OKC Medical Briefs: December 19, 2001

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Dec 19, 2001 by Kirby Davis

Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma has hired the Tulsa-based firm XOR as its agency of record.

XOR is an advertising/e-marketing firm with offices in Chicago, Boulder and Atlanta. It won a month-long agency review to represent Delta.

XOR is very focused on return-on-investment and demonstrated a solid understanding of our short- and long-term objectives and the role they will play in further advancing Delta's brand and market- leading position, said Tom Searls, corporate communication manager for Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma.

They have developed innovative Web and e-commerce tracking applications and effectively integrated them with more traditional advertising systems to provide their clients with campaign benchmarking, on-going performance assessment and fiscal accountability. We are very impressed with their performance-based approach to advertising and look forward to a long-term association.

Six Oklahoma agencies were invited to participate in the review and complete a comprehensive request for proposal. Two were selected to make formal presentations and received rankings in five key criteria.

As the agency of record, XOR will be involved in Delta's advertising, marketing and e-commerce, including strategic campaign planning, broadcast and print media planning and placement, and creative execution for collateral, broadcast and Web.

This new relationship represents a tremendous opportunity for us to exercise our expertise in results-driven, integrated online and offline marketing, said Eric Waller, senior vice president for XOR. We've been extremely impressed with Delta Dental Plan of Oklahoma's management and marketing savvy through every step of the review process. Effective, exceptional creative comes about when the agency and client are focused on the same objectives. That's what we're working with here.

More than 1,200 Oklahoma dentists participate with Delta, creating the largest network of participating providers in the state. Almost 600,000 Oklahomans carry a Delta Dental ID card. This is equivalent to one in three Oklahomans with dental insurance being covered by Delta. The provider's nonprofit status means nearly 90 cents out of every dollar collected goes to treatment reimbursement.

People

Robert J. Weedn of Duncan, immediate past president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, has been elected to the executive committee of The Forum for Medical Affairs, a national panel that provides programs on issues facing the medical profession.

Jay A. Gregory of Muskogee, past president of the OSMA and its delegate to the American Medical Association, has been elected chair- elect of the AMA's Surgical Caucus. The caucus discusses issues and AMA resolutions relevant to the surgical fiend.

Lara D. Whittington, a third-year medical student at the University of Oklahoma, has been elected a regional alternate delegate to the American Medical Association's Medical Student Section.

William T.C. Yuh has joined the OU Physicians staff as chair of Radiology. The Alabama and Auburn grad came to Oklahoma after serving as medical director of MRI and neuroradiology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. He served additional fellowships in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Body CT at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, Calif., and in Neuroradiology at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City.

John W. Anderson, a specialist in adult and pediatric orthopedics, has joined the staff of Orthopedic Associates. The OU graduate also will practice at the Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon.

Jean Ann Van Krevelen is the new executive director of the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network. The graduate of Phillips University and the University of Denver will oversee statewide services, with offices in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Van Krevelen formerly served as a director with the Eagle Ridge Institute and provided therapeutic services at Northcare Community Center.

Academics

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education have approved a Web-based rehabilitation services graduate degree at the OU College of Allied Health. The master of science degree is designed for occupational therapists and physical therapists who provide early intervention and school-based services for children with disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Working with evening and weekend availability, it will begin with the next fall semester. The university expects applications from around the nation. In the works are similar degrees in musculoskeletal and sports rehabilitation. For details, call Irene McEwen at 271-2131, ext. 47125.

Scientists at the OU Health Sciences Center have secured more than $23.5 million in biomedical research funding from the National Institutes of Health, up nearly $4.5 million from last year.

The OU Center for Alcohol and Drug-related Studies has received funds from the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse for a three-year study on the increasing use of alcohol by Native Americans not living on reservations.