30 YEARS EXPERIENCE Boerne’s ONLY Master Dentist
The Dental Wellness Center • 806 N. Main St. • Boerne 830-249-7870 • www.drchethawkins.com
As a Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, Dr. Chet Hawkins posses the highest level of education recognized for a dentist. As a graduate of the Pankey Institute, he’s had the finest post-doctoral training in the world. “I want to establish a master plan and then develop a blueprint for my patients’ long-term care,” he explains. “We want to solve the causes of the problems before we do anything else to their teeth. Then we can rebuild or repair with confidence that the fix will last as long as possible. We also educate our patients about other health issues related to oral disease. There is a connection between periodontal disease and heart disease that people need to know about.” Dr. Hawkins and his wife, Deby, have been residents of Boerne for 7 years and are excited to be joining the practice in Boerne.
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The moment you enter “the office you are greeted by
Kim’s warm smile and friendly personality. The hygienists are professional and make you feel very at ease. Dr. Hawkins is very calm and soft spoken with a gentle touch. The office runs very smoothly and on time for appointments.” - Charlotte
CIBOLO CREEK
HEALTH AND REHABILITATION CENTER: Care and Compassion in Long Term Care Facilities p.42
+
COLVIN HOME HEALTH p 40 HOME RUN HITTERS p 48 PROBLEMS WITH VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY p 50
Gentle, Caring, Family Practice, Courteous Professional Staff • State of the Art Procedures & Techniques
WE’ VE RECENTLY E XPANDED George E. Metz III, DDS • Michael Hoeppner, DDS
830-229-5581
Gentle, Caring, Family Practice, Courteous Professional Staff State of the Art Procedures & Techniques
NowRECENTLY accepting appointments for Kevin Beitchman, DDS, MS - Orthodontist WE’ VE E XPANDED George E. Metz III, DDS • Michael Hoeppner, DDS
Kendall Woods Dental 830-229-5581
25 FM 3351 South Boerne, Texas 78006
Now accepting appointments for Kevin Beitchman, DDS, MS - Orthodontist
MRI NOW MRIs are read by 14 board-certified radiologists with specialties in Musculoskeletal, Neuroradiology, Body Imaging, Nuclear Medicine and Interventional Radiology
“Doing whatever it takes, when it matters most”
What is hospice?
Hospice is not a place, but rather a philosophy of care focused on providing comfort to individuals with life limiting illness. Alamo Hospice focuses on physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being for patients, their families, and their support network. We provide care to patients in their own homes, assisted living facilities, and other community-based care settings.
cial $390 MRI esSRapdioelog ! ist’s Interpretation y body part. Includ
Everyday and an
What makes us different?
Hometown delivery of service • Mission-driven, Active community resource, Local decisions, Local leadership and staff. • Local Medical Director Ben Stahl MD National reach • Recognized “model program” for quality care, Boerne “Best of the Best” • National recognized accredited prepared program. Team approach to care • Access to 24 hr. care by the hospice team to include; Physician, Registered Nurses, Social Workers, Spiritual care coordinators, Bereavement counselors, Dieticians, Pharmacists, Hospice aides, Various therapists (massage, pet, PT, OT, ST), and Volunteers.
830-816-5024 Fax: 830-331-9058
118 West Bandera Rd , Boerne Texas 78006
All major medical insurance accepted. Call now for an appointment
830-816-5518
128 W. Bandera Road, Suite 4 • Boerne, TX
thecompanymag.com | 39
PRACTICE FEATURE |
COLVIN HOME HEALTH
Name Jennica Colvin Business Name Colvin Home Health and Consultative Services Founded March 2014 What made you want to go into this industry? During admission interviews for Occupational Therapy school, I was asked this same question. The answer hasn’t changed much. I do what I do because I want to help those members of our society that need assistance and education the most- the aging. For many, after a life of vitality and independence, people begin to feel helpless and frustrated as they experience new challenges to their abilities simply due to aging. This can ultimately lead to confusion and fear. No one should ever have to feel that way. Human beings deserve our love and respect, regardless of their age. I went into this industry to facilitate that. I want to prevent feelings of fear and frustration not only for the person experiencing it, but also for their families and friends who provide care for them for the person experiencing it as well as their families and friends that provide care for them. I want to support people and educate them about ways to care for those that they love. Colvin Home Health & Consultative Services will focus on a full spectrum of long term care. Nurses will be available for general nursing care as well as attending doctor appointments with our clients to facilitate better communication between the doctor and the client/family. Therapists (including Occupational, Physical, and Speech) will be able to focus on immediate needs such as fall prevention, skilled Alzheimer’s/dementia care, risk of silent aspiration (which leads to pneumonias) as well as strengthening, independence with activities of daily living, and communication skills.
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How did this company come about? In the summer of 2013, I was driving home on the feeder of IH 10 after working with an elderly couple. I was on the proverbial Cloud 9 after feeling that I showed/educated a husband how he could continue to care for his wife in their own home. As I was driving, I imagined offering more skilled services to the in order to keep them in their own home as long as possible. When I got home, I told Craig (my husband) that I was thinking of opening my own company to address keeping the aging in their home. His response, “Whatever you say, dear!” So, with his blessing, off I went. I had an idea, but no plan. A funny thing happened, though. God had a plan. One Sunday, I mentioned to a church friend that I wanted to start this company to focus on helping the aging. He politely listened and thought I had a nice point. I really wasn’t sure if he liked my idea or if he was just being polite. When I got home, I had received a message on Facebook from this man’s sister. She stated that her brother had mentioned my idea and that she would like to help. She also told me she was nurse who had opened two other centers. She met me the next week and guided me in the right direction. Since the inception of this idea, people have walked up to me and told me how much they would like to help or given me educational papers that have brought me one step closer to where I am today. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, so it appears that it takes a community to help build a business. I am excited to demonstrate my skill and the skills of my colleagues to this community. My hope and dream is that through our collective knowledge we may guide both clients and caregivers alike so your loved one may remain in the home as long as possible. I do this so vows can be fulfilled, so children may honor their parents, and so respect and love is given through the service of others.
How has Boerne as a community responded to your business? Boerne is just now having the ability to respond! So I can’t really say yet. But, what I hope to see is families and spouses of aging family members seeking out our services to allow us to gently guide them towards safely keeping their loved one at home. It’s not always an option or a desire to have our loved ones in a facility. But not everyone is comfortable with knowing what to do, and I hope I can assist with making an informed decision best for the client and the caregiver. What challenges have you faced early on? My first challenges were those associated with just getting off the ground. I don’t think I was entirely prepared for all of the paperwork, etc. that comes with starting a home health/consultative business! Another challenge I look forward to is opening the doors of communication between aging family members and the caregivers. There are always going to be uncomfortable discussions that have to take place in order to keep people in their home. Discussions such as when to introduce a cane, walker or other assistive devices. How have the ever-changing legislations affected your business? The reason that I have chosen to pursue the consultative side of this business is to address the fact that there is a general fear of the unknown about insurance coverage. Some people are no longer sure what will and will not be paid for by their insurance. Additionally, many people feel that they are no longer receiving the care their loved one deserves through the current system. Private consultation will provide fee-based services for skilled rehabilitation and nursing care. The beauty of this kind of service is that our clients and their families now have more control in their care and not rely on insurance regulations.
What are some of your future plans for your business? I want to keep my business intimate. In this particular line of work, a huge client base may not be the best route to ensure that everyone gets the care they deserve. I want to become a solid fixture in this community, and one that has an earnest reputation of honesty, integrity, and quality care. What separates you from your competition? I definitely have a personal touch that affects everything I do. I invest my heart into people which results in individualized and tailored care to the greatest degree possible. After nearly fifteen years in this industry, I have learned many creative solutions to problems that are easy to implement and that get the greatest “bang for the buck” so to speak. Also, while I have an intense knowledge of what I am doing, I can easily explain it, which, again takes the mystery out and gives clients a sense of more control over their decisions. I work to make sure everyone is on the same page because having unanswered questions and confusion is disheartening when caring for a loved one. I empower people with knowledge and do not leave them in the dark. Jennica Colvin was raised in SugarLand, TX where she lived until she left for college. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy, and a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Texas Tech University. In 2004, she escaped the Dallas area and moved to the Boerne with her husband Craig Colvin. She is the very happy and proud mother to three sweet, challenging, adorable children who make her smile every single day. Between her kids and the gecko, fish, dog, cat, and the animals the cat brings in, her home is filled with much life! Jennica, a member of FUMC-Boerne, enjoys playing the flute and the piano as well as running with a local running club. She can be contacted via the website: www.colvinhomehealth.com or even through Facebook: facebook. com/ColvinHomeHealth thecompanymag.com | 41
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CIBOLO CREEK HEALTH AND REHABILITATION CENTER: Care and Compassion in Long Term Care Facilities By Shannon Gonzenbach Cibolo Creek Health and Rehabilitation center is one of Boerne’s newer long term care facilities, offering custodial living, as well as, having inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs. With funding continually being cut for long term care facilities, Cibolo Creek has brought on a new Executive Director who has maintained that care and compassion remain the main focus of the facility despite a smaller budget. Buster Ellisor is no stranger to long term facilities and has the background with residents and families to create a caring atmosphere fit for a high quality of life. “I’ve been in long term care for a little over ten years. My family owns a nursing facility in northeast Texas. I started in long term care there by working in admissions and marketing, and then I’ve kind of been all over the state working in different facilities. I’ve been a licensed administrator for about a year and a half. I came here about three months ago.” Cibolo Creek is both a health and rehabilitation center, offering a diverse range of services. “We are a skilled nursing facility and we have long term care. We do custodial living. People live here, this is their home. They’re people who can’t be on their own that need nursing care on a regular basis or 24 hour basis. The rehabilitation part, we also do short term care. People have an episode at home, whether it’s a hip fracture or something like that, they go to the hospital, they can’t return home because they need inpatient therapy,
then they can come here and receive the therapy, then return back home.” Patients at Cibolo Creek go through individualized rehabilitation and therapy programs with their local doctors, as well as any help they need with setting up home assistance needed. “A doctor will write orders for them to be evaluated by physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, or any combination of those three. They will be evaluated by our in-house therapy department. They will start their rehabilitation, up to six days a week. Depending upon how they progress, get back to their prior normal function, go out and do an evaluation of their home to make sure everything is good there. Especially if they aren’t able to get back to their prior level of function, they’re going to need further assistant in their home. We can help with getting those. If they discharge, but need a little bit more therapy, we also offer outpatient therapy here.” In his three months at the facility, Buster is already making himself known with the residents and is instilling a proactive management style. “I have a management theory of management by walking around. I like to know what’s going on out in the facility; I want the residents to be able to call me by name. I don’t want them to have to come up to the office to see me, I want them to be able to stop me in the hallway and talk to me. I want them to be able to tell me if there is a problem, then we can look at resolving it.”
thecompanymag.com | 43
Before even arriving full time, on site at Cibolo Creek, Buster changed the facility’s food services to give the residents a higher quality diet. “One of the major changes is the dietary department. Before I came, it was outsourced to another company and, actually, after I got hired but before I got started, we sent them a notice and said we were going to discontinue using their services. I brought in a dietary manager and brought dietary services back in house. Dietary was a concern before I got here. The reason they were using the outside dietary company was because it’s hard to find a dietary manager that lives in Boerne, but I knew someone that would come over here. So, we brought services back in house. The food quality has gone up tremendously; we get compliments on a daily basis about the food. Everybody is much happier about that.” Finding the daily good done by staff, the day-to-day operations of the facility, or the general happiness of residents is how Cibolo Creek reminds the staff and residents that they are doing a good job of giving care and that the quality does matter. In staff and residents meetings, Buster has his staff paying attention to the positive aspects of their work. “One of the changes I’ve made since I’ve been here is every morning during our meeting we’d ask about concerns. Are there any concerns, did anybody bring them up? So, I started asking about compliments too. Now people can tell you a compliment almost every single day, because they’re out there. They’re just listening for them now. It’s good for us to be able to hear those compliments, then take them back to the people, one of the floor staff, and say, ‘hey, we have a resident who said you did a really great job and I just wanted to say thank you.’ That makes a world of difference to people, knowing they’re appreciated.” The resident’s happiness is the goal of Cibolo Creek. “One of the things you have to remember is that these are people’s lives. This is their quality of life. This is their quantity of life. We like to focus on the quality of life. Are people happy in
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their older years? Are we doing everything we can to make sure that they’re happy and that they’re satisfied being here? That they’re satisfied with their situation in life.” Maintaining high, enjoyable quality of life in long term care facilities is continually becoming more of a challenge due to funding cuts. “The most difficult part of my job is making sure we’re balancing the budget. Over the past few years our funding has steadily been cut. Every year our funding is cut. But we want to be able to maintain the high quality of service that we’ve been offering in the past. So we just have to find ways to do that with less money.” Despite funding difficulties and having onsite activities, such as Bingo and pedicures, Buster is hoping to bring to Cibolo Creek Health and Rehabilitation Center more opportunities for the residents to be out in the Boerne community. “We’re going to do a few more outings away from the facility. Boerne has a lot to offer people, and even though a lot of these people have lived in Boerne most of their lives, there’s still a lot of things, they haven’t seen, or that they haven’t seen in a long time, that can bring back memories for them. We want to take them out to different places in Boerne, the ones that are able, to be able to enjoy those things.” Having his residents be part of the community and a staff that isn’t simply there for “a paycheck,” is the ultimate atmosphere Buster is encouraging at the local long term care facility. “Cibolo Creek is a fantastic place. Like I said, I’ve been in this business a little over ten years, which is not a long time, but this is one of the best facilities I have ever worked in. The people here care. The families really care about the residents here. The staff, they all work hard and I think that’s because they know we really appreciate them. They do everything that they can for the residents.” “I can teach you how to do any job in this facility, but I can’t teach you how to care, I can’t teach you how to be compassionate. You have to have that.”
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HEALTHY LIVING |
Vitamin D Deficiency is a Widespread Problem By Leigh Ann Grasso, Pharm.D., R.Ph.
46 | COMPANY MAGAZINE
Vitamin D has been nicknamed the “Sunshine Vitamin” because the ultraviolet-B light from the sun activates the Vitamin D in our skin cells. Our body could make
as fish, liver, eggs, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, and
for a longer period of time than Vitamin D2 (ergocalcif-
natural cheese.
erol), and is more potent than Vitamin D2. Although the
Vitamin D has long been known to prevent childhood
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is only 400 IU
the required amounts of Vitamin D from the sun alone;
rickets and to aid in intestinal absorption of calcium. Vi-
however, our sun exposure has become very limited
per day, some studies are finding the body’s requirement
tamin D deficiency has now been linked to a wide range
may be closer to 4000 IU per day. Because vitamin D is
because of cancer risks and our indoor work styles . The amount of Vitamin D that is converted from the sun varies according to the time of year, latitude and longitude of where you live, and skin color. Darker skin
of diseases including depression, schizophrenia, stroke, osteoporosis, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and several types of cancers including breast
veloping Vitamin D defi-
The further north you
ciency including elderly
live, the fewer UV-B rays
people, dark-skinned
you get. People who live
people, overweight or
in the northern parts of
obese people, breast-fed
the United States prob-
infants, and anyone who
ably can’t get the amount
will always need a supplement. Those in the southern United States can probably get enough UV-B in the months of May through September. For the
Annie’s Apothecary carries pharmacy grade Vitamin D3 supplements in liquid and capsule form.
has limited sun exposure. A simple blood test at your doctor’s office can determine if you truly have a Vitamin D deficiency by testing the active form: 25-hydroxyvitamin D. The optimal VitaminD level is about 60 ng/mL. Since so
rest of the year, they will need a supplement. Those that
many people are Vitamin D deficient, a blood test is not
live close to the equator are the most likely to get the
mandatory for supplementation.
amount of UV-B that they need assuming they are outside
10,000 IU per day in healthy adults are still nontoxic.
people are at a risk of de-
for sufficient Vitamin D.
through sunlight alone, and
supplementation. Studies are confirming that doses up to
cancer. Several groups of
usually requires more sun
of Vitamin D they need
a fat-soluble vitamin, toxicity can occur at high levels of
Vitamin D supplements should contain Vitamin D3
at least two hours per day in the sun without sunscreen.
(cholecalciferol) because it is absorbed quickly, maintains
Smaller amounts of Vitamin D can be found in food such
blood levels of the active form, 25-hydroxyvitamin D,
Dr Leigh Ann Grasso, University of Texas alumnus, is the compounding pharmacist and owner of Annie’s Apothecary in Boerne. Her passion is educating people to improve their health by replacing hormonal and nutrient deficiencies. She lives in Fair Oaks Ranch with her husband and three children.
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MENTAL HEALTH |
HOME RUN HITTERS By Justin Wolff, M.A., LPC-S, LCDC
As a therapist in private practice in the Boerne area, I see a lot of people dealing with all kinds of obstacles in their lives. “A therapist… in private practice…” you might be thinking, “why are you writing in a publication about business.” Let me explain. Like other therapists, I see plenty of kids with conduct problems and my fair share of relationships in distress. I also see folks dealing with BiPolar disorder, depression and anxiety. As a therapist, I try and keep my client base broad and help all kinds of people in different situations. One session might be a high level executive and the next a CPS case or a foster family. Through all of the diversity, it has always been interesting to me that certain things pop up in clusters. It’s strange. For instance, recently there has been a burst of people that have found their way to me with kids having severe anxiety due to high pressure academic and extracurricular loads. Before that it was a flood of self injury folks. It brings to mind the often used quote, “There must be something in the water.” Lately there is a new trend popping up. I have been seeing more and more people that are struggling with career issues. What follows is a look into one facet of what I have been seeing. I played in an adult kickball league - yes there is such a thing. Don’t judge me. It is a fine sport in which an ice chest and a smoking grill are commonplace within the field of play and October games are often played in Halloween costumes. My team’s first game was a rout and we were mercy ruled: the other team was ahead by twelve runs and the game was discontinued to save what little pride we had left. From an ant pile that approximated a pitcher’s mound, I watched the opposing team score run after run using a very simple method: kick lightly down the third base line and run to first. This simple maneuver guaranteed success 48 | COMPANY MAGAZINE
because the ball was the size and weight of a prize winning pumpkin. It was physically impossible to throw it the distance required to get to the runner out. A combination of nerves, ego and the visions of glory killed any chance we had of success. One by one each player went up and kicked with all they had. One by one each player popped the ball up to someone in the infield and was called out. Literally, all we had to do was kick the ball 8 feet to the left and run, but our egos wouldn’t let us do it. We wanted glory! Because we are conditioned to expect big things, I think we can become preoccupied with them and deviate from what works. There isn’t a whole lot of glory in a succession of base hits. They don’t make movies about folks that grind everyday and achieve their idea of success a little bit at a time. Babe Ruth is still a baseball icon and a household name one hundred years after he played. According to forbes. com, for every 450 at bats he had, he hit 41 home runs. To make the math simple, that is about 1 home run for every ten times he went up to bat. The greatest slugger of all time only hit a home run one in ten times he tried; nine out of ten times he fell short. In our minds, we strut up to the home plate of our lives, we call our shot and let it rip. We are Babe Ruth and we feel like we should crush it and hit it out of the park at every opportunity. In reality, we are often more Al Bundy, falling short. The expectation that we should kill it at each and every effort isn’t where the problem lies, necessarily. The problem is our reaction to the misses. Sometimes when people habitually swing for the fence and fall short they can’t figure out what goes wrong and they get frozen. Failing can become failure.
When a person believes they are the home run hitter and that prosperity is one heroic crack of the bat away, striking out is tough to deal with. The problem can’t be us, or how we are going about out our plan. After all we are Babe Ruth, right. It must be our boss, the system, or the man keeping us down. If you are the home run hitter type that is continually scratching your head about why people that are less able than you are succeeding faster than you, I bet I can tell you what the difference is between you. While you are waiting, planning and getting ready for your at-bat to make the big score, the other guy or gal is doing. They are racking up base hits. They are taking steps forward, one at a time, while you try and figure out how to skip the steps all together. I remember learning in school about kinetic and potential energy. Kinetic energy is movement; it is a boulder rolling down a hill, gaining speed and power. Kinetic energy kicks butt and it takes names: it gets stuff done. Then there is potential energy. Potential energy is the same boulder sitting on the top of that hill waiting for a shove. It might kick butt, it might take names, who knows? It probably thinks that it will be ready if something ever happens, but at this point it is just sitting there doing nothing. For all intents and purposes it’s a boulder: it’s hard, it’s heavy, it’s intimidating, but it isn’t moving. It is just waiting around idly hoping for some external event to send it into motion. Just like with the stationary boulder, all of the skills, talent and experiences in the world that add up to an individual’s “potential” are useless until they are put into motion. They are useless if the individual is waiting around for something to happen.
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Locally owned & operated
Home Care
Hospice Care
Skilled Nursing Therapy Services Medical Social Worker Specialty Programs Home Health Aides
Nursing Care Pain and Symptom Management Emotional and Spiritual Support Hospice Aides Trained Volunteers
37131 IH-10 W., Ste. 400 • Boerne, TX 78006 • 830.331.1291 Visit us on the web at www.allcountyhomecareandhospice.com 50 | COMPANY MAGAZINE
GET MORE VALUE WITH G.J. GARDNER HOMES. N O M AT T E R W H AT Y O U R B U D G E T.
CALL US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE CONSULTATION.
Kyle V. Cox, Architect/Owner/Builder :: 830.249.4952 :: kyle.cox@gjgardner.com :: www.gjgardnerboerne.com