Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.—Hippocrates

 There are few times of the year when we are reminded more of the passing of time than the end of October. The astonishing beauty of the landscape is always a surprise, even though we see it every year. We get to bask in the saturated colors only briefly, since the inspiring scene comes and goes so quickly, giving way to the next season and the next. It is best to satisfy our endless appetite for Octobers by savoring it with immediate appreciation and gratitude. So it seems appropriate that a group of people working in the town’s government, its Health District, and in the Visiting Nurse Association have chosen this time of year to invite the community to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon in appreciation, and in the presence, of two astonishing and inspiring men of medicine. Both, in their long careers, have brightened the outlook of Newtown with a brilliance rivaling any October.

It is tempting to simply describe Bob Grossman and Tom Draper as a couple of country doctors who come from a tradition of healing that emphasizes in-person, hands-on care. It is a tradition that has been trampled by juggernaut health policy initiatives and then buried in paperwork. While their lives and careers reflect that fading legacy of personal care, they are so much more than a couple of quaint Rockwellian characters. Both have embraced the innovations in their field and have applied those advancements for the benefit of this community for more than 100 years between them. As Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, noted, healing is a matter of time and opportunity. Drs Grossman and Draper have certainly put in the time, and it seems they have seized every opportunity along the way to promote the health, not just of individuals, but of the community itself.

Both men have long enjoyed the respect and admiration of their peers. Drs Grossman and Draper have served as heads of their respective departments at Danbury Hospital (surgery and pediatrics) and as presidents of the medical staff. They have been instrumental through the decades in the evolution of that facility as top-tier medical center and teaching hospital. But it is their commitment to public health in Newtown that has had a lasting positive impact affecting current and future generations in this community. They have guided the growth of the Newtown Health District — Dr Draper served as health director for nearly 20 years and Dr Grossman is currently chairman of the board. In addition to decades of service to civic organizations, Dr Grossman has been key to the development of Ambulance Association facilities, first on Main Street and now at Fairfield Hills. Dr Draper was medical advisor for Newtown’s schools and was the driving force behind the development of Newtown’s Sanitary Code.

We all have been touched by these two healers. Our lives are better because of their work. It is time to touch them back. Seize the opportunity to thank them and to shake their hands on Sunday afternoon, October 26, from 2 to 4 pm, in the Great Room at Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West Street.