Golf Fans Can Test Drive Surgery Robot at LPGA Tourney

Saturday, March 19 is Scottsdale Healthcare Day at RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup

PHOENIX, March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Golf fans can take a hands-on test drive of the daVinci surgical robot from Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital this Saturday during Scottsdale Healthcare Day at the RR Donnelly LPGA Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110316/DC66567)

Leading surgeons from greater Phoenix will be on hand to answer questions about the daVinci robot and minimally invasive surgery at Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital, located near Desert Ridge.

Drs. JulieAnn Heathcott, Andrew Kassir and Mike Janicek will be on hand between 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. to talk about the northeast valley hospital's newest medical technology including urologic and gynecologic surgery with the robot.

Information about the newest surgical robot to hit the Valley, the Mako RIO system for partial knee replacements, will also be on display with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Stephan Tarlow answering questions.

Scottsdale Healthcare is the official medical sponsor of the RR Donnelly LPGA Founders Cup.

LPGA players Wendy Ward, Cindy LaCrosse and Tiffany Joh toured Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital on Tuesday, meeting orthopedic patients and taking turns on the daVinci robot in the operating room.

"Our patients really enjoyed the player visits and I think the players had fun, too, especially going into the operating room to try our daVinci robot," said Jean Knoedler, hospital administrator. "Desert Ridge is close to Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital so Wendy, Tiffany and Cindy stopped by to say hello and visit. It's nice to have a major LPGA tournament practically next door."

Six-time LPGA winner Grace Park, a Scottsdale resident, will play for the Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation as her designated charity at the Founders Cup. Park noted that her mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and she wanted to choose a local nonprofit involved in cancer treatment and research. Her choice was based on the medical expertise at the nearby Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital and the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare.

Discount tickets to the Founders Cup are being sold through www.ScottsdaleHealthcareTickets.org, with half of the purchase price donated by the LPGA to the Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation:

• Daily Grounds ticket is $15 for any one day of competition Friday-Sunday, regular price is $20.
• Weekly Grounds ticket is $40 for Wednesday-Sunday, regular ticket price is $50.

Scottsdale Healthcare is the community-based, not-for-profit parent organization of Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital, Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center and Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center, the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale Healthcare Research Institute and its philanthropic arm, the Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation. A leader in medical innovation, talent and technology, Scottsdale Healthcare was founded in 1962 and with headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz. For more information, visit www.shc.org.

SOURCE Scottsdale Healthcare