Texas Oncology opens new, expanded comprehensive cancer center in Amarillo

Texas Oncology has opened a new 50,000-square-foot cancer center in Amarillo, significantly expanding the capacity of the practice to meet the growing need for cancer care in the Texas Panhandle region. Located at 1826 Point West Pkwy., the comprehensive cancer center provides medical oncology, hematology, gynecologic oncology, radiation oncology, breast imaging, surgical oncology, and colon and rectal surgery.

“As the population of the Texas Panhandle region continues to grow, this new facility will help ensure that cancer patients in Amarillo have access to high-quality care,” said Steven Paulson, M.D., president and chief executive officer. “By providing innovative and individualized care to patients in Amarillo and its surrounding communities, Texas Oncology reinforces its commitment to being the first choice for cancer care across Texas.”

In addition to multi-disciplinary cancer care, the center provides a full-service medically integrated pharmacy, access to clinical trials, genetic testing and evaluation, educational services, and support groups to address patients’ psychological and emotional health. The center also provides 2D and 3D screening and diagnostic mammography through Texas Breast Specialists–Amarillo, which is designated by the American College of Radiology as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence.

“Texas Oncology has deep roots in the Amarillo community, and we’re proud to have served this region for nearly two decades,” said Praveen Tumula, M.D., medical oncologist and area medical director, Texas Oncology–Amarillo Cancer Center. “We want patients and their loved ones to walk into this new facility and feel confident they have the comprehensive care and support they need through every stage of their cancer journey.”

Texas Oncology’s Amarillo staff includes 10 physicians and more than 100 additional clinical and support team members – connected to a medical practice comprising of more than 530 physicians and nearly 6,000 employees across the state. The new Amarillo facility is part of a more than $150 million investment by Texas Oncology in capital improvements statewide over the past six years. Learn more at TexasOncology.com.

Brown & Fortunato announces new attorneys

Brown & Fortunato is pleased to announce that Megan Israelitt and Trey Dumler have joined the firm.

Israelitt is a member of B&F’s Labor and Employment and Litigation Groups. She is currently a member of the State Bar of New Mexico and the District of Columbia Bar.

She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership and a minor in Business Administration, and from the Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law. While in law school, Israelitt was an elected representative to the Student Bar Association, appointed to the Honor Council, and involved in the Constitutional Jurisprudence Clinic. Israelitt also clerked for a civil rights firm in Long Beach, California, where she helped advocate for First and Second Amendment issues. In 2019, Israelitt's independent research article, Is Treason Applied as the Founders Intended? was published online by the National Law Review.

Dumler joined B&F as a member of the Corporate Group where he advises clients on general business matters, including entity formation, corporate governance, business transactions, and contract drafting and negotiation. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Amarillo Area Bar Association, the Amarillo Area Young Lawyers Association, and the American Bar Association.

Born and raised in the Oklahoma panhandle, Dumler received his Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences with distinction from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center’s (OUHSC) College of Allied Health. Following his undergraduate studies, Dumler received his Professional MBA from The University of Oklahoma’s Gene Rainbolt Graduate School of Business with a certificate in Healthcare Administration from OUHSC’s College of Public Health. He went on to earn his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma’s College of Law with a certificate in Business and Transactional Law. During law school, Dumler contributed more than 100 pro bono hours to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Potter County now accepting applications for wildfire recovery assistance

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Executive Director Adam Acker on June 12 announced that applications for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) are now being accepted to address damages from recent wildfires. ECP signup began Monday, June 12, and ends on Friday, July 14.

The approved ECP practices under this authorization include restoring permanent fences and removing debris in preparation for fence restoration. Approved ECP applicants may receive up to 75 percent of the cost of approved restoration activity. Limited resource, socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers and ranchers may receive up to 90 percent cost share.

“Dealing with the impacts of natural disasters is never easy, especially when you have to consider the health and safety of livestock, so if you have an immediate need to begin restoring fences and want to receive ECP assistance, it’s imperative that you call our office for approval before you take any action,” said Acker.

FSA county committees will evaluate applications based on an on-site inspection of the damaged land, taking into consideration the type and extent of the damage. The 2018 Farm Bill increased the payment limitation for ECP to $500,000 per natural disaster event. For more information on ECP, please contact the Potter-Armstrong County FSA office at (806) 468-860, ext. 2 or visit farmers.gov/protection-recovery.

WT engineering professor publishes research into enigmatic knots in DNA, protein chains

CANYON — A West Texas A&M University researcher’s joint study with a faculty member at the University of Texas may help scientists learn more about a knotty problem in humans and animals.

Dr. Mona Ozmaian, WT assistant professor of engineering in the College of Engineering, and Dr. Dmitrii Makarov, UT professor of chemistry, published “Long-lived metastable knots in polyampholyte chains” June 14 in PLOS ONE, an international scientific research journal. Ozmaian and Makarov are researching knots that can form in strands of DNA or protein, similar to the tangled wires of headphones.

“These knots were first observed in biology labs, and scientists believe that many biological chains might develop knots,” Ozmaian said. “However, the role of these knots is not yet entirely understood.”

Ozmaian joined WT in 2022 after earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, a master’s in mechanical engineering and solid mechanics, and a Ph.D. in nanoscience and nanotechnology from Sharif University in Tehran. Makarov, who earned a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the Institute for Chemical Physics in Moscow, has been on UT’s faculty since 2001; he also serves as a core faculty member at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering & Sciences.

Innovation Outpost will address transformative power of Artificial Intelligence at three-day conference, June 26-28

The Innovation Outpost will present a three-day conference in June focusing on the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has the potential to drive growth, productivity, and innovation for businesses of all sizes across the Texas Panhandle.

Texas Panhandle Summit: AI@Work takes place from 3-6 p.m. on June 26, 27 and 28 at the Innovation Outpost, 1220 S. Polk St. The event will feature a dozen esteemed speakers and special guests – industry leaders and local experts.

For more information, to purchase tickets, or to become a sponsor, please visit the website.

The first day’s keynote speaker, Todd McLees, Managing Partner at Innovation Outpost, will kick off the event with his address on “Being Human in the Age of AI.” Gary Bolles, Chair for the Future of Work at Singularity University and author of “The Next Rules of Work,” will also deliver an enlightening talk on the impact of AI at Work.

The second-day centers on the role of AI in optimizing operations, featuring practical insights from local experts, including Rich Gagnon, Assistant City Manager & CIO for the City of Amarillo, and Michael Keough, CTO at Region 16. Michael Shepherd, Sr. Distinguished Engineer, Office of the CTO at Dell, will also take the stage to share his vast experience and forward-thinking perspective on AI technologies.

The final day delves into the expansive realm of machine learning, exploring its potential to redefine business strategies across industries. The day includes a virtual panel of renowned AI company CEOs and industry strategists such as Jean Belanger, Founder & CEO of Cerebri AI, and Maya Mikhailov, Co-Founder & CEO of SAVVI AI.

The Innovation Outposts acknowledges these Summit sponsors: Amarillo College, Amarillo Economic Development Corporation, BOC Bank, the City of Amarillo, and the Innovation Hub at Texas Tech University.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area business news for the week of June 18, 2023