Tex Appeal Magazine | Fall 2020

Fall 2020

Life and Style in Central Texas

Healthcare heroes answer the call

Doctors keep community safe amid pandemic Drayton McLane Jr. on what makes Central Texas great

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

UMHB's Mayborn College of Health Sciences

HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS ISSUE

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INDEX

21 22

What your mask says about you Dr. Karen Brust keeps patients safe

24

Supplying Baylor Scott & White

26

Elysse Gutierrez, a healthcare hero

28

Kassidy Keathley answers the call

30

Kayla Hudson finds her purpose

32

Dr. Senthil Sankaralingam puts patients first

Danielle Raesz wants to be the next American Ninja Warrior | 8 | Photos by SKEEBO

ON THE COVER

Elysse Gutierrez has been instrumental in AdventHealth’s response to COVID-19. | 26

6 7 8

18

10 12 16

EDITOR'S LETTER CONTRIBUTORS NEIGHBORS Danielle Raesz, American Ninja Warrior hopeful SCENE Back to school in Belton, Seton farmer's market and Harker Heights 9/11 statue dedication FLAVOURS Barrow Brewing Co. DIY: Fall Decor

4 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

Photograph by KRISTA KASPER

20 46 61 62 64 66

IN THE SPOTLIGHT UMHB's Mayborn College of Health Sciences THE REVIEW Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Central Texas providers BEING CENTRAL TEXAN Drayton McLane Jr. HEALTH & WELLNESS Exercising outdoors DAYTRIPPIN' Mini Tank Battlefield ADVERTISING INDEX

34

Dr. Ashis Barad transforms telemedicine at McLane Children's

36

Dr. George Dubrocq studies COVID-19 and newborns

40

Canyon Creek Behavioral Health

42

EQ2 offers a holistic approach

44

Spreading sunshine in a pandemic

54

Artist Raymond Chapman

58

Artist Joe Perez III

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FROM THE EDITOR

H

appy autumn Central Texas. The Fall 2020 issue of Tex Appeal features a lot of great stories about our local healthcare professionals—the heroes who have been on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Karen Brust, of Baylor Scott & White Health, shared her experience with planning the local response to COVID-19 and why the health system was fully prepared to handle the pandemic when it hit Central Texas, page 22.

Tony Johnson, senior vice president of logistics and chief supply chain officer for the Baylor Scott & White Health Service Company, talked with us about the organization’s large distribution center in Temple, telling us how medical supplies are inventoried and distributed to the BSWH hospitals and clinics in Texas within just hours of the placement of online orders, page 24.

McLane Children’s Hospital’s Dr. George Dubrocq discusses the transfer of COVID-19 from mother to baby in utero, page 36, and Dr. Ashis Barad has been vital in transforming pediatric care via video visits to ensure patients get safe care from home to keep up with chronic illness care and wellness visits, page 34.

We spent time with the folks at BSWH’s Sunshine Gift Shop to find out how they stayed open to keep up the spirits of the medical staff during the initial days of the pandemic, page 44.

Canyon Creek Behavioral Health is now open in Temple JANNA ZEPP to provide mental health services to Central Texans, focusing editor@ on treatment of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, texappealmag.com schizophrenia, schizoaffective, substance abuse/dependence, 254-774-5266 post-traumatic stress and severe anxiety, page 40.

We met an amazing third-year medical student at the Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine who is both future doctor and current soldier whose story began, literally, in a hurricane, page 30.

Known for his ability to explain complicated health issues in a way that the patient can understand, Dr. Senthil Sankaralingam of Wellstone Health Partners at Seton Medical Center Harker Heights spoke with us about his treatment philosophy of making sure patients understand what they’re going through so that they recover a lot better, page 32.

We bring you the story of Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center’s Kassidy Keathley, RN, who went to serve members of the Navajo Nation suffering from COVID-19 in Shiprock, N.M., page 28.

AdventHealth in Killeen opened its doors to us and invited us to interview Elysse Gutierrez, RN, who is an infection preventionist certified in infection control and instrumental in the hospital’s response to COVID-19, page 26.

If you’re looking for a different approach to your wellness needs, Equilibrium Squared Holistic Health is a membership-based practice that specializes in sports medicine. They accept pre-existing conditions, but don’t take insurance, page 42.

We feature two local artists, Joe Perez III of Killeen and Raymond Chapman of Belton. Perez specializes in graffiti wall murals all over Killeen, page 58, and Chapman turned his experience in sign making into an art career, page 56.

We took a break at Barrow Brewing Company in Salado, a place my husband and I love to go when we are in town, and sampled the craft beers and ales created by Graydon and KD Hill, page 12.

We caught up with Danielle Raesz who is training for the next American Ninja Warrior competition, an action-packed TV series that follows competitors as they tackle a series of challenging obstacle courses in city qualifying and city finals rounds across the country, page 8.

Drayton McLane Jr., philanthropist, former owner of the Houston Astros and Chairman of the McLane Group in Temple, invites you to find out what Being Central Texan means to him, page 61.

Daytrippin’ takes you paintballing on the Erath-Hamilton county line in a way you’ve never paintballed before: in mini-tanks, page 64.

The Review tells you about the book, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World. We thought it looked pretty interesting in light of the current pandemic and it certainly was, page 20.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. As always, if you have a story idea for me, shoot me an email at: editor@ texappealmag.com or call me at 254.774.5266. I’d love to hear from you.

6 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

Tex Appeal Life & Style in Central Texas

Published by FRANK MAYBORN ENTERPRISES, INC.

KILLEEN DAILY HERALD

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Publisher SUE MAYBORN Editor JANNA ZEPP Graphic Designer M. CLARE HAEFNER Contributors FRED AFFLERBACH JUSTIN BORJA KATI MAXWELL SKEEBO REICHERT AMY ROGNLIE MANY SHELTON BECKY STINEHOUR CAREY STITES SHARON WHITE Advertising 254-778-4444 in Temple 254-501-7500 in Killeen ABOUT US: Tex Appeal Magazine is published by Frank Mayborn Enterprises, Inc. 10 S. Third St., Temple, TX 76501.

The cover and content of Tex Appeal Magazine is fully protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced in any manner without prior permission.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: For the United States, $24 per year, 4 issues.

Mail check to P.O. Box 6114, Temple, TX 76503-6114. For questions about subscriptions, call 254-778-4444.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Tex Appeal Magazine, P.O. Box 6114, Temple, TX 76503-6114.

HOW TO CONTACT US: Advertising: 254-778-4444 or 254-501-7500.

Editorial: Contact Janna Zepp at 254-774-5266 or editor@texappealmag.com

CONTRIBUTORS FRED AFFLERBACH literally took the long road to a journalism career. He has written for the Temple Daily Telegram and numerous other newspapers. Drawing on experiences from his long-haul trucking days, he has published two novels. He lives in Cedar Park.

Running-to-Live.com

MANDY SHELTON is a fifth-generation Texan and earned a master’s degree at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Her writing and photos have appeared in newspapers, magazines and literary websites.

She enjoys volunteering at the Florence Library and hanging out with her dog, Biscuit.

JUSTIN BORJA is a proud service member in the Air Force Reserve. He does portrait and commercial photography and lives in Harker Heights. He loves to explore other cities, connecting with people and capturing their images. BorjaVisuals.com

BECKY STINEHOUR is a portrait, commercial and event photographer, specializing in live music venues. Her work has been published in several regional magazines. She is a Killeen High School graduate who loves to highlight her treasured hometown connections through the lens of her camera. Find her on Instagram at ciphoto.

KATI MAXWELL lives in Jarrell with her husband, Kyle, in a 1930s farmhouse with their baby boy Ellison, three dogs, and nine chickens. Their portfolio contains a wide range of subjects, but they are best known for their wedding photography and have been featured in some of the top bridal magazines in Texas.

KatiMaxwellPhotography.com SKEEBO REICHERT has over 25 years experience as a professional photographer and has expanded his services to include filmmaking. The Temple High School graduate has a BFA in photography and sculpture. He lives in Temple with his wife and two sons. PhotoBySkeebo.com AMY ROGNLIE is an author and middleschool teacher. Her newest series of cozy mystery novels, The Short Creek Mysteries, are set in Bell County. Amy's articles have been published in national magazines and websites. She blogs on encouragement, hope and faith on AmyRognlie.com. Amy and her family reside in Little River-Academy.

CAREY STITES is a registered and licensed dietitian located in Harker Heights, Texas.

Carey obtained her master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Texas Tech University has been a practicing dietitian since 2001. Carey is also an AFAA certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer; Carey has promoted health and wellness through presentations, classes, writing and cooking demonstrations all over Texas.

SHARON WHITE is an award-winning author who lives in Temple. Her writing has been featured in the New York Daily News, Huffington Post, AdvancingWomen.com, Sweet Tart Beauty and FashionBible.com. Her lifestyle blog, QStyleTheBook.com, is based on her book, Quintessential Style: Cultivate and Communicate Your Signature Look.

DID YOU KNOW? You can read back issues of Tex Appeal online at TexAppealMag.com. Log on today.

JOIN OUR TEAM

Tex Appeal is looking for photographers and freelance writers with newspaper or magazine experience.

We are seeking candidates from the Central Texas area. Candidates must be detail- and deadline-oriented and good storytellers. Send a resume and three to five recent published samples for consideration to editor@texappealmag.com.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH US

Email a letter to editor@texappealmag.com. Please include your name and phone number for verification.

You also can connect with us on Facebook.

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7

NEIGHBORS

‘Ninja Warrior’ helps others

'Live Unparalyzed'

By AMY ROGNLIE | Photos by SKEEBO

D

anielle Raesz knows what it’s like to have competition in Austin, winning the Amateur Woman her hopes and dreams dashed, but that division and qualifying for the World Finals in hasn’t stopped the young mother from September. “Texas has a huge Ninja population, her goal of competing in the next American Ninja particularly in Dallas and Houston,” Danielle Warrior competition, an action-packed TV series explains. “Many people compete just to compete, that follows competitors as they tackle a series so not everyone has the goal of starring on the TV of challenging obstacle courses in show. It is a lengthy process to apply qualifying and finals rounds across to the show and the producers are the country. looking to see if you have a story.”

Live Unparalyzed, “From September 2019 through Danielle’s “story” involves her Danielle Raesz’s personal March 2020, I was driving to Austin own personal journey through training business, exists twice a week to ninja train. Once perfectionism. “I’ve been afraid of to help women discover a week I was training with a coach failure my whole life,” she says. “The how to feel better from one-on-one, and once I week I was idea of not being perfect in front the inside out. “My heart training with my husband, Jason. of people made me sideline myself beats to see people live On the other days I was in the gym from various sports, opportunities, purpose-filled lives,” focusing on strength and stability. etc. We started watching American she says. “I’ve learned Typically, I train for one to two Ninja Warrior in 2012, I think, and through observation hours a day, six days a week. I have I thought it looked so fun, but the and experience that you competitions once a month, on idea of actually doing it was too simply cannot do that average,” Danielle says. daunting to consider seriously.” if you are not physically Her hard work in the gym paid It wasn’t until after her first healthy. My goal is to help off when she received a call back daughter was born that Danielle you achieve your goals.” for the show and was preparing to had an epiphany. “After having my She offers online compete in a St. Louis qualifier in daughter, I went through a period of or in-person coaching May—then the pandemic shut down serious introspection. I realized that in 8-week program everything.

I couldn’t raise her to believe that increments throughout Danielle took it in stride. “For she could do anything she set her the year. Follow our 11-year wedding anniversary mind to if I didn’t believe and live it Danielle on Instagram in March, Jason surprised me with for myself.” She smiles. “Our second @danielleraesz or plans to build a ninja rig in our daughter was born in 2018, and I Facebook.com/danielle. backyard so I could do some of my went to my first ninja gym in the raesz for fitness and training at home. Within a week of summer of 2019. I fell in love with nutrition tips as well as us purchasing all the material and the sport in a whole new way and information on upcoming beginning the building process, knew this was something I wanted program start dates. all the gyms were shut down due to (and could!) do.” to COVID. I was unable to train And do it she has, with the help at a ninja gym for 10 weeks, but I didn't lose any and unwavering support of her husband, Dr. Jason progress because of the home ninja gym Jason Raesz of Advanced Chiropractic in Temple. built.”

One of four chiropractic doctors in the office, Because of the pandemic, Danielle had to reJason describes his practice as family-based. apply for the season that is scheduled to air in “The vision of Advanced Chiropractic is to help summer 2021, but she continues to train hard. thousands of people in Bell County live pain-free, In August, she competed in a regional purpose-filled lives without the use of medications 8 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

Danielle Raesz trains for American Ninja Warrior on a gym her husband, Dr. Jason Raesz, had built in their backyard as an anniversary gift. or surgeries,” he explains.

The staff focuses on teaching people how make health a priority in their lives, and they educate the community about what health is—the optimal functioning of our bodies.

“Jason and I are both incredibly passionate about fitness and health—living a healthy, purposefilled life is one of our core family values,” Danielle says. “We want to inspire everyone that we are blessed to cross paths with to chase their dreams, and we believe that you can only chase your dreams if your physical body is working properly.

Jason helps people achieve health through chiropractic, and I help people achieve health

through exercise and nutrition.”

Now a certified personal trainer, Danielle is eager to share her new-found confidence with others.

“You can’t hate yourself into loving yourself. I tried that. It doesn’t work.” She shrugs, then smiles.

“When I started ninja training, I knew that failure just came with the territory. But then the phrase ‘Live Unparalyzed’ came to me as I was writing my very first Instagram post about ninja. That was a life-changing ‘ah-ha’ moment. Live Unparalyzed is now not only my brand, but it is my life motto. I want to help people stuck in the paralyzing pit of self-doubt get out.”

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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SCENE: SCHOOL STARTS, FARMER'S MARKET, STATUE DEDICATION

1

2

3

4

6

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1 & 2. Karen Rudolph, left, and Sandra Dieckman are ready to welcome students to the new Lake Belton High School.

3. Victoria Stewart buys items from Tabetha Johnson at the farmer's market at Seton Medical Center in Harker Heights.

4. Brenda Johnson shows off Simply Sewn items.

5. The Harker Heights Chamber of Commerce Vision Class 10 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

of 2019 dedicated this monument to the first responders who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

6. Paul Carella shows off artwork at a booth.

7. Brandon Gillespie looks on as Christeen McMahon completes a sale to Rachelle Martinez.

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FLAVOURS

Brewing up community in Salado

I

By JANNA ZEPP | Photos by KATI MAXWELL

t’s not often you think of a community center consider. Salado had the location, but the other serving up beer but that’s the vibe at Barrow two factors were tricky. Fortunately, the brewery Brewing Company in Salado. It building was previously part of is definitely where many Salado the Stagecoach Inn properties residents come to gather and and had been tied onto the fellowship. small, private sewer system.

“Microbreweries in small The Hills got confirmation towns all over Texas have and approval that the sewer become centers for their system could handle a brewery’s communities to gather,” says discharge and moved forward.

KD Hill, co-founder/co-owner Then they had to petition for of Barrow Brewing Co. “They and hold a local option election are often family-friendly places in November 2014. That election that pull together residents and passed with 784 votes. local businesses such as food Those votes have been trucks. People come out to enjoy commemorated in the name of food, beer, friendships, and one of Barrow’s products. live music. And they bring their “Graydon brewed the Belgian kids along. Microbreweries can style white ale, 784, for me,” really strengthen a small town.

KD says. “He spent all of 2015 That’s what we wanted to do for renovating the brewery building.

Salado.”

He did as much of the work KD owns Barrow with her as possible and contracted husband, Graydon Hill, whom out the sloping of the floors she says always wanted pursue a and drainage. We made some career he was passionate about special friendships along the by opening a brewery to serve way. He was able to keep the the Central Texas community. original wood walls in place The name, Barrow, is the and we love showing people surname of Graydon’s Texas Gulf some of the special history they HOURS Coast ancestors who had the offer,” KD says, pointing out Wednesday: 4-10 p.m.

Old Barrow Ranch near Anahuac. the writing on the brewery’s Thursday: 4-10 p.m.

Graydon is a seventh generation walls from employees recording Friday: 4-10:30 p.m.

Texan. sales almost a century ago Saturday: 12-10:30 p.m.

“While doing a little when the location was a feed Sunday: 12-8 p.m. genealogical research on my store. “Local artisan Lonnie COVID regulations: Currently husband’s family, I learned that Edwards was key in helping with open for on-premise the Barrow Ranch brand was an the build-out, creating some consumption as of this writing. upside-down wine glass. I think specialized equipment, and There is no seating in the that was more than fate that we sourcing the beautiful longleaf taproom but the Biergarten is opened a brewery,” KD says, pine bar top.” open with food trucks on site. smiling.

Barrow Brewing opened on The Farmers Market is every The Hills moved to Salado in April 1, 2016, with four beers Saturday morning.

2011. When it was time to start on tap. Now, they generally looking for a place to establish have 12 on tap at any given the brewery they searched from time. The brewery stays busy Georgetown to Killeen and Temple. Location, brewing its flagship brews and seasonal beers, infrastructure and local laws were all important to Continued

12 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

THE BARROW BREWING CO. TEAM: From left, Ben Duewall (brewer), Ashlee Lamb (taproom manager), Jason Curb (cellerman), KD Hill (co-owner), Clint Haverland (sales), Zack Rosen (taproom manager) and Shannon Neall (taproom).

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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BEER TASTING NOTES

The difference between beers and ales comes down to type of yeast used and the temperature at which they are brewed. The following are produced all year at Barrow Brewing: EVIL CATFISH IPA: Named for a Salado legend, this India Pale Ale has a clear, somewhat dark yellow color with excellent head and lacing (the residue left by the head on the glass).

Fruity and refreshing smell and taste.

CREEK DON’T RISE LAGER: Named for a rainy day in March when Salado Creek rose dangerously close to the brewery. Deep gold in color with a foamy head. The flavor is crisp, light and refreshing. Those new to craft beers will enjoy this one.

784 BELGIAN STYLE WHITE: Named for the number of Salado residents who voted to allow the brewery in 2014, this witte (white) beer tastes and smells of orange rind, coriander and a traditional Belgian yeast note. Color is a hazy yellow with a great head and good lacing. Clean finish. Witte fans will enjoy it.

BIG BUBBLY BLONDE: Named for the springs near the brewery and made for hot Texas summers, this

is one of the lower ABV (alcohol by volume) beers offered, coming in at 4.5%. It has a strong hop punch like the Evil Catfish IPA, but with more of a malty backbone.

TIPSY VICAR STOUT: This dark black English stout foams in a narrow, tan band with brown edges and very little lace. The aroma is reminiscent of chocolate, dark roast coffee and mildly earthy hop. Taste is dry, light, with a slight bitter roasted grain and somewhat fruity pear note. This is a favorite of dark beer and ale fans.

and brew experimental and small batches as often as possible. But 2020 brought some unexpected challenges to staying in business.

“This pandemic has forced us to only offer beer to-go from the brewery. When we opened in 2016, Barrow became a place for community to happen and that has been taken away from us and from our customers/friends,” KD says, and the hurt is evident in her eyes as she speaks. “For the safety of the community, shutting down in this manner is the right thing to do, but we sorely miss our friendships and the life that we used to experience here on a daily basis. Personally, I have never been so sad or angry in my life. I really miss serving people.”

To meet the challenges presented by the pandemic and required shutdowns, the company changed packaging ratios and shifted employees around to new work strategies. Barrow Brewing Co. began baking sourdough and beer bread that now is sold every Saturday morning at the farmer’s market on the brewery grounds.

The brewery got approval from the Texas

14 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

MYSTERY OF THE DEEP DIPA: DIPA stands for Double IPA, and this one is a heavy hitter with a 9.2% ABV and 86 IBU (International Bitterness Unit). It has a dark copper color with minimal white foam. The head fades fast leaving a lot of lace on the sides of the glass. The aroma is bready with hints of caramel and herbs. The taste is grainy, earthy, herbal and reminiscent of caramel.

Visit barrowbrewing.com for their seasonal and rotating tap room offerings.

Alcoholic Beverage Commission to open for onpremise consumption on Aug. 7. The taproom is closed, but the Biergarten is open with food trucks on site.

KD grew up in Florence and most of her family lives in Central Texas. Her parents moved to Salado a year after the brewery opened and are Barrow’s biggest advocates. Graydon’s daughter, Emily, has grown up watching them work to create a small business where employees thrive and where they can give back to the community.

When asked what it was like working in the microbrew business, KD says she was ready for it.

“I was in the Air Force then contracted with the Army, so I was ready for the male-dominated brewing world. I am honored to get to work with the creative, hard-working people here at Barrow as well as collaborate with our brewery friends,” she says. “Women are steadily gaining numbers and respect in this career field so it’s an exciting time to be here and get to encourage other women to explore craft beer.”

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DIY: FALL DECOR

Make an autumn hoop wreath

By SHARON WHITE

Add a bit of allure to your front door this fall, with a wreath that’s just your style: quick and easy.

What you’ll need • Metal floral hoop (19” shown here) • Floral wire • Wire cutters • Fall floral stems (2-3 types with different textures) • Silk leaves in autumnal colors • Glue gun • Metal “GATHER” sign (optional) 16 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

Directions 1. Cut extra length off floral stems to shorten.

2. Bend and arrange stems around hoop, and wire in place.

3. Continue layering stems to get desired effect.

4. Glue fall leaves to fill in and cover any exposed wire.

5. Use glue gun or wire to attach “Gather” sign, if desired.

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HEALTHCARE CAREERS START HERE

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Students choose one of two tracks, either Clinical Mental Health Counseling or Marriage, Family & Child Counseling. Both degree tracks are nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, which means that the curriculum and training meet national standards within the counseling profession. Throughout the program students work collaboratively with faculty while developing counseling skills in the Cru Community Clinic. The clinic provides an innovative environment to develop skills through interprofessional education and hands-on practice.

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PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT Physician assistants are highly skilled health practitioners who work under the supervision of family practice physicians or in specialty fields such as surgery, obstetrics, and internal medicine. The UMHB Master of Science in Physician Assistant program consists of 28 months of graduate curriculum, comprised of preclinical and clinical educational experiences. The clinical phase includes rotations in pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, emergency medicine, internal medicine, behavioral and mental health, and family medicine. The MSPA has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The MSPA program anticipates matriculating its first class in January 2021, pending achieving Accreditation - Provisional status.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy degree program prepares students to help individuals of all ages engage in the everyday activities that are meaningful and important to them. Occupational therapists address motor, cognitive, sensory, psychosocial, and other challenges to promote participation in daily activities at home and in the community. The program includes an innovative curriculum with varied clinic and community-based experiences and interprofessional education with nursing, counseling, and physical therapy graduate students.

Student also enjoy opportunities for hands-on practice in the Cru Community Clinic, the free teaching clinic on campus. The MSOT program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

PHYSICAL THERAPY Through hands-on care, prescribed exercise, and education, physical therapists improve the quality of life for patients who suffer from injuries, disabilities, or other medical conditions. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at UMHB is a 28 month (7 semester) program that offers students the knowledge they need to succeed. The program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit entry-level physical therapist education programs.

This means that the UMHB physical therapy program is one of less than 260 PT education programs across the United States that meets the high standards of accreditation.

THE REVIEW

‘Pale Rider‘ offers perspective on COVID-19

By M. CLARE HAEFNER

I

t could be so much worse.

That‘s what I think every time I turn on the news to hear the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic.

For all the things we could have done better to slow the spread of this novel virus in the past six months, it could have been worse. It could have been another Spanish flu.

Growing up, I remember hearing stories from relatives, reading books and writing papers about World War I. The Great War killed an estimated 17 million people, but I learned little about an even greater killer circumnavigating the globe at the same time—the Spanish flu. Laura Spinney’s Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World (Public Affairs, 2017) filled in the gaps and gave me insight into what could be the greatest pandemic the world has ever known.

Nearly one-third of the population caught the flu between March 1918 and March 1920 as it swept the globe in three waves, killing between 50 and 100 million people. The death toll could be even higher because this flu, which despite its name did not start in Spain, had respiratory symptoms similar to other fatal illnesses collectively referred to as “plagues” by people who did not have means of identifying the virus. It was certainly “the greatest tidal wave of death since the Black Death, perhaps in the whole of human history,” Spinney writes in the book’s introduction.

Hippocrates was among the first to define the term epidemic, but it evolved over time as scientists and doctors learned to distinguish between symptoms and separate diseases. Many of the earliest epidemics, like those cited in the third century BC, were likely not caused by a single disease, but rather a collection of them hitting a region at the same time. It was the Middle Ages before epidemics were associated with a single microbe causing disease, Spinney explains.

She begins Pale Rider with a brief history of disease filled with interesting facts, including that influenza was likely the disease Christopher Columbus brought with him to the Americas in 1492, and that an epidemic in 1557 claimed more British lives—6 percent of the population—than “Bloody” Queen Mary had executed

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during her short reign.

Throughout history, disease has killed far more people than war and has reshaped the world in even greater, though often more personal, ways. It is perhaps the personal effects of a pandemic that keep it from our collective memory in the way that wars are remembered.

Yet the impacts are undeniable. Spanish flu likely turned the tide of World War I in the Allies favor, though the war also contributed to its spread as soldiers returned home from battlefields hard hit by disease. Its lasting effects and the generation of people it changed likely gave rise to the political movements that led to World War II. Despite this fascinating history of Spanish flu and other global pandemics that Spinney expertly relates, I was drawn to Pale Rider seeking a greater understanding of the invisible killer we’re waging battle with today.

How do pandemics start, why didn’t we see COVID-19 coming, and could we have done more to prevent the spread of this novel virus? I’ve been seeking answers to these questions for months, and since history repeats itself, I hoped to learn something from the Spanish flu and its progression around the world.

Many epidemiologists saw COVID-19 coming, at least in vague terms. They knew it was only a matter of time before another flu strain crossed from animals to humans (birds are the most common incubator of influenza). And Spinney posits that the greatest lesson the Spanish flu can teach us is that “another flu pandemic is inevitable, but whether it kills 10 million or 100 million will be determined by the world into which it emerges.”

Thankfully, the coronavirus has emerged in a world better prepared than the one that lived through the Spanish flu. Outbreaks of Ebola and SARS, combined with scientific, technological and medical advances, helped shape the response and preparedness for another pandemic that has saved lives in 2020. We’ve been tested and will likely learn over the coming months and years what we could have done better to slow the spread of COVID-19. But this pandemic, like the Spanish flu, will be contained. Scientists will find a treatment and a vaccine that prevents its spread, but it has and will continue to reshape our world—though how it remakes us long term remains to be seen.

What does your mask say about you?

A

By SHARON WHITE

s we all pull together to fight the spread of an invasive, invisible virus, many of us are doing it with a bit of panache.

Your face covering communicates a lot about you—without you ever having to breathe a word.

Thank you to these fine folks from Central Texas who were nice enough to show off their masks—and their personalities. All in an effort to keep themselves and the rest of us safe.

When asked about her mask, lovely LISA MARTINEZ (of Johnnie’s Cleaners in Temple) proudly professes allegiance to her favorite team, exclaiming, “Cowboys, Baby! All the way.”

MATTHEW DENTON credits his wife and mother-in-law for sewing his unique “sushi” mask, in honor of his passion for Japanese food and culture.

Stylish DENISE LUSTERKERSEY says her sister made this special pink stiletto mask, because even though Denise no longer wears high heels, she still wants to feel glamorous.

A&M alumnus and former Marine JOHN HARRISON, of Copperas Cove, dons a mask displaying quotes from John Wayne. “Easy there, Pilgrim.”

SUSAN CAIN of Salado admits she is a lover of cats. She rescued hers from Walmart in Belton…he is fittingly named “Marty.”

Four-year-old HUNTER BRYAN, of Austin, says his “construction worker” mask is his very favorite. He plans to wear it to preschool this year.

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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KAREN BRUST, M.D.: KEEPING PATIENTS AND EMPLOYEES

safe in uncertain times

By JANNA ZEPP | Photography by RUSTY SCHRAMM, BSWH

K

aren Brust, M.D., Infection Prevention and Control Director Central Texas Division at Baylor Scott & White Health, remembered sitting at the desk in her office at the end of December and hearing about “pneumonias of unknown etiology” occurring in China. It was then that she picked up the phone and started calling her colleagues to let them know BSWH in Central Texas needed a coordinated response to this unknown disease, and they needed it soon.

“In the infectious disease world, we knew something was cooking pretty early,” she says. That “something,” initially referred to as novel coronavirus, was COVID-19.

Those early December phone calls quickly led to meetings in which Brust and her team began constructing a response plan that they had in place in late January. At the time she said they did not know how COVID-19 started, but they did know the epidemiology behind it.

“If you ask infection prevention leaders across this entire nation if they knew this was going to happen, the answer is ‘yes,’ and we planned for it and communicated about it,” Brust says.

Among the things Brust and her team discussed was virus testing, and they created a platform for this early on to get ahead of the game. She says there was constant communication among them. She says there were days that they were on the phone from 6:30 a.m. until 3 a.m. because the information they had at the time was constantly changing. The goal of keeping BSW patients and employees safe was the one thing that remained the same throughout the process.

History played a part in BSWH’s response to COVID-19, particularly the Ebola outbreak in 2014.

“We learned a lot from Ebola and we modeled our response based on that,” Brust says. “Current infection control prevention practices require maximal prevention practices. This is not typical operation for most viruses or normal coronaviruses. But then, this is

not a typical coronavirus.”

Brust says that working in the ICU, she sees people die from influenza and she just doesn’t want to throw COVID-19 into the mix.

“This is a high consequence infectious disease. We have a vaccine for influenza. We currently do not have a vaccine for COVID-19,” she adds.

The staff considered everything: disease transmission routes, incubation periods, what kind of personal protective equipment for employees and patients, how much PPE would be needed for each shift, how to identify and isolate infected patients from others and inform hospital public health partners of new infections.

Brust has complete confidence in her team and their response. She says the situation with COVID-19 can feel chaotic at times but the BSWH staff is pretty calm about the whole thing. They thought about the plans, they thought about how to ask patients at every entry point about their symptoms. They don’t have to try to figure out how to keep the travel website up to date.

They have logistics on spreadsheets. She is totally confident about her colleagues.

“We’re just trying to keep up with the information that’s been given to us. Every single day there’s something new,” she says. “I’m not worried about being in the room with the patient because this is what we do. If I’m wearing my PPE properly and washing my hands, I’m practicing good infection control and I am in good shape.”

While Brust’s focus is on infection control at BSWH, she says there is much the community can do to help.

“Wash your hands. That’s the pillar of infection control. We can’t talk about infection control without washing your hands. Stay informed. Check your sources of information for credibility. Be aware during travel. Know where you are going and make smart decisions about those types of things. Stay home if you are sick. That’s what you can do.”

Karen Brust, M.D. works at Baylor Scott and White Health in the Infectious Disease Division as an Assistant Professor and serves as the Medical Director for the Central Texas Division of BSWH Infection Prevention and Control. Dr. Brust studied medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine. Dr. Brust previously held positions with Bell County Public Health District, Scott & White Hospital, and the University of Texas Health Science Center.

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23

BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE LOGISTICS DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Overnight delivery keeps supplies stocked

By JANNA ZEPP | Photography by RUSTY SCHRAMM, BSWH

I

magine being a healthcare system with a population about the size of the state of Virginia that requires constant supplying and re-supplying of hospitals and clinics that carry only four days of inventory.

That was the challenge presented when the Baylor Health Care System and Scott & White Healthcare announced their merger in 2013. That merger created a need for a better way to get supplies to the hospitals, practices, and clinics under the Baylor Scott & White Health banner, and soon after, a supply chain organization with a physical location in Temple was created so that all procurement, strategic sourcing, project management and facility operations could meet demand and create better experiences for patients and staff.

Since 2016, the Baylor Scott & White Health Service Company has operated a 100,000-squarefoot logistics and distribution center that sits on the east side of I-35 in Temple and distributes over $20 million in medical supplies each month. The center holds about 30 days of inventory and operates 24 hours a day.

Orders are placed online with a cutoff time of 4 p.m. so that they may be fulfilled in time to arrive at their destinations by the next morning. Orders ship out just after midnight each night in 15 semi-trailer trucks to 26 hospital sites and 700 clinics and practices as far north at McKinney, as far south as Buda, as far east as College Station and Brenham, and as far

west as Llano. Courier services that are integrated into the distribution network at major geographic hubs go even farther.

Baylor Scott & White Health’s Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer Tony Johnson says streamlining processes has made a difference in overhead and meeting demand in a more efficient and cost-effective way that saves medical staff time and patients money.

“We have to think like a system rather than a hospital in everything we do,” he says. “Before we could optimize the distribution center, we had to optimize the entire supply chain. We had to focus on contracts that cover all Baylor Scott & White entities with best in market pricing.

After achieving this, we began distributing these products through our distribution center.”

Johnson says that the distribution center coupled with the strategic sourcing component of the supply chain resulted in a reduction of $64 million in operational expenses for fiscal year 2020 which ended June 30. He credits the success of the distribution center to the employee talent recruited from the automotive industry, grocery companies such as Kroger and H-E-B, distribution companies such as Amazon, and even oil field employees with supply chain and logistics experience.

More than benefiting BSWH medical staff and patients, Baylor Scott & White Health has created jobs for Central Texans and they did it with the help of one Central Texan in particular. Johnson says

“I can think of fewer than 10 healthcare organizations that have anything remotely close to the capabilities we have in this distribution center.”

— Tony Johnson

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An employee pulls supplies for an order at the Baylor Scott & White Health's Distribution Center in Temple.

Drayton McLane Jr. of the McLane Group helped BSWH tremendously.

“Mr. McLane contributed his great insight and experience and they proved invaluable as we built a world class supply chain and the BSWH distribution center. He is a huge supporter and resource for us,” Johnson says.

The distribution center and the supply chain system more than proved their usefulness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every situation was planned for with regard to disaster preparedness and even during times of highest demand, BSWH hospitals and clinics got what they needed when they needed it.

Baylor Scott & White Health’s integrated supply chain with its end-to-end logistics and transportation network is something most healthcare systems in the nation do not have.

BSWH’s supply chain is a stellar and high performing supply chain and a model for healthcare systems of the future.

“I can think of fewer than 10 healthcare organizations that have anything remotely close to the capabilities we have in this distribution center,” Johnson says. “We approached this as an enterprise solution rather than a hospital enhancement and it has worked well for everyone.”

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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ADVENTHEALTH NURSE IS A

‘healthcare hero’

By MANDY SHELTON | Photography by KRISTA KASPER, ADVENTHEALTH

E

lysse Gutierrez is a healthcare hero who is working to keep her co-workers—other heroes—safe during a pandemic. Gutierrez is an infection control nurse at AdventHealth in Killeen.

“I didn’t go into nursing saying, ‘I want to be an infection control nurse,’” Gutierrez said. The AdventHealth staff and patients should be happy she is.

When a contagious disease such as COVID-19 threatens the population at large, an infection preventionist focuses on a securing a specific healthcare setting, such as a hospital system like AdventHealth. In addition to her MSN and RN, Gutierrez holds a certification in Infection Prevention and Control awarded by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology.

“You don’t really see that, initially, about how much impact an infection preventionist has on the safety of not just the patients, but the staff,” Gutierrez said. “I worked the ER for a while, and you see all the potential for you being unsafe just so you can take care of someone and keep them safe and healthy.”

“She’s kind of the healthcare hero that’s keeping all of our other healthcare heroes safe,” said Erin Riley, public relations and marketing manager for AdventHealth. “She’s done a lot of good work behind the scenes.” Riley said that the preparedness of Elysse and the healthcare system’s leaders ensured AdventHealth never experienced the personal protective equipment shortages or the overflow of patients typical of COVID-19 response nationwide.

“We were not caught off guard,” Gutierrez said, except for the amount of fear. “Everybody was caught off guard on that because it caused a lot more fear than maybe we had really anticipated.

But as far as being ready to deal with it when it hit our hospital, we already had a plan in place. So it was just a matter of implementing it and putting it into play.”

Gutierrez, who returned to Metroplex in 2015 and became a certified infection prevention and control specialist in 2017, took the opportunity

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because it was a way to keep her co-workers safe. “I can not only take care of the staff and my colleagues, but I can take care of the patients, too, because the things I do to help the staff stay safe subsequently make the patient safe as well.”

She began her career at Metroplex as an employee health nurse. “This actually fell into my lap. I really took the opportunity when I came back from all my traveling, I had already been in kind of a mindset of: ‘How do we stay safe as healthcare providers?’ I’d see all of those times when I was working, and I’m like ‘Oh my gosh, I didn’t even think about myself in that situation. I was just thinking about the patient.’ But we really do need to think about ourselves, and sometimes you need somebody else to do that for you.”

Gutierrez has been thinking about others in Killeen since she was a teenager. “We’re here because my mother was in the military. I’ve been here about 27 years, so I’ve been here a long time.”

The family moved here in 1993; Elysse started her sophomore year at Ellison and graduated in 1996.

“Healthcare was always in my mind. My life kind of went around in a couple of circles, but it always came right back to it. It never stopped calling me,” Gutierrez said. “I always felt a need to take care of people.”

She graduated from Central Texas College in 2005, got her nursing license, and began her first stint at Metroplex, now AdventHealth. “I always had a special place in my heart for them,” Gutierrez said. As a student at Ellison, she had participated in Health Occupation Students of America, and Metroplex funded one of her competitions. “So it was always: ‘I want to work for them because they really care about people. They did this for me to go kind of live my dream as a high schooler.’”

Her husband was also in the military, Gutierrez explained. “I’m the brat and the spouse.” After moving to North Carolina, Wisconsin, and even overseas for a couple of years, she returned to Killeen. “I just got pulled right back in,” she said, adding: “We’re retired now, so no more leaving.”

Though Gutierrez addresses infection prevention every day, COVID-19 threw everyone for a loop.

“There are challenges, obviously, with what’s going

“I really just want everyone to know that we are here. We are ready to take care of you, and we never stop.” — Elysse Gutierrez on in the world today,” Gutierrez said. “People are afraid now. People are more scared than they have been in the past.” The need to keep them safe, she said, is even more pronounced.

“Being a military town, we have a potential for anything coming through our city, so we are in

constant motion making sure we have all of our resources are intact,” Gutierrez said. “I really just want everyone to know that we are here. We are ready to take care of you, and we never stop.

“Keep yourself safe. Keep your family safe. Keep each other safe.”

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Kassidy Keathley volunteered to help provide medical care for the Navajo Nation's members with COVID-19.

28 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

KASSIDY KEATHLEY, RN

Answering the call of the Navajo Nation

By JANNA ZEPP | Photography by CANAAN BRUMLEY, OLIN E. TEAGUE VETERANS' MEDICAL CENTER

T

he Four Corners region of the American Southwest is a long way from Temple, but not so far that Kassidy Keathley, RN, wouldn’t go to answer the call to help the Navajo Nation’s members suffering from COVID-19. Keathley works for Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center in Temple.

“I was working on the medical/surgical unit when the COVID outbreak occurred,” Keathley says. “I volunteered through a program through my hospital called the Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System. I was sent to Shiprock, New Mexico, to work at their Indian Health Service hospital.”

The Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) is the Veterans Health Administration’s main deployment program for clinical and non-clinical staff to an emergency or disaster. The DEMPS Program may be used for an internal VA mission, as well as supporting a mission after a Presidential Disaster Declaration under the National Response Frameworks Emergency Support Function #8 (Public Health and Medical Services).

Keathley only got a couple of hours’ worth of orientation to the hospital. On the first day, she was introduced to the hospital computer system and floor. By the second day, she was caring for up to four patients. The staff was kind and welcoming, but it was a struggle to acclimate to her surroundings because the hospital had more patients than beds.

“While working there I wanted to learn as much as I could about the Navajo people so I could better care for them. The nurses who have worked there for years were more than happy to educate me on the do’s and don’ts,” Keathley says. “My assignment was only supposed to be for two weeks but the need for healthcare staff was greater than they had anticipated, and they asked us if we wanted to extend another two weeks. I agreed

because I couldn’t imagine coming back home knowing that they still struggled.”

When the nurses on Keathley’s unit learned that she opted to stay, they jokingly told her that if they were given that chance they would have left, but they were glad she stayed. When asked what the hardest part of the assignment was, she said leaving was the most difficult.

“I had been there a month and made friends with a lot of the people there. Some still text me to this day just to see how I am doing,” she says. “The people I worked with told me that their COVID unit currently has zero patients.”

Keathley has worked for the VA since 2008, starting as a Licensed Vocational Nurse at what is now known as the Doris Miller Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Waco on the end of life unit as a nursing assistant. She transferred to Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center in Temple in 2012 to work on the medical/surgical unit as a nursing assistant while she went to nursing school to become a Registered Nurse.

“Now I currently work as a nurse on a COVID unit that I volunteered for. Some days I am charge nurse, other days I work the floor taking care of patients, and sometimes I monitor the telemetry rhythms of all the patients,” Keathley says, adding that the virus needs to be taken seriously because of its potential to be fatal.

“I have seen first-hand how painful it is for patients to go through this, and fewer people would have to experience it if everyone does their part to lessen the spread,” she says.

Keathley grew up in Bremond and her family moved to Waco when she was in high school. She always knew she wanted to be a nurse. Her mother is a nurse and she always admired how her mother’s patients loved her and spoke highly of her.

“She always worked hard to care for others and I was so proud of her for that and knew that is what I wanted for myself,” Keathley says.

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Kayla Hudson and Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine

Out of disaster, purpose K

By JANNA ZEPP | Photos by SKEEBO

ayla Hudson’s medical and military career in Texas began in a hurricane.

Hudson is a third-year medical student at Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine in Temple. As a teen, Hudson and her family evacuated to Texas from their home in New Orleans in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina. With nothing more than a duffle bag shared with her sister, Kayla and her family got in their car and traveled to Texas. Many in her extended family died in the storm.

“That was a life-altering event. I come from a large, close-knit family including our extended relatives, and suddenly, we all were in the same devastating situation, unable to go to each other for shelter. We were suddenly homeless,” Hudson says. “Thankfully, a family friend reached out to help my family with open arms.”

Eventually, the family settled in Houston.

“Remaining in Texas was the best decision for the future since it did not seem like New Orleans would recover quickly. It was hard to wrap my head around leaving the only home I’d ever known and being so scattered from my family,” she says.

Hudson’s desire to become a physician began during childhood. Her mother was a registered nurse, so a career in the medical field was fascinating to her. She grew up watching her mother’s passion for her own career and Hudson wanted that for herself. “I was fascinated by her stories in the operating room, which made me want to be a surgeon as a 12-year-old,” she says.

In high school, Hudson joined pre-health societies to learn more about career options; medicine always felt like a calling. Eventually, she attended Texas A&M University and earned a Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in French. Shadowing medical professionals throughout college and volunteering at free health clinics helped strengthen her desire to treat underserved populations.

“Choosing to become a doctor means to become a servant to society. This profession awards you with a level of trust with the lives of strangers and the expectation to improve the lives of others. Patients are more than individuals. They represent their families. As a physician, aiding one person leads to a domino effect for the lives to which they are connected,” she says. “It is an honor to be trusted to help so many during their most vulnerable moments when it comes to their health.”

Medicine is not Hudson’s only calling. She was also drawn to a career in the military. A military recruiter spoke with her about the benefits of serving in the military following medical school. She was immediately interested since she felt she could gain unique skill sets as an Army 30 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

physician and it would help pay for medical school. She researched more about residency options and chose the Army as her branch of choice. Hudson is a second lieutenant and student in the Army Health Professions Scholarship Program.

“My father was an Army Ranger in the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, so service in the military was familiar to me,” she says.

This year presented extra challenges for Hudson and her family. They battled COVID-19 together. Hudson had been studying for about 15 hours a day for 10 weeks to prepare for her medical school board exams. Going home to Houston and relaxing with her family was the only thing she wanted to do after completing her exam, and current events such as the pandemic and recent social unrest had added to her stress.

Shortly after coming home, her father began to develop flu-like symptoms. He complained of body aches, fever, and developed a painful cough that seemed to come from nowhere. They immediately isolated him to his bedroom, but that one day of hanging out together was enough to expose the entire family.

Family members began to develop symptoms over the following week, but by far, Hudson’s father had the worst symptoms. About 14 days after he tested positive for COVID-19, he had an episode of chest pain, fever, sweating, and shortness of breath that required medical attention at the hospital. Having had personal deaths of family friends due to complications, they prayed he would not have to remain hospitalized.

“Thankfully, my dad was swiftly treated and able to return home after a couple of hours at the hospital. A week following that scary incident we all were able to recover without any further complications,” Hudson says.

Hudson says her biggest challenge in medical school has been figuring out a balance between her studies and her health. She says that with each new body system or medical specialty, there is an adjustment period required to calibrate amount of time needed to study effectively.

“I am a big planner, so when I get in a groove and figure out what is feasible, I can carve out time to dedicate to my loved ones and exercise. It isn’t always easy to find a balance, but I make sacrifices to maintain the most important relationships in my life as well as remaining successful academically,” she says. “One of my favorite things about medical school has been the friendships and support I’ve gained from my classmates as we all pursue medicine together. We jokingly call it ‘shared suffering.’”

Hudson admits that there is a stereotype of medical school being cut-throat or having a maliciously competitive

Kayla Hudson’s desire to become a physician began during childhood. environment, but her experience at Texas A&M has completely contradicted that image.

“My class is full of intelligent and driven individuals yet there is a culture of camaraderie, built through our Aggie Core Values, to help each other succeed. From the beginning, there has been student-led tutoring sessions and notes passed within our class and from classes above us.

“This mentality at Texas A&M fosters the idea of teamwork, which is imperative for success in the medical field,” Hudson says. “If I weren’t a doctor, I would definitely choose another profession in the medical field. I love the operating room, so maybe I would have become a surgical physician’s assistant to have an active hand in surgical procedures. However, a fantasy occupation of mine is teaching English in a French speaking country. I earned a minor in French in undergrad, so I think it would be cool to spend some time abroad and perfect my understanding of the French language.”

Hudson feels the medical school is a great fit for her because TAMU Health Science Center College of Medicine has three areas of excellence: military medicine, innovation through engineering to medicine, and rural health. As a student committed to working in military medicine, she appreciates the medical school’s support of their military students.

“I recently returned from a four-week training course required for my military commitment, and I did not realize how difficult it could be to schedule trainings at other medical schools. We have training obligations to fulfill through the military, and even though medical school comes first, if requirements aren’t completed, it leaves the student at a disadvantage in the long run,” she says.

“I didn’t realize how lucky I was to attend a school that places such emphasis on military medicine, and Texas A&M College of Medicine has been flexible with our schedule to ensure we graduate with our military and academic requirements fulfilled.”

For Hudson, medicine’s calling is not just about serving an underserved community, but about representation.

“Being a Black physician comes with an added personal sense of representation. I want to care for my patients and be a step in the direction of diversifying medicine. African American and Latinx demographics are significantly lacking in the medical field as physicians and nurses, and with each one, we are one step closer to making some dreams and aspirations come true,” Hudson says.

“As a Black physician, I take responsibility in being a part of that change and convincing my counterparts to join me in my efforts to make this world a better place for us all.”

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Dr. Senthil Sankaralingam says communication with his patients takes priority to ensure they understand their diagnosis and treatment.

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‘Dr. S’ combines academic success with hands-on care

W

By MANDY SHELTON | Photos by SKEEBO

hen daily life was interrupted by a global pandemic and the nation stayed home in an attempt to flatten the curve, a more-orless captive audience indulged in prestige television, streaming services, and binge watching. Even essential workers, in their rare moments of relaxation, found solace in comfort shows such as Friends, The Office, and the beloved 2001-2010 medical dramedy Scrubs.

“I love Scrubs,” said Dr. Senthil Sankaralingam, a general surgeon who offices with Wellstone Health Partners at Seton Medical Center Harker Heights. “It’s my all-time favorite.”

“I watch it over and over again, and I still laugh, knowing exactly what the joke is going to be. That’s how much I love that show.”

The series’ original airing on NBC spanned the aughts, with the first season corresponding with Dr. Sankaralingam’s last year of medical school. A total of nine seasons saw the comings and goings inside a teaching hospital, as medical residents slowly became fully functioning doctors.

“The residents were a surgical resident and an internal medicine resident,” said Dr. Sankaralingam, who spent the first five years of his career at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, where he served as chief resident. “That was pretty much a good depiction of how we functioned.”

After graduating from high school in Madurai, India, Dr. Sankaralingam moved to Austin to earn his bachelor’s at the University of Texas. Then it was off to medical school at the University of Hawaii. “I couldn’t pass the opportunity to be one of seven out-of-state students in Hawaii,” Dr. Sankaralingam said. “They usually take their students from Hawaii, but I got accepted and I couldn’t refuse it.”

His residency in Detroit brought his cerebral studies into the real-world operating room. “It was a big trauma center for Detroit, and they saw plenty of gunshot wounds,” he said. “I’m mostly academicbased; this trained me well to be a hands-on surgeon.”

Dr. Sankaralingam then returned to the place that has been home for the past 13 years. “I always wanted to be in Central Texas after I finished my training,” he said. He moved from a fellowship at Texas Medical Center in Houston to the former King’s Daughters in Temple, then to three years of private practice at Metroplex in Killeen before he decided to join Seton.

“I fell in love with Central Texas when I did my

undergrad at UT Austin. Central Texas is a lot different than the rest of Texas,” he said. “The weather’s also so perfect. I like hot weather; that’s probably why I say that.” His preferred outdoor activities of golf, water sports, and riding bikes with his daughter are within easy reach of his home in Georgetown, though he still has favorite restaurants in Bell County.

“We lived in Harker Heights for six years. My son and I used to go to Bobby Lupo’s. That’s our favorite place,” Dr. Sankaralingam said, praising the Thai chili chicken wings. “And then Bite the Bagel—we make it a point to go there as much as we can.”

A typical day at Seton begins with on-call operating procedures or a weekly all-day clinic. “On the days we’re not in the clinic, we take the ER calls where we can expect anything from gall bladders to appendicitis to colon infections to hernias,” he said.

Dr. Sankaralingam often goes by the moniker Dr. S, which he explained is often easier for patients to pronounce than the full five syllables of his last name.

Communication with his patients takes priority, after all. “I value that more than anything else,” he said.

“If you really look at the patients who understand what they’re going through, they recover a lot better with the peace of mind than people who do not understand it really well,” Dr. S said. “I always encourage them to ask me more questions, because that is one way of me knowing that they are really involved in the process. If a patient is not very involved in their process, then they may not understand it fully, and if they do not understand it fully, then they will have difficulty recovering after surgery.”

Dr. S also takes care to invite the patient’s support system into the conversation. “I have many times rescheduled patients’ visits for the second time to bring their family in,” he said, adding that he has observed patients tuning out after receiving news of a difficult diagnosis. “Our human brain tends to fixate on things that can potentially affect us. So in that situation, having an extra set of ears always makes a huge impact,” he said.

Dr. S frequently tells his patients: “Listen, I do the surgery and I walk away, but you are the one dealing with all the consequences of surgery.” Ultimately, he can only do so much.

“As a surgeon, I can only make sure that I can do the job that I am trained to do, but I am not a healer. I will let God heal the surgeries that I do.”

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A love of children MOTIVATES DOCTOR WHO PILOTED ‘TELEMEDICINE’ AT MCLANE’S

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By AMY ROGNLIE | Photography by RUSTY SCHRAMM, BSWH

r. Ashis Barad has a passion for children. He can connect with them, perhaps because he’s a kid at heart.

In the midst of a pandemic, Dr. Barad, a pediatric gastroenterologist at McLane Children’s Medical Center, and other physicians are using ‘Telemedicine’ to connect with patients. He spearheaded the program at the regional children’s hospital.

“A lot of people are saying they’re doing telemedicine, but they’re really not doing anything of substance that’s actually impacting care and providing optimal care for patients,” says Dr. Barad.

Telemedicine, the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients by means of telecommunications technology, became a necessity during the height of the pandemic.

“I piloted a telemedicine program five years ago, but that was pre-COVID and insurance companies and the technology were not ready for meaningful telemedicine. But then comes March 10, and the world changes. Literally, our clinic closes and it’s just game on and everybody is scrambling,” Dr. Barad says.

Dr. Barad, a graduate of both the University of Texas and Texas Tech, has practiced pediatric medicine at McLane’s for 10 years and also has a clinic in Round Rock.

“I have a passion for kids and discovered early on that I have a gift for being able to connect with kids,” he says. “That’s probably because I am a kid in an adult body.”

Dr. Barad and his wife, Alicia, a pediatric occupational therapist, have two children of their own. Their son, Ronin, is 9 and was their only child until Ella came into their lives three years ago. She was one of Dr. Barad’s hospital patients.

She was 2 months old, severely neglected, and starved. “I don’t think she would have made it another day,” he says. “I’ve seen difficult things in my career, and I don’t know what was different about this one. But two months later, Alicia and I brought her home. It was a difficult but rewarding journey.”

He pauses, “Kids are so resilient. They are so amazing. I see so many sick, sick kids, whether they have cancer, or whether they have a chronic illness 34 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

or whether they’re going to have a shortened life expectancy with cystic fibrosis … you would have no idea that they have a chronic illness or they’re not going to make it. They always inspire me. They are dealing with so much, but they always have a smile on their face.”

Dr. Barad’s passion for children extends to caring for all patients, and in the midst of the pandemic, the question became, “How do you provide the same level of care that you normally provide, especially with people who aren’t comfortable with technology? You have orthopedic surgeons; cardiothoracic surgeons; endocrinologists who don’t even do FaceTime with their kids and now they’re having to see 20 patients a day from home on their own wi-fi,” Dr. Barad says.

However, after approximately half a million provider-to-patient video visits from March through August, it’s safe to say that McLane Children’s and Baylor Scott & White Hospital providers have plunged headfirst into telemedicine.

“At first, telemedicine was a complete replacement of care. Now, we view it as a supplement to in-person care,” says Dr. Barad. “For example, we can do a quick five-minute check-in with a patient to see how they are doing with their meds or if we need to tweak something in their care plan.”

Dr. Barad is also excited about the wider possibilities that telemedicine affords to patients through unique programs he and his colleagues are implanting at McLane’s and BSW. “How many lives can we touch through this?” he asks. “Now folks who live in other areas can see a pediatric specialist—even within a day of calling for an appointment. You can live in the panhandle and see a specialist at McLane’s,” he says. “My personal passion is to provide better care for all patients regardless of socioeconomic status or racial or even geographic divide.”

Also developed under Dr. Barad’s leadership and in conjunction with the digital health office at BSW, the Digital Health Journey program tracks those patients who have COVID or are suspected positive for the virus. This outpatient program provides the participants with twice-daily contact with providers.

“We treat people better when we have access

“Kids are so resilient. They are so amazing. I see so many sick, sick kids … you would have no idea that they have a chronic illness or they’re not going to make it. They always inspire me. They are dealing with so much, but they always have a smile on their face.” — Dr. Ashis Barad to frequent data and are able to react real-time to their needs,” Dr. Barad says. “BSW as a whole is committed to this.” So committed, in fact, that BSW is building their own video visit software from the ground up while pioneering the usage of peripherals such as blood pressure machines, pulse oximeters and blood-sugar monitoring devices.

“Instead of sending a patient to a pharmacy to take their blood pressure, providers will give patients the actual hardware that will then transmit the data directly to BSW’s online patient portal, MyBSWHealth.”

For inpatient application, Dr. Barad and his colleagues have created a program called BSW Rounds and BSW Meet that allows all providers, from dieticians to surgeons and social workers, to

be on the same page and virtually visit with each patient. The application also allows patients to add family members or loved ones to their virtual visits with their providers.

So how does a pediatric gastroenterologist become the guiding force behind such a farreaching paradigm shift?

“I enjoy it and took it upon myself at that time when everyone was really struggling. I have a passion for it. Not that I have all the answers, but I felt some personal responsibility to help everyone out and disseminate as much information as I could. I love working for BSW and McLane’s because we care for all people regardless of their socioeconomic status. I’m really proud of our model.”

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Dr. George Dubrocq is the lead pediatric infectious disease physician at McLane Children‘s Hospital in Temple.

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Studying COVID-19 in newborns a focus for McLane physician

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By AMY ROGNLIE | Photography by RUSTY SCHRAMM, BSWH

remature babies born at McLane Children’s Medical Center or Baylor Scott & White Hospital during the early days of the pandemic were of particular concern to Dr. George Dubrocq, the lead pediatric infectious disease physician at the children’s hospital.

“In the early stages of the COVID pandemic, I followed, via telemedicine, every positivelydiagnosed child and family until they were well. I also frequently interacted with our pediatricians and providers in developing algorithms in the testing of COVID to prevent the chance of a false negative, as that would have the potential to cause a breakout in the community,” he explains.

“All babies born under 32 weeks gestation are extremely vulnerable, as passive immunity from their mothers is not yet completed. At McLane’s, we have a robust and busy neonatal intensive care unit of 60 beds. To prevent the transmission from a potentially COVID-positive baby to hospital staff and other premature babies in the unit, the neonatal ICU team and I developed an algorithm for testing babies born to COVID positive mothers.”

Though transmission rates of the virus are very low from child to child, in the rare case of a child with COVID, Dr. Dubrocq is the go-to guy.

“For every severe COVID case in a child, I help our medical providers determine which COVID medication to administer, given that all the medications are in the experimental stage and the literature is scarce.”

Dr. Dubrocq’s previous work in the vaccine division of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as his Infectious Disease training at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., provide a strong foundation for his current work in

infectious diseases and immunology here in Central Texas.

“My journey as an infectious disease specialist began during my third year of medical school after shadowing my mentor, Dr. Conrad, in New York City.

An aspect that attracted me to ID is that you have to be knowledgeable not only about vaccines, antibiotics, and infectious causes, but also know about other areas as you have to take a whole patient approach to find the cause of disease.”

That “whole-patient” approach and his broad knowledge base are necessary for Dr. Dubrocq’s other passions, including his work performing penicillin allergy skin testing to verify the allergy and his tireless efforts to streamline the treatment process for immunodeficient patients.

As the Antibiotic Stewardship Director at McLane’s, Dr. Dubrocq is ardent about educating other medical providers about best practices in prescribing antibiotics.

Though Dr. Dubrocq has lived in Central Texas for only three years, he is having a wide-reaching impact on our community. “I try to help out the community (medical and non-medical) by frequently talking to various groups about current breakouts, vaccines, COVID-19, and misconceptions in medicine,” he says.

Dr. Dubrocq and his wife, Alana, a therapist for children with autism, were attracted to the Temple area by the quality of life for their family, which includes their children, Brianna, 11, and Andrew, 8. “In Central Texas, the people are friendly, cultural events are frequent, there is an excellent school system, opportunity for advancement, a great medical system, and plenty of outdoor activities. We chose Temple over other areas and it’s been a great decision.”

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Growing community CANYON CREEK BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NOW SERVING CENTRAL TEXAS

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By JANNA ZEPP | Photos by SKEEBO and contributed

ccess to mental health care just got a lot easier for Central Texans. Canyon Creek Behavioral Health, a new acute inpatient facility at 1201 Canyon Creek Drive in Temple, offers care for people in crisis experiencing depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective, substance abuse/ dependence, post-traumatic stress and severe anxiety. Outpatient services will also be available, which include partial hospitalization programming and intensive outpatient programming which CCBH anticipates offering shortly after opening their inpatient programs.

Treatment includes electroconvulsive therapy, commonly used in patients with severe major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. ECT is used when other treatments, including medications and psychotherapy, haven’t worked. It is effective for the relief of depression and other conditions.

The CCBH facility has 102 beds that are a blend of 74 adult (adult and geriatrics) beds and 28 adolescent (ages 12-17) beds. The staff includes 200 licensed psychiatrists and internists, registered nurses, pharmacists, licensed social workers and professional counselors, recreation therapists and yoga instructors.

“Temple was selected as the best location for a new behavioral health facility to address the regional community need for additional mental health programs, treatments and services. It’s a rapidly growing area,” says CCBH’s Chief Executive Officer Robert Lerma, M.S., ACHE. “Planning for CCBH has been going on for five years.”

Lerma says Temple, Bell County and the surrounding communities have historically been underserved with

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regard to mental health care.

“With rapid population growth occurring over the past few decades and no end in sight, we believe the behavioral health needs will continue to grow as well. Our goal is to deliver quality services to these communities to meet these needs,” he says.

Canyon Creek Behavioral Health plans to work with many Central Texas community agencies in the future.

Their most significant partnership will be with Baylor Scott & White Health.

“We will be in-network with many health plans, including, Aetna, Amerigroup, Baylor Scott & White, BCBS, Beacon Health Options, Cigna, Humana, Medicaid, Medicare, PHCS/Multiplan, Superior, TRICARE, UBH/Optum, Value Options and the Veteran’s Administration. This list may adjust in the future, depending on the needs of the community,” Lerma says.

Medicaid will include Texas, Traditional and Managed plans. Medicare will include Traditional and Managed plans.

“The goal of CCBH is to deliver high quality behavioral health services to the Temple community, while providing a safe environment for people during challenging times,” Lerma says. “We value patient safety, service excellence and are committed to providing unsurpassed patient care.”

Universal Health Services is CCBH’s parent company.

With more than 400 behavioral health hospitals in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom, UHS employs more than 90,000 people.

To learn more about CCBH, visit canyoncreekbh. com. To learn more about UHS, visit uhsinc.com.

MEET THE CANYON CREEK EXECUTIVE STAFF

Robert Lerma, M.S., ACHE – Chief Executive Officer Robert earned a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from California Lutheran University, and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from California State University in Northridge. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, American Psychological Association, Texas Psychological Association, Capital Area Psychological Association, and Capital of Texas Counseling Association.

Robert served the last four years as CEO for Austin Lakes Hospital, and the three years prior as the director of business development. Before Austin Lakes Hospital, he worked as a clinician for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office; and before that, as a police officer in California. Robert is a committee member of Austin/Travis County Crisis Implementation, Travis County Mental Health Court, Williamson County Crisis Intervention, Williamson County Psych Stakeholders, Burnet County Crisis Intervention, Burnet County Psych Stakeholders, and Hays County Crisis Intervention.

He brings considerable behavioral health executive expertise to the role with more than 15 years of experience.

Shawn Larabie, MSN, MBA, RN, NEA-BC – Chief Nursing Officer Shawn graduated with an Associate degree in Applied Science – Nursing from North Country Community College in Saranac Lake, N.Y., in 1994. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2007, a Master of Science in Nursing in 2012, and a Master of Business Administration in 2012 from the University of Phoenix. Shawn relocated to the Temple area from San Antonio, where he served as chief nursing officer at San Antonio Behavioral Healthcare Hospital. In that role, he built a nursing team dedicated to high-quality patient care. Shawn developed strategies to assist the hospital in accomplishing long-term goals for growth by ensuring operational efficiency, proper staffing levels, and staff engagement.

Before his role at San Antonio Behavioral, Shawn served as an interim chief nursing officer at Georgetown Behavioral Institute. Throughout his career, Shawn has held several nursing leadership positions, including as a director of behavioral health, an administrative director of emergency services, a patient care director of ER/ICU/Geriatric Behavioral Health, and a nursing supervisor at various hospitals

in New York, New Hampshire, and Texas. Shawn also received his Nurse Executive, advanced certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Heather Hill, MBA, CTRS – Director of Risk Management & Performance Improvement Heather earned a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Administration from Texas State University in San Marcos, and a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University in Austin.

Heather has more than 15 years of experience in the behavioral health field and has worked for three hospitals within the Universal Health Services network.

Most recently, she worked at Austin Lakes Hospital in Austin, where she served as the risk manager and performance improvement director for seven years.

In 2018, she earned the annual Worsham Leadership Excellence Award for her exemplary leadership and team-building skills. She has successfully led multiple Joint Commission and state surveys. She has experience improving patient outcomes, patent satisfaction, and overall quality of care.

Heather is a member of the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation. She is also a UHS Service Excellence and Verbal De-Escalation Instructor.

David A. Estringel, LCSW-S, BCD, C-ASWCM, CART – Director of Clinical Services David earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Texas at Brownsville and a Master of Science in social work from the University of Texas at Austin. He will begin a Master of Business Administration in the Healthcare Administration Program at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio this fall. Before joining Canyon Creek, he worked as a director of clinical services at Palms Behavioral Health in Harlingen and Outcomes Detox and Recovery in Brownsville. He also was a social services manager at Valley Baptist Medical Center–East Campus (an acute inpatient psychiatric hospital) in Brownsville.

While obtaining his Master’s, he interned at St. David’s South Austin Hospital ER, AIDS Services of Austin, and Austin Recovery. David has extensive experience working with multiple client/patient populations, HIV/AIDS case management and program administration, substance abuse, crisis intervention, acute psychiatric care, medical social work, LGBT health and advocacy, and post-secondary education as a clinical assistant professor of social work with Our Lady of the Lake University’s Worden School of Social Services.

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EQ2 OFFERS MEMBERSHIPS AND A

‘holistic approach’

By FRED AFFLERBACH | Photography contributed

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wo Bell County healthcare professionals have teamed up to offer area residents an alternative to healthcare access.

Rather than waiting for insurance approval and dealing with co-pays and deductibles, Equilibrium Squared (EQ2) is a direct primary care provider.

It’s sort of like a gym membership where you pay monthly dues, but instead of gaining access to treadmills and elliptical machines and barbells you have a nurse practitioner and a primary care physician at your disposal 24-7.

EQ2 is a membership-based holistic practice that also specializes in sports medicine. They accept pre-existing conditions, but don’t take insurance.

Co-owner Kelli Dudley says their monthly fees are affordable and an alternative for the selfemployed, unemployed, and people who feel their insurance premiums are too expensive.

Dudley’s partner, Dr. Ryan Fowler, says a monthly membership fee could be less than a co-pay with a typical doctor. And there is no limit on the number of visits, whether in person, or via phone call, text or telemedicine.

Dudley partnered with Fowler in December 2019 because, through their doctor-patient relationship, she realized they both saw a need to

redefine typical healthcare. Both wanted something different, something that gave the patient more alternatives.

Dudley said EQ2 is an enigma. “We do a couple of different things. We do mainstream medicine, family practice, and also holistic medicine. Almost everything we do has a holistic slant to it. If we can help someone change their thought process, change their lifestyle, and reach a goal without having to give them pharmaceuticals, then that’s ideal.

“If we can get them to walk a little bit, cut the carbs a little bit, do things with their lifestyle that will improve their health, that’s always been the goal,” Dudley said. “If we have to prescribe pharmaceuticals for blood pressure or migraines or something like that then that’s what we’re going to do. God gave us antibiotics for a reason so we have no problem prescribing them when we need them.

But our inclination is always going to be more of a holistic treatment. And then we have the added benefit of Dr. Fowler’s sports medicine.”

Belton business owner Kayla Potts has been living with lupus and an array of autoimmune disorders for several years. She’s battled rashes, inflammation and debilitating fatigue since 2012.

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And because she is self-employed, her health insurance company and doctors changed almost yearly. At one point, she was taking about nine different medications with little relief. After friends recommended EQ2, she signed up.

“He (Dr. Fowler) is a very traditional doctor but he’s willing to look outside the box,” Potts said.

“I felt like doctors were just shoving prescriptions down my throat. And they weren’t working. They weren’t helping. And I really wanted to get away from that style of medicine.

That’s been a huge blessing, to have a doctor that listens. He’s trying to get answers for me when no one else would. That’s made a big difference for me, in my overall wellbeing.” Potts says she now takes only a few prescription medications and, although there is no known cure for lupus, she feels much better overall.

The direct primary care model is nothing new to the medical field; it was founded by three doctors about 20 years ago. Today, the concept seems to be picking up steam.

According to the website DPC Frontier Mapper, there are currently about 1,300 DPC providers in the 48 contiguous United States and the District of Columbia. Experts say although there are advantages of going the DPC route, members may still need health insurance to cover specialized care or complex medical issues.

Dr. Fowler says that because EQ2 doesn’t accept insurance he has more time to spend with patients, rather than manage billing and collections. That, in turn, also keeps overhead low, which leads to cheaper monthly premiums.

“Because we don’t have many layers, we have much more personal care,” Dr. Fowler said. “When you get a test result, I’ll call you directly, or text you. If you have a problem, same thing, text me directly. It takes all the inbetween stuff out. It basically comes down to the patient and the doctor. That’s where all the good stuff happens anyway.”

Dr. Fowler, board certified in integrative and holistic medicine, said that much like a general practitioner, EQ2 does a little of everything: removes moles, stitches up cuts, treats abscesses.

They also attend to people with thyroid and immune conditions, blood pressure problems, and folks who are concerned about heart disease. And nurse practitioner Dudley performs blood work; she takes samples and sends them to a laboratory for processing.

Making people healthier comes first, Dr. Fowler said, and that can often be done without using prescription drugs. Fowler uses both Eastern and Western approaches to medicine.

“I like to evaluate the entire person, spiritually, mentally, physically, nutritionally . . . all of those things,” Fowler said. “I take a holistic view and then I use any means necessary to treat them, which could be sleep, diet, exercise, supplements, simple things before I want to throw pharmaceutical medicine at them that has a list of side effects as long as your arm that may, or may not, help them.

“This is a shared decision making. People don’t come in here and dictate what to do.

We have a discussion on what I think is wrong with you and here’s what I think will help. If we’re not happy with that we can look at other options.”

EQ2 has also tested patients for COVID-19 and treated some with mild symptoms with a vitamin C infusion. Patients are screened for symptoms while booking an appointment. Both Dudley and Fowler wear masks and sanitize high touch areas before and after each visit.

First-time visitors at EQ2 may be surprised that the person who checks them in will probably be the nurse or doctor that will examine them.

And they will likely be the only one in the lobby. And that’s a good thing, says lupus patient and businesswoman Potts. “It’s really nice to have that small town doctor feel. That’s not something I’ve had in a long time.”

Dr. Ryan Fowler

Kelli Dudley

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Spreading sunshine

IN THE DARK DAYS OF A PANDEMIC

By SHARON WHITE | Photography by JUSTIN BORJA and contributed by BSWH

O

n any given day, the hallways at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple buzz with swarms of patients, visitors and staff. But two weeks after the president declared a “national emergency” on Friday, the 13th of March, an eerie emptiness fell upon BS&W corridors, along with locked entrances and lonely parking lots the likes of which have never been seen before.

A calamitous virus had infected the world and had made its way to Texas—inciting fear, uncertainty and danger. It was as if all of America had come to a devastating standstill on a catastrophic scale. Almost everyone at BS&W had been sent home to ride out the storm, everyone except essential workers and trained medical personnel, who were left to prepare for an uncertain onslaught.

But two longtime staff members refused to step away from their posts at the Sunshine Gift Shop, a small, nonprofit, volunteeroperated store providing drinks, snacks, gifts, flowers and sundries.

They remained committed, and ready to supply the dedicated medical teams some respite from the chaos—a bit of cheer—with smiles, sodas and an assortment of chocolate.

At a time when only “essential businesses” in the state had been directed to stay open, BS&W Volunteer Services Manager Nancy Zimmerman and Sunshine Gift Shop Manager George Hitt could have retreated to the safety of their homes during the quarantine. But, instead, theirs was a swift decision to keep the doors of the tiny shop open.

“We have about 100 volunteers in our program,” Zimmerman says. “We lost all of them when the pandemic hit, including 25 gift shop volunteers who took shifts throughout the week. And although our hours of operation were reduced, because we were short-staffed, we never completely closed our doors. We wanted to give the medical staff and personnel some sense of normalcy—a place where

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they could come and take a breather during those long and difficult shifts.

“Our goal has always been to provide whatever it takes to serve patients, and families—whether that be a cup of coffee, a warm blanket or something to read. It’s all about making an unpleasant situation as pleasant as it can be. In this case, we were here to serve our own co-workers.”

It remained “business as usual” during the quarantine for Zimmerman and Hitt, who strive to deliver a personal touch at the shop. Manager of nine years, Hitt says, “We never thought about closing. We took all the basic precautions and just moved on, even though it was just the two of us.”

“We tried to think up ways to keep staff morale up,” says Zimmerman, who has been the manager of Volunteer Services at BS&W for the past 13 years. “Some weeks we offered special discounts, or a gift with purchase. We often dubbed Fridays as free chocolate day. We even delivered snacks to workers via our ‘Care Cart.’”

And the BS&W staff appreciated their efforts.

Health Unit Coordinator/Patient Care Technician Laura Patterson says, “Every day in the ICU we were so unsure of what the pandemic was bringing us. The unit looked so different. The gift shop was our getaway. The minute you stepped inside, everything looked beautiful and smelled beautiful.” Patterson, who has worked in ICU for over 11 years, loves going into the shop. “It means a lot to be able to run away for a little bit to a peaceful place. It makes it easier to get through the day.”

Anyone who has visited BS&W has, no doubt, encountered a volunteer at one time or another.

After 53 years and thousands of hours of service, hopefully volunteers will soon be back to continue their work providing assistance to patients and families. In the meantime, the Sunshine Gift Shop remains committed to personal service. And there is never a charge for the “cheer.”

ABOVE: Volunteer Services Manager Nancy Zimmerman and Sunshine Gift Shop Manager George Hitt kept business during quarantine, even after losing all of the shop’s volunteers. BELOW: Yellow Bird volunteers Carolyn King, left, and Margie Flanagan push a drugstore cart at Scott & White Hospital in the mid-1970s.

How a cart evolved into a chic boutique

The Scott & White Hospital “Auxiliary” was organized in 1967. The majority of its first members were wives of Scott & White staff who recognized the value and importance of an auxiliary that could add a personal touch to a hospital setting.

The group became known as “The Yellow Birds.”

Baylor Scott & White Health Volunteer Services Manager Nancy Zimmerman recalls, “Volunteers were dubbed ‘Yellow Birds’ because they wore yellow pinafores and exuded a “cheery” attitude.

But, in 2012, the color of our uniforms changed to turquoise, to more closely align with the colors of Baylor Scott & White.”

In the early years, Yellow Birds actively worked on two hospital floors and helped in the emergency room. A drugstore cart, often weighing more than the volunteers who pushed it, offered newspapers, magazines, gum, candy and toiletries to hospital patients. The official opening of the Scott & White Sunshine Gift Shop came in 1978.

Proceeds from the gift shop and special sales have raised thousands of dollars over the years, which have gone directly into the purchase of needed supplies and equipment for the clinic and hospital. In recent years, funds were provided for an updated security system requested by the Labor and Delivery Department and acquiring a

“distraction machine” for the pediatric patients at McLane Children’s Hospital.

The Sunshine Gift Shop sells much more than sodas, snacks and sundries. You can find an assortment of high-end items like Fossil watches, Ray Ban sunglasses, and designer fragrances for men and women, Consuela handbags, jewelry, luxury candles and home décor.

George Hitt, who has worked in retail for over 43 years says, “When I became manger, I always envisioned creating a destination gift shop that carried unique items you couldn’t find anywhere else. And I think our customers appreciate the variety and quality of our merchandise.”

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Dr. Ryun Summers, Vicki Langan, and Dr. Doug Mills The staff at AFC Urgent Care in Temple treats patients just like family – after all, AFC stands for American Family Care. True healthcare heroes, the caregivers at AFC have battled tirelessly on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic since the beginning, providing rapid, accurate testing and thoroughly sanitizing the entire clinic daily.

The medical staff ensures that every precaution is taken to treat patients in a safe environment.

Vicki Langan and Dr. Ryun Summers have settled for nothing less than providing a safe and convenient alternative to Emergency Room visits. Armed with a team of tireless medical professionals and board

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certified physicians, AFC has earned a reputation for being affordable, accessible and economical. The variety of services offered here is extensive – personal healthcare, urgent care, occupational medicine, workers compensation care, and even remote Covid testing. The dedicated team always goes above and beyond to provide a kind and caring environment while respecting the rights of all patients and their families. The clinic is conveniently located on the loop in Temple – right next to Cracker Barrel. Open seven days a week and with physicians on site at all times, AFC Urgent Care continues to set the bar high for all healthcare clinics.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

50 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Heinz Reichl A German trained Orthotist and ABC Certified Pedorthist, Heinz Reichl, CPed, has worked the last 40 years on perfecting his skills to provide excellent, cutting-edge products and services to his customers at Arches Footcare.

Heinz provides pre-fabricated and custom orthotics to patients age four and up. For patients with discomfort, pain, or neurological conditions, Arches Footcare provides orthotics to alleviate these issues, speed up recovery, and restore gait insufficiency. He has helped many athletes stay in the game.

Heinz is constantly researching and attending seminars and Orthotic Trade Fairs in the US and in Germany. He discovered Sensormotorik Orthotics, a new groundbreaking method of orthotic care, at a German Orthopedic Shoe Technology conference in 2015. Based on proprioceptive principles, Sensormotorik orthotics cues your own muscular and nervous systems to restore foot and ankle alignment, alleviate pain from injury and overuse, and restore gait and stability.

Heinz provides conservative foot care for conditions such as Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles-Tendinitis, Runners Knee, Shin Splints, Flat Feet,Toe Walking, Parkinson’s, Cerebral Palsy and Post-Stroke symptoms on a daily basis.

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52 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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54 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

Raymond Chapman ARTIST, SIGN PAINTER, MAN OF FAITH

By FRED AFFLERBACH | Photography contributed

A

lthough he’s lived in Bell County for more than 70 years, you’ve probably never heard of Raymond Chapman. Nevertheless, you have likely seen some of his handiwork.

Humbly yet methodically, Chapman has spent a lifetime painting, building and installing artistic, eye-catching signs. From banners at Belton High School in the 1960s, to signs at Scott & White Hospital, Temple Mall and the McLane Co., to a tea room in Cameron and a photography studio in Salado, Chapman has left an indelible mark on the community.

Now that he has retired from sign making, Chapman has seized an opportunity to explore new mediums—oil on canvas and pencil to paper. He now accepts some work on commission, but will not commit to deadline. Six decades of waking early and working late was enough.

“It was a thrill to do exactly what I had dreamed of for the past 60 or so years. I would not trade them for anything,” Chapman said. “So, I work for myself now. Instead of working to please the customer, only thing I have to do is please me.”

But there is another side of the man behind the paintbrushes and pencils, the drills and saws and routers. Inasmuch as Chapman is known for his artistic touch, he is also revered for a lifetime of generously giving his time to those in need. At age 75, his faith and love of art have coalesced into a beautiful human tapestry. He often uses his craft to express his devotion to God and helping others.

Some of his work has special meaning. After years counseling several times a week at Christian Farms-Treehouse, a rehabilitation center in Temple, Chapman created a pencil drawing of a man who was living there in an effort to get his life back on track. In a piece called “Never Alone,” a young

man sits at a picnic table and reads the Bible, a translucent Christ-like figure looking over his shoulder.

Chapman said a courtyard at the rehab center was the inspiration for that scene. His counseling work at Christian Farms-Treehouse has affected another piece as well, one titled “The Way.” At first glance, you may recognize the underpass on the old highway between Belton and Temple. But there is more.

“When people leave that rehabilitation center, when they graduate, they go through that underpass. I got the idea they’re going from that darkness into light. Everything being chaotic, that is their way out of addiction.” And upon close examination, you can find a faint telephone pole in the background that looks like a cross.

A longtime friend and fellow member at Belton Church of Christ, Mickey Blanks, fondly recalls some of the numerous presentations he’s collaborated on with Chapman. Blanks would use photos of his English springer spaniel, Sadie, leaping five feet in the air to snatch a Frisbee or ball to illustrate how we should live life with zest. After Sadie died, Chapman stopped by for a surprise visit.

“Next thing I know, Raymond shows up with this picture, a flashback when she was a young, energetic, full-of-life dog. It hangs in my living room,” Blanks said. “He’s very creative, has a fantastic artist’s eye. Very humble. He is a friend and a mentor to so many people. He is one of a kind. Evolving and maturing as an artist, he is an emerging talent that people need to keep their eye on.”

Chapman spent his youth wandering the banks Continued

Raymond Chapman is seen in his studio where he now works on sketches and paintings at his own pace.

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Raymond Chapman worked as a sign painter and graphic artist before retiring.

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of Nolan Creek in Belton. His fascination in art was first manifest in letters. Before he could recite the alphabet, his mother would have him copy letters that she had drawn.

In elementary school, he was known as the kid who makes posters.

He continued making signs and banners throughout high school. And he worked at various sign shops in Abilene while earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education and science at Abilene Christian University.

After graduation, he taught middle school for a few years, then worked for his brother’s sign company for 25 years before opening his own business.

Back in the 1970s, Chapman joined The Letterheads, a fledgling group of artists-sign painters based in Colorado.

At various workshops and annual conventions, Chapman shared his craft and trade secrets to members. He also wrote articles for their trade journal. One relationship that blossomed through the Letterheads is Gary Anderson, of Bloomington, Indiana. Anderson says Chapman was like a “godfather” to novice sign painters.

“Raymond has been an important part of a lot of people’s lives. He’s one of those people you can talk to about a problem, or just want to talk,” Anderson said.

“He had that kind of air and a soul about him that made him easy to talk to. You knew you were getting a straight answer.”

A Belton High School graduate of 1963, Chapman has kept in touch with some old classmates. Mary Coppin, another fellow parishioner at Belton Church of Christ, says Raymond “loves God with all his heart and it shows.”

Chapman recently sketched portraits of Coppin’s two children, using old Polaroid photos of when they were about three years old. It was a Christmas surprise. “I was overwhelmed. It was lifelike. His talent is amazing,” Coppin said. As for Chapman’s devotion to God and volunteerism, Coppin says, “He’s there to help. If there’s anything that needs to be done, all you have to do is say Raymond Chapman.”

Chapman married his high school sweetheart, Jeanne Allen, in 1963. They have two sons who both live in Belton.

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58 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

JOE PEREZ III’S MURALS ARE

Transforming Killeen

By MANDY SHELTON | Photography contributed

F

rom the intersection of Gray Street and Avenue D in downtown Killeen, observers can view three works of public art.

The military history mural is a full-color, 40foot tapestry completed by the Killeen Arts Guild and community volunteers in 2016. On a Gray Street two-story formerly known as Hack’s Levi’s Headquarters looms a cowboy who has been repainted a few times over the years as his jeans fade. Finally, peeking out from an alley in the cowboy’s literal and figurative shadow is the newest addition to Killeen’s public art collection by artist and veteran Joe Perez III, who has completed public artworks at several locations across Killeen.

The most recent mural pulls out of the alley behind a train engine, the symbol of Killeen’s genesis. The far west portion of the painting depicts an engine car, complete with cow catcher, steaming past the rail station with downtown Killeen reflected in the window panes. Following that momentum in a cloud of locomotive exhaust comes a long line of Killeen’s history, rendered in a style reminiscent of both tattoo work and graffitistyle street art.

Perez secured permission from the building’s current owner, Levi Balfour, and painted his gratitude into the panorama. Other historical figures honored with incorporated portraits include Elvis Presley, Jackie Robinson, and local heroes Don Hardeman and Joseph Searles III. The historical Killeen mural features a graphic sandwich board that reads: “Stay tuned…” with the requisite social media tags: @jperezartwork, #killeenart, #killeenhistoric. “While I was painting the mural, I wanted to capture the process and hashtag it so that it can be easily passed over to the officials who will streamline this on social media platforms,” Perez said.

Though the City of Killeen has not yet established an official arts district, grants are available through the historic district façade improvement program, which will fund up to 80% of a building’s exterior facelift. Perez has also created a GoFundMe campaign for the Killeen Art District Project, which has garnered donations from downtown businesses such as Hacienda Texas Realty. The $500 fund met its goal this summer.

WHERE TO SEE MURALS BY JOE PEREZ III

Social Coffee Bar 3300 S Ft Hood St, Suite A Starlite Station and Caboose Street Market 3310 S Ft Hood St, Suite A Loose Cannon Tattoo and Piercing 93 E Elms Rd Art & More Store 614 N 10th St Balfour’s Men’s Wear 318 N Gray St. Gifted Hands 4701 Clear Creek Rd Be sure to hashtag your photos #KilleenArt and tag @jperezartwork!

Burner—a piece of street art so good, it appears to burn through both the surface of the wall and the preexisting artwork. Joe Perez III said he welcomes the challenge.

The Art & More Store on 10th Street, just on the edge of the National Register of Historic Places downtown overlay, features a pair of Perez originals. A butterfly mural includes InstagramContinued

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ready wings, providing influencers with a photo backdrop worthy of its own hashtag. The Peptopink cinderblock building also displays a graphic heart that blends anatomical accuracy with symmetrical school-book doodle. Surrounded by bubbles and a rainbow palette reminiscent of Lisa Frank, the heart nevertheless sports wounds both old and new. The feathered ends of two arrows pierce either side of a deep scar, evoking el corazón of classic Lotería imagery.

None of Perez’s murals have official titles, but he often incorporates a business’s name or branding into his distinctive style. Gifted Hands Car Wash on Clear Creek Road features both interior and exterior murals, the eponymous hands cradling the business’s logo and a sudsy orange muscle car painted inside the office.

Loose Cannon Tattoo & Piercing on Elms Road displays another such collaboration: a full-size exterior paint job that contains “a lot of energy that illustrates war zones, tattoo art, and the Loose Cannon shop name,” Perez said. The mural also plays on Killeen’s military history, as well as the tattoo studio’s eponymous pun, but the narrative tapestry unfurls to include a battle between snake and shark in the debris of a shipwreck, an oblivious scuba diver floating straight toward the shark’s gaping maw.

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“The kids from the area love it,” Perez said.

He recalled how children cutting through the lot after school would “stop by and ask questions to feed their curiosity” as he painted. “Art is a great domain to start learning about each other and how we express ourselves.”

Just down Elms Road at the Fort Hood Street intersection, the lot containing Social Coffee Bar, Starlite Station, and the new Caboose Street Market food truck park is awash in Joe Perez III scenescapes. An “I love my soldier so much” selfie station, flanked by American and Texas flags, is situated on the northside Social Coffee Bar. The Killeen-centric sentiment echoes the iconic “I love you so much” wall at Jo’s Coffee in Austin (or, closer to home, the “I love tequila so much” homage inside Starlite Station, painted by Perez).

Just as the Jo’s Coffee mural has famously suffered vandalism and undergone repainting several times between the thousands of social media snaps, Joe’s artworks also run the risk of defacement. He’s not worried. “It’s part of the game,” said Perez, who often paints under the cover of night while listening to Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. “I have no emotional connection to my murals once I’m done with them. If someone tags or puts up a burner over my stuff, the rule is it needs to be better than mine.”

BEING CENTRAL TEXAN

What makes Temple and Central Texas great

M

y Central Texas roots shaped me into the person and businessman that I am today. My grandfather, Robert McLane, was the oldest of seven children on a cotton farm in Abbeville, South Carolina. He decided to strike out on his own and moved to Central Texas.

In 1883, he went to work on a farm near Cameron, eventually opening a small rural grocery store in town. Around 1894, my grandfather opened a small wholesale grocery in Cameron.

My father, Drayton McLane Sr., started working for his father when he got out of college in 1921. He was a dedicated, hard-working man who still came in the office every day well into his 80s. Both of my parents were strong Christians. I had two older sisters, JoAnn and Kate, and my parents DRAYTON certainly educated and cultured us. But MCLANE JR. the most important thing they taught us was to be devout and bold in our Christian faith.

When I graduated from high school, I couldn’t wait to move to Waco, attend Baylor University and be out on my own. Friends I met at Baylor were from all over Texas and the United States. I emulated many I admired and learned from them. I still look back on my time living in Martin Hall and learning from professors at Baylor as some of the defining moments of my young life.

After graduating Baylor, I attended graduate school at Michigan State University. I was 22 years old when I graduated from Michigan State.

I returned to Central Texas and started my business career with my father in McLane Company. My vision was that I was going to have a desk near my dad’s and start out in the office. When I asked him where my office was located, he replied, “No, you’re going to start by loading trucks and working on the third shift at night. You’ve got to learn this business from the ground up.”

As I worked and learned about McLane Company, I kept thinking about how rapidly the retail grocery market was changing. We would need to modernize if we were going to grow in the wholesale grocery business. In 1963, I approached my father and said, “Dad, we’re in an old distribution center. We should build a modern distribution center, and we can’t do it here. We can’t be competitive, and big customers don’t want to depend on us with this size of an operation. I want to build a modern distribution center.”

I explained that we really couldn’t build a significant-sized logistics business in Cameron because it is such a small town and not on a major highway. I explained that we needed to be in either Waco or Temple.

This is what brought us to Temple. It was easy to see Temple should be the headquarters for McLane Company,

and in 1966 we opened a very modern distribution center, which propelled us forward. I’ve discovered we’re in the perfect place, because I can go to the East Coast or the West Coast, traveling either direction on roughly a two-hour flight, plus we were positioned right on Interstate 35. We learned that if we were not in a large city, we had an identity and could recruit good employees, providing those people with a better wage scale. We located the centers in small communities and delivered into the big cities, so we had lower operating costs and better working relationships with our employees. I understood small towns.

In 1990, we were doing about $9 billion a year. Walmart was an important customer, and I had grown to be close friends with Sam Walton, the entrepreneur who founded Walmart and Sam’s Club and was at that time the wealthiest man in America. Sam called me one day and said he wanted to come see me. He said, “I have a big idea for you.”

We came to an agreement for Walmart to acquire McLane Company. I remained as CEO of McLane Company and Vice Chairman of Walmart for six years. But I am an entrepreneur at heart, and I decided it was time to move on to something else. This is when our family purchased the Houston Astros. The next 19 years I worked building the team and bringing them to their first National League Championship and the World Series.

But our home and business headquarters always remained in Temple. Why? Because Central Texas has always been home, but also Temple is a great hub for doing business in Texas. Right on Interstate 35, Temple’s Central location and easy access bring a very diverse business community and great dedicated employees. From big corporations like Walmart and Pactiv, to a great healthcare system in Baylor Scott & White. There is such a variety that employees are drawn from all over to come here. Temple is a great place to work, but also a great place to live.

It is easy to live in Temple and Central Texas. We don’t have the hustle and bustle of Dallas, Austin or Houston. We have great education opportunities in our public schools as well as Temple College and UMHB. The extracurricular activities bring opportunity for recreation and entertainment. Our city parks system is terrific. The hike and bike trails give us the opportunity to get out in the open spaces, fresh air and exercise. With Belton and Stillhouse Hollow lakes so close by, there are many opportunities for relaxation and recreation.

Central Texas is a great place to live. It’s safe and people really respond to helping others. There are many opportunities to be involved in charitable organizations helping the less fortunate in our community. There is also a strong, diverse religious community where you can discover and find your own place to worship.

Basically, Central Texas has it all. I can’t think of a better place to be in business and to live with high values and unlimited opportunity.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Get fit, get outside as weather cools this fall

L

abor Day traditionally signals the transition from the scorching Texas summer heat to milder fall temperatures. Typically, September does not offer much relief from the heat; however, October tends to usher in cooler temperatures synonymous with the Texas fall.

After months of working out at home or at a fitness center, some of us may need a change of motivational scenery—cue the outdoors! The sunny sky and cooling breeze can set the stage for a productive outdoor workout. Both resistance training and cardiovascular exercise can be done outside, and with the right CAREY STITES equipment, knowledge and guidance, MS, RD, LD, CPT the transition to the outdoors can be seamless. With all the available equipment, however, it may be difficult to know which to invest in. Below are a few ideas to get started; utilize all three with a workout app and get started today!

OUTDOOR RESISTANCE TRAINING EQUIPMENT

KETTLEBELLS are versatile and durable and offer cardiovascular, strength and stability workouts. With a kettlebell, you can perform almost any exercise recommended for dumbbells and the handle is perfect for cardiovascular swings. There is no need to spend a fortune on a kettlebell, rather choose moderate weight heavy enough to offer a challenge but light enough to remain safe with good form.

RESISTANCE BANDS offer convenience, they are easy to store and travel with and can be used in a variety of

ways for strength training. In some cases, they can be more beneficial than dumbbells because more muscles are recruited for stabilization. Additionally, resistance bands are inexpensive; nevertheless purchase a quality band to avoid snapping during use.

DUMBBELLS constitute an important component to weight training. Dumbbells are a classic addition to an outdoor workout as they offer versatility and variations of exercises, sets, and repetitions to enhance a resistance based workout. Additionally, there are many free workouts available online to get you started on a safe and effective workout. Dumbbells do not have to be expensive—most retail stores offer reasonably priced neoprene dumbbells perfect for an outdoor workout regimen.

CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIVITIES PERFECT FOR THE OUTDOORS

With an increased opportunity around town to safely engage in walking, cycling and jogging outdoors, there is no better time to start. Remember to equip yourself with the proper safety gear, such as reflective clothing, a helmet and proper athletic shoes.

The American Heart Association recommends adults complete at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous cardiovascular activity (or a combination of both). To find out more regarding these recommendations, visit www.heart.org.

Known as “the best exercise,” WALKING is a perfect activity for outdoor fitness. It is appropriate for people who have experienced a joint injury, arthritis or obesity.

Walking possesses a plethora of benefits, which include improved circulation, lower blood pressure, impede osteoporosis, muscle strengthening, weight loss and

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joint support. Walking, for the most part, can be done anywhere! Parks, neighborhoods and school tracks are excellent and safe places to begin a heart pumping walking program. A 180-pound person can burn about 123 calories per hour at a 2 mph pace and 328 calories at a brisk pace of 4 mph, according to calorielab.com.

Like walking, CYCLING is considered a “nonweight-bearing” exercise and an effective choice for cardiovascular activity as it increases the heart rate while avoiding placing weight on a particular part of the body— most often the legs and feet. When cycling, choose a safe path out of danger from cars and when possible, seek a route with a designated bike path in parks or along trails for some inspiring scenery. For a 180-pound person, outdoor cycling at a light pace, about 10 to 11.9 mph, burns 455 calories per hour; an increase to a moderate pace of 12 to 13.9 mph burns 637 calories per hour, according to calorielab.com.

JOGGING is considered a weight-bearing exercise because the muscles and bones work against gravity by the impact of body weight. As the muscle pulls on the bone, the bone builds more cells; the increase in bone cells results in stronger bones and the reduction

of fractures. Jogging, much like walking, can be done just about anywhere, however, make sure you start off with short distances at a comfortable speed and increase both as you progress in your jogging regimen. Jogging is an effective activity to burn calories for weight loss. A 180-pound person jogging at a pace of 5 mph burns 574 calories per hour; an increase to 10.9 mph burns 1,394 calories an hour, according to calorielab.com.

The most rewarding part of beginning a fitness routine is noticing the difference it makes in the rest of your life. Even if you begin with a few simple dumbbell exercises outside at sunrise or an evening walk around your neighborhood, you will notice an improvement in how you feel as you go about your day, which ultimately increases your quality of life. When exercising becomes an enjoyable habit, you’ll never want to give it up!

Carey Stites is a registered and licensed dietitian located in Harker Heights, Texas. She obtained a master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Texas Tech University has been a practicing dietitian since 2001.

Carey is also an AFAA certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer; Carey has promoted health and wellness through presentations, classes, writing and cooking demonstrations all over Texas.

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DAYTRIPPIN'

BRING YOUR BEST STRATEGY & FIGHT IT OUT AT

Mini Tank Battlefield O

By MANDY SHELTON

n 66 acres just north of Hico on the ErathHamilton county line, Robert Valdez runs Mini Tank Battlefield, a new type of paintball experience in which participants take the field in single-seater, double-tracked armored vehicles fully equipped with paintball guns.

Valdez starts each session with a briefing inside HQ, adorned with armor unit crests reading tous pour un, un pour tous and ventre a terre, along with other memorabilia from his time as a real-life tank commander. He stresses camaraderie and protecting your brothers in arms. “Don’t follow each other. You can’t protect your wingman by being behind him. You can’t shoot over him, and all you’re doing is making him the target.”

Valdez then escorts players to the motor pool and his fleet of six miniature tanks imported from England. Teams with more than three players are allowed to have scouts: players who roam the combat zone on battle-ready All-Terrain Vehicles.

Scouts are not technically capable of taking out tanks, but the mythical paintball grenades have been rumored to explode in engine wells.

Mini Tank currently offers a selection of three battlefields. The Battle of the Bulge gives the German team the high ground, while over in Vietnam, participants ditch the tanks and play classic infantry-style paintball.

On the Fury field, named for the movie, Americans and Germans alternately defend and attack a strategic crossroads. As anyone who has seen the 2014 Brad Pitt vehicle can attest, the Germans won that fictional battle but—as everyone else who has a basic grasp of history knows—lost the actual war. On the Mini Tank battlefield, it was truly anyone’s game.

Calvin Sleeper, originally from Hico, visited Mini Tank Battlefield on the occasion of his 40th wedding anniversary. His wife stayed home with the grandkids, sending Calvin’s son Tylor and older brother William to play along. Tylor and William Sleeper gleefully formed an axis of power as the German team, leaving Calvin to fly Old Glory solo.

The group’s fourth, a Sleeper cousin, missed the

64 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

IF YOU GO

You must have an appointment. Contact Robert Valdez at minitankbattlefield.com, 817689-5658, info@minitankbattlefield.com, or even on social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).

Wear closed-toe shoes and long pants that can withstand paint! Helmets and neck protectors provided. Ditch the elaborate hairdo unless you want to spend time detangling your Elsa braid from your helmet.

The latrine is…a latrine. Be comfortable with porta potties or be able to hold it for an hour or two.

Tanks are accessible and hand-operated— once seated upright, drivers do not need to use their legs.

The site is BYOB, but only after the battle: no drinking and tanking.

Check your map app: make sure it is leading you to Mini Tank Battlefield at 3155 Private Rd 1481 in Hico. From SH 220, watch for the county line and head northeast on CR 3243 for about a mile. You’ll know the gate when you see the ghoul in a flack helmet on your left. rendezvous as brother faced brother (and son) on the Western Front. Instead of letting ze Germans double-team him, Calvin drafted a new recruit to Team America: a magazine writer whose idea of a tactical maneuver consisted of—sigh—spinning her tank around in panicked little circles.

With an absolute liability as his wing-woman, Calvin took the field to bravely face the German squad. Valdez laid out the rules of war: “Ten shots on the tank or yourself and you’re supposed to be considered dead. But nobody abides by it. They all keep shooting until they run out of paintballs or they give up.”

One of the best strategies Valdez has seen came from a woman who fired all 100 of her allotted paintballs at her husband, threw up her hands, and yelled “I’m dead,” thus protecting herself from

SLEEPER HIT: William, Tylor, and Calvin Sleeper after a round of mini tank paintball. pigmented retaliation under the agreements of the Hico Convention.

Calvin Sleeper learned early on, when his wingwoman failed to provide adequate cover during the first skirmish, that the helmet only protects against taking an intact paintball to the face. It does little to staunch the splash of paint that follows. His teammate learned in time that paintball bruises can last up to a week after impact.

But giving up was not an option for the Sleepers, and when the battlefield lay quiet, not a single red-white-and-blue paintball rested undisturbed in its chamber.

We happy few returned to the motor pool, not entirely sure who had won but in a celebratory mood nonetheless.

“They all just go out there to have fun,” Valdez said, acknowledging that Mini Tank Battlefield holds a special appeal for “military guys that are older who can remember those good times.” For his part, Valdez is having fun too, and said he lives to bring joy to tankers young and old. He also loves to impart the lessons learned from his own military career, such as “the feeling of working together

with your wingman and protecting each other.”

Valdez has retired twice: once from Fort Hood as First Sergeant, and again from the DPS in DFW, where he was a police officer, firefighter, and EMT at the airport. Mini Tank Battlefield officially opened last year, and the business reopened as soon as outdoor activities were given the all-clear by the state of Texas pandemic response orders.

“There’s no stranger-to-stranger contact,” Valdez said. All battles are by appointment among friends, family, and colleagues.

Even then, social distancing is a smart strategy, as Valdez puts a moratorium on close-range attacks. “No shooting within 15 to 20 feet of each other,” he said.

For the business set, Mini Tank offers a team-building activity that does not involve trust falls or any other type of touchy-feely, germspreading activity, but families who have quarantined together might also benefit from a day shooting paint at each other. The Sleepers have vowed to return, and by the start of September, Tank Commander Valdez had already booked his group of combatants for Thanksgiving Day: a family reunion.

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Big Mouth Motors....................................57

Smile At The World Orthodontics......37, 51

Colonial Property Management...............38

Stoney Brook of Belton..............................5

Coryell Health Medical Clinic...................49

Susan Marie's Boutique........................5, 60

Desert Storm Paintball...............................5

Temple College........................................15

Document Solutions.................................27

True Heart Hospice..................................66

Ellis Air Systems.......................................63

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.............18

Elms Creek Family & Urgent Care............50

Visiting Angels..........................................28

Enilsa Skin Essentials................................47

Z Medical Aesthetics................................56

The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions to this index.

66 FALL 2020 | TEX APPEAL

Your bank should be a reflection of your success.

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To learn more and get started, visit extracobanks.com/premierclient

Borrower may not receive any cash at closing*

Visit extracobanks.com/physicianloan Scan the QR code with your phone’s camera to get started!

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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