Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Retired School Personnel (CRSP) held its last meeting of the 2022-2024 term Thursday, April 25, at Ranchers’ Steakhouse at 10 a.m.
Delegates to the state convention in Corpus Christi April 15-17 were Gail Johnson, JoAnn Sugg, and Gayla and Gerald Linton. They gave a brief report on information shared by our state organization regarding membership, number of COLAs and stipends given out (first cost-of-living increase for retired school personnel in about 20 years), the stability of TRS, and plans to redesign the TRS website in mid-2024. In 2017, TRS Care was in trouble, and some difficult decisions had to be made to save it. Currently, TRS Care is in good shape. In May 2024, TRS will recommend the board open up enrollment for the Medicare Advantage TRS program for 2025-2026. Members can re-enroll. Then, at the July 2024 meeting, TRS will recommend lower premiums in the future. Statewide total of community volunteer hours in 2023 was 5,133,446 hours (our chapter donated 83,968 hours). Statewide, TRTA members distributed 141,582 books through the Children’s Book Project (our chapter’s total was 32,315 books). New state officers were installed for the next two years.
The program was presented by Emily Wuenschel PA-C. She was a 2010 graduate of Gatesville High School and an honor graduate of Temple College, where she played softball. She continued her education at Texas State University in San Marcos and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a minor in biochemistry. She holds a Master of Physician Assistant from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and was an interprofessional scholar. Wuenschel enjoys helping patients, coaching softball and hiking. She loves spending time with her husband, Matthew, and daughter. She is the daughter of Tom and Mary Anne Leib and the granddaughter of Bill and the late Ollie Loggins.
Wuenschel’s program on “Health and Wellness” covered several topics. First, she discussed preventative measures older people can use, such as vaccines for COVID, shingles, pneumonia, and flu. There are other tests your doctor can recommend to help detect problems you or he may suspect, such as regular mammograms and colonoscopies (cancer detection), bone density tests (for osteoporosis), etc. Secondly, there are measures you can take to make your house safer and prevent falls. This could include installation of handrails for porches or steps and in showers; providing adequate lighting on stairways, in darker areas of the house, and outside; removing or relocating throw rugs. Physical therapy is also available to help strengthen muscles and improve difficulties involving walking and balance. Thirdly, make use of your free wellness checks with your primary doctor. This is a time when you can ask questions about problems and concerns you may have. Use this time to discuss new (or old) issues that are bothering you. If your doctor doesn’t know what problems you may be having, he cannot help you. And lastly, be careful with medications you may be using. Some medications have bad side effects just by themselves; others can cause problems by the way they interact with other medications you are using. The pharmacist and your doctor can help you with these reactions, some of which may be very bad, or even fatal. Wuenschel also mentioned that patients should have an advanced directive drawn up, with a copy provided to the hospital, your doctor and your family.
The last order of business was the installation of local officers for our chapter. JoAnn Sugg, who has served as District XII president for the last two years, installed new officers, as follows: Kathy Smith, secretary; Gail Johnson, treasurer and immediate past president; Marsha Lee, 2nd vice president; Gayla Linton and Debbie Grmela, copresidents. Not Pictured: Charlott Chambers, 1st vice president.
Reminders: (1) Dues of $45 ($35 for state and $10 for local) are due by June 1. (2) May 21 is the date for the District XII meeting at the Education Service Center in Waco from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Lunch is provided. Please let Gail Johnson know if you plan to attend.
