- Good afternoon Fowler Family!
- COVID UPDATE:
- On Wednesday March 17th, Dallas County added 215 cases and 10 deaths
- The vaccines are having an impact and cases are reducing
- FOWLER UPDATES:
- Yesterday, through our partner Faith Presbyterian Hospice, we held a vaccine clinic at FCA independent living!
- We are thrilled – all residents who wanted vaccines had the opportunity
- These residents received the Moderna vaccine – a 2nd dose will be in 28 days
- Kudos to our FCA team for jumping into action as this became available yesterday morning and required immediate action – thank you Lubia, Dwight, Jeana, and San
- Olu and Krystle – our DON and Administrator at PNCC skilled nursing are participating in Project Echo – a national network of skilled nursing professionals who are meeting weekly to collaboratively advance improvements in COVID 19 preparedness, safety and infection control
- Grateful for their commitment and contributions
- We have learned much through COVID and will take these lessons with us to mitigate risk of seasonal flus and other potential health risks
- As we have shared, Texas Health and Human Services is reviewing all COVID protocols due to the new recommendations by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid [CMS] and the Centers for Disease Control [CDC]
- This week, we received our new admission protocols: New residents who have been fully vaccinated will no longer have to isolate for 14 days upon move-in
- This is a welcome change and will help our new residents meet new friends and acclimate to their new home
- We anticipated Visitation protocols to be provided by next week
- Here at Fowler, we have reviewed our life enrichment protocols – our assisted living residents in PNCC will return to in-person small group activities
- FOWLER EVENTS:
- Next week, Dr. Rebecca Bruff was scheduled to speak about her book “Trouble the Waters”. Unfortunately, Rebecca has had to cancel; we will reschedule this book review later
- Operation Clean Sweep – March 31, an all day clean up for all teammates! We will dedicate an entire day to organizing workspaces and storerooms. All team members will participate and receive assignments for the day
- WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
- We will continue our stories of women who have made a difference through their life’s work
- Today we will tell the story of Katherine Johnson
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- Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician whose calculations as a NASA employee were critical to the success of crewed spaceflights
- Katherine was born in West Virginia, the youngest of 4 children. Her mother was a teacher and her father, a lumberman
- Because the county they lived in did not offer public schooling for black children past the age of 8th grade, her parents arranged for their children to continue their schooling on the campus of West Virginia State College
- Upon graduation from High School at the age of 14, Katherine enrolled at West Virginia State where she graduated at age 18 suma cum laude with degrees in mathematics and French
- She taught school for one year, got married and had her first child before choosing to begin graduate work
- She was selected to integrate the graduate school after the 1938 Supreme Court ruled that states that provided public higher education to white students also had to provide it to black students
- In 1952 she learned that NASA was hiring “computers”
- In those days, “computers” were people hired to compute complex equations for the engineers
- Initially segregated, her office was labeled as ‘Colored Computers’ but was fully integrated by 1958
- Johnson worked at NASA from 1952 until her retirement in 1986 contributing valuable and historic calculations
- She calculated the trajectory the Mercury space flight of Alan Shepherd, the first American in space
- She plotted backup navigation charts for astronauts in case of electronic failure
- When NASA used electronic computers for the first time to calculate John Glenn’s orbit around Earth, he refused to fly unless Johnson verified the computer calculations
- She was involved in the implementation of electronic computers by providing the back-up calculations to confirm their calculations – her ability and reputation for accuracy established confidence in the new technology
- She provided the calculations for the Apollo flight to the moon, space shuttles and was working on plans for trips to Mars when she retired
- And she authored 26 scientific papers!
- She was also married and raised 3 daughters
- Her story was told in the book-turned-movie, “Hidden Figures,” though creative license was taken in the portrayal of her segregated workplace
- In an interview years later, Johnson stated that she did not “feel the segregation at NASA because everybody there was doing research. You had a mission and you worked on it, and it was important for you to do your job”
- In 2015, President Obama awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom
- In 2017, she received the Silver Snoopy Award, an award presented by NASA – usually to an astronaut – for safety and mission success
- In 2019 she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal
- In 2021, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame
- Mattel created a Barbie doll in her image
- Two NASA buildings, one spacecraft, and an elementary school bear her name
- Katherine Johnson died February 24, 2020 at the age of 101.
- RESIDENT BIRTHDAYS!
- 3/19- Vivian D (FCA)
- 3/20- Beverly L (PNCC)
- 3/22- Florence W (PNCC)
- 3/22- Barbara M (FCA)
- 3/23- Randi D (PNCC)
- RESIDENT MOVE-IN ANNIVERSARIES:
- Make it a great day on purpose!
All COVID Updates are posted on our website – www.fowlercommunities.org/covid19/
COVID Hotline: Phone: 214-515-7184 • Spanish Speaking Line: 214-515-1385
Email: Covid19info@fowlercommunities.org
COVID-19 Mental Health Support Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week toll-free at 833-986-1919
