BSA Health System: First in West Texas to use new da Vinci 5 for robotic surgery
BSA Health System recently announced the successful completion of the first surgeries in West Texas using the state-of-the-art da Vinci 5 robotic assisted surgical system. As the only hospital in West Texas to acquire and perform procedures with this advanced technology, BSA said it is setting a new standard for exceptional healthcare services in the Texas Panhandle.
“We are thrilled to be the first health system in West Texas to utilize the new da Vinci 5,” said Jerome Brooks, Chief Operating Officer at BSA Health System. “This cutting-edge technology underscores our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care to our community.”
The da Vinci 5 is designed to enhance surgeon precision and improve patient outcomes. Featuring over 150 new enhancements, this advanced surgical system includes a next-generation 3D display and cutting-edge image processing, allowing surgeons to see and feel more during minimally invasive procedures. The new surgeon controllers provide smoother, more precise movements. Patients benefit from shorter hospital stays, reduced blood loss, a lower risk of infection and minimal scarring. This level of technology ensures that patients in our community can receive care locally, eliminating the need to travel far from home.
“This system represents a significant leap forward in robotic surgery,” said Sam Kirkendall, MD, General Surgeon at BSA Amarillo Surgical Group. “It is an honor and an exciting opportunity to be the first surgeon at BSA to use the da Vinci 5. This advanced technology allows us to provide our patients with the highest level of care, ensuring better outcomes and faster recoveries.”
For more information about the da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system and its impact on surgical care at BSA Health System, visit bsahs.org/robotics.
Lemonade Day, Kendra Scott join forces for promotion June 12
Lemonade Day and Kendra Scott are joining forces to celebrate youth entrepreneurship and the launch of the jewelry company’s Fruit Novelty Necklace Collection on Wednesday, June 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at 19 Texas area Kendra Scott locations, including Amarillo at 7701 I-40 W No. 624 at the Westgate Mall.
Other locations include various stores in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Killeen, Houston, McAllen and San Antonio.
Lemonade Day youth across Texas will set up their stands in Kendra Scott stores across Texas, joining in the excitement of Kendra Scott’s newest collection that aligns with Lemonade Day’s mission of teaching business, entrepreneurship and financial skills to young people. The fruit novelty collection will consist of six styles, including three necklaces, two earring styles and a bracelet. The favorite style for Lemonade Day supporters, the lemon pendant necklace will retail for $55.
In addition to the launch event, supporters can further contribute to Lemonade Day’s mission by using the code GIVEBACK-LEMONADE from June 12 to 14 when making purchases online or in-store at Kendra Scott. By using this code, 20% of the proceeds will be donated to Lemonade Day.
For more information about Lemonade Day and upcoming events, visit https://lemonadeday.org/
Special Olympics Kickball Tournament supported by local restaurants
On Saturday, June 15, Special Olympics athletes from across the region will compete in a kickball tournament, sponsored by local restaurants who joined forces to support the cause. All-day fundraisers next week at four different restaurants in Amarillo will raise money for Special Olympics Texas.
Fundraisers will be held on Monday, June 10 at Nothing Bundt Cakes, 2303 S. Georgia; Tuesday at Belmar Bakery, 3325 Bell St.; Wednesday at Spicy Mike’s BBQ, 6723 S. Western St.; and Thursday at Bubba’s 33, 2813 W. I-40.
The kickball tournament takes place Saturday, June 15, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Southeast Complex, 4301 S. Osage St.
Xcel Energy grant providing cost breaks, more for WT engineering campers
CANYON — A gift to West Texas A&M University from the Xcel Energy Foundation is helping area schoolchildren explore new horizons.
The company’s charity foundation gave a $20,000 grant to WT’s College of Engineering, officials announced recently. A portion of the funds reduced the cost for area students to attend in WT’s Engineering and Computing Camp June 3-7 and provided additional program funding for the camp, which offers classes for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Ten incoming freshmen for the fall attended the camp, and many students in WT’s PreUniversity Program were campers, as well.
“The Xcel Energy Foundation is excited to be a part of how West Texas A&M University encourages and provides a unique experience for young people to learn and have hands-on opportunities with STEM,” said Stephanie Peña, Xcel’s manager of social investments. Many campers were nominated by their teachers in surrounding schools, said Dr. Emily Hunt, dean of the College of Engineering. And their lessons go beyond the basics of welding.
“We firmly believe in the importance of introducing the concept of social responsibility through engineering and computing,” Hunt said. “As these fields converge with the rise of artificial intelligence, it’s crucial for young minds to consider the long-term impacts of their designs on people and the environment. The camp serves as a significant reminder to the faculty and staff of the College of Engineering about our impact on future generations.”
The grant also will fund new equipment for WT’s electrical engineering labs, including multiphase meters, dual DC power supplies, an oscilloscope and more.
Dr. Stephanie Hart named to lead WT’s Center for Learning Disabilities
CANYON — A longtime teacher of children with special needs has been selected as the new director of West Texas A&M University’s Center for Learning Disabilities. Dr. Stephanie Hart, who joined WT’s Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences in 2022, was named to the position in May.
“The Center has a long history of serving parents and teachers of children with special needs,” Hart said. “It has always been important to me in my career to be able to help parents and teachers learn how to support these students, and I am excited to be even more involved with the outreach and research we do at the Center.”
With her appointment as director, Hart also will be named WT’s Lanna Hatton Professor of Learning Disabilities. The Center for Learning Disabilities was established to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities and their parents, as well as assisting teachers in understanding disabilities and possible strategies to help students cope and learn in the classroom. It was designated a Center of Excellence by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in 2013.
Hart currently teaches in WT’s educator preparation and educational diagnostician programs, including courses in behavior management, low incidence disabilities, collaboration, adolescents, and foundations of special education. She also has served on the CLD’s planning committee and advisory board. Hart steps into positions previously held by Dr. Michelle Simmons, who will remain on the faculty.
Generation Next: Our Turn to Ranch online course now registering, begins Aug. 19
The Generation Next: Our Turn to Ranch 12-week online course is open for registration. The program, offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, takes place Aug. 19-Nov. 20.
The course fee is $300, and online registration is required at https://tx.ag/GenNext. The course includes expert instruction on everything from starting a new agriculture business or enterprise to tax implications and insurance needs to developing grazing or wildlife leases.
“Across Texas, we’re seeing individuals who may or may not have experience in agriculture or natural resource management inheriting or purchasing agricultural lands,” said Megan Clayton, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist and professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Uvalde. “The Generation Next curriculum is specifically designed to empower these landowners with the knowledge and resources needed to start a new agricultural operation, improve an existing one or manage the land to meet their specific stewardship goals.”
Participants can expect to spend roughly two hours per week on the lessons and activities and can participate at their convenience. Enrollees will learn from experts regarding land management techniques and resources, alternative ranching operations, ecotourism opportunities, insurance and tax considerations, direct marketing and more.
Upon course completion, receive a Generation Next certificate and T-shirt. Since beginning in 2019, the online program has reached 744 landowners. For more information, contact Clayton at 830-988-6123 or Megan.Clayton@ag.tamu.edu.
Center for Women Entrepreneurs launches virtual training program for startups
DENTON — The Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership’s Center for Women Entrepreneurs (CWE) at Texas Woman’s University has launched a virtual training program to help early-stage entrepreneurs get their businesses up and running.
The CWE will begin accepting applications for the CWE Virtual Accelerator starting June 11. The training program will work through the KauffmanFastTrac curriculum, which aims to lower barriers to entrepreneurship by providing practical learning materials, delivered online through teaching partners, including The Center for Women Entrepreneurs. To learn more about the Kauffman Foundation, visit www.kauffman.org.
In addition, businesses wishing to apply for the virtual accelerator program must submit a completed online application by June 24. The training program starts on July 11. For more information and to apply, visit https://twu.edu/center-women-entrepreneurs/virtual-accelerator/ .
Technical Solutions launches program to backup Microsoft 365 for local businesses
Technical Solutions, a managed technology services provider, has announced the launch of a comprehensive program designed to backup Microsoft 365 and safeguard data for small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs).
Gene Wells, President of Technical Solutions stated, “Many companies are outsourcing the backup of their data to Microsoft, assuming that their information is secure. However, this approach leaves them vulnerable, as organizations have limited access to recover data immediately in the event of a data loss incident. With our program, businesses can rest assured knowing that their data is backed up securely and that we have access to facilitate data restoration when needed.”
With the increasing reliance on cloud-based solutions like Microsoft 365 for storing business data, Technical Solutions recognized the importance of taking proactive measures to secure this valuable information. Unlike other backup solutions that charge based on data usage, Technical Solutions offers a cost-effective, flat-rate pricing model, guaranteeing data retention, as well as unlimited storage for seven years.
For more information on Technical Solutions, call (806) 352-1309 or visit www.askts.com.
2024 Spaceport America Cup Set for June 17-22
LAS CRUCES, NM – Spaceport America and the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA) have announced the 2024 Spaceport America Cup. Presented by lead supporter OnShape (a PTC company), the latest edition of the world’s largest intercollegiate rocketry competition is set to take place June 17-22 in Southern New Mexico.
The Spaceport America Cup is the world’s largest intercollegiate rocketry engineering contest (IREC) and has been held in New Mexico since 2017. Drawn by the opportunity to collaborate and compete at a world-class spaceport facility, 152 student teams represent the best and brightest from colleges and universities in 20 countries. The Spaceport America Cup will kick off in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with a full schedule that includes presentations and displays at the Las Cruces Convention Center on June 18, followed by three and a half days of rocket launching at Spaceport America’s vertical launch area in Sierra County, with the closing ceremony in the evening of June 22 at the Pan American Center on the campus of New Mexico State University.
Visitors are encouraged to attend the opening day at the Las Cruces Convention Center free of charge and must pre-register to attend the launches at Spaceport America which are also open to the public. Weekly passes to view the launches can be found and purchased at https://spaceportamericacup.com/. Pricing is $16 for adults and $9 for ages 18 years and under.
Walmart announces bonus program for Texas employees
Walmart hourly store associates in Texas received great news this week: The company is starting a new annual bonus program for eligible full- and part-time hourly associates in stores, including hourly associates in the pharmacy and optical departments. Associates must be employed with the company for one year to be eligible; that means approximately 73,000 of the hourly store associates in Texas are eligible for this new bonus, a news release said.
The Associate Bonus for eligible full- and part-time store hourly associates rewards long-term service- the longer an associate is with the company, the higher their bonus potential is, up to $1,000 a year. The bonus is one of four new ways Walmart announced that it is investing in its people. The company has launched the Associate to Technician program, a new program to help address the skilled trade labor shortage and create new career opportunities at Walmart. The program provides front-line associates with the training and pathways to move into higher-paying technician jobs in our stores and supply chain facilities.
Walmart is also doubling the number of skills certificates available through the Walmart-paid Live Better U (LBU) benefit that will help fast-track front-line associates into the 100,000 higher-paying and in-demand jobs at Walmart over the next three years. A new Total Pay & Benefits feature in the Me@Walmart app gives store associates the opportunity to quickly and easily see their pay, 401k, Associate Stock Purchase Plan, benefits and more.