Oklahoma
Mercy Hospital Receives $7.5 Donation For Comprehensive Digestive Health Center In Oklahoma City
Mercy Hospital is on its way to becoming a one-stop shop for people who suffer from digestive health issues. Mercy’s brand new Kathryn Ann Meinders Digestive Health Institute will be the first of its kind in the state and in the Midwest, with the goal of increasing access to care for Oklahomans and the surrounding states.
“The Midwest is virtually a desert for specialized, comprehensive digestive health services,” said Lori Cummins, VP of Mercy Health Foundation Communities. “Our mission at mercy is to fill the gaps.”
The Digestive Health Institute is one step closer to becoming a reality, thanks to a $7.5 million donation from LaDonna and Herman Meinders.
“The gift from the Meinders family allowed us to fast track this project,” Cummins said.
A center like this has been a career long dream for gastroenterologist Dr. Hussein Bitar.
“There’s so much development and so much research that having a general gastroenterologist, as well intended as they may be, they may not be able to treat the more complex patients,” said Dr. Bitar.
Treating GI diseases can require bloodwork, infusions, nutrition support, mental health counseling, and more.
“Our goal is to create a medical home for our patients,” said Dr. Bitar.
The new GI center will bring all of the moving parts together.
“We’d be able to attend to all of those needs under one roof in one center as opposed to seeing a bunch of different providers and that’s really the goal,” he said.
Additionally, $2.5 million of Meinders’ donation will honor one of Dr. Bitar’s colleagues who died suddenly, esteemed colorectal surgeon Dr. Hani Baradi.
“He wanted to do something special to ensure that his legacy lived on at the digestive health institute because he was so critical in getting that project started,” said Cummins.
The hospital hopes to break ground on the newest addition to their main campus by the end of this year.
Oklahoma
ACLU Issues Travel Advisory for Oklahoma After Passage of Extreme Anti-Immigrant Law
ALBUQUERQUE – The American Civil Liberties Unions (ACLUs) of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arizona, San Diego and Imperial Counties, Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas issued an advisory warning their residents about the threat of civil and constitutional rights violations when traveling in the state of Oklahoma after the passage of an extreme anti-immigrant law.
Oklahoma’s new law, HB 4156, makes entering and remaining in Oklahoma a crime if a person entered the United States unlawfully. It would also make reentering Oklahoma after being ordered removed from the U.S. a crime.
When implemented, this law will pose a risk to any person while in Oklahoma, since travelers and Oklahoma residents, including life-long undocumented Oklahomans or residents of neighboring states, are at risk of arrest and imprisonment. The law also raises the possibility of racial profiling by law enforcement officers who are untrained in complex federal immigration law.
“HB 4156 is an attack on immigrants everywhere. By taking on unconstitutional immigration enforcement power, the government in Oklahoma is threatening immigrants who have lived and worked in their communities for decades. This is also a threat to New Mexicans who are undocumented, have mixed-status families or are simply a target for racist profiling overeager and undertrained local law enforcement officers,” said ACLU of New Mexico Border and Immigration Policy Advocate Leonardo Castañeda. “That is why states surrounding Oklahoma, as well as across the border, are issuing this advisory as both a warning to our residents and in solidarity with Oklahomans who do not want this law and believe in treating immigrants humanely, not as political pawns.”
Countless residents of states bordering Oklahoma have family and loved ones who may be at risk from this law that threatens their civil liberties. This joint travel advisory highlights the solidarity of communities surrounding Oklahoma against punitive and counterproductive policies that harm our immigrant communities and do nothing to welcome people seeking safety and refuge.
People traveling in Oklahoma are advised to remain calm if stopped by police and encouraged to exercise their right to immediately ask for an attorney and otherwise remain silent. More guidance is outlined in the travel advisory found here (link will take you to the ACLU of New Mexico’s website).
Oklahoma
Tornadoes, severe storms rip through Ohio, Oklahoma, Michigan: See photos
Oklahoma tornado damage in Barnsdall, Bartlesville
Video captured the aftermath in Oklahoma after multiple tornadoes and severe storms left behind damage and destruction.
Areas across multiple states in the Great Plains and Midwest were damaged and thousands lost power as severe weather and tornadoes swept through early this week, with more bad weather on the way.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio is working to assess damage and confirm any tornadoes from Tuesday’s storms, as the region braces for more severe weather Wednesday. Jim Lott, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, told Fox19 in Cincinnati that radar detected rotation in Butler County, Warren County, and in southeastern Indiana. Another tornado was confirmed by the weather service in Hancock County, near the Pennsylvania border.
In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency in Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch, and Cass counties after severe weather on Tuesday. Tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service Tuesday in Union City and Portage in southwestern Michigan.
On Monday, at least an EF3 tornado tore through Barnsdall, Oklahoma, a small city of about 1,400, one of at least five confirmed tornadoes to hit the state that day. It was the second time Barnsdall was hit by a tornado this year, with another one moving through April 1.
See photos as communities across the country recover from the severe weather.
Weather updates: 4 tornadoes confirmed in Michigan as severe weather threatens Central US
Damage and destruction from tornadoes in Michigan
Tornadoes rip through parts of Ohio
Cleanup continues after heavy storms, tornadoes sweep through Oklahoma
Contributing: Cheryl Vari and Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City Thunder top Dallas Mavericks in Game 1, make NBA history in process
What’s at stake for the legacy of Luka Doncic in latest playoff run?
Luka Doncic has been one of the most prolific basketball players in recent years, but has little playoff success to his name. Will that change this year?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander produced 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 117-95 win over the visiting Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Tuesday.
Gilgeous-Alexander shot 8 of 19 from the floor but 11 of 13 from the free-throw line in his first career second-round playoff game. The Thunder became the youngest team in NBA history to win a conference semifinal game.
Kyrie Irving scored 19 points and Luka Doncic finished with 19 points and nine assists for Dallas.
Less than five minutes into the third quarter, the Mavericks cut a 12-point Thunder lead to one on Irving’s 3-pointer off a feed from Luka Doncic.
Oklahoma City outscored Dallas 51-30 the rest of the way.
“I think it’s a muscle we’ve built at this point,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of the poise his team showed in responding when Dallas cut his team’s lead. “We’ve had to endure a lot of those situations during the course of the season. I think a lot of it comes from respect for your opponent.”
The Thunder quickly answered Irving’s trey out of a timeout, with Isaiah Joe draining a 3-pointer to kickstart a 14-4 run over the next three minutes.
Gilgeous-Alexander assisted on two of the Thunder’s four 3-pointers during the run, then added the exclamation point on the stretch by sinking a 3-pointer from the top of the key to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
Before the game, Doncic heaped praise on Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort, calling him one of the top perimeter defenders in the NBA.
Dort showed why during the key sequence, knocking the ball away from Doncic near midcourt, diving to collect the ball before quickly finding a streaking Joe, who fed it up to Jalen Williams for a dunk.
Dort helped the Thunder hold Doncic to 6-of-19 shooting, including 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.
“They’re a great team, great defensive team, great offensive team, so it’s not going to be easy at all,” Doncic said. “We’ve got to play very good basketball – focused basketball – for 48 minutes.”
The Mavericks went nearly four minutes without a field goal late in the third as Oklahoma City stretched its lead as high as 15 before Dallas cut it back to 10 with two baskets in the final 30 seconds.
Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren had 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, Williams added 18 points and Aaron Wiggins had 16 off the bench, including 12 in the second quarter.
The Thunder scored 22 points off Dallas’ 16 turnovers.
The Mavericks shot just 39.3 percent, while the Thunder hit 44.9 percent.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) in Oklahoma City.
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