Rather than using a perfectly flat surface, artists might want to consider opting to work from small tray that has a lip around the edge This way when beads spill, they will remain on the tray rather than ending up all over the floor. What happens if they spill anyway? This is a great tip. Simply slip a section of pantyhose over the vacuum cleaner nozzle and it will catch all of the beads and collect them in one place. Then, the bead artist need only hold the hose nozzle over a bowl, disengage the suction and the beads will fall into the bowl.

The third tip involves needle threading. The simple act of applying lip balm prior to threading a needle will cause the wax to coat the thread’s end and keep it from fraying. This makes the threading process much faster and easier.

The fourth tip is to keep the length of thread manageable. A length of from 3-4 feet will help prevent its becoming tangled. Finally, when threading a needle, simply hold the thread so that only a small amount sticks up. Then, carefully place the eye of the needle over the small section of thread and slowly lower it.

Following these tips can make working with beads more pleasant.

Dr. Johnson is a clinical professor of Psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma Medical School and chief clinical officer of Eating Recovery Center (www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com), an international center for eating disorders recovery, providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia, bulimia, EDNOS and binge eating disorder.

“Craig Johnson is one of the most passionate, dedicated and talented clinicians treating eating disorders,” said Lynn Grefe, president and chief executive officer of NEDA. “As a pioneer in the field, he has shared his knowledge generously with all who enter this field, and has been a torch of inspiration for others in the search for more effective treatments.”

Dr. Johnson has been a leader in the eating disorders field for more than 30 years. He has formerly held faculty appointments at Yale, University of Chicago and Northwestern University Medical Schools.

An innovator in eating disorders treatment, Dr. Johnson has built eating disorders programs at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University Medical School, Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital, and has contributed significant clinical expertise to the development of Eating Recovery Center’s programs.

Dr. Johnson has been actively involved in treatment research. As a principal investigator on two National Institute of Mental Health funded collaborative studies, he has made significant contributions to the field’s understanding of the role of genetics in eating disorders and the effectiveness of Family Based Therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. He has authored three books and more than 80 scientific articles.

In his commitment to advancing eating disorders understanding and treatment implications, he has served as founding editor of the International Journal of Eating Disorders, co-founder of the International Conference on Eating Disorders, founder of the Academy for Eating Disorders and co-founder of the Eating Disorders Research Society. He is also a founding member and past president of NEDA.

“It is not hyperbole to say that Craig is our field’s pre-eminent visionary, for it was his prescience and vigor that led to the creation of the Academy for Eating Disorders, now home to research scholars and practitioners alike,” said Michael Strober, PhD, Franklin Mint chair in eating disorders, professor of psychiatry and director of the Eating Disorders Program at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. “There is no doubt that Craig’s legacy will be timeless.”

The 2011 Craig Johnson Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice & Training was awarded to Kelly Vitousek, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii; co-director of the Center for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Honolulu and director of its eating disorders program. She also serves on the editorial board of The International Journal of Eating Disorders.

The construction of a trauma emergency center and eight-story patient tower, in the works since 2003, will soon begin on the west side of Saint Francis Hospital’s main campus at 61st Street and Yale Avenue.

“This will be the biggest expansion in the 51-year history of Saint Francis,” said Jake Henry Jr., president and CEO, at the Sept. 29 groundbreaking.

The $200 million addition, which will be equipped with 235 beds and allow for an estimated 34,000 more patient visits annually, will not only profit Saint Francis, but also be a “significant economic stimulus” for Tulsa, Henry said.

“We’ll see tremendous economic growth opportunities,” agreed Dr. Gerard Clancy, chairman of the Tulsa Metro Chamber.

The construction will bring in nearly 900 workers over a two-year period and alone provide a more than $20 million stimulus, Clancy said. The three-year construction period is projected to contribute more than $5 million in taxes.

Following completion, more than 800 high-paying jobs will eventually be created, as well as new opportunities for University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University medical students. One year of operation will support almost $50 million in income.

“Better health and more jobs — that’s a win-win,” Clancy said.

Overall, he concluded, the expansion will account for about $111 million in growth both directly and indirectly.

When Henry’s team began developing the plans, they were trying to “project what the demands would be in 2015.”

“We planned it well,” he said. “It’s been systematic.

“When complete, it will punctuate Saint Francis’ efforts to meet not only the health care needs of northeastern Oklahoma today, but indeed those of future generations, no matter what future landscape may emerge in health care.”

Despite any governmental or economic plights — “it’s a time when things are rather unsure,” Henry said — health care services will always be indispensable. Rather, the question was “How do we prepare ourselves to deal with changes and challenges?”

“We’ve always had good health care,” he said. “We will continue to expect that. This project will extend the life and the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of Tulsans in the coming decades.”

Henry said Saint Francis currently occupies about 40 percent of the local health care market, and the next closest system occupies less than 30 percent.

The Trauma Emergency Center & Patient Tower, along with the 2008 openings of The Children’s Hospital and Heart Hospital, also on the midtown campus, has gained the hospital an edge over others in the region in the past few years.

“You always look at competitive advantage, and I think this gives us a competitive advantage,” Henry said.

The facility, which will feature a separate pediatric center, intensive care and surgery rooms, a new chapel and convent, an 8,900-SF lobby that will connect all wings of the hospital, and two helicopter pads, will total 500,000 SF, with 50,000 SF of renovated space and 450,000 SF of new construction.

Upon completion of the tower, the total room count for the campus will be more than 1,100.

“The Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy has been bestowed upon some of the most historic aviation leaders in the world, and General Stafford can be certainly included in that list,” said NAA President and CEO Jonathan Gaffney, who chaired the selection committee. “We are honored to be able to present the great trophy to him.”

Stafford will be presented with the award during the Wright Memorial Dinner on Dec. 16 at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

Established in 1948 to honor the memory of Orville and Wilbur Wright, the Wright Trophy is awarded annually to a living American for “significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States.”

“I couldn’t be more pleased for General Stafford,” said Victor Bird, director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, who was one of three aviation officials to nominate Stafford for the Wright Trophy.

“General Stafford is a true aviation pioneer in every sense of the word and definitely deserves this award. His contributions in aviation and space are unmatched,” Bird said.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin also praised Stafford for his pioneering achievements and service to his country.

“I join all Oklahomans in congratulating General Stafford on receiving this prestigious award,” Fallin said. “Our nation owes him a great deal of gratitude for the truly remarkable and far-reaching contributions he has made in aviation.”

Bird said Stafford has been very supportive of various aviation-related issues with which the Aeronautics Commission have been involved, most notably the Aerospace Industry Engineer Workforce Bill in 2008. The measure provides certain tax credits to new engineers in the aerospace industry and to the companies that hire them.

“Late in the legislative session, it appeared that support for the tax credits was waning somewhat; however, General Stafford come to the state Capitol and met with key lawmakers about the importance of the tax credits to Oklahoma’s aerospace industry,” Bird recalled. “It was really amazing seeing all of these legislators pouring out of their offices just to meet him when word got out that he was in the building.”

Bird said he was humbled by Stafford’s willingness to help “seal the deal” with respect to the engineer tax credits measure, and for his unwavering support for other Aeronautics Commission projects and initiatives such as the Aircraft Pilot and Passenger Protection Act. That measure was signed into law in 2010 and protects airports from encroaching development and aircraft from tall structures.

“The general has been one of our most ardent supporters, and we are grateful for his friendship, his candor, his honesty and his wisdom,” Bird said.

U.S. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) agreed with Bird that Stafford’s selection as the 2011 Wright Trophy recipient was well deserved.

“Tom Stafford has been my hero even before his trips to space.  I have been truly blessed to be a close friend of his ever since,” Inhofe said, adding that he and Stafford share a love for aviation.

Inhofe said one of the best kept secrets in Oklahoma is the Stafford Air and Space Museum in Weatherford, birthplace and childhood home of Gen. Stafford.

“When I fly my plane around the state, a frequent stop is in Weatherford where, on many occasions, my brother Tom will walk through the museum with me,” Inhofe said.

Stafford, 81, first fell in love with aviation as small boy growing up in Weatherford. He served many years in the U.S. Air Force flying various types of aircraft; however, it was his time spent at NASA with the Gemini and Apollo missions as well as the Apollo-Soyuz Project that made him a household name.

In December 1965, Stafford took his first space flight when he piloted Gemini VI for the first historic rendezvous in space with Gemini VII. He later would command another Gemini mission that led to Stafford developing the rendezvous techniques essential to every one of the Apollo missions.

Nearly four years later as commander of Apollo 10, Stafford and crewmembers Gene Cernan, a previous Wright Trophy recipient, and John Young helped pave the way for Apollo 11’s historical moon landing two months later. Stafford and crew performed vital photo and radar mapping of the lunar surface that was used by the Apollo 11 crew. Apollo 10 was also the first flight of the lunar module in moon orbit and the first rendezvous between the command module and lunar module while orbiting the moon.

Following his mission to the moon, Stafford headed up the NASA Astronaut Corps where he was responsible for selecting and training crews for the remaining Apollo and Skylab missions.

But perhaps his most memorable mission was in July 1975 when his Apollo spacecraft docked with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, a culmination of a partnership forged between the U.S. and Soviet Union just a few years earlier. The ensuing handshake between Stafford and Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov will forever be remembered as a major milestone in the evolving relationship between the two nations.

In November 1979, Stafford retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant general but not before making another contribution in aviation. His familiarity with stealth technology played a key role in the development of the B-2 stealth bomber. In fact, the story goes that Stafford sketched out specifications on a piece of hotel stationary that eventually led to the development of the B-2.

Stafford continues to make a lasting impact in aviation and aerospace today, serving on various boards, committees and task forces, and appearing before Congress as an advocate for the aerospace industry.

The mission of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission is to promote aviation, which includes ensuring that the needs of commerce and communities across the state are met by the state’s 113 public airports that comprise the Oklahoma Airport System, and fostering the growth of the state’s aerospace industry.