Tex Appeal Magazine | October & November 2019

Life and Style in Central Texas

October / November 2019

DR. DEBRA MONTICCIOLO’S ONE CAREER GOAL:

Saving Women’s Lives DR. STEPHEN RALPH HELPS PEOPLE FOCUS ON

Healthy Living Rehab Partners

SETON CLINIC AT ASYMCA SERVES PATIENTS, COMMUNITY

Fall Fashion REFRESHING STYLE AT SISSY LALA'S

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

UMHB's Scott & White School of Nursing HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS ISSUE

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INDEX

22

Debra Monticciolo, M.D. Baylor Scott & White

26

Dr. Stephen Ralph AdventHealth

28

Seton partners with ASYMCA

32

Darnall Army Medical Center

36

Temple Community Clinic

The Everest Rehab leadership team, from left, CEO Jay Quintana, co-founder and lead investor Marc Sparks, and CFO Omar Jenkins | 42 | Photograph by YVONNE OVERSTREET

ON THE COVER

6 7 8 12 13 14

WELCOME LETTER CONTRIBUTORS NEIGHBORS Tiny Hooves SCENE Cabaret at the CAC SCENE Ventriloquist show IN THE SPOTLIGHT UMHB's Scott & White School of Nursing

4 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

Debra Monticciolo, M.D. | 22 Photograph by JUSTIN BORJA

16 18 49 68 70 72 74

SOUTHERN STYLE Sissy LaLa's CALENDAR October/November events

40

VA plans clinics in Killeen, Cove

42

Everest Rehabilitation Hospital

46

HEALTHCARE PROS Meet local practitioners

Daniel Palmer designs McLane Children's logo

HEALTH & WELLNESS Nutritional supplements

60

GOOD CAUSES Walk With A Doc DAY-TRIPPIN' New Braunfels ADVERTISING INDEX

Gunter transforms historic building

64

Temple Bioscience Institute

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

W

ith six major hospitals, dozens of clinics, five universities and colleges with medical-related degree programs and more than 10,000 employees, “healthcare” is a big deal in Bell County. This edition of Tex Appeal puts the spotlight on a few of the “Healthcare Professionals” that provide world-class care to their patients and the community.

There are literally thousands of stories to tell, this issue barely touches the surface.

Debra Monticciolo, M.D., is a physician, researcher and internationally recognized expert in breast imaging.

The vice chair for research and the breast imaging section chief in the Radiology Department at Scott & White Medical Center in Temple, she is the current president of the American College of Radiology, an organization with more than 38,000 members. Read about her singular goal — saving women’s lives, page DON COOPER 22. dcooper@ Planners for the Armed Services YMCA in Harker tdtnews.com Heights wanted to have a professional clinic attached 254-774-5203 to the new facility. Concurrently, officials at Seton Medical Center were looking for new ways to serve the community.

The result is an outpatient physical and occupational rehab clinic.

Learn about this successful, growing partnership that’s unique in Central Texas, page 28.

One of the country’s first board-certified ”lifestyle physicians,” Stephen Ralph, M.D., is affiliated with AdventHealth Central Texas and follows his passion for promoting lifestyle changes at his office at the Elms Creek Family & Urgent Care Clinic in Killeen. Get his prescription for way to achieve optimal health, page 26.

Two local hospitals — a Baylor Scott & White in Temple and AdventHealth Central Texas in Killeen — are connecting with the community, providing information and encouraging regular exercise with “Walk With a Doc” events. Take a short hike to better health with a local physician at a city park, page 70.

Everest Rehabilitation Hospital in Temple is the region’s newest medical facility. The $23 million, 41,000-square-foot building is designed to help spinal injury patients get treatment and regain the motor skills needed for everyday life. Take a peek at the state-ofthe-art equipment, including a car retrofitted by Temple High School students, page 42.

The Temple Community Clinic added a social worker to its staff this year — an initiative that helps the clinic better serve its clients.

Meet Hollie Spinn, who is working with clients and providing them with the resources they need, page 36.

In addition to the focus on healthcare, this issue includes features on the Tiny Hooves rescue farm for animals (page 8), a day trip to New Braunfels (page 72), fall fashions from Sissy Lala’s boutique in Holland (page 16), the transformation of an historic building in downtown Belton by Gunter Financial (page 60) and much more.

DID YOU KNOW?

You can read back issues of Tex Appeal magazine at TexAppealMag.com. Log on today to find the current issue and older editions of Tex Appeal. You also can find us on Facebook.

6 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

Tex Appeal Life & Style in Central Texas

Published by FRANK MAYBORN ENTERPRISES, INC. KILLEEN DAILY HERALD

1809 Florence Rd., Killeen, TX 76540

TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM

10 S. Third St., Temple, TX 76501

Publisher SUE MAYBORN Temple Daily Telegram General Manager DON COOPER Graphic Designer M. CLARE HAEFNER Contributors FRED AFFLERBACH JUSTIN BORJA LISA DAVIDSON NAN DICKSON JANICE GIBBS HELENA LINZY STACY MOSER ANNETTE NEVINS YVONNE OVERSTREET MANDY SHELTON BECKY STINEHOUR SHARON WHITE Advertising 254-778-4444 in Temple 254-501-7500 in Killeen ABOUT US: Tex Appeal Magazine is published bimonthly

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, 6 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 Don Cooper at 254-774-5203 or dcooper@tdtnews.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 now lives in Cedar Park.

Running-to-Live.com 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 LISA DAVIDSON is a professional writer and journalist with a long history of writing for newspapers and other publications. A native of Germany, she lives in the KilleenFort Hood area with her husband and two daughters.

NAN DICKSON is a fourth-generation Texan. She combines a trained eye with technical photography skills and exhibits her black-and-white photography at various galleries in Texas and Colorado.

Find Nan Dickson on Facebook.com.

JANICE GIBBS is a native Texan and has lived in Temple for the past 25 years, the same amount of time she has worked at the Temple Daily Telegram, covering health and medical, Temple College and a number of not-for-profit social service organizations.

A BOI (Born On the Island), she grew up in Galveston and attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

HELENA LINZY is the nutritional health coach for Natural Grocers in Temple. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a Master of Science in exercise physiology and a minor in nutrition. Her passion is empowering people to take control of their health — mind, body and spirit — by equipping them with the tools they need to make healthy choices. In her free time, you can find her going for a jog or playing ball with her puppy!

STACY MOSER is a freelance writer and former editor of Tex Appeal. Earlier, she was managing editor of South Magazine in Savannah, Georgia, and My Home Improvement magazine in Atlanta. She was a contributing writer and editor for San Diego Home/Garden magazine, a college textbook editor and owner and publisher of The Page Group Inc. ANNETTE NEVINS is an award-winning journalist who has written for the Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman, the San Antonio Express-News, Temple Daily Telegram and D-Magazine. She is an adjunct professor of journalism at the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas.

YVONNE OVERSTREET began photographing weddings and soon added lifestyle, headshot, portrait, real estate, fine art and food photography to her repertoire.

As a graduate of the Art Institute of Austin, her work has been featured in several exhibitions, catalogs and magazines. In 2016, she collaborated with other photographers to host the ART X TEN exhibition where her work, “Consumed,” debuted.

Yvonneoverstreet.com MANDY SHELTON is a fifth-generation Texan. She 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.

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 and has watched Killeen grow over the last 40 years. She loves to highlight her treasured hometown connections through the lens of her camera.

Find her on Instagram at ciphoto.

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.

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NEIGHBORS

‘Doctor Doolittle’

of Central Texas rescues creatures great and small

By FRED AFFLERBACH | Photography by JUSTIN BORJA

S

helby Michalewicz was up late last night.

Sometime around midnight, a visitor brought three scrawny raccoons to join her animal rescue farm outside Temple. The raccoons were orphans found living at a Salado riding club. The trio will join a menagerie of outcasts, critters with an array of problems that have prevented them from living a normal life.

When it comes to nurturing a colorful cast of characters from the animal kingdom, Michalewicz can outdo both Elly May Clampett and Doctor Dolittle.

Here are a few animals that call Tiny Hooves home: Snap, Crackle and Pop — three opossums with a metabolic bone disease, a goose with a limp, a macaw with an attitude problem, five rabbits, a brood of chickens and roosters, three emus, a Shetland pony named Carmel, and Butterbean and Tootsie, two pygmy goats. You also will meet Remington. He’s Michalewicz’s 3-year-old son. On a hot August morning, he was outside bottle feeding and cradling a baby goat, Jeffrey, in his arms.

Michalewicz says her mission is to rehabilitate and release animals into their native habitat.

Because that isn’t always possible, she is prepared to feed and love these misfits for their entire natural life. Except for the most extreme cases, euthanizing is not an option. Her animals are about 90 percent rescued from the wild and 10 percent discarded pets. She is on constant watch, keeping predators such as hawks, owls and snakes at bay.

“If you’re a wildlife rehabber, your main goal is to raise and release them into the wild,” Michalewicz said. “Too many people do it for the wrong reason and just want to keep pets. That’s definitely not our goal. We want to have the wild animals back in the wild. That’s why with the opossums it’s unfortunate that somebody gave them their disorder. So now they can’t be released because they’re disabled.”

With the help of her husband, Steven Houston, and volunteers, Michalewicz has been operating Tiny Hooves for three-and-a-half years. She’s built cages, an aviary, corrals, and an animal playscape

8 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

on a busy, two-acre tract. She lives in the adjacent, two-story house with her husband and son.

Michalewicz grew up an animal lover, bottlefeeding goats that her mother raised in Rogers. In high school, she dreamed of being a vet. But an automobile accident left her memory impaired. She attended a community college for a short while, but found she had trouble taking tests. She says she is mostly self-taught when it comes to animal care.

Today, Tiny Hooves has growing pains, but Michalewicz seems to take things in stride. She recently moved Snap, Crackle and Pop into a guest bedroom to free up outside space for the new kids on the block—the three raccoons. Michalewicz operates Tiny Hooves as a nonprofit and takes no salary. She accepts donations from people dropping off or adopting animals, but doesn’t have fixed rates. Her husband, who works full time in the air-conditioning and heating business, sometimes subsidizes Tiny Hooves. And he logs numerous hours helping around the farm and pulling a livestock trailer. Tiny Hooves has two main income streams: a mobile petting zoo that attends birthday parties and other functions, and Michalewicz takes various critters to console and comfort seniors at the William R. Courtney Texas State Veterans Home in Temple.

Volunteer and animal lover Donna Aregood discovered Tiny Hooves one fall through a Facebook post asking for pumpkin donations.

Pumpkins, apparently, are a delicacy for many animals. Aregood loaded up some pumpkins and drove down the two-lane, back road to the farm.

Nowadays, she meets the Tiny Hooves mobile menagerie whenever she can. “I don’t have the time to do the rescuing myself, but it makes me feel good to help someone who really, truly needs the help.”

Aregood said the animals have a profound effect on the residents. “We take baby goats. And they’ll jump around and play and butt heads and the Continued

Shelby Michalewicz cares for the menagerie at Tiny Hooves.

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Shelby Michalewicz feeds emus and opossums at Tiny Hooves. She cares for sheep, goats, horses and more. residents just laugh,” she said. “To hear the stories these (senior) men and women tell you, that’s why I volunteer.”

One particular trip to visit children with disabilities in Waco left an indelible impression on Aregood. Michalewicz brought a dorper sheep named Van Gogh that had been attacked by coyotes. It lost an ear. A youngster there also had only one ear. “That boy lit up. He went over and hugged that sheep,” Aregood said. “That was the most heartwarming thing that I have seen. A lot of times the interaction with these children brings tears to our eyes.”

Bri Wachsmann of Lorena adopted a rescue dog from Tiny Hooves about a year ago. A shelter in Cameron was about to euthanize a dog and her three puppies because no one had stepped up to take them home. Michalewicz heard about the problem and adopted the whole family. Looking at photographs on Facebook, Wachsmann fell in love with a white, bulldog-pointer mix named Max. She visited the farm and came away impressed with the harmony among such a diverse group of critters.

“They coincide with each other, animals that probably shouldn’t coincide with one another, and they’re all happy, like pigs and geese and horses and the ostrich. They’re all happy,” Wachsmann said. And about Michalewicz, a longtime friend of her niece, Wachsmann said, “She’s a particular soul.

10 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

There’s not many like her out there that would go the extra mile for all those animals.”

Back at the Tiny Hooves farm in late August, the three raccoons continue to heal, eating a hearty diet of sardines, fruits and vegetables, ham and chicken. Michalewicz said they are doing all the things healthy raccoons do: eating, climbing, hissing and biting. Soon, they should be ready to survive on their own back in the wild. www.facebook.com/tinyhoovespettingzoo

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SCENE: MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT CABARET

1

4

2

5

6 3 7 1. Dr. Keith and Connie Cryar enjoyed the "Minutes to Midnight" Cabaret at the Cultural Activities Center in Temple.

2. From left, Hiroko Deloach, Mary Blackpearson, Soozie Zysk and Ken Zysk 3. From left, Frana Farrell, Cindy 12 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

Newton, Cheryl Jones 4. Kellie Morrisey performs on Aug. 31.

5. Actor Brandon J. Ellis 6. Charity Gaines takes the stage.

7. Rick Schroeder and Art Coley Photos by BECKY STINEHOUR

SCENE: VENTRILOQUIST SHOW

Families gathered in Killeen on Sept. 7 to watch ventriloquist Ian Varella perform. His show included puppets and magic tricks with people in the audience, including Lorianne Robinson, at left.

Photos by BECKY STINEHOUR

Strikingly Brilliant.

Remarkable.

You.

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TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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PROGRAMS FOR EVERY NURSING CAREER PATH. The beauty of the Scott & White School of Nursing at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is that it offers programs for nurses and nursing students of every level. From a celebrated undergraduate program to doctorates in both nursing practice and education, UMHB nursing has it all.

14

UNDERGRADUATE The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program combines a liberal arts foundation with a nursing curriculum to help graduates realize their potential as individual citizens and healthcare professionals.

The program prepares students to excel on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

UMHB’s state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Learning Center offers a simulated hospital, a standardized patient clinic, and skills and diagnosis labs where students can develop their assessment and procedural skills before moving out into real-world settings. The university’s strong relationship with regional healthcare providers makes it possible for students to move into clinical assignments to gain firsthand knowledge working in a wide range of topnotch care settings. This has led to UMHB nursing graduates having 100% job placement, usually prior to graduation.

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For nurses with an Associate of Science in Nursing, the university offers the MyWay at UMHB RN-to-BSN program. MyWay at UMHB is a fully-online program that allows practicing nurses to complete a BSN while continuing to work full time.

MyWay at UMHB is a competency-based program, which means that students are measured on their mastery of areas of knowedge, rather than completion of credit hour requirements. This means a student can potentially demonstrate competencies at an accelerated pace. Likewise, instead of paying a certain amount per course, MyWay students pay just $3,000 for a six-month subscription to the program. During that time, there is no limit to the number of competencies that they may complete.

For nurses who have already earned their BSN degrees, the Scott & White School of Nursing offers a Master of Science in Nursing degree program. Graduate students develop their skills further in one of three tracks of study: Nurse Educator, Family Nurse Practitioner, or Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.

This hybrid program is ideal for working nurses since students only attend on-campus classes one Friday and Saturday a month. The remainder of the coursework is completed online.

The university also offers certificate programs for nurses who have previously completed their master’s degree but wish to be certified as Nurse Educators, Family Nurse Practitioners, or Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners.

UMHB offers two doctoral-level programs in nursing: the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and the Doctor of Education in Leadership in Nursing Education degree. Both require students to attend classes on campus once a month, with the rest of the work done online.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is designed to educate post-master’s degreed nurses for professional careers in nursing.

The program includes courses in leadership, health policy, and the economics of healthcare practice management to prepare nurses for leadership positions in advanced practice and healthcare administration.

The Doctor of Education in Leadership in Nursing Education degree prepares nurses to train future generations of healers. The program utilizes evidence-based practices in classroom and clinical settings and covers an array of innovations in classroom, clinical, and simulation learning.

SOUTHERN STYLE

Discover BIG style in SMALL-TOWN Holland

By SHARON WHITE Photography by JUSTIN BORJA

D

Sissy Lala’s owner Lannie Pacha, center, with daughters Bianca, left, and Jade.

16 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

riving down Highway 95, just past the Holland Cemetery, don’t blink or you might miss a small, vintage gas station — painted bright pink and turquoise — complete with silver pennant bunting and giant metal cacti. If you get to the huge Holland grain silos, you’ve driven too far. You’ve passed Sissy Lala’s Clothing Boutique.

Owner Lannie Pacha (pronounced Lay-nee Pa-ha) opened the eclectic retail shop five years ago, after spending a year converting her grandfather’s dilapidated garage into something no one could have imagined — a trendy women’s clothing store. The outside still resembles the original vintage gas station, but the inside is loaded with a charming assortment of apparel, shoes, jewelry and accessories. And even some hometown memorabilia.

Lannie’s grandfather, Bill Pacha, constructed “Bill’s Garage” in 1949 as a gas station and auto repair shop. But in 1964, when Bill unexpectedly died of a heart attack, his brother, Anton Pacha, took over repairing tires in the old garage building. “Uncle Anton’s tire shop was a popular place,” Lannie remembers. “Not only did he repair tires, but he also sold chewing gum, sodas and cigars. Folks would come from all around to get their tires fixed and visit on a bench that still sits out front today. I remember, as a kid, running to the shop and sneaking Wrigley’s chewing gum from Uncle Anton’s machine.”

When Anton closed the tire shop in the 1980s, the garage sat vacant for over 30 years. In 2013, Lannie decided

2019 fall fashion TRENDS • Sherpa fleece sweaters and jackets • Buffalo plaid • Cheetah/leopard print • Popcorn sweaters • Tops with full sleeves and sleeve details • Dark florals (think 1970s) to refurbish the building and open a clothing boutique. “We had to power wash that cracked, oil-stained floor so many times,” Lannie recalls. “We finally ended up covering the concrete with a coat of glittery sealer!” But, the glitter only adds to the charm of this 70-year-old building that is now full of racks and shelves brimming with eclectic clothing, shoes and accessories.

“I left my full-time job when I opened Sissy Lala’s in 2014,” Lannie says. “We started out with a very small inventory. Now, we can hardly keep enough stock on hand. We go to market every week. Sometimes when we post an outfit on Facebook, it can

literally sell out in 10 minutes. We have actually had to close the store twice, because we ran out of inventory. Our racks were completely empty.

“We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from returning clients during the past five years,” Lannie adds. “We keep our price points reasonable. I try to buy clothing at prices I would want to pay myself. We carry sizes from small to 3X. One of our best-selling items is our Judy Blue stretchy jeans — women seem to love them.”

Lannie works closely with her daughters. Bianca Cantu, 20, manages the shop and processes the orders.

She also styles the clothing and keeps

clients abreast of new inventory. Jade, 16, assists behind the scenes with pricing and creating displays.

Business shows no sign of slowing down for Lannie and her daughters, who are keeping it all in the family.

Bill’s Garage may not look the same as it did 70 years ago, but Bill Pacha would undoubtedly be proud to see his vintage garage being maintained by his granddaughter with such eloquent style.

SISSY LALA’S 411 N. Franklin St. (State Highway 95), Holland | 254-654-2997 Open Wednesday – Saturday TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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CALENDAR OCTOBER

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (nationalbreastcancer.org) October 3, 4, 5, 6 ”Wilderness” Presented by the Temple High School Theatre Arts Department “Wilderness” is a moving documentary about six teens who deal with various mental illnesses and addictions.

Meridith-Dunbar Auditorium, 1717 E. Avenue J, Temple 8 p.m. Oct. 3, 4 and 5; 2 p.m. Oct. 6 $8 in advance; $10 at the door CentralTexasTickets.com; ThespiansR.us 254-541-1844 October 5 Spirit of Santa Fe Wine Festival Sponsored by the Temple Chamber of Commerce The festival is an introduction to regional wineries, live music, restaurants and artisans.

Santa Fe Plaza, downtown Temple 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. $25 in advance, $35 at the gate; $75 for VIP CentralTexasTickets.com 254-773-2105 October 5 Mythical Monster Day Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum Put on your best costume and learn about mythical creatures from legends and lore.

315 W. Avenue B, Temple 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Templerrhm.org 254-298-5172 October 5 SPJST Car Show & Czech Heritage Celebration The 14th annual SPJST Car Show and Czech Heritage Celebration features classic cars, vendor booths, silent auction, kids zone, music and food.

Special guest is Miss Texas Chandler Foreman.

Seaton Star Hall 10842 State Highway 53, Temple 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Free 18 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

The SPJST Car Show is October 5 at Seaton Star Hall, east of Temple.

Spjstcarshow.org 254-534-0807 October 5 Barktoberfest Killeen Parks and Recreation Bring your furry friend to a day of fun with contests, dog-related vendors, pet adoptions and a swim in the pool at the Family Aquatic Center Lions Club Park 1600 E. Stan Schlueter Loop, Killeen 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Free Killeentexas.gov/kpr 254-501-6390 October 5 – November 3 (Each Saturday and Sunday) 6th Annual Pumpkin Patch Robinson Family Farm Spend the day making memories searching through a maze, taking a wagon ride, feeding and petting critters, picking out a pumpkin.

3780 White Owl Lane, Temple 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. $10 (free for children 2 and under) Therobinsonfamilyfarm.com 254-931-9564 October 10, 12 Fall Footlights, an evening of short plays with desserts and drinks A collection of one-act plays featuring Temple High School students. Directed

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Temple High School Main Cafeteria, 415 N. 31st St., Temple 7 to 9 p.m. $8 in advance; $10 at the door CentralTexasTickets.com; thespiansR.us 254-541-1844 October 11 and 12 Salado's Christmas in October Unique Christmas decorations, Strolling Style Show displaying seasonal fashions and jewelry from local merchants, food, gifts, home decor specialty items and goodies at the Ladies Auxiliary Bake Sale.

The Venue, 306 College St., Salado 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. $3 per adult Salado.com/calendar 254-541-6700 October 15 Third Annual Sporting Clay Shoot Ronald McDonald House Charities Four-person teams with option to add a fifth. Fee includes ammo, lunch, snacks, drinks, swag bag and 1 ticket raffle. Deadline to enter is Oct. 10.

Weber’s Shooting Range 14757 N. I-35, Troy 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. $150 per person CentralTexasTickets.com 254-770-0910

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Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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CALENDAR

CENTRALTEXAS

TICKETS.COM Powered by Frank Mayborn Enterprises

The place to find and purchase tickets for area events, concerts, shows and festivals.

Wilderness Presented by Temple High School Theatre Arts 8pm October 3, 4, 5; 2pm October 6 Meridith-Dunbar Auditorium Tickets: $8 in advance, $10 at the door

Fall Footlights Presented by Temple High School Theatre Arts 7pm October 10 and 12 Temple High School Tickets: $8 in advance, $10 at the door

Eurydice CAC Dinner Theater Series November 14, 15 and 16 – Dinner at 6pm, Showtime at 7:30pm Cultural Activities Center, Temple Tickets: $60 dinner and show

Spirit of Santa Fe Wine Festival Presented by Temple Chamber of Commerce 11am to 5pm October 5 Santa Fe Plaza, downtown Temple Tickets: $25 in advance, $35 at the door; VIP ticket $75

Tablerock Fright Trail Presented by Tablerock Festival of Salado 6:30pm October 19, 26 & 27 Tablerock Amphitheater, Salado Tickets: $5 adults, $3 child (12 and under)

Yuletide Tour of Homes Benefit for Temple Children’s Museum Noon-5pm Nov. 15; 10am- 4pm Nov. 16; Noon-4pm Nov. 17 Five homes in Temple and Belton Tickets: $25 (Tour homes all3 days); $35 (Tour & Luncheon); $40 (Tour & Cocktail Party); $50 VIP (Tour, Luncheon, Cocktail Party)

Businesses and organizations that use CentralTexasTickets.com will have full access to manage their own portals, events, venues, and tickets. There is no charge to join.

Event organizers and organizations may contact Don Cooper at the Telegram, 254-774-5203 or dcooper@tdtnews.com for more information.

20 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

October 19, 26 and 27 Tablerock’s Fright Trail Tablerock Festival of Salado Written by nationally honored playwright Jackie Mills, Fright Trail is Central Texas' favorite outdoor gathering and entertainment during Halloween. The trail is transformed into a panorama of the best literary achievements, including Frankenstein, Dracula and The Raven. There is a festive and lighted area with fairies, elves and the like for the younger set.

Tablerock Amphitheater, Salado 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. $5 adults; $3 children (12 and under) CentralTexasTickets.com 254-947-9205 October 20 Fall Festival Saint Stephen Catholic Church Barbecue plates and other foods, plus games for all ages, music and live/ silent auction 5741 Thomas Arnold Road, Salado 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saintstephenchurch.org 254-760-0046 October 26 Haunted Hayride Temple Parks and Recreation Reuben D. Talasek Bend of the River Park, 7915 S. General Bruce Drive, Temple Family friendly hayrides from 3-5 p.m.; “Haunted” hayrides from 6-10 p.m. $5 for Family friendly; $7 in advance, $9 at the gate for “Haunted” Templeparks.com 254-298-5733 October 26 Killeen Fall Festival Presented by Connell and Associates Food, music and family activities 3106 S. WS Young Drive, Killeen 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Connellbhs.com 254-628-0056 October 29 35th Annual Military Appreciation Luncheon Temple Chamber of Commerce, American Legion Post 133, HEB

Salute to military past, present and future. Guest speaker is Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

Mayborn Civic and Convention Center, 3303 N. Third St., Temple 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. $25 Templechamber.com 254-773-2105

NOVEMBER National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month (alz.org) November 1 Fisher House Event Sponsored by Extraco Banks Special event benefiting the Fort Hood Fisher House, which provides housing for families of Darnall Medical Center patients.

Music provided by DJ Doctor J 1002 W. Central Texas Expy., Killeen 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Extracobanks.com 254-200-3600 November 2 Holiday Craft Bazaar Immanuel Lutheran Church Shop early for unique hand crafted gift items from various vendors and participants. Quilt raffle, sweet shop, homemade soups and sandwiches, baby gifts, toys, home decor, jewelry, world market.

3801 Cunningham Road, Killeen 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Killeenimmanuel.com 254-680-5258 November 2 26th Annual Craft Show St. Luke Parish Women's Society There will be a variety of vendors, a bake sale and food trucks.

2807 Oakdale, Temple 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parish hall.

254-541-1884 November 2 Part of the Art Day Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum Get in touch with your inner artist.

Explore different types of art styles and make some of your own.

315 W. Avenue B, Temple 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Templerrhm.org 254-298-5172 November 2 Dia De Los Muertos Temple Parks and Recreation Family-friendly celebration with food, music, performances and crafts.

Wilson Park Recreation Center 2205 Curtis B. Elliott Drive, Temple 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Templeparks.com 254-298-5740 November 15-17 Second annual “Yuletide Tour of Homes” Temple Children’s Museum Five holiday decorated homes in the Temple/Belton area will be open for touring all three days. Two other events are available to attend: Jingle Mingle, cocktail party Friday evening at a sixth bonus house and Fa La La Lunch Saturday. All proceeds benefit the museum. $25 to tour homes all three days; $35 tour and “Fa La La Luncheon”; $50 tour, luncheon and “Jingle Mingle Cocktail Party” CentralTexasTickets.com; Templechildrensmuseum.org 254-541-5732; 254-307-8456 November 21 2019 Altrusa Taste of the Holidays Luncheon and Style Show Altrusa’s annual fundraiser supports the organization’s service projects and scholarship programs. See the latest fashions and enjoy a spectacular lunch prepared and served by the club’s members.

Registration now available.

Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center 3303 N. Third St., Temple Early registration (by Nov. 1) is $40 per person, $320 for table of eight.

Late registration (Nov. 2-11) is $45 per person, $360 for table of eight. altrusatemple.org Altrusa International of Temple 254-984-2304

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Debra Monticciolo

DOCTOR, TEACHER, RESEARCHER, LEADER WITH ONE GOAL: SAVING WOMEN’S LIVES

By DON COOPER | Photography by JUSTIN BORJA

Early detection makes a difference Dr. Debra Monticciolo’s 30 years of experience working with breast cancer treatment teams has helped her realize how important good imaging is for patient care and how critical it is for tumors to be found early. Early detection with mammography can make the difference between a cancer that is treatable and one that is a killer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with over 268,000 new cases expected in 2019. Screening mammography saves lives — and can make a big difference in treatment. “I feel like mammography is misunderstood,” Dr. Monticciolo says.

“There’s a lot of confusion about it and there shouldn’t be. It is straight forward.”

Women have received mixed messages because of competing agendas. Federal guidelines say women do not need to get screened for breast cancer before age 40 and that annual mammography is not needed.

Dr. Monticciolo says annual screening, especially after age 40, is important. “If you want to save the most mammograms, you follow the government’s recommendations.

If you want to save the most lives you do annual screening at 40. It’s really not very complicated … the facts are pretty clear.”

The “negative side” — a “false positive“ — is “overblown,” she says. It happens about 10 percent of the time. “Most women are happy to come back to make sure.”

Dr. Monticciolo urges women to get a quality risk assessment if there’s a family history of breast cancer, but she adds that 75 percent of the women who are diagnosed had no risk factors. She is working on a “scientifically based” toolkit that will provide women with the information they need. “Here are the pluses, here are the minuses so people know and can make their own decisions.”

22 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

D

ebra Monticciolo, M.D., is an internationally recognized expert in breast imaging, a researcher, a teacher and a leader with a single goal: save lives with early detection and treatment of breast cancer.

The vice chair for research and the breast imaging section chief in the Radiology Department at Scott & White Medical Center in Temple, Dr. Monticciolo is in the middle of her term as president of the American College of Radiology, an organization with more than 38,000 members.

Her rise to the top of her profession has a humble beginning. Raised in Detroit, her father was a truck driver and her mother was a homemaker.

She was a first-generation college student and put herself through medical school.

“I came from a very simple background,” she says. “My father was really a hard worker and a good provider, but I couldn’t do things a lot of other kids could do, like go out of state for school.

I had really good grades, but I had to go on scholarships that were offered to me locally. That’s how I got through college. I put myself through medical school.”

With a work ethic inspired by her father, Dr. Monticciolo received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Wayne State University.

After starting in emergency medicine, Dr. Monticciolo became interested in radiology — a move that changed her life and the lives of many others who have benefited from her research and teaching.

“I love my work. Helping patients, especially women, is important to me and extremely rewarding,” she says. “I work with a lot of women with breast cancer and they are a constant inspiration for me. I love to teach; I’ve trained innumerable residents and many, many fellows in breast imaging over the years.”

Dr. Monticciolo and her husband, Bruce Griffing, Ph.D., came to Texas in 2001 because of his work.

“He’s a very, very interesting man,” she says.

A retired physicist, he specialized in industrial electronics and ran a research lab for General Electric. “His group built the first digital

Dr. Debra Monticciolo, center, praises the work of radiology technicians in the mammography division at Scott & White Medical Center ­– Temple, including, from left, Randi Ruiz, Heather Andrews, Chasity Cox and Holly Jakubowsky. “We could not be successful without them.” mammo(graphy) machine. Digital acquisition was his idea. He pitched that idea to (GE chairman and CEO) Jack Welch.”

Dr. Monticciolo and Griffing, who have been married 20 years, met at a conference while she was working at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. There was a natural bond. A brilliant physicist and a brilliant medical researcher both interested in a technology that can be used to save lives.

There were lots of opportunities for Dr. Monticciolo in Texas, including a position at M.D. Anderson, one of the world’s foremost cancer research institutions. But she chose Scott & White.

“What drew me here was just the people,” she says. “The radiology department is really strong and they offered me the opportunity to build the

breast imaging section. I had built divisions before and liked that opportunity.”

Scott & White also gave her the opportunity to teach. Moreover, her national and international work has been supported.

“I really like being in a position where I’m teaching residents,” she says. “I have good colleagues. They have encouraged a lot of my national committee work. I couldn’t do what I do without the support of my (Department of Radiology) chairman Mark Montgomery, M.D., and my division (diagnostic radiology) chief Travis Sincleair, M.D. They are both extremely supportive of this scholarship work. They know it has an impact on a national level.”

Dr. Monticciolo’s rise to the presidency of the Continued

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

23

Debra Monticciolo’s background •

• • •

• • • •

Current President of the American College of Radiology, a national society founded in 1923 and now represents 38,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists nationwide.

Given more than 350 invited lectures nationally and internationally.

Recognized expert in breast cancer screening and breast MRI. Lead author of two recent guideline papers, one on breast cancer screening recommendations for women of average risk and one on breast cancer screening recommendations for women at higher than average risk.

Founding member of the Screening Leadership Group of the ACR. Immediate past chair Commission on Breast Imaging (ACR), which focuses on national issues related to breast imaging and cancer screening.

Past president of the Society of Breast Imaging.

2019 SBI Gold Medal recipient, the society’s highest honor.

American College of Radiology is the culmination of years of committee work. She was the chair of the commission on breast imaging, which included briefing Congress. She served two terms and chaired the FDA Committee on Mammography Quality.

Her teaching and research have taken Dr. Monticciolo to China, India, Italy, South Korea and Panama. In 1994, when she was division chief at Emory University in Atlanta, she helped install the first modern mammographic imaging equipment in China and then trained physicians on how to use it.

Before a trip to take mammography equipment to India, Dr. Monticciolo recalls an unusual phone conversation. “They called me about a week before we were going to go and asked me if I could bring clothes pins. Clothes pins?” she asked. “‘We’re going to hand develop the X-Rays’” came the response. “We didn’t learn to do that in residency, but that’s what we did.”

While research, teaching and leadership positions have taken Dr. Monticciolo to the top of her profession, she’s most proud of the help she provides to patients.

“All the little moments with patients stand out to me,” she says. “When you feel like you’ve helped a woman with an early diagnosis or helped somebody survive breast cancer, wow, there’s so much impact there. There’s a lot of sadness too. I see a lot of women come in with advanced disease

24 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

•

Past Chair of Accreditation and Chair of Mammography Accreditation for ACR — which accredits radiology facilities nationwide.

• Served two terms on the FDA’s National Quality Assurance Advisory Committee, which advises the U.S. Congress on mammography quality.

• Installed first modern mammographic unit in mainland China — 1994; taught there and obtained grant to bring Chinese physician to U.S. for training.

• Participant in mammography projects in India, South Korea and Panama.

• Most recent international lectures were in Italy and China.

“My husband and I love hiking and travel. We’ve hiked many locations in the U.S, Europe and New Zealand. Our biggest trip was hiking the Inca Trail in Peru.

“Temple has been a wonderful place to live and work. The town is family-oriented and people are caring and helpful. When I go running in the neighborhood or the nearby park, people are friendly. I love the feeling of community here.”

and I wish we could have gotten to them sooner.

“But to me it’s taking care of patients and feeling like you made a difference.”

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25

Lifestyle Medicine

A NEW APPROACH TO HEALTHY LIVING

By LISA DAVIDSON

M

ost doctor’s appointments end with a prescription for the pharmacy. At the Elms Creek Family & Urgent Care Clinic, patients often receive a prescription for a plantbased diet or 30 minutes of exercise.

Stephen Ralph, MD, is a board-certified internal medicine physician with a passion for promoting lifestyle changes to achieve optimal health.

“My interest in medicine dates back to my childhood as both my father and both grandfathers were general practitioner physicians in New York City,” says Dr. Ralph. “My grandfather lived in Brooklyn and his downstairs was entirely dedicated as a clinic which I would wander around as a child.”

During his college time, he decided that medicine was also his calling. Dr. Ralph was graduated from Fordham University and began his medical studies in 1979 at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico.

But Dr. Ralph didn’t only focus on his studies, he also accepted the Seventh-day Adventist faith during his time in Mexico. “Little did I know that this would have a huge influence on my outlook of medicine as the Seventh-day Adventists have a strong interest in leading a healthy lifestyle.”

The Adventist church started health studies in the 1990s, which demonstrated the lifeextending benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle.

26 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

Stephen Ralph, M.D., is a board-certified internal medicine and lifestyle physician. He worked in the emergency medicine in New York City and Long Island before relocating to Central Texas in 2012.

Courtesy photo

The movement later established a university and medical school in Loma Linda, California.

“The Loma Linda campus has become the flagship center of the SDA health movement to this day and has grown into a large community,” Dr. Ralph says. “It was here that the American

College of Lifestyle Medicine was born, which led to the creation of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine.”

Dr. Ralph was among the first students to take the inaugural exam in 2017. After nearly 20 years as a physician, he incorporates the practices of lifestyle medicine more and more into his internal medicine practice — with positive results.

Lifestyle medicine engages patients to a use a whole food, plant-predominant diet in combination with regular physical activity and healthy sleep habits. Other elements include positive social connections as well as stress management and the avoidance of risky substances.

“We would define lifestyle medicine as the therapeutic use of evidence-based lifestyle interventions to treat and prevent lifestyle-related diseases in a clinical setting,” Dr. Ralph says.

Statistics show how closely lifestyle choices and chronic diseases are connected and how they are preventable. “At least 70 percent of the chronic medical conditions that we treat are either directly or indirectly related to the lifestyle choices we make, the foods we eat, our sedentary lifestyle, inadequate sleep and harmful habits such as use of tobacco and alcohol,” Dr. Ralph says. “Lifestyle medicine empowers individuals with the knowledge and skills to make long-term behavior changes that address the underlying causes of many of these chronic conditions.”

Lifestyle medicine clinicians treat diseases with solutions such as nutrition counseling, recommendations for physical activity and the promotion of restorative sleep.

“Clinical research provides ample evidence for the preferential use of lifestyle interventions as a foundation in treating diseases,” he says.

While lifestyle medicine has been used as a preventive measure, it is now included in the treatment therapy. In some cases, lifestyle changes

can not only treat medical conditions but even reverse chronic diseases.

“This represents a fundamental change in the way the medical establishment views lifestyle medicine,” Dr. Ralph says. “Medications are used to augment and support the lifestyle interventions, not to replace them. This is an important paradigm shift for the patient as they now begin to own their health and are much more motivated to make the intense behavioral changes that we recommend.”

Besides chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes, lifestyle choices also can affect cancer rates. “A diet high in processed meats and animal fats has been linked to elevated cancer rates, particularly breast and colon,” Dr. Ralph says.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 93.3 million American adults were considered obese in 2016, which equals almost 40 percent of the adult population. “The real dilemma with the American diet is that we are getting too much of the wrong kinds of foods, particularly high amounts of animal fats and sugars,” Dr. Ralph says.

He recommends a diverse diet with higher quantities of fruits, vegetables and whole grains as well as legumes including different beans like split peas, lentils and a small handful of nuts daily.

Supplements are not recommended, since they don’t offer the completely nutritional benefits of actual food.

Some of Dr. Ralph’s patients feel overwhelmed about making such radical changes.

“People should not be intimidated by feeling that they have to make all these changes at once,” he says. “Making changes over weeks and months have increasing benefits. It's not an all-or-nothing endeavor. I always support people where they are, encourage them to make the easy changes first and work on the more difficult ones little by little. As long as we're moving in the right direction, we gain increasing benefits along the way.”

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Seton-ASYMCA Collaboration Serves Patients, Community

By DON COOPER | Photography by YVONNE OVERSTREET and courtesy of SETON MEDICAL CENTER

H

aving an outpatient physical therapy clinic “In terms of being connected with a community connected to a community fitness center fitness center, it is a natural fit,” Egizio says. “We is a match made in absolutely try to get people Harker Heights. moving again and, hopefully, It’s a “natural fit,” says Chris impress upon them and inspire Egizio, director of Therapy them to continue moving after Services for Seton Medical they are done with their clinical Center Harker Heights. He is course. responsible for the hospital’s “A YMCA fitness center is outpatient clinic that is not intimidating. It’s certainly physically – and philosophically not a traditional weightlifting – connected to the Armed only type gym setting, it’s Services YMCA. more of a center with lots of The project has been a big community programs. After success for Seton patients and physical or occupational therapy the ASYMCA since it opened in is completed, we hope they 2016. will become a member of the Planners for the ASYMCA YMCA and keep going,” Egizio wanted to have a professional says. clinic as part of the building.

Seton rents about 3,000 feet Concurrently, officials at Seton, of space that’s connected to the which opened its Harker ASYMCA. There’s a separate Heights hospital in 2012, were entrance with close-in parking — Chris Egizio looking for ways to serve for rehab patients. But there’s the community. The two organizations formed a also direct access to the ASYMCA facility from the successful, growing partnership that’s unique in clinic.

Central Texas.

The clinic offers outpatient services in three

28 AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

“We absolutely try to get people moving again and, hopefully, impress upon them and inspire them to continue moving after they are done with their clinical course.”

Chris Egizio, director of Therapy Services, Seton Medical Center Harker Heights. Photo by YVONNE OVERSTREET rehabilitation disciplines — physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech/language therapy. The staff includes four physical therapists, one occupational therapist, a speech/language pathologist and a registered dietician.

Egizio, who has a master’s degree in physical therapy from Hardin-Simmons University, also sees patients. “There’s no such thing as a desk jockey in healthcare anymore,” he says. “If you are in a clinical setting and have a clinical degree, you are usually going to have a connection with direct patient care.”

The clinic has a full complement of equipment including treatment tables, parallel bars, and recumbent steppers that are often used for geriatric patients. But one big advantage is access to the YMCA. The clinic’s equipment works well “when we start patients through their initial course of treatment,” Egizio says. “When patients continue to progress and improve we absolutely try to transition them, bring their treatment sessions up to the fitness center floor so that we can not only take advantage of all that great equipment in the fitness center and aquatics too, but also to bridge the gap to make patients feel more comfortable in that setting.”

With a Central Texas location and attachment Continued

Chris Egizio

Chris Egizio, 45, has been director of therapy services at Seton Medical Center Harker Heights since 2017.

He is a licensed physical therapist and a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and Texas Physical Therapy Association. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.

Egizio’s management and clinical practice style uses the “Servant Leader” model. He emphasizes the importance of mutual trust and respect between all members of the healthcare team in order to ultimately deliver an outstanding, sustainable experience for patients and their families.

In addition to his director of therapy services duties, Egizio serves on the SMCHH Leadership Development Institute planning committee and is involved with the Harker Heights Chamber of Commerce.

Egizio and his wife, Brandi, have two daughters, ages 12 and 10. Brandi is a physician assistant in private practice.

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

29

Photo by YVONNE OVERSTREET

to a YMCA that has “Armed Services” in its name, the Seton outpatient clinic sees a large number of retired veterans. “We love to serve our veterans,” Egizio says. “A lot of those folks, if they are still working, know Seton as a great hospital system and come to us for their rehab needs. Some of those retired military folks suffer from chronic pain.

We are probably one of two aquatic facilities in the area. Water therapy pools are great for those with chronic pain.”

The clinic has dedicated times when it uses the YMCA’s pool, which is best for patients as well as ASYMCA members. The clinic has plenty of opportunity to grow, according to Egizio. “We think we have room to grow within this clinic. We could add another therapist or two.”

While the clinic is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., therapists “come in as early as we need to and stay as long as we need,” Egizio says.

“We can definitely see an expansion of our hours if we continue to get busier,” he says.

“We’re just kind of scraping the surface with our collaboration with the Armed Services YMCA. There’s probably lots of programs we could add down the road.”

30 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

Carey Stites

Carey Stites is a registered and licensed dietitian working for Wellstone Health Partners in Harker Heights. She has been a practicing dietitian since 2001 with experience in both outpatient and inpatient medical nutrition therapy and sports nutrition. She is also an AFAA certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer.

Stites conducts individual outpatient nutrition counseling within the Therapy Services clinic and regularly delivers group presentations (open to both ASYMCA members and non-members) several times per year in the ASYMCA Teaching Kitchen.

Stites promotes health and wellness through presentations, classes, writing and cooking demonstrations all over Texas.

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

31

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Story and photography by GLORIA MONTGOMERY Darnall Army Medical Center public affairs

R

ecent administration changes, additional doctors, more space and better equipment have contributed to nearly doubling access to care in Carl R. Darnall Medical Center’s urology clinic.

“In any one day, with our three active physicians, our numbers will be between 60-80 patients per day,” said urologist Maj. James Farrell, adding that those changes also were noticed by the Department of Defense who recognized them for their production successes.

Previously, the clinic was operating at half that capacity, partly because of patient accounting, limited capabilities, and low-volume patient load.

Still, the clinic was within patient-access standards.

“We knew we could do better than what we were doing, so why not just be better?” said Dr. Farrell, who along with fellow urologists, Maj. Tara Ortiz and Dr. Hsiang Chi (Cathy) McLaughlin, began dissecting clinic operations. “The way to do that was to increase our access and improve our ability to take credit for the work we were already doing.”

Using civilian and military benchmarks that correlate patient care with revenue, the trio began rebuilding urology’s business model, one variable at a time, including factoring in patient cancellations.

This bumped up the previous average of 12 patients per day per doctor.

According to Farrell, limited exam and procedural space, as well as outdated and unreliable equipment dictated patient load in the old hospital. For example, the clinic previously had just four or five working bladder camera scopes

Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center’s urology team from left, Dr. Hsiang Chi (Cathy) McLaughlin, Maj. James Farrell and Maj. Tara Ortiz. Using civilian and military benchmarks that correlate patient care with revenue, the trio began rebuilding urology’s business model. The changes were noticed by the Department of Defense, which recognized them for their successes.

”We’ve a good collection of people who recognize that part of the mission here is to do a really good job of helping people get their healthcare.”

— Maj. James Farrell

at any one time. Today, the clinic has nine. This required the Darnall urology team to refer their patients to the community network for care. That translated into lost revenue.

“Production is a numbers game,” said Dr. McLaughlin, a Darnall veteran who has been at

the Fort Hood hospital for 12 years as both a soldier and a civilian. “If your doctors aren’t doing anything, you aren’t going to make any money.”

The clinic’s low patient count wasn’t just about lack of space and equipment: It also was about the lack of patients with urology issues. That all changed in 2016 when retirees were brought back into the network.

“The increased patient load immediately impacted clinic operations,” said Dr. Ortiz, Darnall’s urology chief.

The patient population explosion also exposed the team to urology issues more in line with civilian hospitals than the military’s younger and healthier population group.

“Since we’ve recaptured some of the retiree population, we’re seeing a broader range of urology issues such as prostate and kidney cancers,” Ortiz said.

Continued

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

33

TEX APPEAL FILE PHOTO

New technology like robotics also has helped open the door to more patients.

“Our robotics capability has increased the number of complex surgeries we can do here,” said Farrell, adding that robotics is the surgery tool of choice in drainage reconstruction surgeries and prostate and kidney cancers.

But they said, none of this would have been possible without command support.

“We’ve a good collection of people who recognize that part of the mission here is to do a really good job of helping people get their healthcare,” Farrell said. “This has really helped us increase the amount of work we’re doing in large part by maximizing the time we can see people without hurting our team of nurses and medical assistants.”

According to Farrell, the additional space that enabled the clinic to do more procedures elevates

34 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

safety. “The more work you do the safer and more efficient you are,” he said. “I can look at a patient and recommend a surgery option and be confident in telling that patient, ‘yep, we can take care of you, and you’re going to be fine.’”

Ultimately, the patient experience drives the team’s energy and not revenue.

“The care we provide is equal to, if not better, than our civilian counterparts,” McLaughlin said, adding that she feels military providers have a better understanding of their patients because of their shared experiences.

Overall, McLaughlin said, the increase in business units are a testament to the team’s dedication to their patients and their profession.

“It feels like the hard work we have done together as a group has come to fruition in a sense that we are more efficient,” she said. “We’re moving in the right direction.”

Personalized care, close to home Find the care you need close to home From the routine to the unexpected, you can count on compassionate, personalized care from care teams at Ascension Medical Group Temple. This includes giving you access to a variety of primary and specialty care services right in your own neighborhood. We listen to understand you and your health concerns to make sure you’re getting the best care possible.

Ascension Medical Group Temple 1905 SW HK Dodgen Loop Temple, TX 76502

To find a doctor who is right for you, call 254-298-2400

• Cardiology Heather Gage, MD • Diagnostic Radiology James Callas, MD, DABR • Family Medicine Leslie Barkis, DO Matthew Furman, MD Elizabeth Mattson, MD • Internal Medicine Jairo Libreros, MD • Ophthalmology Austin Chang, MD • Orthopedic Spine Ryan K. Bergeson, MD Josh Covington, PA-C • Orthopedics Kevin Caperton, MD Jeffrey Knabe, MD David Orsini MD • Pediatrics Holly Fatter, MD Rebecca Riser, MD Jacqueline Sosa, MD Lindsey Willis, PNP • Urgent Care Michael Parker, PA-C

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Social Worker Helps Temple Community Clinic Better Serve Its Clients

By JANICE GIBBS | Photography by NAN DICKSON

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he Temple Community Clinic added a social worker to its staff this year — an initiative that helps the clinic better serve its clients.

Open for 27 years, the clinic’s population is made up of the working poor with eligibility determined by household income.

Serving that population in an ever-changing healthcare environment is a challenge. The clinic, with guidance from its board, has made adjustments, says Sherri Woytek, executive director.

Community health is the goal, but getting there can be difficult, particularly with a customer base that has needs going beyond giving a flu shot or getting a prescription for high blood pressure.

Adding a social worker, Hollie Spinn, to the clinic’s staff already has resulted in some tangible successes by uncovering specific needs, not necessarily associated with healthcare of the individual, says Woytek.

“We’re not going to offer shelter or a food pantry, but we pride ourselves in understanding what resources the community has and how to connect those to our clients,” she says. “That truly defines what a case manager or social worker does. That’s where our clinic has stepped out of our comfort zone. It’s where we belong.”

The clinic recognized the value of the social worker when it has had social work interns.

“You have to find the right person because they have to have a passion for the community,” Woytek says. “We found that with Hollie.

We were lucky.”

Most groups would seek grants to fund the position before filling it, but the board decided it had the right person and it needed to take a chance. “We’ve seen the value of having the case manager and its benefit to our patients and funding is coming,” Woytek says.

The social worker makes the connections between the people who have access to resources and the patient. It’s less stressful for the individual requiring assistance to know the next person they meet in the process knows their story and is expecting them.

If someone hands over a bunch of documents to be signed to a person seeking help, the individual in need may not follow through because they are overwhelmed and afraid. Every group has eligibility criteria and when you have someone working with the individual to make those determinations it’s an education process and builds trust.

Spinn did a nine-month internship at the clinic prior to being hired in May. She will be able have social work interns working under her guidance within two years, providing additional support to clinic clients.

“We have a Texas A&M social work intern at the clinic now and will continue that so we can expand our services further,” Woytek says.

Spinn recently completed a process she started with a clinic patient in May. The individual came in with mental health concerns. With Spinn’s help the patient was connected with a community partner that Continued

Adding a social worker, Hollie Spinn, left, to the Temple Community Clinic’s staff has resulted in uncovering specific client needs, according to Executive Director Sherri Woytek, right.

Living Well in Bell kickoff is Oct. 12

Living Well in Bell, a new series of monthly events, will provide health, financial and other information to the community. The first two sessions will be at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Oct. 12 at Temple College Pavilion, 1903 S. First St. It’s free and open to the public.

Dr. Patsy Sulak, Baylor Scott & White physician and founder of Living Well Aware, will be the first speaker. Sulak’s program promotes implementing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Emotional and spiritual health is not adequately addressed in most health and wellness programs.

Living Well Aware includes all aspects of health to include relationships, contribution, time and financial management, forgiveness, purpose,

and social connections. While not promoting any specific religion or spiritual philosophy, the importance of connecting with one’s inner self, and for most, a higher power, is included. The Temple Community Clinic is supporting the monthly event, says Sherri Woytek, the clinic’s executive director.

“The Temple Community Clinic can’t pay people’s insurance and we can’t provide healthcare to everyone, but we can educate them,” Woytek says. Individuals who don’t need the information for themselves might learn something they want to pass along to others invest more in support of the community clinic.

For information, call 254-771-3324 or email LWIB@TempleCommunityClinic.org.

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BODY OF CHRIST COMMUNITY CLINIC

By appointment only Medical Clinic, 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday and 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday 2210-B Holland Rd., Belton 254-939-9500 Dental Clinic, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday 1508 Oleta St., Belton 254-613-5052 BodyOfChristClinic.org Eligible families are uninsured, low-income or unemployed, don’t have Medicaid, Medicare or aren’t eligible for VA services. Serves patients in east Bell County. Patients are screened for eligibility.

and uninsured. Serves patients in Killeen and surrounding communities. Services include acute and chronic care, medications, mental health by referral, limited dental care, case management and health education. The clinic refers patients to an appropriate agency for services it cannot provide.

TEMPLE COMMUNITY CLINIC

718 N. Second St., Suite A, Killeen (inside the Killeen Arts & Activities Center) 254-618-4211 GKFClinic.org Open Mondays and Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Fridays Mondays and Thursdays walk-in acute care, check in 3:30 p.m.

Tuesdays walk-in acute care, check in 8:30 a.m.

Other services by appointment only Open to children and adults who are low-income

Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

1905 Curtis B. Elliott Dr., Temple 254-771-3374 TempleCommunityClinic.org The clinic is a resource for wellness, education and health services to qualified residents of Bell County, provided at no cost. Offers chronic and acute illness, prescription assistance and specialty clinics, such as cardiology, GI, podiatry, vision, dental, women’s health, dermatology, mental health and diagnostic testing. If the clinic can’t meet a patient’s needs, they utilize a network of community resources to locate the best option for care. Community collaborations and partnerships with The United Way, City of Temple, Baylor Scott & White Health, Texas A&M Health Science, National Association of Charitable Clinics and Texas Association of Charitable Clinics provide the clinic with a progressive approach to meeting the health and wellness needs of Bell County, increasing patients’ access to care while training future providers.

handles counseling referrals. The individual had a number of counseling sessions and checked in with Spinn to let her know the sessions had been completed and would get in touch if she needs further assistance.

“That’s the point you want to get to in social work,” Spinn says. “The patient can self-sustain.”

Woytek took a wider view of the experience.

“That patient is more likely to come back here for other needs if she has them, rather than heading to the emergency room, or go without care. They now know there are available resources and they have a clinical home to return to.”

Every new patient sees Spinn or the social work intern to do a needs assessment, which collects more information than any eligibility form could provide. The patient may be coming in for an ear ache, but there could be other issues. The social worker is looking at the social determinants of health that include: food security, living conditions, neighborhood and physical environments, social support network, access to transportation and other details.

“If there is something else other than healthcare

that we can’t provide, we’re referring that out to someone who can,” Spinn says.

Spinn is networking with individuals at the agencies that are used as referrals. She has accompanied Woytek to different meetings and met people along the way.

There also are connections that can happen by chance. Woytek and Spinn were at Temple College looking at a venue for the clinic’s Living Well in Bell series. They went to see another space on campus in the Arnold Student Union Building. There the two happened to meet TC fine arts division director Brent Colwell, who is shepherding the development of the school’s Circle of Support initiative.

TC’s Circle of Support and the clinic have like goals, particularly finding solutions for the vulnerable members of the populations they serve.

Woytek told Spinn it’s those chance meetings where you find the people who can open doors for you and you can open up doors for them. “That’s how it works. You can’t plan those circumstances,” Woytek says. “You have to be out, you have to be present and you have to be open.”

Spinn’s actual job title is case manager and

GREATER KILLEEN COMMUNITY CLINIC

38 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

FEED MY SHEEP CHILDREN’S FREE CLINIC

No appointment required 613 S. Third St., Temple, office 254-239-9863 Every third Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon 9:30 a.m. registration FeedMySheepTemple.org Serving uninsured or homeless children, newborn to age 18. Patients don’t have to complete a prequalification process to receive most services.

Dr. Stephen Ponder, an endocrinologist at McLane Children’s Hospital, doubles as the clinic’s medical director. The clinic offers well and sick child visits, vision and dental screenings for children. Specialty doctors regularly offer their services at the clinic, including dentistry, podiatry and dermatology.

Prescription assistance is available for sick children.

Clinic is a mobile operation and sets up at various locations each month. Call for more information.

3rd Thursday, by appointment only: Cardiac Health Serves uninsured adults and children in Killeen, Copperas Cove and Lampasas — no residency requirement. Volunteer medical professionals from AdventHealth System, Family Medicine Clinic in Copperas Cove and Lampasas, Fort Hood, Baylor Scott & White Clinic in Copperas Cove and private practices staff the clinic. General medical services are available; prescriptions and assistance with labs and X-rays by referral. Clinic doesn’t offer emergency care.

MARTHA’S HEALTH CLINIC

806 E. Avenue D, Suite H, Copperas Cove 254-298-9865 — call and leave a message CoveHouse.org/Need-Help/Free-Clinic/ Open Tuesdays. Patient sign-in is 5 to 6 p.m.

First come, first served.

Line forms at 2:30 p.m.

1st and 3rd Thursday, by appointment only: Women's Health, Mental Health and STD testing

1402 W. Avenue H, Temple 737-808-3320 Medicine.TAMHSC.edu/Student-Organization/ Marthas-Clinic/index.html Thursdays, 6 to 9 p.m.; first come, first served; line begins at 4:45 p.m.

No ID required. Staffed by Texas A&M medical students, this clinic serves the homeless and indigent population in Temple and Bell Counties.

Provides basic healthcare needs, helps with referrals to Scott & White Medical Center–Temple and offers social services resources. Prospective patients can call the number listed above and the clinic will return their call with appropriate information.

community resource manager.

“I don’t think she can be successful here in her role unless she’s constantly communicating with the community resources,” Woytek says. “Those resources are ever changing.”

Spinn recently helped a clinic patient with an out-of-state driver’s license connect with Feed My Sheep where the case managers know exactly what’s needed to get a Texas license. “Once you connect the patient with the necessary resource it’s up to the patient to follow through,” Woytek says.

“You provide them with the options.”

Spinn said she sometimes makes the initial call to another agency with the patient in the room, so they feel confident it’s not going to be a dead end.

“They feel empowered,” Woytek says.

Every day at the clinic is different, the same with patients, Spinn says. “It’s a hard job, but it’s a good fit for me.”

Spinn developed a chronic illness that took about a year to diagnose. That experience pushed her toward social work. “I’d never consider social work because I always associated it with CPS (Child Protection Services),” she says.

A friend told her there were other options, and encouraged her to do some research. Two months later, Spinn was in a social work master’s program.

Spinn describes her role as ”middle man” between the client and other services, letting them know what’s available, “whether it’s to have their vision checked, have an odd mole looked at or is unrelated to health. Many don’t realize they can get additional services.”

Spinn often talks to the physicians on behalf of the patients if they are afraid of doctors.

Last year, the clinic saved the community more than $1 million by reducing visits to the emergency room, hospital stays and prescription assistance.

The clinic’s patients, new and existing, take a survey using an electronic tablet when they come for an appointment. The survey asks whether the individual would have gone to an emergency room or gone without care if they didn’t have access to the community clinic, along with other information.

The clinic is at 1905 Curtis B. Elliot Drive, Temple. It is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Clinics are held Tuesday through Thursday. Call 254-771-3324.

COVE HOUSE FREE CLINIC

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NEW VA CLINICS BRING HEALTHCARE

Closer to Home

By ANNETTE NEVINS

I

t all started with a conversation about going to the doctor.

Military veterans gathering for monthly meetings began talking about problems getting to and from appointments. Traffic is getting worse as Bell County grows, they say. Some have to take a full day off work or take multiple buses to travel to and from some of the only veteran health facilities located more than 30 minutes away in Temple.

“The VA hospital campus area there is a huge complex and parking is an ordeal,” says Pat Christ, a retired Army veteran who lives in Harker Heights.

“A lot of veterans are older who move slowly and need assistance. So it’s difficult.”

Their call for help is being met with some hope.

Veterans may soon find healthcare closer to home at two new planned clinics, one in Killeen and another in Copperas Cove. Exact locations are not known yet. But to address growth, the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System announced that solicitations for bids are being developed for a contractor to provide primary care services for up to 7,200 Veterans at each location.

“It’s good to know we are being heard and that someone cares,” says Lawrence “Mac” McCullar, a retired Army command sergeant major who serves as chairman of the Area Veterans Advisory Committee of Central Texas.

He says the new clinics also should relieve crowds and waits at the Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center and the surrounding health service offices.

Some of the veterans’ conversations started in meetings attended by area leaders.

One veteran says failing eyesight makes it difficult to travel too far from his neighborhood.

A mother says childcare is difficult to find for what sometimes turns into a day filled with driving, crowded waiting rooms, lab work, exams … and more driving.

“It shouldn’t be so hard for veterans to get the help they need,” says McCullar, pointing out that many disabled veterans served in Vietnam or Korea.

U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, and U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, who represent a growing number of veterans in western Bell County, met this summer at American Legion Post #573 in

40 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

Veterans’ Healthcare by the Numbers • •

55,000 veterans reside in Bell County 37,000 Killeen and Copperas Cove area veterans are registered for care at the VA • 30 miles, 30-plus minutes each way is the current average commute to see a doc • 7,200 veterans will be provided treatment at the Killeen clinic and 7,200 veterans will be provided treatment at the Copperas Cove clinic (primary care, mental health, social work, dietetics and lab draws) • 6 Patient Aligned Care Teams each at the Killeen and Copperas Cove clinics (PACTs include a doctor, RN, LVN, social worker and medical support assistant) — Central Texas Veterans Health Care System Harker Heights to announce the new clinics.

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our great country and they deserve to be taken care of now that they are home,” Williams said in a statement.

More than 37,000 veterans who are currently registered with the VA live near Fort Hood in the Killeen and Copperas Cove area as well as areas adjacent to and west of Bell County.

“We promised our veterans accessible, quality healthcare and these clinics will help deliver on that promise,” Carter says.

Each of the two locations will have six Patient Aligned Care Teams composed of a physician, RN, LVN, social worker and a medical support assistant who will help with primary care, mental health, social work, dietetics and lab draws.

Michael Kiefer, director and CEO of CTVHCS, says Central Texas has been working to expand services to this area for several years to provide easier access to veterans.

“So I am elated that these clinics are now becoming a reality,” he told a gathering of veterans during the recent announcement of the centers.

McCullar says he is now on a mission to let veterans know that help is on the way.

“Old veterans especially are not big on technology and Googling for information online,” he says. “But word is spreading quickly. Excitement is in the air.”

U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, third from left, and Texas State Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, second from right, join members of the Central Texas Chapter 1876 Military Order of the Purple Heart — Tracey Greene, Doris Williams, Earl Williams and John Footman — during the announcement in Harker Heights of two new veterans’ health service clinics, one in Killeen and one in Copperas Cove. Courtesy photo

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The Everest Rehab leadership team, from left, CFO Omar Jenkins, co-founder and lead investor Marc Sparks, and CEO Jay Quintana.

EVEREST REHAB

Bridges Gap Between Injury and Going Home

By MANDY SHELTON | Photography by YVONNE OVERSTREET and courtesy of EVEREST REHAB

T

he old adage tells us that if the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.

This has been true for Temple area rehabilitation patients since the closure of Scott & White’s rehab center nearly a decade ago.

Someone recovering from a spinal injury may have to travel to Round Rock, Waco or College Station for an in-patient rehabilitation program, which can put undue pressure on a family. Patients often traverse Interstate 35, the occupational therapy version of the Kongma La Pass, while they are still regaining the ability to walk, much less get in a car.

The mountain has been called back to Temple

42 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

with the opening of Everest Rehabilitation Hospital.

The second of six hospitals slated for construction around the country, Temple’s Everest location serves to bridge the gap between traumatic injury and going home.

Each Everest facility is identical, and the iteration in Temple is $23 million and 41,000 square feet of natural light, cutting-edge equipment and visual homages to veterans. Larger-than-life statues of red pandas, native to Mount Everest and painted blue to match the décor, hide in corners and frequently relocate around the hospital.

To simulate the everyday motions of homelife, Everest patients have access to a fully furnished

To simulate motions of home life, Everest Rehab patients access a studio apartment and an automobile. Photos by YVONNE OVERSTREET

studio apartment, where they can engage in trial runs of their daily routines. Getting out of bed, showering, opening the refrigerator and even baking cookies are all motions that can be practiced until perfect. The 36 in-patient suites aren’t too shabby, either, with 55-inch flat-screen TVs and backlit mirrors that help patients look as good as they are beginning to feel.

The two gyms contain top-of-the-line therapeutic exercise equipment, with an underwater treadmill sitting pride of place across from reception. If the visual is a bit murky, think of a regular old run-ofthe-treadmill machine placed inside a human-sized fish tank, which can fill with up to four feet of water in less than three minutes. Hydrotherapy is easier on the joints, and the immersive treadmill eliminates the need for therapists to join patients in a pool.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony in August, a central spot in the front gym remained empty, awaiting the arrival of the antigravity treadmill (think harnesses and pulleys, not NASA) scheduled for FDA approval and due to arrive in October.

Drop by the hospital to take a peek through the gym’s glass walls; the antigravity treadmill should be visible from the lobby.

The pièce de résistance, however, addresses the first issue rehabilitation patients face when going home: getting in the car. “It’s one of those things that we as non-injured people take for granted,” said Everest co-founder and CFO Omar Jenkins.

“You get in the car every day to drive to church or drive to work, and you don’t think about the actual body mechanics of getting in and out of the car until you are injured.”

“Unfortunately, people who suffer certain physical injuries — it could be stroke, it could be amputation, it could a fracture of the femur — have to relearn that body movement,” Jenkins said. Everest’s mission of compassion does not require a patient to even set foot outside the hospital to practice this movement, but traditional car simulation systems — “that’s PVC pipe and a foam bench,” Jenkins explained — were not going to cut it.

With the help of Temple High School automotive Continued

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BEST 2019

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Josh Knowles, D.D.S., M.S.D. Board Certified Orthodontist

technology students, Everest simply brought a smart car inside the hospital. “We found a car that obviously doesn’t take up a lot of space but also allows someone who could be larger in size, like myself, to get in and out comfortably,” said Jenkins, a former Notre Dame football player.

“We decided to bring that into the gym and use it for therapy.”

Not that Jenkins was willing to make the twoand-a-half-hour drive from his Dallas home in a smart car. “I’m used to larger cars,” he shrugged.

Jenkins hitched a U-Haul trailer to his 2018 Toyota 4Runner and delivered the smart car to the auto shop at THS, handing over the keys to instructor Josh Koontz.

“He and the students there really did a great job with the car and helped us out quite a bit,” Jenkins said. As community outreach, Everest gives cars to high schools located near each of its hospitals. Often, automotive education programs struggle to source newer car parts, Jenkins explained. “When we come to them and say, ‘Hey, we have a car that your students can literally dismantle, and all we need is the body, emergency break, and steering wheel, they’re ecstatic. They get a free engine, a free transmission, and all those parts to help with their curriculum.”

44 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

A wall-sized mural provides inspiration for Everest Rehab patients in one of the facility's gyms. Courtesy photo. A HydroWorx treadmill (above) provides a hydrotherapy workout that's easier on the joints.

Photo by YVONNE OVERSTREET

Meet Team Everest

With a ribbon-cutting catered by RosieJo Meals and floral creations provided by Precious Memories, Everest Rehabilitation Hospital already seems part of the local landscape. So it comes as a surprise that not one of the co-founders is from the area. That hasn’t stopped CEO Jay Quintana from declaring Thai Café the best Thai food he has eaten stateside. “I’ve also been impressed with Cheeve’s,” he adds. “And Pignetti’s.” Quintana frequently distributes baked goods from Hamilton Bread Company as gifts back home in Dallas and has been impressed by the antiquing Temple has to offer.

None of the co-founders have summitted the world’s tallest mountain, though lead investor Marc Sparks has seen the view of Temple from a different Everest.

“I’ve climbed to the top of this building,” the serial entrepreneur and philanthropist boasted of the hospital on the south side of Highway 36. Sparks has reason to avoid the deadly Everest: as he writes in his 2014 business memoir, They Can’t Eat You, a degenerative disc once prompted him to move a hospital bed into his office so he could continue to work through the pain.

CFO Omar Jenkins, who captained the Fighting Irish football team in 2003, once ruptured his Achilles tendon, though not in the legendary Notre Dame Stadium. “It’s somewhat embarrassing because I was playing flag football,” Jenkins said. “That was my introduction to the physical rehabilitation industry.

“I will tell people when I’m back on campus that I was skydiving,” he said. “That’s a little bit more exciting than playing flag football against undergraduate students.”

For another extreme sports story to explain away his injury, might he consider climbing Mount Everest? “Only base camp,” Jenkins said.

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DANIEL PALMER TAKES A

LEAP OF FAITH D

By STACY MOSER | Photography by JUSTIN BORJA aniel Palmer took a giant leap of faith.

The former executive pastor of a prominent church in Maryland recently threw caution to the winds and moved with his wife and two children back to his family home in Temple, in search of a new life.

“If I rewind to five years ago, I can honestly say I had no intention of moving back to Texas,” Daniel admits. For over a decade, he helped lead the congregation’s exponential growth. “We were a very business-oriented church, with budgets and work charts and strategies,” Daniel says. “I was heavily involved in the marketing and oversaw the arts and music programs there.

But the responsibilities were eating our life —something had to change.”

In 2017, Daniel made his move. “I was 37 years old and making a complete career shift in order to start from scratch,” he says, shaking his head and smiling. He founded his own marketing firm, Morether Creative Agency, in downtown Temple, specializing in crafting marketing strategies for small- to mediumsized businesses.

The courageous streak that motivated Daniel to strike out on his own was instilled in him by his parents, Colleen and Joe Palmer. The couple embraced the idea of home-schooling their children over three decades ago, before that educational option was the trendy movement it is now. As a matter of fact, local home-schooling resources that Colleen established during those years actually thrive in Temple to this day. Daniel says that the freedom afforded him during homeschooling allowed him to pursue his creative side — and led to his first job at the age of 15, when he

46 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

was hired to do graphic designs for Professional Data Solutions in Temple.

Daniel’s characteristic sense of humor is also evident in his approach to business. His new agency’s name was inspired by an amusing conversation he overheard between his daughter, Abigail, and son, Elijah, one day.

Daniel recounts the exchange: “My then 2-year-old daughter complained to us, ’Elijah got morether than me!’ Morether? I realized that morether is her word for ‘more than more.’

Morether is above what she can accomplish on her own. She needs help. She needs an expert.

So, she cries out for morether! That’s the concept behind my agency.

We help stressed-out, overwhelmed CEOs or business owners and provide clarity for them.

My goal is to help them do morether.”

One of Daniel’s more recent work projects took him by surprise when he was first approached about it. “I got a call from Drayton McLane’s assistant, saying that he wanted to talk about signage for the McLane Children’s Medical Center,” he explains. The hospital is a part of the Baylor Scott & White statewide medical system and Daniel felt honored to be called on to assist with any project having to do with McLane, the iconic business owner. “I figured maybe they wanted help designing signs for the parking lot or something,” Daniel laughs. He soon learned that McLane was rebranding the hospital that bears his name and sought assistance creating a logo that would be especially appealing to children.

Daniel got to work, recalling the times he’d spent in a children’s hospital with his daughter, who had been born with neo-natal cataracts. The condition required removal of one of her eyes’ lenses completely at the age of 2 months.

Daniel, Elijah, Abigail and Caroline Palmer

“We were in Maryland when she had her first surgery,” Daniel says. “We walked into the children’s hospital there and my son remembers big balloons with teddy bears in the lobby. Kids aren’t in the hospital for a good time, but If they can focus on something fun, it makes their experience better.”

Daniel and his family knew firsthand about the McLane Children’s Medical Center facility.

“Abigail’s cataract showed back up when we moved here and they put a prosthetic lens in at McLane’s, so we were very familiar with the hospital. We’re so lucky to have wonderful doctors so close by.”

He says he spent time in the toy aisle at Wal-Mart, checking out what might appeal to youngsters, while reflecting on Temple’s history — built around railroad lines. “I had my kids draw a train,” Daniel says, using the drawing to visualize

a playful logo aimed at children’s love for the railroad.

The new logo was released in November 2018, gracing the large building housing the medical center and overlooking its state-of-the-art playground. “The most enjoyable thing about what I do is showing clients how I can help,” Daniel says.

“A light bulb goes off and they say, ‘That makes sense, I’ve never tried that.’”

So what’s the secret to Daniel’s future success?

“I’ve always found the key is to surround myself with people who know more than I do,” he smiles.

“Whenever gifted people feel like they’re doing what they were meant to do, and they’re not micromanaged,” he says, “they thrive. We’re doing a good job and that starts people around town talking about us. They’re realizing the value we offer.”

Continued

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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THE ARTISTIC SIDE OF DANIEL PALMER

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Daniel remembers many Sundays he spent doodling on a church bulletin during sermons in order to pass the time, an enthusiastic following of young boys watching over his shoulder. Later, he entered drawings at the Bell County Fair and was enrolled in painting lessons during his home-schooling curriculum.

“I started emulating artists I admired,” he says. “I sold a painting to the Temple Booster Club when I was 12 — they used it for the field house. When Applebee’s opened here, they commissioned a few paintings from me when I was 13.”

Now, Daniel rarely has time to lose himself in a painting, but when he does, he says, “I drink it in with joy.”

In the watercolor above, “Maris & Mantle,” Daniel combines his love of baseball with his prowess as an artist to create an eye-catching work of art.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Enilsa Brown

E NILS A S KIN E S S E NTIALS Killeen clinical skin care practitioner Enilsa Brown knows how important skin care is in today's society. She owns Enilsa Skin Essentials/Acne and Anti-Aging Clinic, located at 2904 E Stan Schlueter Loop, open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Tuesday through Friday.

Enilsa Skin Essentials is an acne and anti-aging clinic, and the goal of the business is to guide their patients along their personal journey to clean, healthy and youthful looking skin. Enilsa's mission is to change lives one treatment at a time, while helping people resolve their acne issues.

They specialize in medical aesthetics by managing acne and specializing in anti-aging using the latest technology and advanced treatments. Common procedures for a variety of skin issues include chemical peels, microdermabrasion, microneedling as well as IV hydrating therapy, Botox and hydra-facials.

Enilsa would like to recognize Griselle Dominguez and Yahira Mendoza, the administrative office assistants, as well as C.S.C.P, LE Celena Luciano, Linda Shubert, Camila Lavanino and Leini Ayala.

2904 E Stan Schlueter Loop E-503, Killeen Phone 254-628-7335

I NT ERI M HEA LT H C A RE Excellent care. Every patient. Every day.That’s the mission of Interim Health Care. Patients and their families can attest to a “mission accomplished.”

“I want to express my appreciation and gratitude for your help with my Mom,” the daughter of one patient wrote. “She has grown very close to a couple of your care givers. Everyone is prompt and considerate of her needs. It’s comforting to know I have people who I can count on.”

6428 S. General Bruce Drive,Temple 254-771-4131(home health) 254-598-7297(hospice) Interimhealthcare.com/templetx

Locally owned and operated, Interim Health Care provides a continuum of care from home health to palliative to hospice care.

“We work with the local hospitals, nursing home and physicians to care for our patients,” says Corey Hurt, general manager.

Interim’s dedicated team of home health and hospice nurses, aides, chaplains and therapists make a difference for their patients and families.

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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.

To see Sensormotorik in action, you can visit the following link: https://youtu.be/_hevNLMEv8w

Call for your personal appointment 254-773-2693 archesfootcare.weebly.com

52 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

M EDP RO H OM E S It’s no secret that Central Texas is a hot spot for the medical industry.

MedPro Homes, based in Belton, opened last January and is fast becoming the place for licensed medical professionals to go when they want to buy or sell real estate. Michael Mahler, Broker, and his sister, Micki Greeson, Realtor, co-own the business. “We realized how vital our medical professionals are to the success of our area so we created a company just to serve them. We have a program in place that helps pay a portion of our clients closing costs or reduces their commission when they sell their home."

That makes "IT PAYS TO GO MEDPRO" more than a catchy motto.

From left to right: Ronny Payne, Danny Bass, Homer Vergara, Eric Martinez, Michael Mahler, Micki Greeson, DeeAnn Griffin, Virginia Vergara, Kym Thomas

For more information on MedPro Homes, call 254-313-3121, visit their website at MedProHomes.com or email info@medprohomes.com.

Phone 254-313-3121 MedProHomes.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Cornerstone Gardens

763 Marlandwood Road, Temple • 254-771-5950 • cornerstonegardensllp.com Over the last several years Cornerstone Gardens Healthcare & Rehabilitation has become synonymous with high quality care.

Cornerstone has been rated as one of the top facilities in Texas for years and has maintained a rating of “Five Stars” according to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) more often than any other facility of its kind in Bell County.

Cornerstone has helped thousands of families in the area recover from an illness, injury or surgery and most likely has had an impact on someone you know or love. One of the most common things that the Administrator, Ryan Holler, hears from families is “it is like going to a reunion and seeing all the people that we haven’t seen in years.”

While Cornerstone provides long-term care for many area residents, it is best known for its rehab services. “We use a whole team approach to provide individualized care, specializing in getting our residents well and back home fast,” Holler says.

Holler says there are a lot of changes coming down from CMS that try and shift the way facilities such as Cornerstone do business.

The changes are meant to shift the focus from quantity of care to the quality of care. Holler feels that Cornerstone Gardens is

54 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

positioned to thrive with the upcoming changes because “focusing on quality is the way we have always done business.”

When asked what has attributed to the success that Cornerstone has had, Holler says it’s simple, “We have the best team in the business.” In an industry that is known for high turnover in all positions, Cornerstone has a long tenured team especially in its management positions. In fact the management team at Cornerstone combines for 136 years of service. Several members have been at Cornerstone for more than 10 years.

Not only is the management team at Cornerstone tenured, which provides continuity of care, but they all have a desire to be the best facility in Bell County and beyond. When asked why the desire to be the best is so important to the team the answer is again simple, “the residents and families deserve the best and it’s what people have come to expect from Cornerstone.”

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Dr. Amalie Vance

STATE O F TH E ART D ENTAL CA R E Dr. Amalie Vance is a central Texas native, raised right down the road in Round Rock. A 2014 graduate of UMHB, Dr. Vance completed her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at The University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston in 2018.

Her education gives her knowledge of the latest techniques, materials and procedures in modern dentistry. Dr. Vance loves using her skills to help her patients achieve their best and healthiest smile!

Outside of the office, Dr. Vance is the proud mom of two labmixes,Tucker and Frankie. In her spare time, she enjoys taking her pups hiking, live country music, and day trips to Austin.

1920 N. Main Belton TX Phone 254-939-1868 www.beltontxdentist.com

Dr. Andrew Crowson & Dr. Amalie Vance State of the Art & Straight from the Heart • Cosmetic veneers, crowns and bridges • Implant restorations • Clear aligner orthodontics • Dentures and partials • Children, Seniors and everybody in between • In office Bleaching • Root canal treatments • Extractions • Comprehensive hygiene program with 4 outstanding hygienists.

1920 N. Main Street #104, Belton • beltontxdentist.com • 254-939-1868 TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Voted #1 Orthodontist in Central Texas for 3 Years in a Row. 2017, 2018 & 2019 LE

LY DAI TELE

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AM GR

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Smile at the World Orthodontics focuses on making a difference in our patients’ lives by going above and beyond. We provide the highest quality of orthodontic care by using cutting-edge technology. We maintain our hours of continuing education and involvement in study clubs. Our team of professional, highly-skilled, honest, compassionate and committed employees aim to improve our patient's self-confidence and overall quality of life. Developing a beautiful smile along with a healthy dentition is paramount.

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"There are many benefits of orthodontic treatment.

Some people think that braces are worn only for cosmetic reasons, but it is much more than that.

Going through orthodontic treatment can help prevent bite problems that could cause a lifetime of dental issues,” says Dr. Knowles. “When your teeth are straight, it is easier to clean them because your toothbrush and floss can reach all surfaces helping to prevent gum disease and keep your entire mouth healthier. It may also improve TMJ function and prevent tooth wear.“

Dr. Josh Knowles, DDS, MSD, is your Board-Certified Orthodontist in Central Texas.

We are determined to provide first-class quality orthodontic care that is in our patient’s best interest and promotes overall health and well-being.

Call us (254) 773-8028 to schedule your FREE consultation Today! This includes x-rays, photos, personalized treatment plan, and any personal insurance benefits.

SMILEATTHEWORLD.COM 56 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Elms Creek Family & Urgent Care Clinic A f a m ily a tm osp h ere w ith q u a lity m ed ical s er v ices Elms Creek Family & Urgent Care Clinic in Killeen has become known for its combination of family atmosphere and quality medical services since first opening its doors in 2003.

“Our success is because of our patients telling family and friends about us,” said owner Charles Mitchell, M.D.“We’ve had a community presence here for a long time.”

Dr. Mitchell is an Army veteran with 35 years of experience as a doctor. Elms Creek provides routine family and pediatric care along with urgent health care and occupational medicine needs.

“It’s my goal to offer compassionate and quality healthcare for folks,” Dr. Mitchell said.

The clinic definitely has a fun ambiance.

Pediatrician Dr. Ricky Mitchell is known by his little patients as the “Singing Doctor.”

“I noticed that the singing helped to calm children as I was seeing them, so I’ve continued it,” he said.“I just love to sing anywhere I am!”

Elms Creek has several other providers including Dr. Stephen Ralph, who is an internal medicine specialist with emphasis in life style medicine. Also two nurse practitioners, Kenia Sanders and Kizzie Edie, are part of the team.

The clinic is located in the Elms Creek Medical Plaza.To learn more, call 254-554-8773.

E lm s C re e k F a m i l y & U rg e n t C a re C l i n i c 3816 S Clear Creek Rd., Suite E Killeen, TX 76549 Phone 254-554-8773 email: elmscreekcare03@yahoo.com

Hours of Operation Monday - Thursday: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM Friday: 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Se Habla Español TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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+

ALL DENTAL & BRACES

General | Cosmetic | Sedation | Implants | Braces | TMJ-Facial Pain | Botox | Dermal Fillers

Rohini Singh, DMD, MS Member AAFE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FACIAL ESTHETICS

Tel. 254-200-1893

2710 S. Clear Creek Rd. Ste 118 Killeen, TX 76549 www.clearcreekfamilydentistry.com killeendentistry@gmail.com

Fax. 254-833-5285

This is second year in a row we are showcasing Clear Creek Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, and since then, they are grown to open an additional location in Central Texas under a new name “All Dental & Braces� and added even more cutting edge & ultra modern technologies like 3-D dental printer and Solea laser which is first and only in Central Texas together with same day crowns, bridges, veneers all precisely done with CAD/CAM and CBCT technology and amazingly fast and better results with patented fast braces technology. Procedures can be done with or without multiple options of sedation, what is amazing is that they can even show some interpretation in 3-D graphics of anticipated result post procedure which makes it easier for several of us to visualize the treatment better and make the process much easier and predictable. The highly skilled, highly trained, honest, compassionate and committed team of professionals at Clear Creek Family and Cosmetic Dentistry is providing highquality dentistry for people of all ages. They take most PPO insurances, Tricare, Texas Medicaid, MCNA, DentaQuest and even Medicare part B to serve the entire community with quality care they need and deserve.

Dr. Singh and her associates use quality materials and cutting-edge technology to provide a variety of services for patients, including preventative care, restorative solutions, cosmetic dentistry, sedation, implants, braces, help with TMJ facial pain, Botox, full mouth rehab, total smile makeover and more.

58 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

Coming Soon, additional location...

Top reason most folks avoid going to the dentist, risking their overall health, is because they fear the price tag or they don't have insurance or good credit. But at Clear Creek, patients are not shocked by huge dental bills.

"We believe patients should be involved in decisions about their care so there are no surprises," Dr. Singh said. "Many Central Texas families now receive dental care that otherwise would have

“

"We are determined to provide quality care that is in the our patient's best interest and overall health and wellbeing and not focused on revenue generation." she said.

Our slogan says it all: 'Taking smiles from ordinary to extraordinary," Dr. Singh said. "This business is about providing compassionate, affordable and quality dentistry for the entire family

been very difficult financially."

- Dr. Rohini Singh

�

She believes everyone should have access to dental care, regardless of insurance or credit, which is why staff members are always ready to discuss financing and payment options. There are several financing options to choose from but no credit check and low monthly payment and inhouse dental plan options are most commonly asked for.

A PICTURE TELLS A THOUSAND WORDS These are Dr. Singh's ACTUAL patients with amazing results

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CLEAR CREEK FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY 2710 S Clear Creek Road Suite 118, Killeen, Texas 76549 254-200-1893 | ClearCreekFamilyDentistry.com

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ALL DENTAL & BRACES 2520 Trimmier Road Suite 105, Killeen, TX 76541

OPENING DOORS IN DECEMBER 2019 TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Gunter Breathes New Life Into Historic Downtown Belton Building

By FRED AFFLERBACH | Photography contributed

B

elton businessman Mike Gunter was so frustrated after another long day renovating the century-old building he had just bought he had to blow off some steam. “One day, I got a phone call driving home. I pulled over on the access road. I got out and I literally kicked the tires on my pickup—all the way around,” Gunter said. “I settled back down. Made a phone call and moved on from there. I think the most interesting thing, at the end of the day, I think it wasn’t anybody’s fault.

Stuff happens.”

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A lot of “stuff” can, and did, happen on Gunter’s journey transforming the historically designated building at 204 N. Penelope in downtown Belton into a modern home for about 10 businesses.

A family of raccoons living upstairs was evicted.

Inside, workers gutted the building, converting it into an empty shell. Outside, they fastened themselves to a nearby backhoe and power washed the greasy and slippery roof. Gunter himself helped dig up old sewer and water lines.

And because the structure is designated an historically contributing building, plans had to adhere to specific guidelines that wouldn’t affect

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new construction. The project began in 2017 and was completed earlier this year. Although Gunter was still running his business, Gunter Real Estate Holdings, he visited the job site several times a day.

“I wouldn’t say I started out to make it what it is; it kind of evolved. We reached this point where we spent this much money — we gotta’ keep going.

If we’re going to do it, we might as well do it first class. To some degree, everybody in my family got involved,” Gunter said. “Being a renovation, it wasn’t like new construction where you got a set of plans and just go build it. We were always finding unique things about the building. How it was laid out. How we needed to move this wall.”

The Gunter family celebrated the official ribboncutting ceremony in May. The city of Belton nominated the building for a Texas Downtown Association President’s Award for 2019.

Continued

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Why bite off a landmark project such as this?

Gunter and his wife, Nancy, had constructed several new buildings before. So they had some experience. And the family business was renting office space and needed a permanent home. So when the building came up for sale at auction, Gunter bought it.

Gunter has managed to create a modern, energy-efficient building without sacrificing the building’s original character. The new and old features actually complement each other.

After scouring downtown Belton, looking at awnings on old buildings, Gunter had workers replicate a popular style from yesteryear. Inside, the building showcases some historic features such as new, custom, transoms and sliding barn doors like the one used back when the building was home to Belton Bus Company.

Moving into the 21st century, modern color patterns and light fixtures compliment new ceramic tile. The long corridor wall that runs down the heart of the building is decorated with paintings and sketches from local artists. And if you fall in love with that special piece, buy it. All art items are for sale.

The one-story, 1,900 square-foot brick building also reflects some of downtown Belton’s business history. The building was home to Ford and Chevrolet dealerships in the 1920s and ‘30s, an indoor bus terminal in the 1940s, and more recently, a restaurant, a furniture store and an archery range. Gunter said visitors have commented that they bought their first car here.

Just inside the front door, Gunter installed a shadow box containing relics discovered during renovation. “Those are old brake shoes off an old Model-T. That’s a corner spike from the corner of the property. That’s a handle, probably a door

62 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

handle off an old vehicle. These wrenches are vintage, about 1915 to 1920.”

Now that the construction dust has settled, the building is home to a diverse community of small businesses — a chiropractor, a wellness center, a design company, an insurance company and an eatery, among several others.

Before moving into the Gunter Building, Brooke May was operating a food trailer. Looking for something “brick and mortar,” she opened La Luncheonette near the main entrance.

“It’s a beautiful story. I know from people’s faces when they come in, they go, ‘whoa.’ They can’t believe it’s the same building,” May said. “With the other people in the building, everyone has their own kind of theme or design or whatnot. It’s just a great flow. People that come in, they can look at the art, walk around. It’s just not stone cold walls.

Everybody appreciates it.”

The designer who helped breathe new life into the tired, old structure also leases office space in the building. Jason Orlowski said that the project struck his fancy from the start, although he knew it would be a challenge.

“The condition of the building was a little spooky at first. It was an historic building. We had to go through some hoops,” Orlowski said. “The project evolved quite a bit—all the way up to the finish line. I don’t think anything was settled until it was done. That kept everybody on their toes. The building turned out amazing. There’s a really good business community vibe here.”

Fondly looking back on some stressful times during renovation, Gunter recalled someone asking him if he would like to buy and renovate another building. “People ask me, ‘What’s your next project? Would you do it again?’”

Gunter’s answer: “I gotta breathe.”

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8/1/19 2:23 PM

Bioscience District Fuels Innovation, Entrepreneurship

A

By MANDY SHELTON | Photography by NAN DICKSON

renovated Tex-Mex restaurant in the Temple Medical & Education District now houses $1 million worth of state-of-theart lab equipment.

Temple Health and Bioscience District is a publicly funded, not-for-profit incubator that offers doctors and scientists access to low-cost research facilities. That commitment to innovation in Bell County can be seen in the building’s décor, featuring historical images of Temple’s scientific advances sourced by the locally owned Guenther Design Group.

“We spent hours in Temple Public Library looking through pictures,” said THBD Executive Director Tami Annable. “We were able to go to Baylor Scott & White to look through their archives, then we went to the Railroad Museum and found photo slides.” In a final homegrown touch, the black-and-white photos, now enlarged and adorning the walls, were captioned with placards 3D printed by THBD intern George Robinson.

Visitors are welcomed to schedule tours (or take the virtual tour) at templebioscience.org.

Internship helps George Robinson pursue his future career goals

As Temple continues its leadership in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, educators debate the incorporation of arts into the

omnipresent STEM acronym, envisioning a future that runs on STEAM. For one local entrepreneur in training, that future is coming into focus.

George Robinson enrolled in the Texas Bioscience Institute when he was a student at Troy High School. “It’s people from all around the area, so you get a whole collaboration of ideas,” Robinson said of the opportunity, though he didn’t leave THS completely behind.

“I had one art class at Troy,” Robinson said of an advanced placement studio session where he worked on portraits and pencil drawings. He has created concept art for hire, and his artistic background came in handy when he arrived at the Temple Health and Bioscience District in the summer of 2018.

“Bioscience Institute has an internship program where you train under a mentor in a work-study program,” Robinson explained. He learned to print scale models of cells on the Stratasys 3D printer, drawing on the knowledge he gained in art class.

“You have to go through a 2D stage of drawings and concept designs to really start making the 3D models,” he explained. Robinson also assisted THBD tenant SiMMo3D with the printing of its medical training platform, the simuboard.

Now in college at Angelo State University, Robinson is turning his sights to alternative engine designs and the future of energy. “There are a

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“Bioscience Institute has an internship program where you train under a mentor in a work-study program."

— George Robinson, who learned to print scale models of cells on a Stratasys 3D printer

lot of laws in the universe you can kind of bend to your will,” he said. As a “scientific capitalist,” he envisions ways to apply his physics training to engine propulsion designs, exploiting natural laws instead of natural resources.

“A nuclear power plant is just a steam engine,” Robinson said. “There’s got to be something new.”

Continued

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Internships offer learning, networking opportunities

An example of a hardware failure during Instron testing in which the fully threaded screw broke.

In addition to the internship opportunities available to high school students through Texas Bioscience Institute, Temple Health & Bioscience District Scholars Program offers summer internships to college students in STEM fields. Over this past summer, eight THBD Scholars received stipends to live, work, and find mentors right here in Bell County.

One of the goals of THBD is to foster connections with industry experts, so students from all over the country might consider the city a place to practice medicine or launch a biotechnology start-up. Email THBD Executive Director Tami Annable at tamia@ templebioscience.org for an application.

A ‘joint collaboration’ for Drs. Jonathan and Jessica Hughes

As children like to sing, the thigh bone is connected to the hip bone — usually.

For some adolescents, “dem bones” from the skeleton song do not always stay put. Doctors Jonathan and Jessica Hughes, a pair of married orthopaedic surgery residents at Baylor Scott & White in Temple, wanted to make sure that thigh bones — or femurs — stayed connected to hip bones. Together, they worked on a project concerning slipped capital femoral epiphysis, a condition often seen in teenagers.

Specifically, the doctors Hughes were looking at the screws that hold bones in place after a child has undergone surgery but continues to grow.

“We had seen a few patients come into clinic with broken screws after SCFE fixation, either within a few weeks of surgery or within a few months, and were perplexed as to how that would happen. We did some investigating in the current orthopaedic literature, and very few studies described screw breakage after fixation of SCFE,” said Dr. Jonathan Hughes.

He received a research grant from THBD, including subsidized use of the Instron E1000 Linear-Torsion Material Testing System to pressuretest 3D-printed femurs.

“I initially learned of Temple Health during a grand rounds conference we were having at Baylor Scott & White,” he said. “No one in my department had used an Instron machine before, or really done any research in collaboration with Temple

66 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

Drs. Jessica and Jonathan Hughes

Courtesy photo

Health, so I was thrilled to be a pioneer for our department.”

Hughes graduated this past June and is now an orthopaedic sports medicine fellow at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Jessica Hughes is a fifth-year resident at Baylor Scott & White. “Even though I was then one mostly using the lab, she was instrumental in this project,” he said. “It was really a joint collaboration.”

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Core Supplements Launch You Into Vibrant Health

A

re you experiencing vibrant health?

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the mere absence of disease means you are experiencing vibrant health. Vibrant health means you wake up feeling refreshed and energetic, not tired or sluggish. It means you feel the urge to be active; to run, jump, play and laugh every day. It means you should feel happy and lively, not stressed and overwhelmed. You should be able to remember names and places and be free of brain fog.

Vibrant health is achievable. All you need is a healthy and balanced diet with the right supplements. When it comes to supplements, three apply HELENA LINZY to everyone — a quality multivitamin, vitamin D and fish oil.

Eating a healthy diet is the first step toward achieving vibrant health. It provides our bodies with essential vitamins and minerals and forms the backbone of a healthy lifestyle. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of Americans are deficient in some vitamin or mineral. The reason for this is clear: food simply isn’t as nutritious as it used to be.

The industrialized food system is partly to blame.

For example, food is commonly grown in soils that have been depleted of essential nutrients after years of over-farming. Farmers rely on chemical fertilizers and herbicides, which further deplete the

68 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

nutrient content of food. A quality multivitamin fills in any nutritional gaps.

Vitamin D is the only vitamin made in the skin from exposure to sunlight. Our ancestors spent a lot of time in the sun, producing upwards of 20,000 IU of vitamin D daily. As a result, our bodies developed based on this need for high levels of vitamin D. We have vitamin D receptors located in every tissue and cell, however, most Americans don’t get enough. Vitamin D deficiency has farreaching health implications it supports everything from cardiovascular health to brain function, even healthy blood sugar levels.

A fish oil supplement provides the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA, which influence nearly every cell, tissue and organ in the body and play a major role in supporting a healthy inflammatory response.

This supports heart, brain and joint health. Most of us don’t eat enough cold water, fatty fish (the main food source of EPA and DHA) to obtain optimal levels and a fish oil supplement is an easy way to get your daily dose of these vital nutrients.

HELENA LINZY is the Nutritional Health Coach for Natural Grocers in Temple. One of Natural Grocers’ five founding principles is commitment to providing free nutrition education. All of its stores have fulltime nutritional health coaches who provide free cooking demonstrations, nutrition classes and free health coaching sessions for the community.

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GOOD CAUSES

Walk With a Doc

Strengthens Bodies and Communities BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE

By FRED AFFLERBACH

T

Kathy Zingone and her dog, Lilly, at the Baylor Scott & White Walk With A Doc on Aug. 17 in Temple.

70 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

Photo by FRED AFFLERBACH

hanks to the Walk With a Doc program provided by two local hospitals — Baylor Scott & White and AdventHealth Central Texas — getting a new start on a healthy lifestyle is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other.

People interested in lowering their blood pressure, losing weight, strengthening their heart and numerous other health benefits can meet a doctor once a month with no appointment, no deductible and no co-pay. And as a side benefit, you’re welcome to join like-minded folks on a short hike at a city park or college track.

Walk With a Doc is a nationwide program founded by a Columbus, Ohio, cardiologist “frustrated with his inability to affect behavior change in the clinical setting.” Since then, the grassroots effort has grown to more than 500 chapters worldwide.

Both programs were made possible by a grant from the Texas Medical Association.

On a bright August morning, a healthy mix of about 30 folks — from young parents pushing strollers to seniors walking with their dogs — gathered at Miller Park in Temple with a common purpose, explore the health benefits of walking.

After a 15-minute talk by two Baylor Scott & White dermatologists, the walkers fell into groups according to their comfort level. They walked a scenic loop past a green soccer field, a pond with a water fountain, towering cypress and pecans trees, and then across a footbridge.

Two retirees and avid walkers, Charlie and Dianne Nash, said they rarely miss an outing, even when the skies are overcast and the cold January wind blows. They moved to Bell County from the Philadelphia area in early 2018. Dianne said that regardless your level of physical fitness, you’ll find the outing worthwhile. “Although this is only once a month, it generates the enthusiasm to be able to perform more frequently. Do what you can. If you can’t do the whole walk, get out here and listen to the doctors give advice on different topics. And just walk what you can. You have to start somewhere.”

Dr. Todd Bohannon, a vascular surgeon at Baylor Scott & White, was instrumental in implementing the Walk With a Doc program in Temple in 2016.

His inspiration sprang from a Walk With a Doc event he attended in Georgetown. “I’ve seen people who have come back again that have made changes in their lives. You see people who have lost weight and are just living healthy,” Bohannon said. “I enjoy it because it’s a nice way to help the community and when we have people come out and have a good time it gives me a nice warm feeling. It’s nice to help people to get on the path to healthier lives with something as simple as walking.”

The City of Temple also is a sponsor for the walk in Miller Park.

ADVENTHEALTH

In early 2018, AdventHealth Central Texas started its Walk With a Doc monthly meeting in Killeen. Sarah Kennedy, wellness coordinator, said she is happy with the turnout, on average about

ABOVE: Dr. Umad Ahmad, cardiologist and CMO at AdventHealth, walks with his family during a Killeen Walk With A Doc event in June. BELOW: AdventHealth OBGYN Dr. Arturo Romero speaks with participants. Courtesy photos.

20 people. Walkers are typically curious about how to live a healthier lifestyle. For about 15 minutes a doctor will speak on of a variety of topics such as diabetes, orthopedics, healthy lifestyle. The walk and talk and short discussion focuses on the mind, body and spirit. The walk is dog friendly, kid friendly and family friendly.

Removing barriers to healthcare in a relaxing setting was the impetus for starting a local Walk With a Doc chapter, Kennedy said.

“A lot of times a visit to the doctor can be nerve-wracking. It’s a more neutral place, where community members can come out and interact with our doctor and maybe ask some questions they’re not as comfortable asking one-on-one with their provider. It encourages our community to get outside and fellowship with one another and get active,” Kennedy said. “And during that walk, the doctor’s walking right next to our participants.

They’re able to go right up and ask questions or just have conversations. A lot of the doctors bring their whole family. So we have a lot of children there.”

A woman in her mid-60s who suffers from obesity recently opened up to Kennedy. “She was really in bad health and she was wanting to become more active. She just reported how supported she felt being part of a group that’s encouraging and motivating. The support system has really been a benefit.”

WHERE CAN I WALK WITH A DOC?

TEMPLE: Baylor Scott & White Temple sponsors a 9 a.m. walk the third Saturday of each month at Miller Park: 1919 N. First St. KILLEEN: Baylor Scott & White sponsors a 9 a.m. walk the second Saturday of the month at Lions Club Park, 1700 E. Stan Schlueter Loop.

AdventHealth sponsors an 8 a.m. walk the first Sunday of each month at the Central Texas College walking trail: 6200 W. Central Texas Expressway, Killeen. Meet in front of the CTC gym. AdventHealth will provide free flu shots and information about flu prevention at the Oct. 6 walk.

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DAY TRIPPIN'

Willkommen to New Braunfels

By FRED AFFLERBACH

W

inter, spring, summer or fall — you can always celebrate the spirit of Oktoberfest in New Braunfels. Although the official 2019 Oktoberfest runs from mid-September through the first week of October, there is plenty of German beer, sausage and oompah music year round at Krause’s Biergarten and Café. Visitors may want to stay late and book a room at one of the city’s many comfortable and quaint lodges.

Just a short walk from Krause’s, you can delve into the history of New Braunfels at the Sophienburg Museum and Archives. By watching a short documentary and viewing numerous exhibits with authentic artifacts, you will learn why and how German immigrants left their homeland to settle in the Texas frontier 170 years ago.

Although sampling German beer and sausage may sound like an adults-only party, New Braunfels is surprisingly kid friendly. While in town for the day or weekend, bring the youngsters over to Landa Park and let them run, climb and jump on four playscapes, enjoy a round of miniature golf and ride the small-scale train.

Krause’s Biergarten and Cafe

Back in 1938, Gene Krause opened Gene’s Place, a bar on the downtown plaza. Today, with a café, beer hall and beer garden, Krause’s can accommodate 700 folks. But it’s the cavernlike beer hall with rows of community seating, decorated with banners honoring original German immigrants to New Braunfels, that captures the essence of the original Hofbrauhouse in Munich.

“Some people call it the airplane hanger. Some

Beer taps at Krause’s Biergarten. Courtesy photo

72 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

people call it the Quonset Hut. It has that style of metal work,” owner Ron Snider explains. “This place fills up, elbow to elbow, table to table. New Braunfels is the most German city in Texas.”

Krause’s serves 70 beers on tap, including some rare German imports and favorites from local and regional microbrewers. Among 11 sausage flavors, Krause’s serves one with a Texas twist — Jackalope.

It’s made from 80 percent antelope and 20 percent rabbit. Krause’s chefs also bake their own bread and grind their own hamburger. For the health conscious, they blend fresh fruit and vegetables into juices, and serve a vegan superfood salad.

And be sure to browse Krause’s farmer’s market Saturday mornings next to the beer hall.

While planning your trip to New Braunfels, check Krause’s online calendar so you don’t miss events such as the beer stein-holding contest, called Masskrugstemmen. Men and women contestants hold at arms length a full beer stein, weighing 5.3 pounds, for as long as possible. Although it sounds like fun, don’t even dream of winning unless you can last at least 20 minutes. And the kicker: no drinking on the job.

IF YOU GO: 148 S. Castell Ave., New Braunfels.

830-625-2807 | KrausesCafe.com

Sophienburg Museum and Archives

Why would someone spend their life savings on a two-month, one-way cruise in cramped conditions, with food on the menu such as green peas, cross the Atlantic only to be greeted with a harsh overland voyage by ox and wagon? The short answer: New Braunfels. But a fascinating, more in-depth explanation is readily available at the Sophienburg Museum and Archives, just a few blocks off the town square. Inside the museum, you can spend a day in the life of a circa 1840s German immigrant. Displays feature authentic tools, furniture and musical instruments that were brought over from Germany by people escaping life with little professional or social mobility.

Sophienburg is named in honor of a German princess, Sophie of Solm-Solm, who, ironically, never set foot in North America. Her fiancé, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, sailed to America in 1844 with the mission of founding a German community.

He selected a hilltop near present-day downtown

ABOVE: Comal Springs courses its way through Landa Park in New Braunfels. Photo by FRED AFFLERBACH BELOW: Buggy display at Sophienburg Museum. Photo courtesy of ALAN KING

New Braunfels and named it Sophienburg. But when he returned to Germany, she refused to leave. Prince Carl stayed home and married her, never returning to Texas. Executive director Tara Kohlenberg says the museum is a great conduit to understanding how New Braunfels came to be. “This is where New Braunfels came from. People today come to New Braunfels because it’s a really cool place. This is how it got to be a really cool place.”

IF YOU GO: Admission: $8 adults; $4 ages 12-18; $2 ages 6-12 and free under age 6.

401 W. Cole St., New Braunfels.

Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday 830-629-1572 | Sophienburg.com

Landa Park

If you’re lucky and look with a keen eye, you may see a remarkable bit of acting at Landa Park.

This stagecraft comes not from an actor at the amphitheater but from a bird called a killdeer.

The killdeer is known for a stunt in which it limps

along, feigning a broken wing, to lure predators away from its nest. This sort of natural treat, and many others, make a side trip to this shady haven a breath of fresh air.

Bring your lunch, or cook out on an open grill.

Kick back in the shadow of a centuries-old oak tree.

Listen to the soft gurgling of Comal Springs, the largest in the Southwest, as it courses through the park. Toss a Frisbee in the air. Take a hike on the Walking Arboretum Tour where “a living library” of 80 tree species is identified. Especially for the kids, Landa Park’s miniature golf course is open yearround. The miniature train runs weekends through fall and winter, full time in summer.

Back in the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration set up camp for two years and built retaining walls, concession stands and the Landa Haus, which is a special event center used today. That rustic style of architecture, using native building materials such as cedar and limestone, permeates the park, adding to its beauty.

IF YOU GO: 164 Landa Park Dr., New Braunfels.

830-221-4350 | NBTexas.org/156/Landa-Park

Prince Solms Inn

The Prince Solms Inn balances the charm and history of an historic, 120-year-old hotel with 21st century comfort. Relax on the upstairs deck overlooking downtown with your favorite libation or step outside to stroll in the heart of downtown, where restaurants and bars abound.

IF YOU GO: 295 E. San Antonio St., New Braunfels.

830-312-5387 | PrinceSolmsInn.com

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ADVERTISING INDEX AdventHealth.................................................................................. 3 AdventHealth Central Texas Foundation...................................... 74 AdventHealth Medical Group....................................................... 41 AFC Urgent Care........................................................................... 18 Arches Footcare............................................................................ 52 Ascension Medical Group............................................................. 35 Atmos Energy................................................................................ 63 Bell Air Conditioning..................................................................... 25 Bell County Museum..................................................................... 61 Bellezza Medical Aesthetics.......................................................... 64 Bentons......................................................................................... 31 Bill French Jewelers....................................................................... 61 CareAge HomeCare...................................................................... 49 Central Texas Expo........................................................................ 63 CentralTexasTickets.com............................................................... 20 Clear Creek Family Dentistry................................................... 58-59 Cook Residential Design............................................................... 19 Cornerstone Gardens.................................................................... 54 Coryell Memorial Hospital: Drs. Lance Ellis and Richard Hurley... 49 Crowson, Andrew, D.D.S., and Vance, Amalie, D.D.S.................. 55 Deka Lash...................................................................................... 11 Dental Images............................................................................... 53 Document Solutions...................................................................... 36 Ellis Air Systems............................................................................ 65 Elms Creek Family & Urgent Care................................................. 57 English Maids................................................................................ 31 Enilsa Skin Essentials..................................................................... 51 Everest Rehabilitation Hospital....................................................... 2 Extraco Banks................................................................................ 75 Forest Trail Dental......................................................................... 11 Furniture Care of Texas................................................................. 25 Garden Estates.............................................................................. 69 Garlyn Shelton GM...........................................................Back cover Gretchen Williams......................................................................... 11 Interim Healthcare......................................................................... 51 Lastovica Jewelers......................................................................... 13 Legacy Dental................................................................................ 50 MedPro Homes............................................................................. 53 Metabolic Research Center of Waco, Inc...................................... 32 Omega Builders............................................................................ 67 Palmeras.......................................................................................... 5 Pazmino Dentistry......................................................................... 32 Rock Collision Center.................................................................... 21 Seton Medical Center................................................................... 31 Smile At The World Orthodontics........................................... 44, 56 Susan Marie’s Boutique................................................................. 48 Temple College............................................................................. 63 UMHB....................................................................................... 14-15 United Way.................................................................................... 25 University of Texas-Arlington........................................................ 44 Visiting Angels............................................................................... 74 Walker Honey Farm....................................................................... 63 The index is published for reader convenience. Every effort is made to list information correctly. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

74 OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2019 | TEX APPEAL

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