PEOPLE
(photo courtesy UNMC)
"Community Health Line", a half-hour live call-in program, was co-hosted by Tom O'Connor, senior associate director of public affairs at UNMC. The show, which dealt with a full spectrum of issues from prescription drugs to bioterrorism to disparities in minority health care, concluded production in 2007. It's believed to be the longest-running health program on an Omaha radio station.
Along with his unique, raspy voice and professional knowledge, Dr. Gust also was sure to bring to every program plenty of historical facts, inspirational quotes and occasional humorous jabs at his co-host. During a show about obsessive-compulsive disorders, he once joked he couldn't find a potential guest because "they were all too busy washing their hands".
"I like doing this as a way of being aware of what is happening at the Med Center and also as a way of doing my own continuing education," Dr. Gust said in an interview for the Omaha World-Herald in 2004.
Well-known for his role as a communicator, Dr. Gust also served as host of "The Wellness Connection", a monthly TV program on Cox Cable's Health and Wellness Channel, and "VA Affairs", a monthly TV program produced by the VA Medical Center.
An Omaha native, Dr. Gust retired earlier this year after 37 years on the faculty and staff of UNMC and the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System.
"Bill was kind, understated, easy to work with and would do anything to support the medical center. He will be missed," said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D.
Among his contributions to UNMC, he played a key role in the med center's distance education system, which delivered medical education programs via satellite to health professionals throughout the state and the country.
His posts at the VA Medical Center included section chief of internal medicine, director of the primary care program, and associate chief of staff for education. As past president of the Nebraska Chapter of the American Heart Association, he was frequently tabbed for media interviews dealing with heart issues.
Longtime colleague Rowen Zetterman, M.D. said, "Bill earned several commendations in Vietnam and never talked about it; he endured serious personal illnesses and never complained; he worked hard at being a physician, teacher and mentor and never asked for thanks. We are all better for having known and worked with him."
That feeling is shared here at KIOS-FM.
© Copyright 2009, KIOS
