Education

The future of medicine has a solid foundation in Prescott. Surgeon Shane Monnett has used a three-armed robot to successfully complete his 100th robotic surgery at Yavapai Regional Medical Center in Prescott.

The robotic surgery method, known as the da Vinci Robotics System, makes the surgery more precise and the recovery faster.   

Dr. Monnett said completing 100 surgeries of this type would not have been a big deal if only half of them were successful, but so far, he’s had a 100% success rate.

Monnett arrived at YRMC six months ago, but has been specializing in this robotic surgery for 12 years. “This is space-age medicine. This is one of the trends of the future. We are just catching up with medical trends outside of Prescott, just like most rural areas. Patients don’t have to go to Phoenix for this anymore,” he said.

YRMC can now do rectal or colon cancer surgeries, which it had not been able to do previously. The robotic method has been so successful that the hospital is booked until January and two new surgeon partners will join Monnett’s team by the end of the year.

“This way, we will be able to do more sooner,” he said.

Monnett grew up in Wickenburg and has spent the last 12 years in Charleston, West Virginia, specializing in robotic surgery.

“It means we only have to make small incisions and it takes out the fatigue factor for the doctor. Yesterday, I removed a rectal tumor and the patient went home today without any pain or medication,” he said, adding that a massive tumor removed from a colon usually takes a seven-day recovery period, but with the robot, it takes just two.

As a result, he says, patients have less exposure to infections that occur in hospitals, because they are released sooner. “Patients are back on their feet quicker, so they are less likely to get blood clots or pneumonia.”

Since its introduction, the da Vinci system has been used in multiple disciplines, including urology, gynecology, heart, stomach, colon and general surgery. “We are incredibly proud of our surgical team and the staff who have embraced this technology and worked diligently to achieve this milestone,” said Monnett. “The da Vinci Robotics System has not only improved patient outcomes but also broadened the range of surgical options available in our community.”

The robotic surgeries are not more expensive than conventional surgeries and are covered by insurance like any other surgery, he said. “I like to do what’s more affordable.”

Monnett oversees the robotic surgeries, along with surgical technicians Elizabeth Dubois and Alicia Ball. Most of the robotic surgeries take only an hour, he says. The robot is battery operated. It is plugged in while it’s working.

When patients first hear about the robotic surgery, they often have concerns that the robot is working by itself, but it is not, says Monnett, as the doctor and surgeon assistants are always there. “This is a team sport, just like any surgery.” QCBN

By Stan Bindell, QCBN

Photo by Stan Bindell: Dr. Shane Monnett says that with robotics surgery, patients are back on their feet quicker and are less likely to get blood clots or pneumonia. 

Some say that if your beauty products aren’t safe enough to eat, they may not be that good to put on your body. With Garden of Eden Organics (GEO), owner Amelia Danoff says this is not a concern with her products.

Now living in Sedona, this Boston-born and raised 25-year-old is taking skin care and body deodorizers to a whole new level with products that she says are safe enough to eat. “Our skin, especially sensitive areas, are the most absorptive to your bloodstream. The chemicals in most deodorants and beauty creams can be damaging to your entire system.”

It all started when Danoff was having disruptive skin issues when she was using standard deodorants. “Aluminum-based deodorants were compromising my skin and I was dealing with skin abrasions and rashes. After doing some research, I started to feel very uncomfortable about some of the ingredients contained in deodorants. A friend advised that if you couldn’t pronounce them, then they might not be good for you. As I got older, I became more conscious of what I was putting into my body, not only with food but products, too.”

The solution to Danoff’s sensitive skin reactions and concerns about ingredients was to handcraft the products herself. Now, many of her customers are very thankful.  

“I’m a holistic health and wellness coach and as you can imagine, using clean, natural products is very important to me,” said Empowering Wellness owner Krista Arnaudo, based in Cottonwood. “Amelia has such a beautiful integrity about what she uses in her products by making a line of clean and natural products that are non-toxic. My favorite is her deodorant, which is targeted to keep odor down and keeps me fresh throughout the day, even during workouts. I give her five stars.”

Going back to her younger days, Danoff recalls her interest in making products. “I remember taking small, travel-size bottles and mixing creams to make potions. Then I would create a stand in our driveway and pretend to sell the products to my family. It’s funny, because it’s kind of what I’m doing now – but on a much larger scale, of course.”

Danoff attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and graduated with a degree in Italian studies.  She credits her grandmother, Sue Kuan, for sparking her curiosity about beauty products. “My first skin care tip was from my grandmother, who takes banana peels and rubs them on her face.  She is into her 80s and has the most amazing skin. She has no wrinkles.”

Working at farmers markets in Flagstaff and the Verde Valley, Danoff also is selling her products at Chocolita Downtown on South San Francisco St. in Flagstaff.

“Customers have commented on her wonderful scents, especially the gardenia face moisturizer,” said Chocolita Downtown owner Sarah Ann Lesslie. “Amelia pays such attention to detail with her packaging. And her products not only smell incredible but are very effective. On top of that, she is such a sweetheart and great to work with.”

Living and hiking in Sedona has inspired Danoff’s products. “The ingredients I use in my products are straight from nature, and hiking in the majesty of the red rocks has not only inspired how I make my products but also my packaging,” she said.

After producing her deodorant paste, she then moved into solid fragrances. “These are solid form essential oil scents in recyclable push up tubes. I have five scents, and customers love them because of their portability. The bestsellers are my sandalwood and gardenia. I source my essential oils from reputable companies.”

Harvesting rosemary, peppermint and other herbs in her garden, Danoff’s product list continues with a Beef Tallow Moisturizer (another bestseller), a Rosemary Hair Oil, a range of nine lip balms produced from Sperry Farm Honey beeswax, plus candles and spray deodorants. She is in the process of reformulating her ultra-light moisturizer.

“I’ve only been in business for six months, but my products have really taken off. My most recent creation is an essential oil car diffuser that’s ready to sell. I’m just waiting for labels.”

The GEO products are all free of aluminum, parabens, phthalates, talc and synthetic fragrances. QCBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN

For more information about GEO, visit www.gardenofedenorganix.com.

Photos by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: Garden of Eden Organics founder Amelia Danoff sells her all-natural skin care products at the Verde Valley Farmers Market in Camp Verde and in Chocolita Downtown in Flagstaff.

Since its founding on Oct. 28, 1949, the Mountain Artists Guild (The Guild) has been instrumental in supporting Prescott artists and helping them improve their skills. Well known for the role it played in George Phippen’s art career (The Phippen Museum), The Guild became a creative arts and social hub, shaping Prescott as a cultural and visual arts center.

“George Phippen, as one of the original founders of The Guild, and countless others in the past 75 years, have honed their skills through their membership in The Guild,” said Guild Board Member Donald Hildreth.

75th Anniversary Gala Celebration, Fundraiser

“To mark this significant milestone, we are excited to host our 75th Anniversary Gala Celebration and Fundraiser, 5-7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 18, featuring a show of traditional and contemporary art that celebrates our culturally diverse heritage, environment and community. Beginning at $85, tickets include a drink coupon with appetizers, and can be purchased on Mountain Artists Guild’s website or its donation site at https://donorbox.org/events/656548. Sarah Phippen is the guest speaker and space is limited, so we encourage you to register today,” said The Guild Treasurer Dawn Zintel. “Proceeds from ticket sales, sponsors and the silent auction will support our capital campaign to refresh our building (classrooms, galleries and library), as well as replace our parking lot. These projects will require approximately $200,000 to $250,000. As we proudly celebrate our 75th anniversary, we reach out to our community for support to continue our mission at 228 N. Alarcon Street.”

Longtime Supporter of Prescott Arts

As a membership-driven organization, for decades, The Guild has supported and educated artists of all ages and awarded scholarships to talented high school students pursuing art in college. Understanding the crucial role of creativity in child development, The Guild has offered after-school and summer art programs since the early 2000s. More recently, in collaboration with the Prescott Veterans Administration, The Guild began offering Veterans Art classes in 2021, recognizing the therapeutic power of art for those who have served.

The Mountain Artists Guild (The Guild) is Prescott’s only arts-focused 501(c)3 that is member-based and run. Beginning with 25 members, including founder George Phippen, and now numbering more than 200, The Guild is dedicated to fostering the education and appreciation of the visual arts in Yavapai County, through its galleries, classrooms and independent artist studios at its home at 228 N. Alarcon St., in Prescott. QCBN

For more information, visit mountainartistsguild.org.

Julie Sullivan Brace is accustomed to wearing many hats. After 46 years as a highly successful art director and graphic designer, including 35 years in Northern Arizona, she is slowly and joyfully easing into retirement from her Shine Creative Industries design and marketing firm, as she builds a new venture, the Musical Meanderings Series, an extension of her Roots and Boots Music Camp (RBMC), started in 2019 and inspired by the bluegrass tradition.

This musical move is not a big stretch, as Sullivan Brace is an accomplished guitarist and songwriter who is also well known for co-founding Pickin’ in the Pines, the beloved bluegrass and acoustic music festival, now in its 18th year in the cool September pines of Fort Tuthill.

Today, she hopes to aim for a larger view, beyond retirement. “The story of me retiring is kind of boring and old,” she said. “I’ve always had the sideline of music, but now I’m transitioning to really just only music, including performing and curating these events.”

Her passion for music began early in life when she learned to play guitar at 14. It continued as a young adult, when she moved to Berkeley, California, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after college as an art student and fledgling guitar player. She began jamming in local coffee houses.

She found that music, specifically bluegrass, was a universal language and that she could go anywhere in the world and find people to play with. Educating, sharing and inspiring others to play music is still at the root of her musical drive, and the popular Roots and Boots Music Camp continues in that tradition. It has afforded a strong foundation for launching the new Musical Meanderings Series, a sub-brand of RBMC that can go anywhere.

The first music camp in 2019 was at Arizona Nordic Village and was a great success, she says. However, the pandemic and forest closures derailed the camp in 2020 and 2021. The camp was back on track in 2022 and 2023, with a change of venue to Camp Colton.

The Musical Meandering Series was officially born after she received an ARTx grant from Creative Flagstaff to provide live music with local and regional musicians to accompany many of the exhibits and events that happened during its 10-day festival.

The music served not only as entertainment, but also as a means to direct and drive audiences to specific events and galleries.                                                                                                                 

“It’s not really my story so much,” she continued, “but [the grant] did inspire the idea for Musical Meanderings and gave me the green light for understanding that I could take music and music education and support anywhere, like on rivers, oceans, in foreign countries. It affirmed a dream that I wanted to pursue.” 

Sullivan Brace expects more manifestations of her dream to unfold with a Musical Meanderings journey of music education and adventure during a scheduled three-day trip on the San Juan River, Oct. 6-9, from Sand Island to Mexican Hat, Utah. 

Featured musicians on the river trip include two national flatpicking guitar champions, Tyler Grant and Peter McLaughlin, and multi-instrumentalist Chris Brashear. “All three are incredibly talented singer-songwriters whose passion for wilderness shines through their original material,” she said.

The music featured will be mostly bluegrass and acoustic folk, and passengers are encouraged to bring their instruments and join in on the nightly jamming. “We’ll have the ability for people to store their own instruments in big dry bags on a dedicated baggage boat. Of course, you can’t bring an upright bass, but I always bring my guitar on the river trips!”

The trip is outfitted by Tse Kooh Outfitters, the only commercial outfitter to have full access to the archeological sites on the Diné side of the river. “The bigger story is the collaborations that take musical education to different, fun locations,” said Sullivan Brace. “The collaborations I’m doing now exponentially lift others, not just me. You bring community in, and from there, it takes on its own collective personality.”

Another Musical Meanderings event is “Give Birth to your Mirth,” a three-day singing and journaling retreat for women, scheduled for Nov. 7-10, at La Posada Hotel, the restored Fred Harvey Hotel in Winslow.

Participants should not be afraid to sing, she said. “Anyone can sing; very few people can’t. I encourage people to sing. When in a group, it’s more comfortable; you can match you voice to someone else’s.”

Singer-songwriters Christine Sanders and Trish Jahnke will be facilitating during the Musical Meanderings. Sullivan Brace’s husband, musician Roger Brace, also will be assisting.

“He has continuously supported all these endeavors silently in the background – setting up canopies, fixing anything and everything, driving me places, coming to all my gigs,” she said. “He is incredibly loving and supportive of all my crazy schemes.” QCBN

By Betsey Bruner, QCBN

For more information about Roots and Boots Music Camp and the Musical Meanderings Series, contact Julie Sullivan Brace at https://rootsandbootsmusiccamp.com/2024-events/.

Photo courtesy of Sue Regan Krause: Julie Sullivan Brace travels with her guitar, as seen here at a family event.