This audience picture does not include social distancing and other pandemic guidelines that will be part of future gatherings.
Phyllis Ketring
Health Night Out (HNO) has become a SaddleBrooke tradition. For about 23 years, medical and health professionals have driven to SaddleBrooke to give an evening presentation. For some, it is a lengthy drive. Occasionally, a doctor even arrives in scrubs after a late surgery.
As with so many SaddleBrooke activities, this one began with a person who saw a need and found a way to fill it. At first, people new to Arizona were faced with the challenge of finding a good medical provider. Then, as their own medical needs changed, they needed to learn about different specialties. What better way to introduce people to the Tucson medical community than with a monthly presentation?
How are speakers found? The HNO committee receives recommendations from local hospitals as well as requests from doctors. Residents are always the best source of referrals because they can vouch for their positive experience with a practitioner. Residents also often recommend a field of medicine of great interest or one which has new technological developments. The mission of SaddleBrooke Health and Wellness is to match presentations with the diverse medical interests in our community.
The event gives you much more time with a doctor than you might have in the office. You learn the doctor’s education and experience and hear them express their knowledge and philosophy of treating patients. Doctors also patiently answer questions and often wait after the formal presentation to address individual issues.
Over the years, Health Night Out has grown from a relatively small group to a group that often fills the MountainView Ballroom. For the first time in its history, this popular event has been silenced temporarily by the COVID-19 virus. Current plans are to resume the activity in August based on MountainView’s reopening guidelines.
Health Night Out is a free, volunteer-driven event offered by SaddleBrooke Health and Wellness. Updates will appear in both SaddleBrooke newspapers. The website, sbseniors.org, can make same-day changes so that site will carry the very latest schedule for Health Night Out in this unusual time of change.