About Bill

“A Minnesota Natural Resource”
“He has the power to move you if you let him” (Star & Trib)

Bill was a High School All Conference hockey player in Anoka, Minnesota. His early desire was to become a physician. In 1969, after completing extensive technical medical training and three years in the United States Navy, he was assigned to the United States Naval Academy Hospital/Clinic. It was here that the direction of his life would be forever changed. With a family to consider, he volunteered to be transferred to the United States Marine Corps and a tour of duty in Vietnam as a Combat Corpsman. He did this with the knowledge that his life expectancy in country was 3 months. He became a decorated Combat Corpsman in Vietnam from 1969-70.

Bill returned from Vietnam and continued to work in the medical field. He was one of the first in the country to develop a comprehensive home care program for adults and children with respiratory disease. He was one of the first in the country to develop an educational curriculum on home monitoring for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). This program allowed mothers and fathers to care for their children at home on apnea and cardiac monitoring. He lectured extensively on the prevention and treatment of lung disease.

Bill was elected President of the American Lung Association and continues to work with the Lung Association as a regular volunteer. He has taught stop-smoking programs for the American Cancer Society. He is a member of the Governor’s Council on Fitness and Sport and is active on issues of fitness and nutrition for children grades K-12. He was past Vice President of USA Track and Field, the national governing body for athletics in the United States.

Bill has lectured extensively to community groups, businesses, and educational professionals on public school education standards and reform. Bill is the founder of Parents Students Teachers Minnesota (www.educationmn.org) and has spoken at over 100 town hall meetings across the State of Minnesota on public education. He is an advocate for public schools and local accountability and is concerned with state education policy and financing for K-12.    Bill has testified extensively at the State Legislature on the issues of public education. Bill named, and helped draft, the North Star Standard as an option to the state Profile of Learning and Graduation Standards. Bill is an elected member and past treasurer of the Board of Education in Minnetonka, Minnesota. His eight years of service is embodied by his own quote: “My role as a public servant is not to change how you think…but to give you something more to think about so we can make an informed decision.” Through his board position he has been an influential leader of children’s fitness and health not only though athletics but healthy choices through the program Tonka Cares of which Bill is an avid supporter.

Bill is Founder, President, CEO, and now Chairman of NOW Care Medical Centers, (www.nowcare.com). He has twelve medical centers in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota. Bill travels the State of Minnesota lecturing on healthcare. In 1997-98, Bill was in 24 cities in 14 weeks speaking at town hall meetings on healthcare reform. He is a frequent speaker on Managed Health Care Systems, Healthcare Financing, Public Health, and Urgent Care Medicine.

For 14 years Bill has served as the first non-physician President of the North American Association for Urgent Care (NAFAC) (www.nafac.com). This organization represents all Urgent Care Practices of Medicine in the United States. Bill has written a 30 chapter “how to” book on Urgent Care Development called “Bill’s Book.” He has written the National Accreditation standards for Urgent Care and has designed and developed the Problem Based coding for Urgent Care reimbursement standards for the United States.

Bill is a member of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations as well as serving on the Professional & Technical Advisory Committee for the JCAHO. The American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Practice, American Hospital Association, Medical Group Managers Association, and many other organizations throughout the United States recognize Bill as an expert on the subject of Urgent Care. On the speaking circuit Bill was one of the most popular Management Academy speakers for The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

He is featured on radio, television, newspaper, and magazines promoting healthy lifestyles, motivation, public education and healthcare.   Bill had a weekly radio program on WCCO Radio called "Your Health". Bill is also heard on KSTP 1500 from time to time. Bill wrote a very popular monthly column, called “Going the Distance”, for Minnesota Sports, a sports and fitness newspaper.

Bill is a frequent, and very popular, public speaker and travels across the United States speaking to a large variety of audiences regarding lifestyles, motivation, health care reform, public dducation reform and urgent care medicine.

Bill is the founder and President of ALARC (American Lung Association Running Club) (www.alarc.com). ALARC is the largest marathon running club in the United States. In 1981, Bill wrote a 13-week training program for people who desired to run their first marathon. There are two programs for 45 students each year: One program for Grandma's Marathon and one for Twin Cities Marathon. Because of this program, Bill is considered the most successful Marathon Coach in the United States. He has had almost 3000 student's start the marathon with only eight not finishing. Hal Higdon, Senior Editor for Runners World just released his new book "The Marathon". In the book he dedicates an entire chapter to Bill, "The Man Who Coached 1000 Marathoner's". Bill has coached many elite athletes including Ron Backus and his best friend Dick Beardsley. Bill was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Minnesota Distance Runners Association for his dedication to running and fitness in Minnesota.

In 1998, with 22 students, Bill started a formal community program called GoFast…where he taught track, hills, weight training for all ages and abilities, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Bill volunteers through out the year to teach these programs at the Hopkins High School Lindbergh Center. He has also started IronWork, GetFit and GetStarted in order to allow more people to learn to enjoy the benefits of fitness though regular exercise and healthy lifestyles. Many of the people in the GetStarted program have never run before. Over 150 people sign up for this year long program. He and the ALARC Board are now working with other community centers in order to help expand the program across the Twin Cites.

Five years ago Bill was asked to join the Marathon & Beyond organization and teach in summer and fall running camps. Bill is one of the most popular coaches who help the campers learn many of the skills he has taught in ALARC programs. He works with public school’s cross country programs such as in Corning, Iowa and camps in Northern Minnesota for adults. He is also used by M & B in their national speakers bureau along with Helen Kline, Dick Beardsley, Patty Catalono, Joe Henderson to name a few.

Bill was also the man behind the ALARC Wall that was first done at the inaugural Twin Cities Marathon. It has become an institution and destination for runners in the TCM. Last year ALARC and TCM joined to create a huge balloon wall for the 20-mile mark of the marathon. The wall also travels to other events with a crew of ALARC’ers.

In an article in the Star & Tribune, Bill was recognized at one of "Minnesota's Natural Resources in Running". Runners’ World Magazine presented Bill with the distinguished national "Golden Shoe Dr. George Sheehan Award". This award recognizes unique people who have served "The Human Race" with unselfish dedication.

Bill is the founder and Race Director of the Edmund Fitzgerald 100K Road Race and Team Relay held in Duluth, Minnesota. This event was started in 1981 and is consider the Greatest 100K Road Race in North America. Bill brought the World's best Ultrarunners to the Edmund Fitzgerald 100K in 1990. It is widely held that no other race has ever assembled the world’s best from over 17 Countries. This race has never been equaled. The Team Event is one of the most popular running events in the Midwest with almost 300 teams competing each year in the Relay Event.

In his spare time, Bill has run 95 marathons with a best time of 2:49:39. Bill has completed two Ironman Triathlon events…2.4 mile swim…112-mile bike…26.2 mile marathon…total 140.6 miles. Bill has competed in The Race Across The Sky --The Leadville Trail 100-mile mountain race. This run is all above 10,000 feet and takes up to 30 hours. Bill’s best time at the Leadville 100-mile is 28 hours and 39 minutes’ non-stop running.

Bill now races mountain bikes in the Leadville 100-mile mountain bike race. Bill has finished this event 12 times with 11 silver buckle finishes and 12 total finishes. He earned the La Plata Grande Belt Buckle for 1000 miles and this year the coveted 1100 mile black jacket. Only 20 men in the world have ever completed this 1100-mile achievement. Bill will defend his gold medal in the cross country MTB Race this fall at the 21th World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. This is two weeks of Olympic Games for men and women over 50. Bill won the Gold Medal in 2006 in the 28 mile Cross Country Mountain Bike Race.

Bill will turn 60 in December of 2007 and looks at his mother at the age of 92 to reflect that with his mothers’ longevity he has at least 32 years…and wonders...how much more can he do with all that time…granted to him by the grace of GOD.