photo by: Contributed

Cathy Hamilton spearheads the Retirement Boot Camp series at the library. She says Gray Anatomy is one of the library’s most popular programs, attracting nearly 100 people per Zoom session monthly.

Paula Slater loves health education. All of her life, during medical appointments, she’d ping her doctors with questions, and they generally appreciated her inquisitiveness.

Her appetite for medical knowledge is one reason why Slater, 67, of Lawrence, loves Gray Anatomy, a monthly series hosted by the Lawrence Public Library via Zoom.

A collaboration between LMH Health and the library, Gray Anatomy launched in September as part of the library’s two-year pilot program called Retirement Boot Camp, which was created to enhance retirees’ quality of life.

So far Gray Anatomy has focused on brain and memory, heart health, hearing and skin. The Zoom sessions feature local medical experts who explain common bodily changes associated with aging.

“They all get A-plus ratings,” Slater says. “I love body and medical learning, and these presentations clearly brought out basic information and descriptions with views of problems and what to do about them.”

Allison Koonce, community outreach and engagement supervisor at LMH Health, says Gray Anatomy provides essential information for seniors, especially those who are experiencing physical changes that they aren’t sure are normal.

“When we’re younger we get lots of information on how our body changes, then we kind of stop learning,” Koonce says. “These sessions discuss what is common as you age and what should inspire you to reach out to your health provider. … It’s been excellent at just giving information … but also the connection it fosters; the question-and-answer portion gives (participants) an opportunity to interact with the physician and also each other.”

Carola Ratzlaff, 73, of Lawrence, says she has enjoyed being able to connect with local medical experts about topics relevant to her health.

“I like the (Gray Anatomy) sessions because they are led by knowledgeable and friendly experts in their field,” Ratzlaff says. “The attendees have the opportunity to chat with a doctor and ask questions. We also benefit from the questions other people ask.”

Each month a different doctor speaks on a field of expertise. In addition to crafting presentations, and delivering them, the doctors stay online to field questions. Cathy Hamilton, who spearheads the Retirement Boot Camp series at the library, says the doctors go above and beyond to provide meaningful content.

“Doctors are incredibly busy and under pressure these days, obviously. For them to give us that hour, plus the time spent preparing their presentations, is a real service,” Hamilton says. “We’ve even had a few provide their personal email addresses to attendees who might want to pose follow-up questions privately. That’s incredibly generous.”

Hamilton says Gray Anatomy is one of the library’s most popular programs, attracting nearly 100 people per session monthly.

“It’s especially meaningful now since many people haven’t wanted to visit the doctor during the pandemic and preventative care is even more important,” Hamilton says.

Gray Anatomy is hosted only via Zoom currently. Hamilton says they could include in-person attendance in the future, if the number of active COVID cases decreases.

Gray Anatomy is held monthly, but not always on the same day. Typically sessions are at 4 p.m., the “sweet spot” for that demographic, says Hamilton, and are held on Tuesday or Thursday.

Slater tries to attend the sessions when she’s able because she finds the content particularly germane to her life.

“I know most people my age have had and/or dealt with the conditions presented in the library’s Zoom classes,” Slater says. “The majority of us attendees are seniors, and being over 60, I’d guess over 75% of (us) have dealt with and probably still do have related conditions.”