Robin Blackstone, MD (Opera Philanthropist)

Meet Robin Blackstone, MD

Bariatric Surgeon, Banner

Describe your morning - what time do you get up, what do you do first, next and what is for breakfast?

I am an early riser! My interests are varied so I use the time from 4:30 to get an hour in on my bike (either on the road or on the Peloton) and then read before heading into work. I usually listen to Swiss Radio Classical music on the Alexa while I read and just enjoy a few minutes of solitude before the day starts. For breakfast, I usually hard boil a few eggs (Place eggs in cold water and bring to a boil, cover, turn off the heat and let sit for 15 minutes then rise in cold water). Usually I have that with either a yogurt or green salad with a few raw verges for ruffage.

What happens next? What do you do for lunch?

I have to be in the hospital by 7:15 for surgery many days and so I head down at 6:30, stopping at La Grande Orange or Essence Bakery to pick up something for lunch. While I am operating, I am teaching residents and medical students and helping with some operations and medical direction of the operating room in my role as the Perioperative Medical Director. My day involves meetings with colleagues or working with groups on different research projects. Part of the week I also see patients by Telehealth! Wow, Telehealth has really brought a great value to patients. Our no-show rate in clinic really has reduced to almost zero and our Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Team saw over 1000 patients in August alone. The video media is somehow more intimate and personal.

What art are you doing and when do you do it?

The late afternoon are a time I reserve to spend on some of my philanthropy interests including the Arizona Opera. When I was a little girl my family lived in government housing inside the Grand Canyon National Park on the south rim. There were only 20 children in my class and about 150 children grades K-12. This was before the internet. Our sole source of information was the library at school and the encyclopedia Britannica! There was a National School Assembly program that brought different types of cultural offerings to our school. One was a opera performed on a stage the troop had built in our gym. I was fascinated by the voices, singing, costumes and stories. Later I became a patron of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Although many people, like my friend and vascular surgery colleague, Alfredo Fabrega, know opera in both an emotional and academic way, my connection is through the experience of opera and the emotion it creates. The setting is usually unique, and people are committed to the story, costumes and most of all the voices. I also love the symphony and Phoenix has a truly great one! In the summers my family would migrate to the Grand Tetons where my father was a park ranger. The Rockefeller foundation sponsored the Jackson Hole Symphony and every Sunday in the summer they played at the Jackson Lake Lodge. For one dollar each my family of five could attend a superb concert. Every week the Foundation brought in a famous conductor from around the world. We always went very early to the concert so we could sit in the front seats. It was magical.

What do you do for dinner?

For dinner especially since COVID I usually just have something light if I am at home, or if I am joining friends or others at a favorite restaurant on the weekend.

How do you end the day and what time do you go to bed?

In the evenings I play the piano, listen to music and read for pleasure or sometimes for work if there is something interesting or urgent.

What are you reading?

I read many manuscripts for peer review publications and do work on the National Academy Roundtable.

What are you streaming?

Recently (September), I have been getting up early to watch the Tour de France! It offered many amazing competitions during the three weeks of the race. I have been listening to Think Fast and Slow on Audible and just finished the Innovator’s Dilemma by Clay Christensen. When I read for pleasure, I love mysteries. One great fiction book I read was the “Weight of Ink” a story of a woman who scribed for a Rabbis during the time of the bubonic plague.

What's the first thing you're going to do when the quarantine ends?

When the quarantine ends, I will be as usual, going to the Hospital to care for people who need my service! In addition, I hope to resume the travel to far off destinations to enjoy the art and architecture, food and culture of those far off lands.