News Briefs BY MEGAN CHILD
New visitor center opens downtown Residents and tourists have a new attraction to visit in Downtown Tucson. The Southern Arizona Heritage and Visitor Center features various exhibits designed to help individuals explore the culture, ecology and landscapes of Southern Arizona. Despite its name, this facility isn’t simply for visitors. The historical center is the starting point for anyone aiming to learn more about Southern Arizona’s culture and heritage. Open seven days a week, the Southern Arizona Heritage and Visitor Center includes a mini-theater and several interactive displays designed to inform, educate and direct folks to other museums, festivals and dining establishments. Before renovations, the Southern Arizona Heritage and Visitor Center stood as a two-pronged effort led by Pima County to not only preserve an iconic landmark, but to also transform it into an economic development asset for the region. “We’ve taken a nearly 100-year-old building that was definitely feeling its age and completely renovated it from basement to dome into a hub of culture and tourism-related information and activities,” Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry says. The visitor center is located at 115 N. Church Avenue. Info: visitsouthernarizona.com.
Tucson Blues Camp: Brews festival 2020 The Southern Arizona Blues Heritage Foundation will host its annual Tucson Blues Camp from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center in Reid Park. This all-day experience features headliner Castro Coleman a.k.a. Mr. Sipp, “The Mississippi Blues Child.” At the age of 6, Coleman began playing the piano, later on establishing an innovative gospel sound with a successful 20-year career in gospel. The foundation’s mission is to preserve and present blues music as a cultural and enlightening experience. Tickets are $22 online in advance, $25 at the gate, and free for children 12 and younger accom-
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panied by adults. Foundation members with membership card and ID are admitted free. VIP packages ($100) and sponsorship opportunities are available. Info: azblues.org.
GPS-guided spine surgery robot a first for Tucson Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital is the first in Tucson to acquire new GPS-guided surgical robot technology to aid surgeons in performing complex spinal fusion procedures. The robot-assisted platform is designed to maneuver surgeons through computer-guided navigation by aligning tools and specific pathways which guide surgeons to precise areas of the spine. This special system acts similar to that of a car’s GPS navigation system by following an individualized map of a patient’s anatomy after body images are imported to the computerized robot. Surgeons then use the recorded pathway for accuracy in size and placement of screws and implants during spine surgery. Minimally invasive surgery combines a surgeon’s understanding of anatomy with X-ray imaging to treat spine conditions using small incisions. The technique permits the surgeon to separate the muscles surrounding the spine rather than cut through them, operating through small incisions along the spine. On the day of surgery, medical images are taken and imported into the GPS system. The surgeon uses these images to determine the size and placement of implants and creates a plan based on the patient’s anatomy. The surgeon then uses this pathway or route to accurately place the implants using instruments. Throughout the procedure, the surgical instruments and implants are continuously displayed on the screen for the surgeon and staff to monitor. This display allows the surgeon to view live feedback during the procedure for more precise implant placement.
Autism Walk planned for April The Autism Society of Southern Arizona will host its 14th annual Autism Walk and Resource Fair in the Kino Park Sports Complex at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, April 4. The resource fair offers food trucks, en-
tertainment and children’s activities, and is designed to provide information to individuals and families affected by autism. The Autism Society encourages all to participate in Southern Arizona’s largest autism event by forming a walk team, attending the resource fair, or making a tax-deductible donation with all funds raised staying in Southern Arizona to support the community. The walk starts at 9 a.m., after registration. For more information regarding registering, sponsoring or volunteering at this event, or to make a donation, visit as-az. org or call the Autism Society of Southern Arizona at 770-1541.
Scams target Pima County citizens for ignoring jury service The Arizona Superior Court in Pima County has recently received several recent reports of jury service scams in Pima County. Someone falsely claiming to be a representative of the court or a law enforcement officer has been calling Pima County residents advising they are being contacted because of their “failure to appear” for jury duty. The caller then advises that because the individual failed to report for jury duty, a monetary fine is subsequently owed. Residents are instructed to pay the fines by purchasing a gift card or “Green Dot” card, which is false information in regard to how Pima County handles failed jury duty appearances. Be aware that this caller is not from the Superior Court, the Tucson Police Department or the Pima County Sheriff Office, although they may come across as convincing and quite persuasive. The court and law enforcement officers will never contact a person by telephone or email and demand payment of a fine to avoid being arrested for failing to appear for jury service. Moreover, court officials and sheriff’s deputies will not become belligerent if one questions them about their request or intentions. Do not make any payments, provide Green Dot card numbers, credit card information, or any other personal information, and never relay a social security number to any persons in question. Individuals who fail to appear for jury duty will be mailed a notice card that reads, “Failure to Ap-
pear.” After a second summons notice, individuals must immediately call the jury office to reschedule their services. Info: sc.pima.gov/jury.
Marana Hospital to open this spring More than 100 local leaders attended a preview and ribbon-cutting event for the new Carondelet Marana Hospital recently, hosted by Carondelet Health Network and the Marana Chamber of Commerce. Carondelet Marana Hospital is expected to open this spring following completion of required licensure. It will offer 24hour emergency care, surgical services and inpatient care, able to admit patients with many different diagnoses and offer 24/7 general surgery, hospitalist and emergency physician coverage. Carondelet Marana Hospital is a “neighborhood hospital” that is smaller than a typical general hospital but able to provide similar services in an efficient, convenient and patient-friendly environment. It is the first hospital for Marana. Designed with a focus on quality health care, convenience and efficiency, the facility is smaller in scale than a typical general hospital. Similar to its larger sister hospitals, Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tucson, the Carondelet Marana Hospital will include an ER, a surgical suite, inpatient rooms, diagnostic imaging and other services such as a laboratory in order to conduct research. Info: carondelet.org.
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