Get to Know Our Staff: Frazet Lankford, IT

Get to Know Our Staff: Frazet Lankford, IT

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite?
I am the executive assistant for Scottish Rite’s IT department. I support leadership by ensuring that daily operations run smoothly.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
What I find most fulfilling is being part of a mission that truly impacts lives. Supporting our IT department means helping provide the tools and systems that empower our teams at Scottish Rite to deliver the best care possible.

What makes Scottish Rite a special place to you?
What makes Scottish Rite special to me is the strong sense of connection from the staff and the relationships we form with our patients and their families truly makes it feel like a family.

What made you choose a career in health care?
My passion for helping others naturally led me to healthcare. The mission we serve is deeply rewarding and gives purposes behind every day I come into the office. Before joining the Scottish Rite family, I dedicated five years to the HR department at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.

What is something unique you get to do in your position?
One unique aspect of my role is that I get to collaborate with our talented IT team whose work directly supports the care and healing of our patients. Being able to see that connection makes my role unique and meaningful.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling and horseback riding.

Do you have any hidden talents?
One of my hidden talents is music. I can sing and play the alto saxophone. I enjoyed being part of my junior high school’s jazz band.

Where are you from and what brought you to DFW?
I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas — a rarity these days!

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Bora Bora has always been a dream destination for me because of the turquoise waters, beautiful beaches and overwater bungalows. It is a slice of paradise, which is the perfect place to relax and recharge.

If you had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would choose lasagna with a caesar salad. I have always loved Italian food because it is flavorful, delicious and filling.

What movie do you think everyone should watch at least once?
“The Ten Commandments” with Charlton Heston.

What is the first concert you attended?
The first concert I attended was Take 6, an acappella gospel group.

What Is your favorite DFW hidden gem?
Sky Blossom Bistro

If you were to have a movie based on your life, which actress/actor would you choose to play your character?
If there were a movie based on my life, I would choose Nicole Ari Parker to play my character.

What is some advice you would give your younger self, OR what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
I would tell my younger self to always lead with kindness and live with gratitude. I try to live by this every day.

Get to Know Our Staff: Lidia Quintero, Environmental Services

Get to Know Our Staff: Lidia Quintero, Environmental Services

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite?
I am the Environmental Services supervisor.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
The most fulfilling part of my job is making a difference in children’s lives. Working daily at this place is a blessing.

What makes Scottish Rite a special place to you?
Scottish Rite is home to me. This place has treated me with such kindness that I cannot put it into words.

What made you choose a career in health care?
I started working in the hospital with the goal of helping others in my capacity. It has become the most joyous time of my entire career.

What is something unique you get to do in your position?
I go to every place in Scottish Rite, including public places and hidden places. You name it!

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
I love to spend time with my family and take care of my granddaughter.

Do you have any hidden talents?
I am a great cook!

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Cancun, because it is the best place to relax.

If you had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Enchiladas. I make the best enchiladas in the world!

What movie do you think everyone should watch at least once?
“Coco”

What is your favorite DFW hidden gem?
Allende Seafood Bar & Grill on Sylvan Ave.

If you were to have a movie based on your life, which actress/actor would you choose to play your character?
Kathy Bates

What is some advice you would give your younger self, OR what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
Be honest and do your best, and the reward will come.

How Danielle Unlocked Her Passion Through Scoliosis Treatment

How Danielle Unlocked Her Passion Through Scoliosis Treatment

Sixteen-year-old Danielle is an innovator at heart. During her scoliosis treatment, she discovered solace in the hum of motors at her school’s robotics club. “Robotics helped me power through my treatment,” Danielle says.

When Danielle was in elementary school, she was diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) at Scottish Rite for Children. AIS is the most common form of scoliosis, affecting children ages 10 to 18. She had a lumbar, or lower spine, curve of 24 degrees. To prevent her curve from progressing, bracing was recommended.

Bracing is a common treatment method for children with scoliosis whose curves measure between 20 to 40 degrees. “Scoliosis was a new word to me,” Danielle says. “No one in my family had it. All I understood was that bracing would avoid the possibility of needing surgery. However, I was nervous about feeling different for wearing a brace.”

An expert clinical team guided Danielle through her spine treatment. Assistant Chief of Staff Brandon A. Ramo, M.D., monitored Danielle’s curve while Orthotist and Prosthetist Manager Kelsey Thompson, C.P.O., L.P.O., created and adjusted her brace. While it took time to adapt to wearing a brace, Danielle shares that her treatment brought her closer to her beloved passion of robotics in eighth grade.

“Once I joined the robotics team, the brace was no longer my focus,” Danielle says. “Robotics gave me something to look forward to everyday. I channeled all my energy into competing with my robotics team.”

After three and a half years of commitment, Danielle was cleared to stop wearing a brace. “The moment my treatment ended, it felt bittersweet,” Danielle says. “It was hard to say goodbye to Dr. Ramo and Kelsey, both of who I have come to know well during my regular check-ups. I am grateful to them for all the care they have given me.”

Danielle plans on taking her experiences at Scottish Rite and applying them to the world of technology. She mentors kids interested in robotics by helping them build the knowledge needed to improve, such as learning engineering, programming or marketing skills. Additionally, she maintains her Scottish Rite connection by being a peer support to other children undergoing bracing for scoliosis.

“Helping others is my way of saying thank you to Scottish Rite,” Danielle says. “Though my brace is gone, the strength, resilience and community I found will remain with me forever.

Do you have a story? We want to hear it! Share your story with us.

Get to Know Our Staff: Elsa Guerrero, Radiology

Get to Know Our Staff: Elsa Guerrero, Radiology

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite?
I am the administrative assistant for the Medical Director and Director of Radiology. My role is to provide administrative support to the leadership team in Radiology and the other radiologists. I work closely with our radiologists to coordinate their schedules. I wear many hats to coordinate different tasks for the Radiology department at both of our campuses, and I am thankful and appreciative of the opportunity.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
I can make a difference within our team. The Radiology team and my other friends in different departments can come to me to receive a warm hug during a tough day. It is truly fulfilling and rewarding to know something as small as a hug can change someone’s day.

What makes Scottish Rite a special place to you?
What makes Scottish Rite special to me is the difference that we make in each child’s life every day.

What made you choose a career in health care?
I think health care chose me honestly because I wanted to be an attorney. My aunt, who is a nurse, thought I would be a good fit at her practice. I was hired on the spot back in 1995. Since then, I spent a majority of my career at Parkland Hospital with the Information Technology and New Construction department as an executive assistant and project coordinator.

What is something unique you get to do in your position?
I get to put my project manager hat on and coordinate the schedule for our radiologists monthly. It is something that is very complex and has many moving parts that must be taken into consideration.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
I enjoy trying different foods from all over the world. I also like to spend time with my friends and family.

Do you have any hidden talents?
I would say doing DIY projects. I have completed an entire home renovation before on one of my homes. I installed the tile and backsplash, textured the walls and put up the Sheetrock.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would love to travel to Rome to visit the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica for the history.

If you had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Chicken and rice. You can prepare these two items in so many ways that you won’t get tired of it. The meal can be something simple that doesn’t consume much of your time to prepare.

What movie do you think everyone should watch at least once?
“Erin Brockovich” is one of my favorite movies. It is a very empowering movie that shows the strength and resilience of a woman who is making a difference in the life of many people who would not have been seen or heard.

What is the first concert you attended?
Pitbull, better known as “Mr. Worldwide.”

What Is your favorite DFW hidden gem?
Celebration Restaurant

If you were to have a movie based on your life, which actress/actor would you choose to play your character?
America Ferrera

What is some advice you would give your younger self, OR what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
The best advice I would give my younger self is to never let the fear of not being enough stop you from becoming the resilient and confident woman you will become later in life.

Kamryn Serves A Comeback After Knee Injury

Kamryn Serves A Comeback After Knee Injury

Kamryn spends most of her time on the volleyball court, a sport she has loved since high school. She makes an impact at the net as a server for her college’s volleyball team. The talented 19-year-old was recently recognized as an all-conference player, an honor voted on by her teammates and coaches to celebrate her standout performance and presence on the team. Kamryn reflects on her journey back to the sport, highlighting the support she received at Scottish Rite for Children as key to her healing.

During a volleyball game in high school, Kamryn felt a painful sensation in her left knee. Later, her knee began to swell, prompting Kamryn and her family to seek medical attention at a nearby facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Their family decided to seek a second opinion at Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center in Frisco, Texas. Certified pediatric nurse practitioner Chuck Wyatt, M.S., CPNP, RNFA, evaluated Kamryn’s knee, unveiling her true diagnosis. “I was expecting an injury to my meniscus,” Kamryn says. “When the MRI showed that I had OCD, I remember saying, ‘OCD, what is that?’”

OCD, or Osteochondritis dissecans, is a condition that affects the joint, or the place where two bones meet. OCD in the knee occurs when a part of the bone and the cartilage covering it begins to soften, crack or even separate due to a lack of blood supply. This often causes knee pain, joint weakness and swelling. Though it can happen to anyone, OCD is seen frequently in children and teens who participate in sports that require a lot of running or jumping, like volleyball.

After learning the news, Kamryn and her parents discussed a treatment plan with Assistant Chief of Staff Philip L. Wilson, M.D., pediatric orthopedic surgeon and director of the Center for Excellence in Sports Medicine. Together, they decided that surgery was the best option to heal Kamryn’s knee. “I knew if anyone could help me get the best outcome, it would be with Dr. Wilson,” she says.

Dr. Wilson performed surgery to repair the damaged area of cartilage and bone in Kamryn’s knee. After surgery, Kamryn and her family drove from their home in Fort Worth to Frisco weekly for physical therapy. During her sessions with sports physical therapist Rushi Patel, P.T., D.P.T., SCCE, Kamryn did aquatic therapy to regain strength in her knee. She used the therapy pool to regain her range of motion and mobility, as well as completing at-home exercises.

After several months of healing, Kamryn returned to the court to finish her high school years of volleyball. Now, Kamryn majors in nursing with the goal of providing the same level of care that she received to patients in the future. “I never felt fearful that my injury would stop me because I had the best team at Scottish Rite,” Kamryn says. “They gave me the hope and chance to play the sport I love. Now, I hope I can pay it forward to others.”

Do you have a story? We want to hear it! Share your story with us.