June-July 2015 Sombrero

Sombrero
Pima County Medical Society
Home Medical Society of the 17th United States Surgeon-General

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 5

PCMS Traveler Issue

Dr. Mansour:
History-touring
Miami-Globe
Dr. Levine:

A Colorado
River run

Dr. Tretbar:

Bullfight memories

2

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

Sombrero
Pima County Medical
Society Officers

Official Publication of the Pima County Medical Society

PCMS Board of Directors
Eric Barrett, MD
David Burgess, MD
Michael Connolly, DO
Jason Fodeman, MD
Howard Eisenberg, MD
Afshin Emami, MD
Randall Fehr, MD
G. Mason Garcia, MD
Jerry Hutchinson, DO
Kevin Moynahan, MD
Wayne Peate, MD
Sarah Sullivan, DO
Salvatore Tirrito, MD
Scott Weiss, MD
Leslie Willingham, MD
Gustavo Ortega, MD (Resident)

President
Melissa Levine, MD
President-Elect
Steve Cohen, MD
Vice-President
Guruprasad Raju, MD
Secretary-Treasurer
Michael Dean, MD
Past-President
Timothy Marshall, MD

Snehal Patel, DO (Alt. Resident)
Joanna Holstein, DO (Alt. Resident)
Jeffrey Brown (Student)
Juhyung Sun (Alt. Student)

At Large ArMA Board

R. Screven Farmer, MD

Pima Directors to ArMA
Timothy C. Fagan, MD
Timothy Marshall, MD

Board of Mediation
Timothy Fagan, MD
Thomas Griffin, MD
Evan Kligman, MD
George Makol, MD
Mark Mecikalski, MD

Delegates to AMA
William J. Mangold, MD
Thomas H. Hicks, MD
Gary Figge, MD (alternate)

Editor
Stuart Faxon
E-mail: [email protected]
Please do not submit PDFs as editorial copy.

Printing
West Press
Phone: (520) 624-4939
E-mail: [email protected]

Advertising
Phone: (520) 795-7985
Fax:
(520) 323-9559
E-mail: [email protected]

Art Director
Alene Randklev
Phone: (520) 624-4939
Fax:
(520) 624-2715
E-mail: [email protected]

Publisher
Pima County Medical Society
5199 E. Farness Dr., Tucson, AZ 85712
Phone: (520) 795-7985
Fax: (520) 323-9559
Website: pimamedicalsociety.org



SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

Elegant contemporary with grand living room.
Dramatic window wall, vaulted plan &
beam ceiling and Catalina Mtn. views.
Generous eat-in kitchen finished in granite.
3,832 sq. ft., 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath.
Versatile 4th bedroom has private entry.

Madeline Friedman
ABR, CRS, GRI

SOMBRERO (ISSN 0279-909X) is published monthly
except bimonthly June/July and August/September by the
Pima County Medical Society, 5199 E. Farness, Tucson,
Ariz. 85712. Annual subscription price is $30. Periodicals
paid at Tucson, AZ. POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to Pima County Medical Society, 5199 E. Farness
Drive, Tucson, Arizona 85712-2134. Opinions expressed
are those of the individuals and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of the publisher or the PCMS
Board of Directors, Executive Officers or the members at
large, nor does any product or service advertised carry the
endorsement of the society unless expressly stated. Paid
advertisements are accepted subject to the approval of the
Board of Directors, which retains the right to reject any
advertising submitted. Copyright © 2015, Pima County
Medical Society. All rights reserved. Reproduction in
whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Tucson Country Club

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maple floors, plantation shutters, 15 seer ac, remodeled
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Thomas Rothe, MD
  immediate past-president
Michael F. Hamant, MD
  secretary

Richard Dale, MD
Charles Krone, MD
Jane Orient, MD

Executive Director
Bill Fearneyhough
Phone: (520) 795-7985
Fax:
(520) 323-9559
E-mail: billf [email protected]

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Inside
 5 Dr. Melissa Levine: Checking off a bucket
list item.
 6 Letters: On compulsory medical
insurance.
 7 Milestones: Dr. Villavicencio joins
Catalina Eye Care; Dr. Dalen honored
anew.
10 PCMS News: Banner plans 11-story
tower.
12 Stars on the Avenue: Wrap-up of a very
successful event.
15 Behind the Lens: Dr. Tretbar updates his
1984 experience at las corridas de toros
in Colombia.
18 Time Capsule: Our History Committee
tours Miami-Globe.
21 In Memoriam: Obituaries for six of our
former members, and Joan T. Lowell.

On the Cover
Ever wondered why the hummingbird feeder is empty in the
morning? Others like the sweet water, too, including this bat, shot
through a glass door with a Nikon N80. 55-200 mm Nikkor lens at
120mm. The lens was against the glass to prevent reflections. Nikon
Speedlight. ISO 1000, 1/60th second, f. 9.1 (Dr. Hal Tretbar photo).

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SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

Canyon is alternate reality
By Dr. Melissa Levine

I learned on the river:

PCMS President

 That privacy is something you give. Modesty is something you
lose.

I

 That “Know The Canyon’s History Study Rocks Made By Time”
is the mnemonic for the layers of rock that reveal themselves
as you travel down river: Kaibab, Toroweep, Coconino, Hermit
Shale, Supai Group, Redwall Limestone, Mauv Limestone,
Bright Angel Shale, Tapeats Sandstone.

f you were waiting on pins
and needles for Part 2 of my
history of Medicare and how it
relates to the Affordable Care
Act, you may be confused by
the headline. I apologize. I will
get to it. But right now, I just
don’t have it in me.

Last summer one of my best
friends from high school asked if I wanted to go on a Grand Canyon
raft trip down the Colorado River. She contacted a lot of the people
who hung out in our group and several were interested. Kind of an
Arcadia High reunion of the nerds. Due to family concerns, cost,
and a last-minute broken wrist, four of us went, along with my
partner, a dear friend, and my two boys. We also had 15 random
strangers, two guides, two swampers, and two motorized rafts.
This was a bucket list item for me. Cross it off! It was everything I
expected and more. More silt, more sand, more cold, more wet,
more heat, more really smelly clothing. Also more beauty, more
quiet, more learning, more laughter, more pride, more really
good food, more stars in the heavens, more new friends, and
more awe.

 That it is possible to be unplugged for eight days and really not
miss it.
 That it is possible for a 12-year-old and a 17-year-old to be
mostly unplugged and not go through withdrawal (17-year-old
had an Ipod).
 That if no one knows what time it is, you’re never late.
 That clean is relative: It is possible to feel clean bathing in
muddy water.
 That if you see someone on a hike wearing inappropriate
footwear, it is a river guide.
Our guide called the end of the trip “going back to unreality.”
I’m thinking perhaps he was right.

n

I bought a cheap notebook the night before
in Flagstaff and didn’t write a thing. I did,
however, spend some time reflecting on
what a bucket list really means: Things you
want to accomplish in your life when you
are healthy enough to enjoy them. Notice I
said healthy, not young. My mother started
having strokes just before she turned 57. I
plan on being healthy a lot longer than
that, but it is something I remind myself of
when I think I have plenty of time.
You never know what the river or life will
bring, so do the things you can. My
girlfriend had a water bottle wash
overboard on the second day. We tried to
get it but couldn’t. On day three, someone
spotted it down stream and we scooped it
out. Make a difference now. The river gives,
and the river taketh away.
Probably my greatest experience of the trip
was letting go. It is what it is. There is
nothing you can do but live it. If it is raining,
experience the beauty of a rim fall. If it is
sunny and hot, enjoy the pleasure of
dipping your hat in the cold water and
putting it on your head. Live the life the
river gives you. This is a lesson I hope to
remember as I go back to my daily life.
SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

5

Leers

AAPS fought compulsory
national health insurance
To the Editor:
Dear Dr. Levine,
Thank you for the interesting historical perspective [president’s column on Medicare at
50, May Sombrero).
I was especially glad to see the reference to the Wagner bill—later the Wagner-MurrayDingell bill—that Dingell being the father of Rep. John D. Dingell, Jr. (D-12th-Mich.) who
helped bring us the Obama-Pelosi-Reid “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”
Happy birthday, AAPS! The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons was
founded in 1943 to fight the Wagner-Murray-Dingell bill, since the AMA wasn’t doing it.
(See www.jpands.org/vol8no1/pavey.pdf.)
How will it turn out? I think we’ll eventually see that Robert Taft and founders of AAPS
were right. Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out our lawsuit that demanded
that the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services submit a report on
Medicare’s solvency.
Sincerely,
Jane Orient, M.D.
Tucson
[Dr. Orient is AAPS executive director.]

n

6

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), full thickness corneal transplants,
and keratoprostheses.

Milestones

A member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the
Cornea Society, Dr. Villavicencio has authored numerous research
publications and book chapters. “He is committed to the highest
standards of patient care and successful outcomes,” the practice said.

Dr. Villavicencio joins
Catalina Eye Care
Ovette Villavicencio, M.D., Ph.D.,
specialist in cataract surgery,
corneal transplantation and LASIK
refractive surgery, who is trained
in all disciplines of comprehensive
ophthalmology, joins Catalina Eye
Care Aug. 1.
A magna cum laude graduate of
Illinois Wesleyan University with a
B.A. in chemistry and business
administration, Dr. Villavicencio
earned his M.D., and Ph.D. with a
concentration on optical storage materials, at the University of
Arizona, where he also did his internship and residency. He went
on to complete a Fellowship in corneal transplantation, refractive
surgery, and ophthalmic diseases at Price Vision Group in
Indianapolis, Ind.
Dr. Villavicencio’s training included all facets of corneal
transplantation including the revolutionary Descemet’s
membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK), an ultra-thin partial
thickness corneal transplant for treatment of Fuchs’ Dystrophy
and other corneal diseases. He also performs deep anterior

Dr. Villavicencio joins PCMS member Lynn Polonski, M.D. at
Catalina.

Dr. Carmona featured speaker
Richard H. Carmona, M.D., 17th
U.S. Surgeon-General and
Distinguished Professor of Public
Health at the UofA Mel and Enid
Zuckerman College of Public
Health, was featured speaker May
4 at the Partners in Public Health
Luncheon at the Arizona Inn.
Dr. Carmona presented A SurgeonGeneral’s Perspective on Global
Public Health Threats and
Exceptional Opportunities,
discussing current global health challenges and the universal
need for a diverse, well-trained, and committed cadre of public
health practitioners, “like those we have the privilege to educate,
train, and support at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health.”
Partners in Public Health members support education and

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research at the public health college “to enhance and improve
the health and well-being of Arizonans.”

Dr. Dalen honored with
Bravewell Distinguished
Service Award
James E. Dalen, M.D., M.P.H.,
dean emeritus of the University of
Arizone College of Medicine—
Tucson, a senior lecturer at the UA
Mel and Enid Zuckerman College
of Public Health, and executive
director of the Weil Foundation,
recently received the 2015
Bravewell Distinguished Service
Award from the Academic
Consortium for Integrative
Medicine and Health, for his role
as one of the founders of the
consortium’s founders and as one of the founders of the Arizona
Center for Integrative Medicine at the UofA. The award was
presented in May at the consortium’s annual meeting in
Pittsburgh. Pa.
ACIMH established the Bravewell award in 2012 to honor the
many contributions made by The Bravewell Collaborative to the
field of integrative medicine and to the consortium. The annual
award honors a consortium member for his or her contributions
to the organization’s work.
In announcing the award to the consortium’s leaders, Margaret
Chesney, Ph.D., who chairsthe consortium, said, “Dr. Dalen has
been a steadfast supporter of the consortium and its mission
since its inception in 1999. He was a leader among the early
group of deans of major medical centers who recognized and
supported the need for an organization to promote integrative
medicine in the academic environment. We would not be the
thriving organization we are today without the benefit of Dr.
Dalen’s wisdom, commitment, and support.
Dr. Dalen’s support for the consortium’s LEAPS Into Integrative
Medicine program, a national educational program for medical
students interested in integrative medicine, “has enabled it to
thrive and grow into one of the consortium’s signature programs,
providing education, leadership skills and direct experience
integrative medicine to the future leaders in the field,” she said.
Dr. Dalen served as College of Medicine dean from 1988 to 2001
and as UA vice- president for health sciences from 1995 to 2001.
He currently serves as executive director of the Weil Foundation,
which supports education in integrative medicine, a field Dr.
Dalen helped advance with Andrew Weil, M.D. The Arizona
Center for Integrative Medicine defines integrative medicine as
“healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole
person, including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the
therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient, is
informed by evidence and makes use of all appropriate
therapies.”

8

“An outspoken advocate for healthcare reform, Dr. Dalen was
editor of the prestigious Archives of Internal Medicine from 1986
to 2004,” the university reported. “He received the 2010 Alumni
Award of Merit from the Harvard School of Public Health, their
highest award for alumni, and an honorary doctor of science
degree from the University of Massachusetts in 2014 for his
contributions to medical education. In 2012, he received the
Herbert K. Abrams, M.D., Award from the UA College of
Medicine–Tucson Department of Family and Community
Medicine for his demonstration of ‘a lifetime commitment to
public health and social justice.’”
Dr. Dalen was a member of the faculty of Harvard Medical School,
1967-1975; from 1975 to 1988, he was a faculty member at the
University of Massachusetts, where he served as chairman of
cardiovascular medicine (1975-1977) and then chairman of
medicine (1977-1988). From 1986-1987, he served as interim
chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Worcester.

CNI at St. Joe’s honored
Carondelet Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital was
recently nationally recognized for exceeding highest quality
standards, Carondelet reports.
CNI is among the nation’s first healthcare organizations to receive
the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s
Target: Honor Roll-Elite Plus Quality Achievement Award, they
said. The award was presented in March at the International
Stroke Conference in Nashville, Tenn.
“This Elite-Plus award
acknowledges our tremendous
commitment to go above and
beyond to ensure that patients
receive the highest-quality care
based on nationally respected
guidelines for treatment of
strokes,” said L. Roderick
Anderson, M.D., St. Joseph’s
Hospital Stroke Program medical
director.
The Target: Stroke Elite Plus
recognition level was developed in late 2014 to recognize
hospitals whose quality of stroke care exceeded the highest
national standards, Carondelet reported. “One measurement
used is how soon a stroke patient receives the FDA-approved clotbusting agent Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) after arriving at
the hospital. tPA has been shown to significantly reduce the
effects of stroke and lessen the chance of permanent disability.
Ninety-eight percent of stroke patients admitted to St. Joseph’s
received tPA within 60 minutes after arrival, and 70 percent of
stroke patients received it within 45 minutes or less.”
According to the AHA/ASA, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death
and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average,
someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a
stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or
recurrent stroke each year.

n

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

9

late this year, with construction starting in early 2016. The facility
is expected to open in 2019.

PCMS News

Banner-UMC skyline to change
The Banner Health takeover of University of Arizona Medical
Center will include construction of a new, 11-story tower to
replace the 40-year-old portion of the hospital, Banner reported
in June.
They said they chose Sundt Construction Inc. and partner DPR
Construction to do the job. “Pending zoning approvals, Sundt I
DPR, A Joint Venture, will begin preparing the site and utilities

“Banner’s $400 million construction project at Banner—
University Medical Center Tucson represents a much-needed
enhancement to one of the nation’s top academic medical
centers and Southern Arizona’s only Level 1 Trauma Center. The
689,000-square-foot patient tower will be configured and sized
for current and future healthcare technology, with 336 private
patient rooms, 22 new operating rooms, imaging suites, and
public spaces. As previously announced, architects for the new
tower are Shepley Bullfinch of Phoenix and GLHN Architects and
Engineers Inc. of Tucson.

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“The tower will open with 240 private rooms
along with shelled space on the top two
floors to accommodate 96 beds in the
future, depending on community need. This
will raise the total bed count slightly from its
current 479 to 489 licensed beds in 2019,
because beds in the original hospital building
will close at that time.
“In addition to constructing the new patient
tower, Sundt I DPR have been retained to
renovate two floors and the lobby of
Diamond Children’s, now called Banner
Children’s —Diamond Children’s Medical
Center. They also will remodel the original
hospital building, which opened in 1971 as
University Hospital, for non-patient-care
uses such as administrative functions.
“‘Banner’s decision to select this joint
venture team was based on its combined
strengths: Sundt’s innovative approach to
technical construction and deep roots in the
community, and DPR’s expertise as the
nation’s No. 1 health-care builder,’” said Kip
Edwards, vice-president of development and
construction for Banner Health. “‘Once
completed, this facility will help Banner
Health fulfill its mission in Southern Arizona
to improve lives through excellent patient
care.”
“‘Banner Health’s high-tech, high-touch
approach to provide innovative healthcare
throughout Arizona is ambitious, and a
commitment Sundt I DPR Joint Venture will
help them meet,” said Dave Elrod, regional
manager of Arizona for DPR Construction.
“‘Our team unites each company’s individual
ideas and experiences, while continually
streamlining processes and developing new
methodology and technology for building
one-of-a-kind healthcare projects
throughout Arizona.’”
SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

“Banner Health, an Arizona-based nonprofit organization with
hospitals in seven states, acquired Banner—University Medical
Center Tucson this spring in a merger with the University of
Arizona Health Network. At the same time, Banner Health
entered into a 30-year Academic Affiliation Agreement with the
University of Arizona to serve as the primary clinical partner to
the UA Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix.”
Banner calls itself “one of the largest nonprofit healthcare
systems in the country, operating in seven states: Alaska, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.”

CNI Brain Academy 2015
successful
In our May issue’s Neurology department we reported on the
fifth annual Carondelet Neurological Institute Brain Academy,
their effort to get young people involved in the neurosciences.
But this year’s event itself happened after our issue deadline on
April 24-25, hence a follow-up.
Twenty-one high school students from 14 high schools across
Tucson and Sahaurita took part, said Leah Shea, senior director of
business management for CNI, located at Carondelet St. Joseph’s
Hospital. A record number of applicants applied to this year’s
program, she said.
“The program invites students to attend a two-day interactive
session with CNI physicians, leadership, and clinical staff,” Shea
said. “Hands-on activities included a simulated brain attack, tours
of the Advanced Neurosurgical OR suites, Angiography Suite and
Balance Center, and a diagnosis group project based on real-life
case studies. Elliott Cheau, Ph.D., physics professor and associate
dean of the UofA College of Science, presented to the students
opportunities for exploring the field neuroscience field as
undergraduates.

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

In the CNI Angiography Suite, vascular neurosurgeon
Emun Abdu, M.D. shows students devices used in the suite.
The striped shirts are apparently a girls’ fashion trend, not a
school uniform (CNI photo).

“On the academy’s first day, Robert P. Goldfarb, M.D., CNI
chairman and neurosurgical consultant, gave an introduction to
the program and to CNI, and discussed concussions sustained in
sports. Over the course of the two days, students were given an
opportunity to interact with CNI physicians, learning about the
various career paths taken by Eric Sipos, M.D., CNI neurosurgeon
and medical director, and CNI neurologist William Lujan, M.D.
“It’s our hope to interest you in the study of neurosciences, or, if
not that, in the field of medicine and science,” Dr. Goldfarb said.
“One student, Guadalupe Garcia of Sahuarita, described how her
family had been affected by illness—leading her to an interest in
the fields of neurology and psychology, and a possible career. ‘I
hope to help people with disease understand their illness,’ she
said. ‘If you’re going to do something you love, make sure it helps
or impacts someone else.’”

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11

Stars on the Avenue

‘Stars’ sets fund-raising record
By Dennis Carey

Photos by Stuart Faxon, Al Altuna, Mollee Fitzgerald

P

CMS and Pima County Medical Society Alliance continued
our tradition of raising funds for Mobile Meals of Tucson with
our 2015 Stars on the Avenue event April 18 at St. Philip’s Plaza,
Campbell Avenue and River Road.
We raised a record $25,000 from ticket sales, sponsorships, and
program advertising to enable Mobile Meals to deliver special
meals to home-bound adults in Tucson while also making
valuable social contact with recipients.
“An Evening Under the Stars” was our theme, and our weather
was most cooperative. Ben Loker, owner of Arizona Star Tours,
provided an opportunity for guests to view the night sky using an
11-inch telescope. Several of Tucson’s top restaurants and vendors
provided entrees, desserts, and drinks for nearly 300 attendees.
It was also a night for PCMS to honor its members and others in
our medical community. Thomas Rothe, M.D. Received the
Physician of the Year Award. R. Screven Farmer, M.D. received the
Rose Marie Malone Award for Service to Organized Medicine.
Surgeon James C. Balserak, M.D. became the youngest recipient
of our Lifetime Achievement Award. Retired oncologist Steven J.
Ketchel, M.D. was PCMS Volunteer of the Year. Kathy Byrne, El Rio
Community Health Center CEO, received the Steve Nash Award,

Lifetime Achievement awardee Jim Balserak, M.D., left, with
PCMS Past-President Timothy Marshall, M.D.
12

Physician of the Year awardee Thomas Rothe, M.D., right,
introduced by longtime practice partner John Carter, M.D.

given to the non-physician who has most notably contributed to
improving healthcare in Southern Arizona.
What’s next? Our Stars on the Avenue 2016 of course, which is
April 16, 2016 at St. Philip’s Plaza. Your Society is already taking
nominations for next year’s awards. Please contact PCMS if you
need information on qualifications for any of our awards.

Rose Marie Malone Service to Organized Medicine awardee R.
Screven Farmer III, M.D.
SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

PCMS past-president Alan Rogers, M.D. and his wife, Susan,
became a keeper photo in front of our graphic saguaro and
stars.

They hung the moon.

STARonSthe

ve
bell A

Camp

AVENUE
PRESENTED BY THE

Pima County
Medical Society

The camera caught skepticism from Dr. Dick Dale but trust us,
he and Lucy enjoyed the event.
SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

Photos were popular in front of our desert sky graphic,
including with PCMS past-president Charles Katzenberg, M.D.
and his wife, Pam.

Southbound Pilot provided our music.
13

PCMS Alliance members who helped organize the event
included, from left, President Kynn Escalante, Reem Asy,
Allison Duffy Skeif, Neda Kirash, Anastasha Lynn, and
Kathy Armbruster.

Covered tables and centerpieces helped set the mood in
the courtyard, and the lighted multicolored globes were
popular take-homes for sale.

Accommodations provided for S.O.T.A. sponsors made a
comfortable thank-you.
14

Reinforcement of our theme
as well as astronomy was
provided by Ben Loker of
Arizona Star Tours.

Kathy Armbruster makes a lastminute hanging for the event
preparation.

Saint Philip, martyred Apostle of Jesus, holding the
Latin cross with which he is associated, always presides
over events at his plaza. In case you are ever asked who
is the patron saint of hatters, it is he. Perhaps hatters
needed succor for their mercury madness.

UofA students volunteered at S.O.T.A. 2015 by helping set up decorations
and with serving guests.
SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

Behind the Lens

La Danza de la Muerte that will not die
By Hal Tretbar, M.D.

B

ullfighting has been called
an art form, rather than a
sport or contest, though it does
place man and beast in contest,
and the victor is not always
certain.

is left to the fighter’s honor.”

One of the pieces for which
novelist and reporter Ernest
Hemingway became famous
was about bullfighting, Death in
the Afternoon. He called
bullfighting “the only art in
which the artist is in danger of
death, and in which the degree
of brilliance in the performance

The Plaza de Toros de Santamaria, the bull ring in Bogota,
Colombia, is now being refurbished.

An article in the April 4, 2015 The Economist reflects on the decline
in the number of corridas de toros in Spain and Latin America.
However, bullfighting has had a strong resurgence recently.

fell from 2,204 in 2007 to 956 in 2014. Breeders are now as likely
to send bulls to the slaughterhouse as to the bullring.

“In Mexico the number of bullfights has fallen by half in a decade.
Spain has been the epicenter of bullfighting for millennia. On May
In 2014, 590,000 people in Spain signed a pro-bullfighting
13, 2013, The Wall Street Journal reported
BUZZING
T
I
NNITUS
that bullfighting had become a $3.3 billion
industry, employing more than 10,000
BUZZING
TINNITUS
people including matadors and assistants,
managers, bull breeders, bullring workers,
TINNITUS
TINNITUS
and promoters.

RING
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The Economist stated, “Fans of bullfighting in
Latin America, Spain, and Portugal have little
to cheer about lately. In 2006 Spain’s state
broadcaster, TVE, stopped covering some of
the biggest festivals, citing costs and the fear
that children might watch the fights. Four
years later, Catalonia’s regional parliament
(and the Basque regions) banned
bullfighting. A referendum in Ecuador in
2011 led to a ban on killing bulls in Quito. In
2012 Panama banned bullfighting: the
Mexican state of Sonora followed in 2013. In
recession-hit Spain, the number of bullfights

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SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

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petition. This prompted Spain’s government
to push through a law recognizing it as part
of the country’s cultural heritage, which in
theory overturns Catalonia’s ban. Mexican
campaigners have helped to stall a 2012
proposal to ban bullfighting nationally. In
Peru devotees are mobilizing to defend the
sport against a bill in congress to ban it.”
The Economist says that in Bogota,
Colombia, the bullring of the Plaza de Toros
de Santamaria “still has an air of grandeur
despite crumbling brickwork. (It was built in
1931 and holds 14,500 people.)” Its “last
bullfighting season was three years ago, not
long before the mayor, Gustavo Petro,
revoked a contract with its private operators
… In February, Colombia’s constitutional
court reaffirmed its earlier ruling that
bullfighting was an ‘artistic expression’ and
should be reinstated immediately in
Bogota.” Plaza de Toros is about to be
refurbished.
However, animal-rights groups remain
hopeful. “Bullfighting has only a decade
left,” says Marta Esteban of La Tortura no es
Cultura, a Spanish campaign group. “I don’t
think new generations will let it continue.”
The Economist article brought back my
memories of attending bullfights in Madrid,
Spain, Nogales, Sonora, and in Bogota,
Colombia. In February 1984, two journalism
professors, the UofA’s George Ridge and
ASU’s Joe Milner, were invited to lecture to
media students in Bogota, and I was able to
tag along. We were invited to stay with
Ambassador Louis Tambs. He had been a
professor of Latin American affairs at ASU
before he was appointed ambassador by
President Ronald Reagan.

When the bull enters the full arena, an assistant
helps evaluate the bull’s tendencies using the
magenta and gold capote (cape).

His feet firmly planted, leading the bull close to
his body, Matador A executes a Veronica with the
red cape.

Matador A performs a perfect estocada or thrust
of the sword (estoque) in the vital area between
the shoulderblades.

An assistant (banderillero) tries to distract the
bull when Matador B is tossed in the air. He was
not seriously injured.

To the crowd’s delight, Matador B quickly proves The crowd asks the judge to award Matador B
his mastery of the bull.
two ears for his skill and bravery. He is allowed
to circle the ring with awards in hand.

Tambs is a bullfighting aficionado, so he and his wife, Phyllis, took
us to a corrida at the Plaza de Toros de Santamaria. Because of
threats from the Medellin drug cartel, we went in his armored
Cadillac, followed by guards in an armored SUV.
Of course we had the best seats on the shady side of the ring.
Four tough-looking men in suits sat on each side of us. They
didn’t watch the matadors, they just scanned the crowd. Their
briefcases were easy to open in case they had to use the Uzi
automatic weapons inside.
Louis and Phyllis were relaxed and enjoyed the traditional
spectacle with two outstanding matadors; each performing with
two large bulls. I don’t have their names so here I will call them
matadors A and B.
Matador A had a handsome bull and did very well with a series of
Veronica passes. He fought well with a clean finish.

16

Matador B was a different story. The large bull tended to hook a
horn and tossed Matador B twice, fortunately without serious
injury. The crowd cheered him on for remarkable performance.
He was awarded two ears, and was allowed to circle the bullring
twice, holding flowers and a ladies’ shoe thrown to him in
appreciation.
Several months later, in the middle of the night with his wife and
their infant daughter, Greer, Louis Tambs found out that one of
his bodyguards had been offered a bribe by the drug cartel.
Tambs slipped out of his heavily guarded official residence right
then, with his family. His daughter held his left hand; in his right
he held his Colt 45 pistol. Later, Tambs was appointed
ambassador to Costa Rica.
In our August-September Sombrero I will remind us how popular
bullfighting was in this area, when many of us went to Nogales,
Mexico for the corridas in the 1960s and ‘70s.

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

Spain, epicenter of la corrida
The first bullfight in Spain took place with the crowning of King
Alfonso VII in 710 A.D. King Felipe V banned the aristocracy
from fighting on horseback around 1724, so commoners
developed the practice of dodging bulls on foot.
Bullfighting follows ancient traditions and is a highly
choreographed event. A corrida usually has two or three matadors
who each fight two bulls in a bullring. The bulls are between four
and six years old, weighing no less than 1,000 pounds.

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To begin the event, there is a pasesillo, parade of the
participants. Each matador has an entourage with two picadors
(lancers on horseback), three banderilleros (assistant fighters
who place banderillos, barbed sticks, in the bull’s neck
muscles), one mozo de espada (sword servant), and several
more aides. The entrance is accompanied by stirring music
called paso doble, a Spanish two-step rhythm.

impressed with how multi-

The matador wears a traje de luces (suit of lights) made with
threads of gold, while the lesser banderilleros wear suits with
silver threads.

policies in what seemed

A corrida consists of three distinct stages, the start of each
announced by the sound of a bugle. In the first stage, the tercio
de varas, the bull enters the ring where the matador and the
banderilleros perform a series of passes with their magenta and
gold capotes (capes) to observe the behavior and quirks of the
bull. Next the picadors on their padded horses poke their vara
(lance) into the group of muscles on the back of the bull’s neck.
The tercio de banderillas is the next stage, in which each of the
three banderilleros tries to place two sharp, barbed, decorated
sticks in the bull’s shoulders.
The final stage is the “third of death,” the tercio de muerte. The
matador enters the ring alone. He removes his black, winged
hat, and dedicates the bull’s death to the president of the
event. He is handed a smaller red cape or muleta draped over a
short stick and a fake sword.
The matador now must show his skill with a series of passes
with the muleta in either hand, but the sword stays in the right
hand. The muleta is held in front of his body to make the bull
charge and then swung away hoping the bull will follow it. This
display of dominance over the bull is called the faena. It is
basically a dance with death, as one wrong move and the
matador can be impaled on the bull’s horns.
A common maneuver with the muleta is the Veronica. The
matador stands with his feet planted; the closer together, the
more artistic it is. The bull follows the cape as it is swung away
in front of his body. According to Britannica.com the pass is
named after St. Veronica who, according to Christian legend,
wiped Christ’s brow with a cloth as he passed on his way to
Golgotha.
The matador takes the true sword (estoque de verdad) for the
final act. The bull now is maneuvered into position with his feet
together and his head down. The matador must thrust the
estoque over the bull’s horns into the space between the
shoulderblades to end what enthusiasts consider an artistic
performance.
Amid more spirited music, the crowd may wave white
handkerchiefs to encourage the president to award trophies
for skill in working with the bull. It can be one or two ears, or
even the tail. The crowd often will throw flowers or personal
items into the ring to show appreciation.

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

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17

Time Capsule

Traveling around the Globe
By Nick Mansour, M.D.

Photos by Ken Sandock, M.D.

S

uperior and Miami-Globe have played a large role in Arizona
history. Major mining had some of its beginning there.
Superior, 60 miles east of Phoenix by U.S. 60, traverses canyons,
bridges, a tunnel, and some controversial areas considered
sacred by some Native Americans.
Globe stayed a frontier town because of its relative isolation from
the rest of Arizona. The area offers fascinating history to the
curious and is well worth a weekend trip, which is what the PCMS
History Committee did on April 18.

Committee Chairman Jim Klein, M.D. approached me about such
an excursion. I was born and lived in Superior and know
something of the area, and I approached my brother-in-law, Don
Hammer, who worked as a mining engineer in Superior, about
such a trip. We felt that two trips were required, the first being to
Superior, which we did in November 2014, as described in the
Feb. 2015 Sombrero. That tour visited Old Pinal City, the gravesite
of Mattie Earp, and toured the city of Superior.
To plan this outing we took two trips to Miami-Globe in March,
and a third trip to the City of Globe Historic District. Don Hammer
and I guided the trip to Superior and were asked to do the same
for Miami-Globe. About a dozen PCMS members met at Oracle
Junction on the appointed date and we left at 8:10 a.m.
The plan was to take us to Florence Junction, and proceed east
through Superior to several points on U.S. 60. On 60, about a halfmile east of the Superior tunnel, on the north side of Queen
Creek, we stopped to see a trail on the south side of the canyon,
much of which is washed out but can still be found with a bit of
searching. This was the main pathway from Superior to Camp
Pinal, where Maj. Gen. George Stoneman, Jr., after fighting for
the Union in the Civil War, was assigned to establish a
headquarters post at the base of
Tordillo Mountain, now called
Picket Post, outside of Superior.
Stoneman had the mule trail
built to what became Camp
Pinal, now called Craig’s Ranch or
Pinal Ranch. The Stoneman
Grade is a trail from the city of
Pinal to Globe, running north
through the old Silver King mine
area to Superior. The trail in
Queen Creek, the main route
from Superior to Camp Pinal
before 1921, was begun in the
late 1860s or early 1870s and
completed by 1871. It was the
only direct route from Superior
to Miami-Globe until 1921, when
the road from Miami to Superior
was finished. The ranch house at
18

Downtown Globe.

Craig’s Ranch, still standing at more than a century old, has had
some renovations but is in good condition.
Camp Pinal is in an area called the Top of The World. The name
Pinal was given by the Apaches and means pine grove in the
mountains. Elevation is more than 4,500 feet. In the same area
and just about a mile east of the Pinal Ranch is Summit Lodge. In
the 1940s this place had cabins that could be rented for a
summer, near apple and quince orchards. Much of this is now
gone and other homes are there.
We left the turnoff at Queen Creek and proceeded east on 60 to a
spot about a half-mile east of the Pinal-Gila counties line, about a
mile east of Summit Lodge. At this point the main road turns left
down a grade to Pinto Creek and
the old road proceeds to the
right and a bit south. Until
Arizona 60 was built this the
main road to Miami from
Superior. There was a dance hall
one to two miles east of the GilaPinal line, but with the building
of the present road, this facility
was closed.

The headframe from the Old Dominion Mine, closed in 1931. A
trail leads visitors around various structures, each of which has
an explanation plaque.

At this stop Don Hammer gave a
discussion of the Pinto Valley
Mine. This mine was started by
Miami Copper Co., was called
Castle Dome Mine, and operated
from 1943 to 1953. It closed for a
number of years, and under new
ownership re-started operation
in 1974. It is in operation today
SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

Milling and smelting are still in production at the Miami mines.

The trail in Queen Creek was the main route from Superior to
Pinal Ranch before 1921.

under different ownership. From this spot we traveled on 60
down to Pinto Creek. As one goes down the road toward Pinto
Creek and looks to the  north (left), the whole Pinto Valley
becomes visible and there is a panoramic view of all the mining
operations.

concentrator working at the east end of the valley, and one can
also see trucks running on parts of the mining areas.

At the bottom of the grade is a bridge built in 1949 when the new
highway 60 was built. This is a high cantilever bridge built on a
curve, and there is a plaque at each end of the bridge, apparently
from the American Institute of Steel Construction, extolling the
construction of a cantilever bridge on a curve.
When Don and I first scouted the area, we were halted just west
of the Pinto Creek bridge for about 45 minutes. A cadre of police
cars was there but we did not know why. I later learned that the
night before, on March 3, a man had committed suicide by
jumping off the bridge, and that one other man had previously
done the same about a month earlier.
From there we went to Miami, a mile or two west of which is a
canyon called Bloody Tanks, where in the 1860s a group of settlers
engaged in a battle with Apaches. Accounts vary, but it appears
the settlers won the battle because of their superior weapons.
As one enters Miami from the west there is some mining
machinery clearly visible in front of the old Bullion High School.
This is no longer used as a school and is now a museum. We
visited it on our previous trip, but did not have time to take the
group into it. However, I highly recommend that anyone
interested in the area visit it. It is well done and very interesting in
its presentations.
We traveled down Main Street of Miami until we came to the
third stoplight, Adonis Street. From there we turned south (right)
and proceeded up a tortuous road to the top of a ridge called
Cherry Flats. From there we had a panoramic view of the mining
operations, some of which continue today.
To the far west is the Oxhide Mine, no longer in use. Next to it is
the Bluebird Mine, opened years ago, and next are the Miami and
Miami East mines. There is still a headframe visible where the old
Miami mine was, which was in full operation until 1959. There
was a leaching operation before it closed, but since then the old
mine is primarily a leaching operation. There is still a smelter and
SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

Don Hammer gave a history of the mining operations of the
various companies including the Inspiration Copper Company
which is still in operation today under different ownership.
The group proceeded on to Globe by U.S. 60, though we did not
go through the town but to a street just before the curve on 60a.
U.S. 60 goes from north to south on the west outskirts of the
town and then turns east. Just before this curve, the group
turned off on Maple street and proceeded into a canyon and up a
street named Eucalyptus. This circled and wound up on top of a
bluff where we stopped.
From there we had a panoramic view of Globe, including the old
high school, the old courthouse, and several other buildings. Far to
the north we could see the Sierra Ancha Mountains. On this range’s
south side near the top, there are the remains of a tailings dump.
This is an abandoned asbestos mine, not in operation for more than
60 years. I was up at that mine in 1955 on a camping trip. I believe
there was an old Model T Ford probably used to run a machinery
belt. To the northeast of town we could see the headframe of the
Old Dominion Mine and the workings of the Copper City Mine,
north of Miami, which were not visible from Cherry Flats.
From that point we went to Maple street, under the 60 overpass
onto Broad street. Just a block west of our entering Broad is a free
city parking lot, across the street from the old train depot. This
was the starting place for a tour of the Globe downtown district.
An early-1900s steam engine used for troop transport in World
War II is on display not far from this parking lot. A plaque notes
that it was built by Baldwin Co. and had traveled more than three
million miles.
The parking lot may be where the Dominion Hotel once was,
which burned down in 1981. I asked several people about the
significance of it, as I believed ex-President Theodore Roosevelt
had stayed there for the dedication of Roosevelt Dam. Two local
people confirmed that they believed this to be the case, and one
stated that President Calvin Coolidge also stayed there at for the
dedication of Coolidge Dam.
Globe, founded in 1975 and at 3,500 feet elevation, is the seat of
19

Tombstone legends won’t die any easier than the town. A poster
explains Doc Holliday’s and Big Nose Kate’s connection to
Globe.

Built in 1910, Globe High School is Arizona’s oldest high school
still in its intended use.

Gila County. Several old buildings dating back to the 1870s are still
in use. Globe’s population today is around 7,500. Temperatures
can range from near freezing to 100+. Places of interest are the
old county courthouse, the sheriff’s office, and the U.S. Post Office
still in use. Several churches date to the early 1900s.

Horony, paramour of Tombstone’s famous gambler and
gunfighter Doc Holliday. They were there for a brief time after the
O.K. Corral gunfight, and she apparently cared for him in his
illness. She also established a house there. A saloon in Tombstone
bears her name today.

As we were walking down the street we stopped in front of a
building to read a one-page manuscript. The lady inside came out
and greeted us and proceeded to tell us some of the history. The
manuscript was about Big Nose Kate, real name Mary Kate

The local lady informed us that there was a Chinese district close
by, and that there used to be tunnels that were used, especially
at night, for the Chinese people to go from their place to other
parts of town, as being on the open street at night was dangerous
for them because the potential for racist violence was so high.

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A brochure detailing the history walk, with some history about
the structures, can be obtained at the Globe Chamber of
Commerce and at the Globe Museum next door, a building that
once was the mine rescue building.
As you enter Globe from the west, opposite the road is a creek,
and just above that is the old slag dump. If you turn left after the
dump, the road will lead to the old mine site where there is a
walk-around area and paths going by the headframe and other
structures. All are in disrepair or ruin, but there are plaques with
information about what was there. The Dominion Mine was in
operation from 1881 until October 1931 and then closed, but
Globe’s main industry is still mining of copper ore, and the mine is
a source of water for the mines in Miami and possibly for the
town of Globe.
If you visit, we recommend the museum in Miami , the museum in
Globe, the walk around the Old Dominion Mine, and history walk
through the City of Globe, mainly on Broad Street. George W.P.
Hunt, Arizona’s first governor, was from Globe, as was our first
woman governor, Rose Mofford. “Wonder Woman” actress Linda
Carter is from Globe. Actor Jack Elam is from Miami, Arizona.
A train goes to the San Carlos Casino, and Globe is essentially the
jumping-off point for the White Mountains. The Apache Trail
begins about two miles west off the town on Arizona 60.
Adequate travel facilities are easily found in the area.

ROC #278632

20

Dr. Mansour said he appreciates Don Hammer’s work in setting
up the tour, and Dr. James Klein for organizing and advertising.
“I thank Dr. Ken Sandock for his help in preparing this manuscript,
as well as for providing and reviewing the photos.”
n
SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

William A. Sibley, M.D.
1925-2015

In Memoriam
By Stuart Faxon

William A. Sibley, M.D., ABPNcertified neurologist, one of the
University of Arizona College of
Medicine’s founders and first
neurology department head, and
PCMS member 1968-85, died April
24, the family reported April 25 in
the Arizona Daily Star. He was 90.

Robert L. Reese, M.D.
1946-2015
Robert L. “Bob” Reese, M.D., ABRcertified diagnostic radiologist and
PCMS member 1976-2001, was
fatally injured in a car crash on May
11 in Coronado, Calif., the Arizona
Daily Star reported May 22. He was
68.
Robert Lawrence Reese was born
Oct. 8, 1946 in Baltimore, and
earned his undergraduate degree in
mathematics in 1968 at Hendrix
College, Conway, Ark. He earned his
M.D. in 1972 at University of
Dr. Robert L. Reese
Arkansas School of Medicine at Little
in 1986.
Rock. He interned at St. Elizabeth
Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio, and did his residency at
University of Arkansas’ University Hospital and The School of
Medicine, where he served as an instructor in diagnostic
radiology.
In Tucson Dr. Reese practiced with the
Thomas-Davis Clinic, and had a secondary
interest in radiation oncology. Later he
practiced with Carondelet Imaging Center.
He practiced until 2012. He was a member
of the American College of Radiologists and
the Radiological Society of North America.
“As a young man, Bob was active in Scouting
and became an Eagle Scout,” his family told
the paper. “While at Hendrix he was a
member of the tennis team, and he was an
avid bridge player. Bob loved all outdoor
activities, particularly skiing, swimming,
tennis, golf, and hiking. He was also very
interested in genealogy and was happy to
assist others as well. He was a very involved
parent with his children’s sports and other
activities. He loved playing with his
granddaughter, Maddie, and it was one of
his great joys to be present during her birth.”
Dr. Reese’s wife of 43 years, Linda Hill Reese;
brother William G. “Bill” Reese; sister Mary
Reese Finley; children Colin G. Reese and
Hilary Reese Peters; and granddaughter
Madeline Reese Peters survive him. A
memorial service was given May 28 at
Catalina Foothills Church. The family
requests that memorial donations be made
to the Alzheimer’s Association, alz.org.
SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

“Dr. Sibley devoted his career to
study of diseases of the nervous
system,” the family reported, “and
to testing and development of
treatments for multiple sclerosis,
Dr. William A. Sibley
epilepsy, migraines and Parkinson’s
in 1984.
disease. His clinical findings and
diagnostic skills continue to inform physicians around the world,
and patients still benefit from his research. Dr. Sibley taught
thousands of resident physicians and medical students in a
neurology career spanning more than five decades. He continued
to teach through 2012, more than 45 years after joining the UofA
medical school leadership in 1967.”
William Austin Sibley was born Jan. 25, 1925 in Miami, Okla. After
earning his Bachelor of Science at Yale University, he continued
there to earn his M.D. in 1948. He interned at University Hospitals

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21

of Cleveland and did three residencies 1951-56 at The Neurological
Institute at The Presbyterian Hospital, New York City.
In 1952-53 Dr. Sibley served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force in the
Far East Air Material Command in Japan, the family reported. “In
1954 he met his future wife in the neurological ward of [then]
Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, where she worked
as a nursing instructor. They were married a few months later.”
Dr. Sibley was a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology; a
member of the American Neurological Association; president
1967-68 of the Central Society for Neurological Research; and
member of the Society of Clinical Neurologists, and of the
Association of Research for Nervous and Mental Diseases.
At the UofA, Dr. Sibley directed the Tucson program for study of

the neural transmitter L-Dopa—levodihydroxyphenylalanine, the
Tucson Citizen reported June 10, 1970. “Fifty Tucsonans …
afflicted with Parkinson’s disease participated with the University
of Arizona College of Medicine [in] the past year in a study and
treatment program which led to release of the drug L-Dopa for
wide3spread use.” The treatment program “worked on the same
basis at 25 medical colleges throughout the nation,” the paper
reported, [and] “required monthly reports on the efficacy and
side-effects of the drug in 50 patients at each college. Analyzed
results led to its approval by the FDA.”
Dr. Sibley called it “a crash program which paid off,” and that a cooperative effort, carefully supervised, made it work.
Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks’ 1973 memoir “Awakenings,”
about his 1969 discovery of L-Dopa, became the 1990 film of the
same name, starring the late Robin Williams as
the Sacks character “Malcolm Sayer,” and
Robert DeNiro as one of many patients
“awakened” after decades of seeming
catatonia. The drug was found to control
Parkinson’s symptoms, but not to halt the
nerve damage caused by the disease.
For six months of 1971 Dr. Sibley took a
sabbatical from the UofA to do research at the
University of Paris on viral diseases of the
nervous system. In 1972 he spoke at the “77th
Annual Scientific Sessions of the Utah State
Medical Association on “Research Trends of
Multiple Sclerosis,” work for which he received
grants at the UofA from the National Multiple
Sclerosis Society and others.
Also in 1972, Dr. Sibley advocated “passage of
laws to clarify the medical-legal position in
cases where hopelessly ill patients are kept
alive by machines,” the Arizona Daily Star
reported. “In finding the new therapeutic
weapons which have saved countless lives,” Dr.
Sibley said. “medicine has also found the
means for prolonging life beyond the point
where life, as such, has any meaning. Thus
modern medicine, with its new technology,
places a barrier between the hopelessly or
terminally ill patient, and his [or her] merciful
death.”
The family reported that in 2006, Dr. Sibley was
awarded the John Dystel Prize for Multiple
Sclerosis Research by the American Academy
of Neurology and the National Multiple
Sclerosis Society. In that year he also earned
the UofA College of Medicine’s Physician
Scientist Award for Excellence in Clinical
Research and for his seminal contributions to
the etiology and treatment of MS. He
authored or contributed to more than 100
books and academic journals.
Dr. Sibley “was straight off the tee, could sing
extended passages of Gilbert & Sullivan from
memory, and enjoyed making goldenrod eggs
for his family on Christmas morning,” the

22

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

family reported. He “was a basketball season ticket holder at
McKale Center during the Lute Olsen years, spoiled his dogs, and
asked that his ashes be spread near his cottage and favorite
fishing spots on the southeastern shores of Lake Huron, Ontario.”

generosity and kindness. He made new friends easily, and people
would gravitate toward his big smile and open approach. Oliver
always put his family first and foremost and ensured his loved
ones were well taken care of.

Dr. Sibley’s wife, Joanne Shaw Sibley of Tucson; sister Margaret
Sanborn of Pewaukee, Wis.; sons John of Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
Peter of Tucson, and Andrew of Tulsa, Okla.; daughter Jane Clark of
Lexington, Ky.; and six grandchildren children survive him.

“Oliver had a passion for medicine and surgery and deeply
enjoyed his profession. He also pursued the latest technology and
was continually learning, sharing his excitement about the latest
discoveries in a variety of fields, from surgical techniques to
gadgets and computers.”

A memorial celebration of Dr. Sibley’s life was given April 29 at the
family home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Human
Society of Southern Arizona, 3450 N. Kelvin Blvd., Tucson 85716;
the Sibley Resident Education fund at the University of Arizona,
Box 210109, Tucson 85721; or the charity of the donor’s choice.

Oliver W.
Shelksohn, D.O.
1943-2015

Dr. Shelksohn’s wife, Pamela; brother O. Wayne Shelksohn;
children Christopher, Marcus, and Marissa; and three
grandchildren survive him. His sister Eileen Dunson; his first wife,
Toni; and son Owen predeceased him. Memorial services were
May 24 at Bring’s Broadway Chapel.

Oliver W.
Shelksohn, D.O.,
general,
gynecological
and colo-rectal
surgeon, and
PCMS member
1984-2001, died
May 20, the
Arizona Daily
Star reported
May 23. He was
72.
Oliver Walter
Shelksohn was
born Sept. 21, 1943 in Ely, Nev. After
graduating from high school he served in the
U.S. Army 1960-64. After attending the
University of Nevada at Reno, he earned his
D.O. in 1972 at Kansas City (Mo.) College of
Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Oliver W. Shelksohn
in 1984.

He interned and did his GS residency at the
Detroit Osteopathic Bi-County Community
Hospitals. He was board-certified in general
surgery, and was a Fellow of the American
College of Osteopathic Surgeons, and
member of the Tucson Surgical Society. He
left Tucson to practice in Idaho.
Dr. Shelksohn practiced in Tucson for more than
25 years and “recently had been performing
locum tenens across multiple states,” his family
told the paper. “Oliver received numerous
awards and titles during his prestigious career,
including Fellow of the ACOS and serving as
president of the Arizona Osteopathic Medical
Association and on the board of Tucson
Osteopathic Medical Foundation.
“Oliver (Ollie to his friends) was well-loved by
everyone who met him and came to know his
SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

23

• Macular degeneration
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Macular diseases, e.g., macular
hole and macular pucker
• Flashes and floaters
• Retinal tears
• Retinal detachment
• Central and branch retinal vein
• Pediatric retinal conditions
• Tumors involving the retina
and choroid
• Second opinions

St. Joseph’s Medical Plaza
6561 E. Carondelet Drive
Tucson, Arizona 85710
Northwest Medical Center
6130 N. La Cholla Blvd., Suite 230
Tucson, Arizona 85741
1055 N. La Cañada Dr.,
Suite 103
Green Valley, Arizona 85614

24

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

Robert E. O’Mara, M.D.
1933-2015
Robert E. “Bob” O’Mara, Sr., M.D.,
board-certified radiology and
nuclear medicine physician, teacher
and researcher, and PCMS member
1972-2002, died April 26 in Tucson,
the Arizona Daily Star reported May
1. He was 82.
Dr. O’Mara became an Affiliate (later
Associate with our bylaws change)
PCMS member in 1976 when he
returned to New York to work at the
University of Rochester. He moved
back to Tucson in retirement.

Dr. Robert E. O’Mara in
1972 when he joined PCMS. Robert Edmund George O’Mara was

born Dec. 8, 1933 in Flushing,
Queens, New York City. After earning his undergraduate degree
at the University of Rochester (N.Y.), he earned his M.D. at The
Albany (N.Y.) Medical College (Medical Department of Union
University) in 1959. In 1960-62 he served as a captain in the U.S.
Air Force Medical Corps Research and Development Center,
Kirkland AFB, Albuquerque, N.M.

He interned at St. Louis (Mo.) City Hospital; did residencies in the
Rochester (N.Y.) General Hospital Department of Surgery and Saint
Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center of New York’s Department
of Radiology; and in 1966-67 completed a National Institutes of
Health Fellowship in nuclear medicine at Upstate Medical Center,
State University of New York at Syracuse. He was a member of the
Society of Nuclear Medicine, American College of Radiology, the
Radiological Society of North America, and AMA.
Dr. O’Mara’s wife of 51 years, Brenda; son Robert Jr.; daughters
Susan Dennett and Bridget Monzon; and granddaughters Brittany
and Abby survive him.
A memorial gathering was given May 4 at Bring’s Broadway
Chapel. Memorial donations may be made in Dr. O’Mara’s
memory to the American Cancer Society (donate.cancer.org) or
Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. (www.urmc.
rochester.edu/childrenshospital/giving).

Bill Masland, M.D.
1933-2015

returned for a residency at the
Hospital of the University of
Pennsylvania, and finished his
training with a Research Career
Development Award Fellowship
(NINDS) 1966-71.
He was certified by the American
Board of Neurology and Psychiatry
and the American Board of
Qualification in Electroencephalography. He was a member of the
American Academy of Neurology,
American EEG Society, American
Epilepsy Society, and the American
Physiological Society.

“He served as an assistant professor of neurology at Penn before
joining Neurological Associates of Tucson in 1971” [now
Carondelet Neurological Institute], the family reported. “In 1985
he became medical director of the O’Reilly Care Center at
[Carondelet] St. Joseph’s Hospital, drug and alcohol treatment
facility. Since 2000, he worked in Yuma as a neurologist and pain
specialist. He served on the Board of Directors of the Association
for Drug Abuse and Alcoholism [treatment], the Epilepsy Society
of Southern Arizona, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and the
Housing Authority of the City of Yuma, and was a strong advocate
for the mentally ill.
“With intelligence, good humor, and sound advice, he inspired
and mentored students and family members. Bill had a good run.
He treated life as a grand adventure, and it was.”
Dr. Masland’s wife of 59 years, Nancy; brother James G. Masland,
Jr.; daughter Ethel “Ellie” Wolcott; five grandchildren; and a
number of cousins, nieces and nephews survive him. His
daughter Elizabeth “Betsy” Masland predeceased him.
The memorial event was private. Memorial donations can be
made to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Rd.,
Tucaon 85743, or Green Fields Country Day School, 6000 N.
Camino de la Tierra, Tucson, where Nancy Masland served as
headmaster starting in 1972.

Emanuel S. Hellman, M.D.
1931-2015
Emanuel Hellman, M.D., IM and
cardiology physician and PCMS
member 1972-85, died May 20, the
Arizona Daily Star reported May 24.
He was 83.

William S. “Bill” Masland, M.D., neurologist and pain management specialist, and PCMS mem-ber 1972-92, died May 8,
the Arizona Daily Star reported May 17. He was 82.
William Stafford Maslin was born May 17, 1933 in Philadelphia,
attended the William Penn Charter School, and earned his
undergraduate degree in 1955 at Haverford College. He earned
his M.D. in 1955 at the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine. He interned at the Hospital of the University of
Pennsyl-vania, did his neurology residency at New York
Neurological Institute of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center,
SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

Dr. W.S. ‘Bill’ Masland
in 1991.

Dr. Emanuel S. Hellman
in 1984.

Emanuel Scholem Hellman was born
July 8, 1931 in New York City. After
earning his A.B. at Harvard University
in 1953, magna cum laude, with
summa cum laude in engineering,
sciences and applied physics, he
went on to Harvard Medical School
to earn his M.D. in 1957.
He interned with Harvard Medical
25

Service and Boston City Hospital. He did residencies at Beth Israel
Hospital in Boston and Georgetown Medical School Service,
Washington, D.C. In 1959-61 he served with the U.S. Public
Health Service and was senior assistant surgeon, Metabolism
Services, National Cancer Institute, NIH. He had a Fellowship in
cardiology at Georgetown University Hospital 1961-62.
Board-certified in IM and cardiology, he was a member of Alpha
Omega Alpha, the Aesculapian Club, Massachusetts Heart
Association, Council of Clinical Cardiology, Phi Beta Kappa, American
Heart Association, and the Massachusetts Medical Society.
In 1980 Dr. Hellman and his wife, Dorothea E. Hellman, M.D.,
added IM physician Michael R. Schoenhals, M.D. and endocrinologist
Mitchell Parker, M.D. to their practice on East Pima Street. On
April 21, 1980, Dr. Dorothea Hellman predeceased her husband,
who called her “an extraordinary lady and a brilliant physician.
From the clinical practice of endocrinology she was able to make
original observations and produce innovative research.”
in 1992 Dr. Hellman served on the CAP Select Water Quality
Panel, chaired by Dr. Ronald P. Spark.
“Manny was a successful physician and researcher,” his family
told the paper. “... an inspirational leader and partner for his
colleagues. He was an athlete, a scholar, a philosopher, a patriot,
a joke-teller who met his match only with the advent of the
Internet, a dreamer (albeit a pragmatic one), an artist, a
crafstman, a fixer, a cowboy, a ranch hand, a builder, a mover of
rocks, a prankster, a puzzler, a gambler, a swashbuckler a traveler
(perhaps a purposeful wanderer), a counselor and a mentor.

Joan T. Lowell, 1941-2015
Joan T. Lowell, who ran area-wide physician credentialing for
PCMS from 1992 through 2000, died April 11, 2015. Her obituary
appeared in the April 18 Arizona Daily Star. She was 73.
Before coming to PCMS, Lowell worked in a variety of healthcare
institutions. She was credentialing coordinator at Palo Verde
Hospital from 1988-1992, medical records coordinator at Sierra
Tucson, record rooms chief for HealthAmerica/GHMA, and
medical records librarian for Southern Arizona Mental Health
Center.
“And she made the best deviled eggs,” PCMS Executive Director
Bill Fearneyhough said, “There are a lot worse things for a person
to be remembered for.” He added that he still makes her recipe.
“Lowell took over a troubled PCMS credentialing program in
1992,” former PCMS Executive Director Steve Nash said. “At the
time there was a huge backlog of incomplete forms, hundreds of
physician complaints, and no money coming in. Within two
months she had the process running smoothly. PCMS
Credentialing Services made money in 1993, then large amounts
of money in 1994 and 1995. Lowell then cut fees substantially
and began work on a statewide, single form, to be used by
licensing boards, insurance companies, and all Arizona hospitals.
“In 1996 TMC began to compete directly with PCMS Credentialing
Services, and it slowly eroded the customer base. At Christmas
1999, the PCMS Board of Directors pulled the plug on the
operation. Lowell stayed another year to wind up contracts.

“He was a devoted husband to Dorothea and [then] Sandy, both
of whom loved him with every fiber of their being. He was a
loving son to Selma, who lived only for him. He was a
magnanimous father and inspiration to Debbie and Steven, who
can flawlessly confront any challenge in life with the question,
‘What would daddy do?,’ and who try to live up to his standard of
parenting with his eight grandchildren.

“Back in 1996 we were probably about eight months away from a
single form for doctors to fill out. I wish Joan had been allowed
the time to pull this off.”

“All of these things describe Manny, but none of them truly
defines Manny. [He] can only be defined by the countless many
who have had the honor to know him and call him a friend.
Incredibly, that distinction is shared by almost everyone [he ever
knew]. The lives he touched and enriched have made of Manny’s
life something permanent, something larger, something
unknowable. In his own words, ‘Immortality is not in defying
death, but in being kept alive in the thoughts of those who
succeed you.’ … He was a man, He lived joyfully. He made the
world a better place. He lives on in all of us.”

Born May 1, 1941 in Philadelphia, Lowell studied Latin and
classical Greek at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., earning a BA in
1963. She raised a variety of animals, including her beloved
geese, at her Tucson home. Flowers surrounded her house. Her
family suggested as a memorial “…planting anything in memory
of this deeply loved lady who lived to play in her garden.”

The family suggests memorial donations be made to TMC
Hospice or the Steven M. Gootter Foundation.

Besides having a strong head for organization, Lowell was a poet
and hand-weaver. She had been an art teacher and gave lessons
to children.

At Lowell’s request, no services were held, but the family asks “all
who knew her to remember her fierce and tenacious spirit, her
talent for art and poetry, her love of cats, geese, and growing
things, her warm and generous nature, and anything about Joan
that makes you smile.”
Her daughters Laura, Barbi, and Jennifer; niece Ann; nephew
Wayne; and four grandchildren survive her.

n

Members’ Classifieds
CLINICIAN NEEDED – Fourth Avenue Clinic at 2016
South Fourth Avenue in Tucson needs a clinician to
assist in its pain management practice. Additional
information is available at 520-882-4252 or e-mail
[email protected]
26

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

Radiology Ltd. now offers 3D Mammography.
The physicians of Radiology Ltd. believe in personalized
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For more information
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Welcome Back to the Radiology Ltd. Team!
Creed M. Rucker, M.D.

Neuroradiology and General Radiology

Dr. Rucker received his M.D. from the University of Arizona in
2000. He then completed his Internship in General Surgery
and Residency in Nuclear Medicine at Vanderbilt University
Medical Center. He went on to complete an additional
Residency in Diagnostic Radiology, along with his Fellowship in
Interventional Neuroradiology at Washington University School
of Medicine. We are proud to welcome back Dr. Rucker to the
Radiology Ltd. team!
A TUCSON TRADITION FOR MORE THAN 80 YEARS

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015

27

MICA_Sombrero06'15.qxp_Layout 1 5/12/15 10:20 AM Page 1

Did you know?
MICA is a mutual company
that is owned by the policyholders
we insure. Our Board of Trustees is
comprised primarily of physicians,
and their decisions are based on the
interests of our policyholders.

Medical Professional
Liability Insurance
(602) 956-5276
(800) 352-0402
www.mica-insurance.com

The policyholder benefits presented here are illustrative and are not intended to create or alter any insurance coverage. They should
not be relied on and may differ from actual MICA policy language. Coverage provided by MICA is always subject to the terms and
conditions of your policy, and MICA strongly encourages you to read your policy in its entirety.

28

SOMBRERO – June/July 2015