at the Club at Sonterra invites sponsors and donors to help make it happen. The goal: To support and sponsor as many American heroes at the golf event as possible and to support and inform rehabilitating veterans. Individual hero, $150; foursome heroes, $600. americanwoundedheroesgolfclassic.com

Bigger and Better Laborfest— Fri., Sept. 2-Sun., Sept. 4 This three-day, multi-cultural music and arts festival includes the free Laborfest SA First Friday festivities; the family-friendly LaborFest Park Explosion with live music and carnival activities at the newly renovated HemisFair Park on Saturday and Sunday; and the Soul Funk Explosion on Saturday and Sunday at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Tickets for Explosion events start at $30. visitsanantonio.com/english/Browse-Book/ Events/2016-Bigger-Better-LaborFest-SanAntonio-Soul-Funk; laborfestsa.com

9/13-18

San Antonio Restaurant Week— Sat., Aug. 13-Sat., Aug. 27 For the second time this year, the food-andwine-focused nonprofit Culinaria encourages Alamo City residents to sample the city’s finest fare. Enjoy three-course lunch and dinner menus at many of San Antonio’s favorite restaurants, some in the Stone Oak area. Proceeds benefit Culinaria’s Urban Farm. $10 to $35; 210-822-9555; culinariasa.org/san-antonio/restaurant-week-2

8/24

8/13

DIY U Women’s Self Defense Basics— Sat., Aug. 13, 1 p.m.

Learn the basics about how to protect against common attacks. Registration is required for this class at Parham Library; call 210-207-2703. www.mysapl.org/calendar.aspx?id=par#/?i=2

Summer Dance Hall Season at Pearl— Wednesdays through Aug. 24, 5:30-9 p.m.

Enjoy free music and classic dance hall fun at Pearl Stable. Benefitting the Boot Campaign, which supports U.S. troops (bootscampaign.org), the summertime series partners with San Antonio Jazz legend Brent “Doc” Watkins, and it’s sponsored by Shiner. Here’s the summer’s remaining roster of bands: Aug.10, Fingerpistol; Aug. 17, The New Pearl Wranglers; Aug. 24, Mark Halata and Texavia. facebook.com/events/635072466646825

8/29

8/1-10/30

“Winged Wonders”— August through Sun., Oct. 30 Celebrate Monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, and other winged creatures at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. An Official Monarch Waystation, San Antonio also is the only Monarch Butterfly Champion City, taking the National Wildlife Federation Pledge in 2015 to increase pollinator habitat.

In addition to the garden’s regular hours, Family Drop-in Days with varying crafts and activities take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 13, Aug. 27, Sept. 10, Sept. 24, Oct. 8, and Oct. 22. www.sabot.org/events-listing

8/13-27

Upcoming Events

“The Sound of Music”— Tues., Sept. 13-Sun., Sept. 18 Are you in the mood to remember a few of your favorite things? The new production of this classic Broadway show and famous film comes to San Antonio with its Tony®, Grammy®, and Academy Award®-winning Best Score. www.majesticempire.com/shows/soundofmusic

3

Expanding to Serve

Methodist Stone Oak Hospital is growing according to plan—adding more services, more patient rooms, and more parking spaces, as it offers the same exceptional care.

W

hen Marc Strode returns to his office after a stroll through the halls of Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, where he serves as chief executive officer, he appreciates the foresight of the architects who planned for expansion from the facility’s inception. “It’s almost like we can’t grow fast enough,” Strode says, noting the double-digit growth forecast for Stone Oak in coming years.

Full to capacity on this summer day, the hospital needs elbow room for the staff and the patients—and thanks to a master plan, there’s plenty of room on the property to grow.

The hospital, which opened in 2009 and has undergone two previous expansions, will serve more people, more efficiently, after its current $70 million expansion—scheduled for completion in 2018.

“We want to be exceptional in the service we provide.”

—Marc Strode, CEO, Methodist Stone Oak Hospital

Strode firmly believes the community needs more access to the quality healthcare this hospital provides. “When you combine [the area’s population] growth with the aging of baby boomers, it’s no surprise that we need more medical facilities and services,” he says. “Patients expect efficiency and great clinical outcomes. The plan has always been to become a 400-plus-bed hospital, and this third expansion, effectively adding about 100 beds, puts us more than half way there.”

4

According to plan Architectural renderings showcase a future tower with Methodist’s signature cross-and-flame logo crowning a new, three-story, L-shaped building, along with a new parking deck.

The expansion increases capacity in every area of the hospital: • Cancer Care • Emergency Care • General Services • Heart & Vascular Care • Neurosurgery • Orthopedic Services & Joint Care • Rehabilitation Services • Women’s Services “It’s touching all of our service lines,” Strode explains.

However, one of the most exciting improvements will be the new, 15-bed rehabilitation unit for patients recovering from a stroke or significant orthopedic surgeries. Rather than leaving for a different facility after surgery, rehab patients “will be able to just go up the elevator, with their doctors close by,” Strode says. Coordination among a team of speech and occupational therapists, as needed, will make recovery easier and more convenient, too.

The construction effort means that the already high-tech, sophisticated women’s floor will gain square footage in labor and delivery, C-section suites, and neo-natal intensive care unit, along with overall upgrades. Patients undergoing surgeries of all kinds—from high-tech, robotic surgical procedures to elective surgeries—will have more beds for quicker access to treatment.

A growing presence Long a bastion of the Medical Center in San Antonio, Methodist Healthcare opened Methodist Stone Oak Hospital in 2009—planting quality, convenient care in the heart of this North Central community. “While we weren’t the first hospital out here, we’ve developed a big presence,” Strode says.

It’s also developed a reputation for high-tech treatments, using the most advanced equipment and procedures, from less invasive methods for hip replacements to a machine that performs CT scans in the operating room so that patients don’t have to be moved. A Fertility Center at Methodist Stone Oak opened in 2015 to offer premiere services and compassionate expertise that address both female and male fertility issues.

And Methodist Stone Oak’s skilled neurosurgeons work from its Texas Neurosciences Institute, where physicians perform more spinal cord explorations and lumbar fusions than at any hospital in Texas, according to its website, texasneurosciences. com. The Joint Commission, which recognizes high health care standards nationwide, named Methodist Stone Oak a Primary Stroke Center, as well.

With such accolades and high patient satisfaction ratings, Methodist Stone Oak continues and expands the half century of excellent care that Methodist Healthcare has provided to the San Antonio area.

During the $70 million expansion of Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, free valet parking between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. will make it easy for visitors to enter the facility despite the ongoing construction.

Long-term vision The current expansion project will continue through 2018, with some new beds available as soon as August 2017. In the meantime, patients and guests can take advantage of free valet parking between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily as they come and go during construction.

“We recognize our responsibility in the community,” Strode says. “When people have health care needs, people don’t want to drive all the way to the Medical Center. It’s farther and farther away. We want to be the place, and we have the right compliment of services.”

Methodist Healthcare’s citywide motto says “Serving Humanity to Honor God.” Newly expanded and offering more services than ever before, Methodist Stone Oak Hospital will be positioned to do just that—all for the people of Stone Oak and their neighbors.

Personal interest A lifelong resident of San Antonio, Strode started his career in health administration with Methodist Healthcare as an intern and has worked there for more than 19 years. “This is the third hospital within the Methodist portfolio where I’ve had the honor of being CEO,” he says. “I was born and raised in San Antonio, not too far from here, and so it’s very personal for me.”

Strode says it’s the staff at Methodist that sets the facility apart.

“First and foremost, it’s the people. I am really big on culture.

Hospitals are, by and large, the same as far as bricks and mortar and expensive equipment goes. But it’s the people, from the doctors and the nurses to the housekeepers, who make it special. I know patients have a great experience when they come here.”

Despite the facility’s physical expansion, Strode says the hospital will maintain its not-too-big-and-not-too-small feel.

“We want to keep our charming and unique personality,” Strode says. “You want to hold on to that.”

The recognizable flame-and-cross logo for Methodist Healthcare will highlight the tower atop the new, three-story building at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, now in its third expansion since opening in 2009.

Methodist Stone Oak Hospital 1139 East Sonterra Blvd. 78258 StoneOakHealth.com 210-638-2000 5

PET TIPS

Back-to-School Season —For Pets!

Have your dogs forgotten what they’ve learned? Get our list of top seven ways you can tell it’s time to send them back to class.

Educators warn parents about helping kids avoid the “summer slide” while they’re away from school. The same thing can happen with your pets over time. There are signs to look for that can help you know if it’s time to sign up Fido for a refresher class.

Here are the top seven ways to know it’s time to send dogs back to school.

6

1.

Barking. It’s a dog’s native language after all. But is yours barking at inappropriate times? Not responding to your commands to quiet down when a friend knocks on the door?

2.

Pulling on a leash. Was there a time when your dog heeled?

Has he or she started tugging during your walks—essentially walking you instead?

3.

Jumping. It’s disconcerting for guests to have an unfamiliar dog bound toward them and leap up, putting possibly dirty paws on them.

4.

Acting aggressively. Growls, yips, and nips can frighten your guests—and you. Training can help curb those more aggressive instincts.

5.

Chewing. We know puppies have that problem, but if older dogs revert to the habit, it’s time to bring them to class.

6.

7.

Showing no response to basic commands. Do “Sit!” “Stay!” and “Down!” seem to have no effect? Are you tired of being ignored by your beloved pet?

Showing signs of anxiety. Some dogs develop troublesome habits related to anxiety, from habits such as soiling interiors and whimpering to barking and chewing. Working with a trainer can help diagnose the problem and provide solutions.

Call Camp Bow Wow today! We can help remind your dog what he or she once knew.

SENIOR MOMENT

A

Carving Out Time

A place to practice a woodworking hobby helps fulfill this retiree’s later years at Stone Oak’s Independence Village Retirement Community.

cross the street from Douglas Henry’s house in Independence Village, an airconditioned, garage-like studio with a security system houses his woodworking tools, carvings, and models. “I’m proud of this one,” he says, unwrapping the figures of a nativity scene with care.

Among many other projects, there’s a stage coach, a vintage-style hardware store, and a bootshaped toothpick holder—the first item he carved with the Alamo Area Wood Carvers club.

Screwdrivers hang on a peg board, while electric saws and other machines stand ready for his next project. “It’s kind of an escape,” Henry says.

This native Virginian started his woodworking hobby when his son was a young boy. “We took up half of the garage,” he says, remembering the tangle of tracks and wooden landscapes the pair created. Now, 85, Henry still enjoys turning raw wood into something decorative and useful—using kits and patterns, along with ideas from his club. He’s working on an oldfashioned building for his great-grandson now, while his wife, Catherine, is away playing bridge in the community club house.

Henry met Catherine 25 years ago while volunteering at a hospital gift shop, working with the Methodist Healthcare system’s Blue Bird Auxiliary. He’d started working there after his first wife, Alicia, died in 1988. “I needed something to do,” he says. Henry fell for his fellow volunteer, a Louisiana native who introduced him to Cajun food. “She’s always thinking about shrimp,” he says, laughing. The couple enjoys living at Independence Village, and his woodworking studio makes a nice retreat.

Henry’s always been mechanically inclined. After growing up in Abingdon, Va., he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1951, during the height of the Korean War. At basic training, an assessment revealed his aptitude for mechanics, and he was selected for aircraft and engineering training. Soon, he deployed to Korea, working to maintain F-86 aircraft during the conflict.

At his next post in Laredo, Texas, he met and married Alicia.

In 1960, the couple moved to San Antonio, where they raised their only child, Douglas, Jr. It was here that Henry started his woodworking hobby and worked at Kelly Air Force base.

Today, he still volunteers at the hospital gift shop where he met Catherine. He enjoys socializing with his wood-carving club, and he’s also a member of the Texas Woodcarvers Guild.

“It’s good therapy for me.”

Live Life to the Fullest at

Enjoy the “tree house” views in one of our beautiful upstairs cottages with all the full-service amenities Independence Hill residents enjoy!

Let us start spoiling you... lease today! $0 Rent until October 2016 on upstairs cottage apartments.

Douglas Henry takes on projects from models of old-fashioned stores and vintage vehicles to figurines of all sorts.

Douglas Henry, retired from the Civil Service Department of the U.S. Air Force, spends hours at a time in his workshop at Independence Village Retirement Community.

Lic #100102

Call today and start living the life you deserve!

(210) 764-5260 20450 Huebner Road San Antonio, TX 78258 www.independencehill.com

Full Service Apartments, Assisted Living and Neighborhood of Homes

EQUAL HOUSING

OPPORTUNITY

7

Back-to-School Basics

Start now to get routines back in order, prep for first-day of school traditions, and set up your child—and you—for first semester success.

B

etween camps, vacations, and play dates, even the most routine-oriented families can fall into the blissful, carefree, hot mess of summer. The longer and lazier the summer days, the slower the start to the school-year routine can be. Here are a few ways to jump-start your family’s first semester.

Gradually resume your child’s school night routine. If bed times have crept later and later, kids sleep later and later. A week or two before school begins, walk back that goodnight routine to an earlier hour to prep your kids—and yourself—for bus stops and carpools that may start before dawn.

Prep for the back-to-school photo. Teens may not cooperate with your desire to commemorate the first day in a new grade level, but you can always try, and younger kids are usually game. Pinterest bursts with ideas for scrapbook-worthy ways to chronicle the milestone. Avoid scrambling to find the slate and chalk to write each child’s name, age, and grade on the first day, as Pinterest commands.

Instead, use a plastic bin to store the chalkboard, bulletin board, ribbon, hot glue gun, and any other materials you’ll need to make the sign you’ll try to get your child to hold on that first morning back. Make it before you’re filling backpacks the morning of. (If you’d rather wing it, go for a selfie of the whole crew inside the car before you leave the driveway—always a fun Facebook post.)

Clean out the car. It may not last long, but start the year off right with a spotless vehicle interior. When you’re picking up back-toschool supplies, grab a couple of storage bins for the car—one for trash from snacks and tissues, one to hold discarded clothes for quick changes between carpool pick-up and sports or ballet practices.

Establish the cardinal rule of carpool runs: If you brought it into the car in the morning, take it into the house in the afternoon.

Sounds simple, but it’s easy for moms and dads to become laden with bags and folders and belts and shoes as they make their way inside the house every afternoon. Ask each child to take their own backpacks and lunch boxes inside the house immediately. (Have you seen what the Texas heat can do to a banana left in the bottom of a lunch sack?)

Laminate carpool pick-up signs. From school pick-up to extracurricular carpool lines, you may be handed a paper sign at the start of the school year that you’ll be expected to show every day.

Do yourself a favor and stop at the nearest copy shop to get the nameplate laminated. Pay a few extra cents for the thick stuff. It will remain intact and stay coffee stain free all year.

Create a first-day-back tradition. Whether it’s a donut run, a shaved ice stop, or a big bowl of popcorn when the kids come home, create a way for the kids to share with each other and with you how the first day went. Celebrate this first day of school and you’ll be celebrating learning—and instilling a value that may last lifetime.

We're On The Move!

MACSA has moved our Stone Oak location to the Legacy Shopping Center near the east end of Sonterra Blvd. next to Staples.

Why did we move?

• More parking • Group Piano Room for keyboard classes • More studios with windows • 17 teaching rooms • Convenient location to Loop 1604 Why study with MACSA? • Private Piano Instruction Ages 4 to Adult • Pre-School Piano Ages 3 and up • Jazz Piano • Suzuki Piano • Private Guitar • Private Voice Classical & Popular • Suzuki Violin Ages 3 and up • Electric Guitar & Drums

8

Stone Oak 2106 E. Sonterra Blvd. #211 San Antonio, TX 78259 210-490-1500

North West 12732 Cimarron Path #100 San Antonio, TX 78249 210-697-7111

SIGN U FOR FALL P M LESSONS USIC NOW!

www.MusicalArtsCenter.com

C.A.M.P.

Christianson Annual Maintenance Program

Receive One Heating Check in the fall and One Air Conditioner Check in the spring for

Just $89 A $110 value!

(Additional units can be added)

C.A.M.P. includes: • 12 point check of your system twice a year to keep your HVAC unit working properly and at its peak performance and efficiency.

• 10% Off any repairs • Priority Scheduling

FREE estimates on equipment replacement.

(210) 651-1212

We accept all major credit cards

.

Texas Master Lic #TACLA00066343E

SPECIAL $15 OFF any repairs Not valid with any other discount.

Expires 9/15/2016

9

BUSINESS PROFILE

Ship Shape: The UPS Store Puts Customers First One local franchisee makes sure her Stone Oak-area store sets itself apart.

She learned the business working as a sales associate on a summer break from teaching. “I learned everything from the bottom up,” she says. She told her dad, “I think I could run this.” Her father and her two sisters got involved, forming a partnership to buy the store. West-Williams put in her notice at the school and took on running the operation full time. The business will celebrate its 10th anniversary next February, with West-Williams eager to share the variety of ways her store services its customers. “We actually offer a lot of things people don’t know about,” she says.

• Secure document shredding. It’s just $1 per pound. “You can bring your paper in ‘dirty,’” West-Williams says. That means it can have staples, paper clips, and even binder clips.

• Mail box services. With identity theft tied to personal mail boxes at homes, a secure mail box at The UPS Store can protect you. Boxes start as low as $21 a month. “We’re a physical address, not just a P.O. box, which means we can accept packages from any carrier,” West-Williams adds.

Stormie West-Williams, owner of The UPS Store, • Shipping Services. Using both UPS and the United States celebrates 10 great years in business.

Postal Service, the store offers delivery confirmation, tracking, packing, and more. Stamps and metered mail s a former biology and chemistry teacher, Stormie make it convenient to send personal mail along with West-Williams taught about the building blocks of life larger packages. and how elements in a compound can create something • Printing Services. Color and black-and-white printing altogether new. That’s what she did in her own life, reinventing helps customers create reports, flyers, brochures, and herself as the owner of The UPS Store #3810, which garners more. Printing services are available online, 24 hours a repeat customers and offers excellent services. day, including orders for laminating, collating, binding, and stapling.

All The UPS Stores are individually owned and operated, • Passport photo services. It’s easy to get travel documents which gave West-Williams a chance to make her store, located taken care of here. next to the HEB Plus at Blanco Road and North Loop 1604, • Notary Services. Documents can become official in minutes. reflect her own vision. “My father used to always talk about us having a family business,” says West-Williams. Teaching in an The services and convenient location may bring customers area high school, West-Williams imagined owning and managing to West-Williams’ store, but customer service keeps them her own enterprise. She reminded her dad of the old dream. coming back. “Customers will tell us that they moved, but they keep their mail box here, and they come back because of the “We started looking at various franchises,” she says. They ruled customer service,” West-Williams says. “We know their names. out restaurant chains and businesses that would tie up their Though we’re close to a lot of people in Stone Oak, people are investment dollars with inventory that may or may not sell. willing to drive for that experience, too.

They stumbled on The UPS Store, which sells services. WestThat’s what sets us apart.”

Williams notes that boxes and shipping labels never go out of style or spoil. And she discovered that The UPS Store does a lot more than shipping. It’s a full-service operation that meets a variety of personal and business-related needs.

A

More Than Shipping

From print and copy services to secure document solutions, The UPS Store owned and operated by Stormie West-Williams has solutions for you.

The UPS Store 1150 N. Loop 1604 78248 Ste. 108 210-493-9933 theupsstorelocal.com/3810

10

Spike!

A high school volleyball team standout and Stone Oak graduate scores a full academic scholarship at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Student Spotlight

By Jennifer Chappell Smith

P

laying volleyball, Ronald Reagan High School Rattler Lauren Schilling set up her teammates for success as a middle blocker. Defending the ball. Setting the ball. Helping Reagan become bi-district champions along with Lady Bird Johnson High School. But along the way, Schilling has set herself up for success, as well—on and off the court.

She was named to the University Interscholastic League All-District 26-6A Second Team her senior year, and she’ll play volleyball for the University of Texas at Dallas as a freshman this fall. She landed a full-tuition academic scholarship to the NCAA Division III institution, along with a $1,000-per-semester stipend.

What’s more, she passed 11 out of 12 Advanced Placement exams during high school, from English and history to calculous and more, gaining 27 hours of college credit. “I basically managed to get college credit for all but one,” she says.

Schilling will start her college career well ahead of the average freshman and plans to study criminology.

Casual to Competitive Schilling first picked up a volleyball in 5th grade at a Y.M.C.A. program. Her first year in high school she played the game for a P.E. credit. But others saw she had real potential. “My parents convinced me to take lessons to get better,” she says.

Eventually, she played for both Reagan and on the club circuit. “My favorite part is being part of the team with girls who love the sport as much as me,” she says.

Volleyball also drew Schilling out socially. She says she used to be reserved, but with practices, games, and the camaraderie that develops among teammates, she became more outgoing. Now she has friends in more social circles, in classes above and below hers, and on other teams citywide.

Honing her skills as a middle blocker, Lauren Schilling played volleyball for her high school and on the club circuit, and now she’ll play for the University of Texas at Dallas.

CLIMATE CONTROLLED UNITS

FOR HEAT & HUMIDITY SENSITIVE ITEMS

COMPUTER CONTROLLED ENTRIES AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS

Yet when it came time for high school graduation last June, she celebrated the occasion with family who came for the ceremony rather than reveling with friends. “I know I’ll see [my family] after college starts, but I wanted to capitalize on the time I have with them,” she says.

This summer, she took part in a volleyball camp in preparation for her college sports career, and she’s spent time at home watching TV favorites such as “America’s Ninja Warrior” with family.

When she heads to Dallas, she’ll take with her the values she’s learned on the volleyball court, in her family, and from her rich experience of volunteering with the Interact Club at Reagan and with the National Honor Society. “I enjoy trying to do beneficial things for the community,” she says.

IDEAL FOR RECORD STORAGE MONTH TO MONTH OR LONG TERM LEASING VARIETY OF SIZING OPTIONS

With a giving and team-oriented spirit, her academic success, and love for her family, Schilling has found a winning combination.

Lauren Schilling heads to college in Dallas buoyed by athletic and academic success.

15 11

American Wounded Heroes® Cordially invites you to participate in our

9th ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC AUGUST 29, 2016 at the CLUB at SONTERRA 901 W. Sonterra-San Antonio, Texas www.clubatsonterra.com

J.D. Damian, Chairman (210)-381-7492

Individual Golfers: $150 Foursomes: $600 Visit www.americanwoundedheroesgolfclassic.com to register

A reputation for service that’s set in stone.

For more than 70 years, we’ve been crafting banking services to meet the financial needs of our customers. From personal checking accounts to mortgages, from business loans to online banking, we’ve got you covered.

A PE RSONAL BANKI NG A BUSI NE SS BANKI NG A M ORTG AG E S

A TRU STS A W E ALTH M ANAGEM EN T * A I NSURANC E *

Visit us at 19002 Stone Oak Parkway.

JeffersonBank.com | (210) 736-7413 NMLS #597833

12

jbank-jbank-24567-01 StoneOakInfo.com Ad F.indd 1

*Wealth Management and Insurance Products are: Not FDIC Insured • Not a Deposit • Not Insured by any Federal Government Agency • Not Bank Guaranteed • May Lose Value

7/21/16 5:08 PM

Protect Against Blue Light

By Dr. Monica Allison, O.D., Stone Oak Vision Source

M

any of us wear sunglasses all year round to guard against harmful UVA rays.

We don’t forget to wear shades at the lake or beach in summer, during road trips or carpool runs, or even in the bright winter sun. As an optometrist, I’m thrilled to see patients taking good care of their eyes, but there’s another culprit that’s getting overlooked: blue light from digital devices.

This high-energy hue on the visible light spectrum can cause long-term damage to your eyes. It can cause eyestrain, headaches, and physical and mental fatigue. It can even damage the retina and contribute to a condition called macular degeneration.

Though it’s found in natural sunlight, too, blue light affects us when we use the many devices that play an integral role in our day-to-day lives: • TVs • Computers • Laptops • Smart phones • Tablets • Fluorescent and LED lighting Studies suggest that 60% of people spend more than six hours a day in front of a digital device, reports the BlueLightExposed.com. Though many don’t leave the house without sunglasses, many of us surf smartphones endlessly or look at computer screen after computer screen without a care. We happily transition to environmentally friendly LED light bulbs, work under fluorescent lighting in an office, or binge-watch Netflix series on a tablet—all without a thought about what the blue light may be doing to our eyes.

Make an Appointment!

Monica Allison, O.D. Lindsey Denison, O.D. Kim Ip, O.D.

210-495-9020

Monday through Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Dr. Monica Allison, O.D.

Consider investing in eyewear that protects against blue light. Vision Source offers a blue lightblocking lens called Crizal® Prevencia™—an antireflective lens made to stop rays in the blue light spectrum. We’d love to talk with you about the advantages of this type of protective barrier and how it can contribute to your long-term eye health.

13

Leaky Faucets?

Running Toilet?

Noisy Pipes?

Water Pressure Problems?

For Expert Service and Repair

(210) 651-1212

www.christiansonco.com Plumbing • Water Heaters • Water Softeners • Toilets, Disposals & Faucets • Slab Leaks • Repair & Replacement • In-line Video Inspections • R/O Systems and More!

We accept all major credit cards

Texas Master Lic #TACLA00066343E Texas Master Lic. #M-18631

SPECIAL

SAVE 15% OFF

Any plumbing service call.

Limited to $150 in savings. Expires 9/15/2016

8

7 to 7 Dental...Now More Convenient Than Ever!

We're more convenient than ever! Now open 7am to 8 pm, even on Saturday and Sunday. We make going to the dentist easier than ever before. Can't get off work? No problem, schedule your appointment on the weekend or after work hours. We're here for you.

Call to schedule an appointment today!

(210) 495-2000 www.7to7Dental.com

Northwest San Antonio

10103 West Loop 1604 North (Loop 1604 N. & Braun Rd.) www.fb.com/7to7dental twitter@7to7dental1

CCiboloi

113 Rodeo Wayb (Across from Steele HS.)

Potranco Rd. & Loop 1604 10730 Potranco Rd. Ste 111 (In the HEB Shopping Center)

Your dental insurance works great in our office!

Our offices are open

Monday-Friday 7am to 8pm Sat & Sun 9am-5pm 1466

Stone Oak

2339 East Evans Road (US Hwy 281 and Evans Rd.)

0% Financing Available

$100 New Patient Special Call for Details!

PHYSICIAN PROFILE

Above and Beyond

F

A willingness to serve keeps this Stone Oak pulmonologist and family man on the go.

or many medical doctors, owning a clinic and heading up a family of four would feel like plenty of contributions to their community and great use of their skills. But Dr. David A. Marks, 42, a pulmonologist and owner of Stone Oak’s Pulmonary & Sleep Institute, finds more ways to help others.

He joined the U.S. Air Force Reserves five years ago. “Just duty to country, service to others,” says Marks about what prompted him to sign up. With the rank of major, he works as a flight surgeon one weekend every month.

Also on call at North Central Baptist Hospital every other week, he serves as medical director of the adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) there.

At his private clinic, he helps patients with breathing and sleeping disorders. His interest in critical care led to his interest in pulmonology, and, ultimately, in sleep problems. “Sleep is vital,” he says. “Without it, the body fails.” He strives to give compassionate care, lessen anxiety, and educate patients. “Nobody likes going to a doctor’s office,” he says. “The question is: How can you make it...an overall better experience? Having your own practice is a benefit because you can control some of the variables.”

Originally from the Dallas area, Marks studied medicine in San Antonio, where he went to medical school, did his residency, and a fellowship at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He is board certified in internal medicine, sleep medicine, pulmonary medicine, hospice and palliative care, and critical care medicine.

Married for five years to a former neo-natal nurse, Starr, he has two teenage step-daughters, a 4-year-old son, and a 1-year-old daughter. His family lives in Stone Oak and attends Cornerstone Church. Busy as he is, he takes his son to swimming lessons on occasion. “Family time is very important,” he says.

Pulmonary & Sleep Institute 115 Gallery Circle 78258 Ste. 102 210-494-4220 pulmonarysleepinstitute.com

Dr. David A. Marks owns and operates his own clinic, but also serves critical care patients at North Central Baptist Hospital and his country as a major in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.

His wife now manages his institute, so the couple sees a lot of each other—except when he’s on Reserve duty or helping with disaster response when called on by the federal government’s National Disaster Medical System.

In that capacity, Marks has worked recent hurricanes and wildfires in Texas. “I’ve been involved in a lot of disaster response,” he says, ticking off international areas where he’s volunteered with a church-affiliated non-profit group: Moldova in Eastern Europe; Haiti; Nigeria.

With all the patients he’s seen, he recalls one young woman who had suffered a “cardiac death” when she came into the ICU on his watch. Her neighbor had performed CPR, and an ICU cardiologist somehow preserved her life. “She had a full recovery,” Marks says.

“It was remarkable. That young lady should have died.”

Now Marks is a Facebook friend of hers, and seeing her ongoing life makes him all the more eager to serve others.

15