Bill’s father was a USAF pilot and was among the original cadre assigned to the Air Force Academy. Growing up on the academy, he preferred the Univ of Missouri to the USAFA when there were as yet no females at USAFA. In Columbia, MO, he met his wife, BJ. Attending medical school in Colorado, he was active duty on an AFIT program. His initial interest was OB perinatology but his oldest son had significant asthma. Treated by Dr Bobby Lanier, PK testing was done to try to establish etiology for his asthma. Treatment in those days was theophylline or Marax (a fixed combination of theophylline, ephedrine and hydroxyzine). Bill provided epinephrine at home sequentially until an acute episode broke, then followed up with Susphrine (epinephrine in oil base for longer duration of action). Having been a parent of a significant asthmatic, he had compassion for fellow parents.
After completing an OB-GYN PG1 year (still called an internship), he spent 2 years as a flight surgeon before Internal Medicine residency at Wilford Hall. Following 6 months as Chief Resident, he entered the Allergy Immunology fellowship. After 3 years on staff, he left for Wiesbaden, Germany, to establish the AF allergy program in Europe. Three years later, he completed his AF career with 2 years at Malcom Grow Medical Center.
Upon leaving the AF, he returned to Colorado having surfed the wanted section of the Annals of Internal Med and located a subspecialty group of Internists looking for an allergist. He took IM and hospital call for the first 2 years. When a cardiologist and other IM subspecialists did not want to take afterhours calls on 3 and 4 year old asthmatics, he was allowed to leave IM behind and practice only adult and pediatric allergy, asthma and immunology.
Going to the first meeting of the Colo Allergy Society he was a bit apprehensive heading into the Mecca of National Jewish. However his training and experience proved solid and sound. As Volunteer Faculty at the University of Colorado, he had exposure to fellows from the University and NJC and would not put them ahead of WHMC fellows. He completed his years of volunteer service as a Clinical Associate Professor, and was consistently named one of the Best Doctors in America. He served numerous years as a rhinoscopy Instructor at AAAAI and ACAAI annual meetings.
When serving as President of the Colorado Allergy Society, he showed the expertise of military allergists inviting fellow WHMC alumni Bob Jacobs, Bobby Lanier, Jeff Hallett, Ernie Charlesworth, and Renata Engler from Walter Reed as guest speakers.
His wife, BJ, of almost 54 years, left her earthly home in December 2021. Two sons and 6 grandchildren (most of whom have wheezed at one time or another) keep him busy along with 3 fulltime days of seeing patients weekly. He is grateful to practice upon the foundation laid at Wilford Hall.
Education BA premedical Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, 1968 MD University of Colorado School of Medicine, 1972
Training Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center Internship OB-GYN 1972-73 Residency Internal Medicine 1975-78 Fellowship Allergy-Immunology 1978-80
Military Assignments AFIT University of Colorado School of Medicine, 1968-72 Flight Surgeon Kelly AFB, San Antonio, Tx 1973-75 Staff Allergy-Immunology Wilford Hall 1980-83 Allergist USAF Hospital Wiesbaden, Germany 1983-86 Allergist Malcolm Grow Medical Center 1986-88
Post-Military Practice Established Allergy Immunology Program with Consultants in Internal Medicine, Loveland C0 1988. Organization later folded into Big Thompson Medical Group and then Banner Health. Currently practicing three days per week Rhinoscopy Instructor @ AAAAI and ACAAI annual meetings Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center Past President at the Colorado Allergy and Asthma Society
Fellowship American College of Physicians American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology.
