Hewitt, Hall win honors from state optometrists

The Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians has named Don Hewitt of Oklahoma City the 2001 Optometrist of the Year.

David K. Hall of Okmulgee was named the Young OD of the Year, honoring an optometrist who has been active for less than 10 years.

Hewitt, a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and Columbia, began his private practice in 1961, after serving with the U.S. Army Medical Service Corp. He has presided over the Capitol Hill Jaycees, the South Oklahoma City Rotary Club and the South Branch of the YMCA while being involved in the Boy Scouts of America and the South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. He represented the Rotary Club in helping Grant High School launch its foreign exchange student program, and has coordinated the Capitol Hill Lions Optometric Center.

"Dr. Hewitt has made it his life's work to better our profession and make a difference in his community," noted Troy Smith, president of the OAOP.

A graduate of the Northeastern State University College of Optometry, Hall has been in private practice for eight years. He is the president of the Okmulgee Rotary and sits on the board of directors for the Main Street program and the Okmulgee Homeless Shelter. He also serves the Okmulgee United Way fund-raising committee and the Okmulgee Church of Christ.

Other people

Marilyn B. Escobedo will hold the Reba McEntire Endowed Chair in Neonatology at the Children's Medical Research Institute. Escobedo, the chief of neonatal/perinatal medicine at Children's Hospital, plans to establish and expand the research efforts in neonatology. The institute has five clinical research projects underway, all national multicenter trials.

Novazyme

Novazyme Pharmaceuticals has received orphan drug status for its proprietary treatment for Mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I). This notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration represents the second orphan designation for the Oklahoma City company's attempt to help treat lysosomal storage disease patients.

"We are extremely pleased with this validation of our technology and the efficiency of which it was granted from the FDA," stated John F. Crowley, president and chief executive of Novazyme. "MPS I is a severely debilitating disease and we look forward to rapidly moving NZ-1002 into human clinical trials by the end of 2001."

Orphan drug designation qualifies Novazyme to receive certain benefits such as tax credits and marketing exclusivity from the government in exchange for developing NZ-1002. The FDA may grant orphan drug designation to drugs intended to treat a rare disease or condition. If approved, a drug with orphan designation generally receives seven years of market exclusivity.

Other business

Researchers at the OU Health Sciences Center are working with the OSU-OKC Emergency Medical Services program and the Oklahoma Department of Health to study elderly patient care training of EMS professionals. Robert Salinas is coordinating the four-phase study with Luis F. Amador and Migy Mathew of the OU Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatric Medicine and Russ Calhoun, clinical coordinator of the OSU-OKC program.

Events

At 1 p.m. Thursday, the Oklahoma Board of Chiropractic Examiners will begin its monthly board meeting at 310 NE 28th St., suite 203.

At 4 p.m. Thursday, Baruch S. Blumberg, of the NASA Astrobiology Institute and the University of Pennsylvania, will present the inaugural lecture of the Sen. Penny Williams Distinguished Lecture Series on the Arts and Sciences at the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics. For details call 522-7803.

At 9 a.m. Monday, the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology will present a free conference on bioinformatics at the OU Health Sciences Center Robert M. Bird Auditorium. The speakers will include Charles W. Caldwell and Adam L. Asare of the University of Missouri Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, plus R. Joseph Stanley of Mizzou's Department of Computer Engineering at Rolla. Registration closes today; call Dan Luton at 524-1357, ext. 232, or Cheryl Stratton, 524-1357, Ext. 228.

At 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, OCAST will open the 15th Annual Health Research Conference at Langston University -- OKC. Speakers will include state Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin and Gerald Selzer from the National Science Foundation. Researchers from Oklahoma State University, OU, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and the Lynn Institute, representing 66 of the most cutting-edge research projects funded by OCAST, will display posters illustrating their work beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Langston conference room. For more information, contact OCAST at 524-1357.

On April 27, Dale and Dar Emme of Westminster, Colo., will present their "Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program" to the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association during its annual convention in Afton. For details, call 528-4848.

Etc.

At 12:30 p.m. April 25, Kristi Self will discuss concepts of rehabilitation in a free presentation at St. Anthony Hospital. Space is limited for the St. Anthony Foundation Community Lunch; call 272- 7070 to reserve a seat.

At 3 p.m. April 30, Midwest Regional Medical Center will host the first in a six-week grief recovery series. For details on the free workshop with Hospice of Oklahoma County, call 610-3627.

On May 4-6, the Mid-American Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America will hold a trap shoot at the Oklahoma Trapshooters Association in El Reno. The entry fee is $140. For details, call 721- 7168.

At 6:30 p.m. May 9, parental and classroom management consultant Jim Fay will lead a free presentation at the Deaconess Medical Offices North. Register by calling Deaconess HealthLink at 848-4079.

Kirby Lee Davis welcomes your comments and contributions. You may reach him by phone at 278-2843, by fax at 278-2890 or by e-mail, kdavis

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