General Practitioners

• Arthritis
  I have seen the benefits in my practice since 1986 and when we had children in late 80’s and early 90’s it became more personal. As I developed the knowledge that viral infections are the leading cause of many chronic diseases (Diabetes, thyroiditis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc.) and the severe complications of acute diseases. I realized that no one in Public Health or Health Care was teaching the critical role that the facial mucous membranes (T Zone) play in an individual’s health. Since 1986 as a family medicine physician, I have been a teacher/coach for patients on how to change their personal behaviors for better health outcomes. As an allergic and asthmatic individual, I am acutely aware how this can lead to increased facial mucous membrane touching (rubbing itching etc.) combined with one event 17 years ago. When looking into a patient’s throat and doing a swab they coughed in my face and I felt the droplets hit my face. Two days later I manifested the symptoms the patient had. Since then, I have worn a HealthShield (face shield) when seeing a patient suspected of having a respiratory infection and have not been sick with a respiratory infection since. Furthermore, I created the Henry the Hand Foundation in 2000 because I saw this would reduce the impact of infectious disease on the individual and public health. Leading to healthier learners and to better prepare students for careers in health care, public health, food service, and many other industries where being mindful of your hand behavior is important.
• Family Practice
  Henry the Hand was created thirty years ago when Dr. Will’s young children started going to daycare because they were pulling the patient charts off the shelves once they walked into the Family Practice. He wanted to limit the risk of exposure to the abundance of germs they would come in to contact with while at daycare. He was well aware of the potential exposure and it concerned him to think about the different illnesses and germs that spread from child to child, child to teacher, and teacher to child. Overwhelmed thinking about the germs that his children could possibly bring home from daycare, Dr. Will came up with an engaging and memorable way to educate his kids about their hands as 2-6 year old children, to remember the importance of handwashing and Hand Awareness. It began as a talking sock puppet that evolved into Henry the Hand the hand puppet, ending with Henry the Hand Champion Handwasher as a cartoon character. As a result, Henry the Hand Champion Handwasher was created to change the handwashing behaviors of everyone by teaching the 4 Principles of Hand Awareness (endorsed by AMA and AAFP in 2001) to the world!
• Infectious Diseases
  We are a 501c3 Non-Profit Foundation dedicated to improving community health and wellness by making people aware of the role their hands play in the spread of infectious diseases, using several different multi-sensory and media techniques. We teach non-pharmaceutical infection prevention strategies (Hand Awareness: hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and self-inoculation awareness) to prevent people from contracting or spreading respiratory and gastro-intestinal infections.
• Immunizations
  As a member of the CDC Sentinel Surveillance for Influenza since 2004 it became obvious to Dr. Will that vaccinations alone do not protect an individual from “giving” (inoculating) themselves with the flu or many other respiratory infections that do not have a vaccine. So, it was obvious to Dr.Will there was a need to teach the individual how to prevent inoculating themselves with any viral infection that enters the community. The techniques we have been teaching since 2001 are science-based and proven to reduce the spread of respiratory and gastro-intestinal illnesses are based on the 4 Principles of Hand Awareness. Using multi-sensory, multi-media social marketing and positive deviance strategies, we train adults and children to be more “Hand Aware” (hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and self-inoculation awareness). We want to keep students and teachers healthy and in school, create healthier and safer home environments, and increase employee productivity in the workplace!

Endocrinologist

• Diabetes Care