Right at Home March 2017

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MARCH 2017

QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP

Diamond Decks Page 4

Members of the Diamond Decks Team (seated L-R) Kasey Unroe, Kyle Brooks, David Mackowiak (standing L-R) Donnie Ferguson and Abdul Al-Tabbah.

Photo by: Greg Harrison

3/25

5K Race For Rwanda – Saturday, March 25, 8 a.m.

Race supports genocide survivors and HIV-positive women and their children in Rwanda. Tejas Rodeo, 401 Obst Road, Bulverde 78163; 210-382-2398.

4/1

Alamo 13.1 – Saturday, March 19, 7:45 a.m. The original, home grown, spring 1/2 marathon in San Antonio starts with a multiple musket volley at the historic cradle of liberty, the Alamo, then winds past San Antonio’s cultural icons to an amazing post-race party. The Alamo, 300 Alamo Plaza 78205; alamo131.com.

Touch-A-Truck – Saturday, March 25, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Second annual event allows kids to experience, touch and explore more than 35 vehicles including those used in construction: cement mixers; law enforcement; garbage, fire, moving, and delivery trucks; K-9 unit demonstrations; face painting; play tables; and food. Crown of Life Preschool, 19291 Stone Oak Parkway 78258. Information on Facebook: Crown of Life Preschool Touch-A-Truck Event.

H-E-Buddy Kids Classic – Saturday, April 1, 10:30 a.m. The H-E-Buddy Kids Classic is a shortdistance, non-competitive fun run for kids 12 and under. Alamodome, 100 Montana St. 78203; www.alamorunfest.com.

4/8

3/17 3/18

H-E-B Big League Weekend – Friday, March 17, 7 p.m., Saturday, March 18, 2 p.m. It’s another American League baseball showdown when Central Division Champion Cleveland Indians face off against the West Division Champion Texas Rangers. Postgame concert.

Alamodome, 100 Montana St. 78203; www.bigleagueweekend.com.

Culinaria’s 6th Annual 5K Beer & Wine Run – Saturday, March 18, 7 a.m.-noon. Runners will trot through shops at La Cantera and celebrate at a post-race reception with plenty of sips and tastes.

The Shops at La Cantera, 15900 La Cantera Parkway 78256; www.culinariasa.org.

3/19

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Tuesday, March 14, through Thursday, March 16, 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 17, 8 p.m., Saturday, March 18, 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday, March 19, 2 and 7:30 p.m. The Carole King Musical tells the Tony® and Grammy® Awardwinning, inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular musical history. More than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation.

Majestic Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St. 78205; www.majesticempire.com.

Shamrock Shuffle 5 K and Fun Run – Friday, March 17, 7 p.m. Kick off your St. Patrick’s Day celebration with a healthy, family-friendly run/walk presented by iRun Texas. Festivities include great music, incredible food and beverages. McAllister Park Pavilion 1, 13102 Jones-Maltsberger 78247; www.iruntexas.net.

3/25

sat/sun

WED’s

Java with Joe – Wednesdays, 9:10 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Visit with City Councilman Joe Krier about District 9 issues. District 9 Office, Frost Bank Building, 16500 San Pedro, Suite 290 78232; 207-0954.

3/17-18

Legacy Farmers’ Market - Saturdays/Sundays, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Local market features produce and handcrafted wares from area farmers, artisans and cottage industries. Legacy Shopping Center, 18402 U.S. Highway 281 North 78259; legacyfarmersmarket.com.

3/14-19

Upcoming Events

Komen Race for the Cure – Saturday, April 8, 8 a.m.

The 20th annual Race for the Cure raises significant funds for the breast cancer movement. Supporters and survivors around the world Race for the Cure® and prove they are More Than Pink™. Alamodome, 100 Montana St. 78203; komensanantonio.org.

Send your upcoming events to StoneOakInfo@gmail.com.

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Quality Craftsmanship Diamond Decks’ New HEB Showroom Turns Neighbors into Clients

By Amy Morgan

V

isiting the new Diamond Decks location inside the HEB at Stone Ridge Market, 281 and Evans Road, is almost like dropping into Cheers, where everybody knows your name. Chances are, you’ve walked by at least once since the showroom opened in January, and you might see friends and neighbors lingering at the outdoor bar and kitchen or relaxing on the comfortable chairs in the decking display area.

An epoxy floor stain brightens the area, and framed posters feature stars of the show, favorite projects highlighting some of Diamond Decks’ diverse capabilities; a second-story deck with a slide to the ground, a composite project with a Hill Country view, and a pastoral patio providing ample room for several seating areas.

Owners Donnie Ferguson and Kyle Brooks say previous customers stop by the space just to say hello when grocery shopping and new acquaintances are attracted by sports playing on the big screen TV installed above the bar.

because they finance their clients themselves, a testimony to the success of the business, which has grown rapidly in its three years of operation. They have fairly quickly become the largest deck company in town, said Ferguson, attributing their success to hard work and long hours to ensure their customers’ complete delight in the finished project.

“We have the best reputation in town for quality,” Ferguson said, “with more than 50 certified reviews on Home Advisor and an outstanding rating on Angie’s List.”

Diamond Decks offers the complete package: decks; awnings; gazebos; iron doors; concrete staining and stamping; carpentry; and especially popular in South Texas, outdoor kitchens, complete with grills, griddles, granite, and every amenity. Diamond Decks handles all the details, including electrical, even ordering appliances at cost to avoid construction delay.

All these amenities highlight the quality construction in which Diamond Decks specializes. Whether adding to an existing home or becoming part of a new building process, Ferguson and Brooks oversee the project to the customer’s satisfaction from start to finish. And they won’t take a dime in payment until the job is finished, a policy almost unheard of in the building industry.

“We don’t get paid until the job is done,” said Ferguson. “We coordinate all the tradesman on a project, so it puts all the liability on us to finish the work as quickly and professionally as possible.”

Diamond Decks is able to offer their no-money-down option

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Customers can get great ideas to improve their outdoor living space at Diamond Decks’ new location inside the HEB at Stone Ridge Market, 281 and Evans Road.

Brooks studied architecture at Texas Tech and has seven years of construction experience. He specializes in brainstorming ideas with customers and helping design project plans.

“It’s the customer’s project,” he said. “They decide on ideas and a budget, and we’ll make it work.” He mentioned the variety of environments in South Texas makes every project unique.

“This is an amazing climate and topography,” he said. “You can step out of your back door to the ground or you can step out to a 20-foot drop.”

Ferguson, who grew up in the Midwest and has 17 years of construction experience, added that South Texas is the place to really use a deck or patio, and that an addition here greatly enhances a home’s value - more so than in other parts of the country.

“Consumer Reports lists a 88-92 percent return on your investment for outdoor additions in the San Antonio area,” he said. “That’s a high percentage - plus you have the benefit of using and enjoying it.”

“We are passionate about the work that we do and doing it well,” Brooks added. “From conceptual design to walking the job with the customer in the end, we are integrally involved in a project to make sure a customer is satisfied before they pay.

This gives our customers confidence in our work.”

“We want to be known as the best outdoor living company in town,” Ferguson said. “Customers have our direct cell numbers, and knowing we have a physical location they can come to gives them peace of mind.”

As part of Diamond Decks’ commitment to the community, Ferguson and the administrative team partnered with Life Restored Church downtown to take material goods – blankets and socks – to those less fortunate when colder weather arrived.

“We wanted to give back to others,” Ferguson said.

The Diamond Decks showroom inside HEB is practically an extension of his living room, as he resides in the Stone Oak community, too. With foot traffic of 55,000 people patronizing HEB’s Stone Ridge Market location weekly, soon everybody will know Diamond Decks’ name.

5

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Reagan Spotlight Student Nataliya Gowan

Student Spotlight

By Amy Morgan

R

onald Reagan High School Senior Nataliya Gowan’s dreams of a business career have already begun to be realized, long before graduation this June. Her communication skills and business acumen have been polished by three years of competition in DECA, the club she now spearheads as president.

“She’s the type of student every teacher wants,” said Reagan teacher and DECA club sponsor Michelle Moore. “She makes my job easier and has been a joy to work with. She is an all-around wonderful young woman.”

The DECA organization involves more than 219,000 high school members in 5,000 classrooms in 3,500 schools across the world who are preparing for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, management and entrepreneurship, according to the organization.

Students compete in written business events and role plays before judges. Under Gowan’s leadership, 65 of Reagan’s 77 students competing at district level advanced to the state competition in February. They hope many will qualify for the international competition in California this April.

“Business is my niche,” Gowan said. “I can feel the adrenaline pumping when I’m competing.”

Gowan is also a sprint distance backstroke and freestyle swimmer for the Reagan varsity swim team, overcoming major injuries to calf and shoulder muscles to compete at a level that will allow her to continue in college. She will swim at highly selective Babson College in Boston, which she chose not just for the athletics, but because it is rated the top college for entrepreneurship in the country.

“I wanted to go to a place where the academics would drive,” she said. “I’ll get to start business classes right away and create a company my freshman year. I’m excited to see what Babson holds.”

Reagan Senior Nataliya Gowan is President of the District Championship Reagan DECA organization.

“I’ve never lived outside of Stone Oak,” she added. “I’ll get to meet and know people from all over the world, which I’m really excited about. I love to learn about the culture and background of others.”

Gowan had an opportunity to fulfill that desire summer 2015, when she was selected as one of 30 students to travel to the University College of Dublin, Ireland. She not only enjoyed the experience, she said she fell in love with her business law and ethics course, which solidified her desire to pursue business as a career.

Gowan credits her family’s legacy of hard work and service to others as her inspiration.

Her Grandma Wanda was a wife, mother and an entrepreneur of her own, creating a small printing business. Her grandfather, a physicist, still works at age 85. Gowan’s father is the director of pediatrics at North Central Baptist Hospital, and her mother, Miss California 1982, toured all over the world as a professional dancer and choreographer.

“My mom is a driven woman with such a big heart. She worries about everyone before herself,” Gowan said. She and her mother recently donated blankets to the pediatric floor at North Central Baptist Hospital during the winter break. Gowan also has a passion for volunteering with the Kingdom Kids special needs ministry at Oak Hills Church.

“I absolutely love working with the kids,” Gowan said.

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7

Restaurant Revitalized

By Amy Morgan

Pho Mai -Newest Asian Fusion in Stone Oak

M

ike and Duy Nguyen (no relation), owners of one of Stone Oak’s newest restaurants, Pho Mai Asian Cuisine, are passionate about the Asian fusion food they love.

“I wanted to bring a place to Stone Oak to appreciate Asian food more fully,” Mike said. “We are gourmet, a la carte, cook to order, yet reasonably priced.”

The Nguyens define Asian fusion as a combination of dishes representing countries across the Far East - there are many styles, yet the unifying flavor is Asian. Pho Mai offers hundreds of menu items from Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and China with specialties handed down for generations. Master Chef Duy has reconfigured traditional Vietnamese recipes passed down from his mother and grandmother, and each is cooked to order.

The restaurant’s trademark – after which it is named – is its pho (pronounced fuh – in case you, like me, were wondering). Pho is a soup based on broth created by slowly simmering beef bones. The chef cooks the bones for 15-18 hours at barely boiling heat to create the richest flavor.

Mike and Duy Nguyen are owners of one of Stone Oak’s newest restaurants, Pho Mai Asian Cuisine, located at the intersection of Hardy Oak and Stone Oak Parkway.

“Vietnamese always eat fish sauce, and we make our own recipe,” Mike said. “Every region has its own taste.” Chef Nguyen adapts their homecrafted fish sauce to complement the flavor of each individual dish. The sauce used on the vegetable vermicelli would be different than the one used to season a rice entree.

This individual seasoning makes every Asian dish unique, even when names may be the same. And this attention to detail extends into the Nguyens’ crafting of Pho Mai’s atmosphere. The owners personally renovated the interior, giving the restaurant a warm, cozy feel that invites diners to relax and enjoy the meal.

Mike immigrated to America at the age of 12, arriving in Dallas. “America is the land where your dreams happen as long as you work hard,” he said.

“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. And when passion meets hard work, you will be successful.”

Chicken Pad Thai

“There is a correct way of cooking it,” Mike said. “We start at 6 p.m. and won’t be done until 10 a.m. the next morning. The sweetness of pho’s broth comes from the bones. The flavors and aroma of pho come from many different herbs, precisely measured and tailored to the quantity of soup. It’s very different from generic fast food.”

While the pho is their favorite, the Nguyens also wanted to highlight their signature barbecue pork dish and a rice vermicelli, which they suggest as a low-calorie option when paired with vegetables and topped with lettuce, cilantro, peanuts and the ubiquitous fish sauce for which Asian food is so well known.

Pho Meatball

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LEGAL NOTICE: Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Wine and Beer Retailer’s Permit by Spring Cuisine LLC dba Pho Mai Asian Cuisine, to be located at 20079 Stone Oak Pkwy Ste 3100, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas 78258. Officers of said corporation Duy Nguyen & Mike Nguyen are managers.

8

Service Directory

9

Sonterra Service

By Amy Morgan

Tennis Program Matches Competition with Camaraderie

N

othing makes the director of tennis happier than seeing the courts at The Club at Sonterra full of players enjoying the game and benefitting from the exercise and camaraderie. And that’s the daily experience of Club Tennis Director Michelle Dodier, who runs the largest tennis facility in San Antonio – with 25 fully-lighted tennis courts, 19 hard and six clay; more than 80 adult USTA teams playing seven days a week; dozens of kids partaking in clinics and camps monthly; and membership upward of 800 involved families.

“That’s one thing I love – to see kids out here looking for matches, a lot of leagues going on, couples playing for fun,” she said.

Ladies hit the courts daily at 9 a.m. for the women’s leagues, which last until 2 p.m.; juniors take over from 4 – 7 p.m.; and the men play until 10 p.m. The men’s league has grown to 104 members –so big it meets both Mondays and Tuesdays, she added. Ladies’ League follows on Wednesday evenings; Mixed League, Thursdays.

Dodier oversees all things tennis at this one-stop shop: including eight certified USPTA pros who teach clinics and give lessons seven days a week, a pro-shop boutique providing the latest in tennis attire and accessories, a health club with locker rooms, a sports grill and personnel to help select the proper equipment or re-string a racket.

Tennis Director, Michelle Dodier, USPTA, poses with tennis shop associate, Janiss Sorrell, and tennis professional, Scott Works, USPTA.

“My staff and pros really take you under their wing,” Dodier said. “They can guide you to the right racket, the right program. They are keen to get you involved and comfortable.”

“You won’t believe your eyes what this Sonterra member-guest committee comes up with every year,” Dodier said. “The bar keeps rising, and they keep exceeding it.”

A San Antonio native, Dodier began her coaching career in 1975 and was instrumental in founding the Alamo City Tennis ladies league in 1978.

She joined the tennis program at The Club at Sonterra in 2002, becoming its tennis director in 2003. Her decades of experience and skill make the lessons she teaches highly sought after.

“At Sonterra, we take care of the whole family – from beginner to advanced.

There’s something for everybody here,” Dodier said.

“I’ve been running league play and teaching for 44 years,” she said. “I’ve seen it all. It makes it even more special as a teacher to get a student able to play who is trying so hard to learn.”

New members may take a complimentary 30-minute lesson, she said, after which Dodier will connect them with a network of fellow players.

“That’s why you join a club – to make friends, learn the game, get on a team and have fun,” she added.

While league play and court time is reserved for club members and their guests, members of the community are welcome to access the pro shop and may take tennis lessons for an additional fee. For the past 32 years, the club has hosted a member-guest tournament with food, fun and tennis rolled into a fast paced 2 ½ days, Dodier enthused. The event has been so successful that the planning committee incorporated a fundraising component to benefit local charities. Since 2005, more than $100,000 has been donated, she added. This year, the event will run May 5-7 with a goal to raise $10,000 for the Brighton Center.

Kids lessons start at age 4 with the Wimbletots, offering the “FUNdamentals” of tennis, a solid foundation building on agility, balance and coordination while developing the on-court skills needed to serve, rally and score. Programs continue to the Elite Academy for players 11-17, designed for those looking to compete in area major zones. Travel teams and a competitive junior ladder will give those students incentive to improve and challenge each other.

Join the Club at Sonterra as a NEW Member and Receive Two Complimentary General Admission Tickets to the Taste of the Northside, hosted at the Club at Sonterra, April 26th.

Mention this Ad for Details.

~ Our Amenities ~

Two 18-hole Championship Golf Courses Men’s & Women’s Golf Associations Jr. Golf Programs 25 Tennis Courts Tennis Leagues & Junior Clinics Jr. Olympic Swimming Pool Fitness Center Kids Club Camps

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~ Social Activities ~ New Year’s Eve Gala Bi-monthly Member mixers Valentine’s Dinner Breakfast with the Easter Bunny Brunch every Sunday Wine & Liquor Tastings Summer Music Series Kids Club with Mini Camps Clubs within a Club

Julie Golla | Director of Membership | jgolla@ClubAtSonterra.com Michelle Dodier, USPTA, loves teaching tennis students at the club, and tennis students seek her out for her expertise.

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901 Sonterra Boulevard • 78258 • 210.483.4292

www.ClubAtSonterra.com • Facebook .com/ ClubatSonterra

SENIOR MOMENT

Awesome Artist Pieces that Color Life

By Amy Morgan

M

innesota native Joan Kladifko spent her career managing rigid grey lines of numbers, rarely able to express her creativity until blossoming after retirement.

Her first business experience began in high school in Litchfield, Minn., when she worked part time after school and on Saturdays. She also filled in for office workers while they were on summer vacation, giving her experience in many different positions. After marriage, Kladifko found herself unexpectedly needing to raise three children – age 6-13 – on her own. She worked for Gold Bond Stamp Company before deciding to become a full-time staff member at the Christian Bible camp, Zion Harbor, on Leech Lake in northern Minnesota. Not only was she blessed with employment, living at the camp provided a safe, supportive environment in which to raise her children. “It was a beautiful place to go,” she said, “with so many godly influences. It was a built-in extended family. The boys enjoyed going camping, fishing, hunting and learning mechanics from the male staff members, while their sister learned what is entailed in cooking for a crowd.”

Kladifko said she started out painting and decorating bathrooms and quickly moved up to doing the accounting.

As the camp’s overseeing management, Daystar Ministries, acquired new properties, she and her family moved to prepare new locations. It was a property in Martinville, Ind., that revealed her hidden artistic talent.

“We were renovating a hotel in Indiana that had been famous for its mineral baths,” she said. “We were re-doing it from scratch. We worked with a designer from Chicago and discovered my eye for design and color.”

Kladifko stayed with Daystar 12 years, launching her children, until her mother’s health necessitated a move back to Minneapolis. She earned her associate degree in accounting from Minneapolis Community College and started accounting work with Minnesota Scientific (D.B.A. Omni Track Surgical). Once again, the Lord provided.

“It was owned by a good Christian family,” she said, “and was a wonderful company to work for.” Kladifko worked there 17 years, became controller and was on the Board of Directors.

But it was after her retirement that life changed. With more time at her disposal, Kladifko began pursuing her long-suppressed creative interests. Before the age of six, Kladifko had learned how to quilt, taught by her father’s mother.

“I started sewing very young,” she said. “Grandmother taught me how to make a little baby quilt for my dolls. I was six. She was a great quilter.”

Kladifko still treasures her grandmother’s Log Cabin quilt made more than 80 years ago of scraps of clothing once worn by the family.

She joined a quilting club, meeting with her friends monthly in Shakopee, Minn., where they would get together to share ideas and socialize. In the ensuing years, Kladifko has made quilts that grace the beds of her two sons and daughter. Having 16 grand- and 22 great-grandchildren keeps her busy making quilts for their weddings and new births. Each boasts a hand-embroidered label on the back, dedicating it to the recipient. She said she prays for her family members during the time it takes to hand-quilt each one.

Another blessing after retirement was her re-connection with a former church friend. Her marriage to George Kladifko was “the frosting on the cake,” she said. They “prayed for 10 years together, and the Lord gave us 12.” She was widowed in 2010.

During their marriage, the Kladifkos enjoyed travelling, especially stops in San Antonio visiting son Ron and daughter-in-law Martha. Travel extended to winter-Texan stays at Independence Hill Retirement Community, and this winter, Kladifko has chosen to make Independence Hill her permanent home.

She likes to keep her hands busy, she said, so Kladifko also learned to make meticulously crafted greeting cards. And if that’s not enough, she enjoys puzzles, board Joan Kladifko gifts her children and grandchildren with hand-made quilts that become treasured games and card games. family heirlooms. This Christmas quilt graces the bed of son Ron Anderson and his wife, Martha.

Always keeping her hands busy, Joan Kladifko enjoys working puzzles and creating one-of-a-kind greeting cards.

Retirement at its Best.

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PET TIP

Dogs + 1 (or More)

By Tamara Wetegrove

Y

ou’ve fallen in love and decided to add a new dog to your home.

There are some important considerations to remember when introducing a new furry family member to the existing pack.

Be sure to establish routines for the new dog that blend well with those already established. It is important to feed all the dogs at the same time, and ideally, with the same type of food. The new family member may be a bit timid at first – this is a big adjustment for all.

Show the new dog the designated potty spot. The current dogs can be good training partners in this endeavor, as dogs learn easily from each other, and puppies will mimic the behavior of the older dog. If you take the dogs out together, the new dog will learn where to go from the existing scents.

Establish sleeping spots – show the newest addition where his/her area will be. Crates are good; they allow each dog to have their own location/den for comfort and retreat.

When managing multiple dogs, it is always important to know the differences in personalities and make adjustments accordingly. One dog may be more social and enjoy things like the dog park and daycare, while another prefers to hang out at home or in small groups.

They will learn at different rates and have different learning styles.

Training is the key to successfully living with multiple dogs. And when training, especially skills like leash walking, it is often best to

14

start individually. Once each dog understands the desired behavior, they can begin training together.

Allowing each pup a solitary respite discourages negative behaviors like guarding and pack mentality. Crates work well for this purpose. Place them in the same room so the dogs have visibility, but also a little down time from each other. This technique helps in feeding, especially if food-guarding behavior has started. If you notice this, or any other negative behavior in your multi-dog household, be sure to consult a certified behavior specialist for the proper training and management tools.

Enjoy the vibrancy and love each dog adds to your life.

Save one life, you’re a hero. Save 100 lives, you’re a nurse.

By Amy Morgan

oing to the hospital: If you’re in good health, it’s probably the G last thing on your mind. Even reading this right now might make you a little nervous. We get that, but we also want you to

know that if or, more likely, when, you do find yourself in need of hospital care, you’ll find incredibly gifted surgeons, many of the nation’s leading specialists, advanced technology plus beautiful rooms and amenities at University Hospital, the region’s academic health center and Level I trauma center in partnership with UT Health San Antonio. You’ll also find people who really care – who believe that the best healthcare is about people taking care of people.

That’s why over the next several months, we want to introduce some of these people to you. We hope you don’t have to meet them when you’re lying in a hospital bed anytime soon, but if you do, we think you’ll find them as amazing as we do.

Michelle “Mesha” Bizzell is smart, compassionate, and has a smile that can put anyone at ease. She’s a registered nurse in the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital and has been a nurse for University Health System for five years.

In the short time she’s been a nurse, she’s already had a huge impact. In fact, just last month, Bizzell was selected as the nurse of the year by Principle Auto Group, a program of the University Health System Foundation, which selects one outstanding nurse from an impressive field of 12 previously recognized nurses. In her nomination, she was described as “flexible,” “an unsung hero” and “someone who cares about the morale of her unit.” Her prize: the opportunity to drive a new luxury car every three months for a year. Currently, her ride is an Infinity Q60S sports car.

I caught up with Bizzell to ask her some questions: Why were you interested in nursing?

Growing up in Brackettville, my grandparents lived next door, and we were very close. My grandfather always told me I’d be a nurse.

He passed away my second year of college. That night I dreamed I was a nurse. I switched some of my classes to nursing two days later.

I can remember walking through the doors of the Surgical Trauma ICU, I felt chills and had the aha moment, I knew this was where I was meant to be.

How did you train?

I started as a volunteer in the trauma ICU in 2009. Once I had a semester of nursing school under my belt, I was eligible to be hired as a patient care tech.

What kinds of patients do you see?

In the Neurosurgical ICU we see people with traumatic brain injuries. A lot of our patients have suffered head injuries in car crashes. We also care for patients with aneurysms, strokes and seizure disorders.

Mesha Bizzell, R.N., University Hospital Neurosurgical ICU Have you pursued any other advanced training or certification?

I am one of 20 in the hospital certified to run an ECMO, a machine that returns oxygenated blood to the body. We had an 18-year-old kid in a very bad car accident, and the ECMO saved his life. I wanted to learn that!

What are your future plans?

I am getting married – hopefully in the fall. My fiancé’s sister was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, so we are waiting for her to get healthy so she’ll be able to celebrate our wedding with us.

Any pets or hobbies?

I have two dogs, a blue heeler and a 9-year-old dachshund – my two girls. I work out daily because I need to stay healthy and fit to do my job. My grandmother passed away recently and working out has been my stress relief.

What do you like best about your work?

Every day is a surprise! Before I was a nurse, I didn’t realize how many people are suffering. I love knowing that just by doing my job with a smile on my face I can make somebody else’s day better.

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