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William Gust, M.D. |
A memorial service will be held today at 10 a.m., at Dundee Presbyterian Church, 5312 Underwood Ave.
“Bill was kind, very understated, easy to work with and would do anything to support the medical center,” said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “He will be missed.”
At 33, Dr. Gust was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in his neck region. He was successfully treated but high doses of radiation therapy resulted in complications later in life that ultimately contributed to his death.
“With all his health issues, Bill received amazing care from his many colleagues at the medical center,” his wife, Mary Beth Gust, said. “Someone always had the net under him to catch him.”
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Dr. Gust was assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine and served as director of the UNMC Hypertension Clinic for many years. From 1984 to 1997, he was director of UNMC’s continuing education program and played a key role in UNMC’s state-of-the-art distance education system.
His VA Medical Center posts included:
- Section chief of general internal medicine;
- Director of the primary care program; and
- Associate chief of staff for education.
Many people knew Dr. Gust as a communicator. For more than 20 years, he co-hosted a weekly radio program, “Community Health Line,” on KIOS-FM (91.5). The show concluded in 2007 and is believed to be the longest-running health program ever on Omaha radio.
Dr. Gust also served as host of “The Wellness Connection,” a monthly television program on Cox Cable’s Health and Wellness Channel, and “VA Affairs,” a monthly television program produced by the VA Medical Center.
Before his UNMC career, Dr. Gust served two years as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during the Vietnam War. His military awards include:
- A Bronze Star with V device and first oak leaf cluster;
- The Army Commendation Medal; and
- The Combat Medics Badge.
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.
To my knowledge, Dr. Gust was the only radio host with a tracheotomy on the air, anywhere. Radio is about communication, and Bill was an impeccable communicator. In an industry that prides itself on ‘voice of God’ announcers with ‘pipes of gold’ – many times in lieu of meaningful content, Bill was the antidote.
I have known Bill Gust for many years. He has been an outstanding educator/clinician for UNMC and a loyal member of the faculty. He provided great service to the Omaha VA and was a creative director of continuing medical education for many years. Bill also was known for his weekly radio program on which he interviewed many UNMC faculty about current events at the medical center. He was always a gracious host. Bill was kind, very understated, easy to work with and would do anything to support the medical center. He will be missed. Bill's wife, Mary Beth, also is a wonderful supporter of the medical center. Our thoughts are with her at this time.
Dr. Gust was an excellent role model in so many realms. He typified the professionalism that we struggle to teach young physicians today. He loved medicine and loved sharing his knowledge with others, from patients to students to colleagues. He also was an excellent teacher. His patience and ability to teach to the various levels of his learners was impressive. Dr. Gust will certainly be missed.
Bill Gust was a great clinician-teacher. Most importantly, he was excellent at getting to the personal component of a patient interview. He made his patients comfortable with his kind words and attention to details important for the individual patient.
His wit and wisdom and positive attitude in the face of significant ongoing personal health issues were an inspiration to all of us. He will be sorely missed.
“In addition to his dedication to quality teaching in medicine and superb patient care, Dr. Gust had a great interest in public health education. For many years he served as the voice of UNMC on public radio and the host on ‘The Wellness Connection’ on cable television. To those of us who worked with him in these endeavors he was a joy — always positive, creative and professional. He was a friend to all who will be missed.”
Bill fought a long and courageous battle with multiple medical problems. He will be fondly remembered for his unfailing loyalty to UNMC as well as his warmth and friendship toward those with whom he worked.
“Bill Gust made important contributions to medical education and patient care at the Omaha VA Medical Center and at UNMC. His work as associate chief of staff for education was important in making the VA an important center for teaching and learning in medicine. For many years he led the development of continuing medical education programs at UNMC. He was an informative and entertaining spokesman for UNMC programs on the call-in radio show, and he was an expert in the clinical care of hypertension. He taught many doctors over the years. He bravely fought a number of health issues in his later years. Also, Bill received the Bronze Star for his heroism in Vietnam. With a great deal of risk to his own life, he alerted his company to an ongoing attack and helped get people to safety."
Dr. Gust has been my teacher, my friend and my colleague for the past 35 years. He introduced me to internal medicine and inspired me to pursue the vocation that we have shared ever since. For decades he served as ‘the voice’ of the medical center even as his voice failed resulting from the cancer treatments he had received years ago. Through all his recent sufferings he remained cheerful and optimistic. Though his voice is now stilled, he continues as a resonant guide to me and the generations of physicians he trained.
Bill and I shared the same office for two years when he was chief medical resident. Then – and for years to come – one would always know when he was about because you would hear him coming down the hall whistling. When he arrived, his outlook and demeanor were that of a happy whistler. Bill was a good conversationalist and most remarkable for his snappy comebacks. They were kind, appropriate and funny. My wife and I attended Husker football games with the Gusts as well as the Omaha Playhouse, both of which Bill greatly enjoyed – the latter if he could stay awake for he rose so very early in the day. At football games, he was all business, no time for idle talk, attention was on the game!
“Bill Gust was the best friend one could have. He was always willing to help when we had health or other life problems. His dry sense of humor was a delight. He always demanded excellence of himself as a teacher, friend, and physician. Bill never complained in spite of difficulties he had with his health problems over several years and always had an optimistic outlook on life and looked on the brighter side of things. We enjoyed many vacations with Bill and Mary Beth. Bill was very well read and knowledgeable but occasionally he would have his directions wrong and we would all laugh when we pulled up to the destination with Bill still giving directions that we had taken the wrong turn.”
“There are two things I treasure about Dr. Bill Gust. I will always fondly remember his persistent optimism often in the face of great personal difficulty and uncertainty. He was an inspiration to me and many others. On a lighter note, his interest in virtually everything under the sun was contagious and exciting.”
When I first came to Omaha in 2002, I had the opportunity to be on the radio program with Dr. Gust. It was my very first introduction to the community. My practice and my patients have been tremendously benefited by his enthusiasm and generous support for my services. I will forever be grateful to him!!
Dr. Gust was the essence of what UNMC is – dedicated, passionate, quality all wrapped up in the package of educating healthcare providers. He shared his life experiences with all who were interested, and we have taken his dedication and incorporated it into our professions. He will be missed.
Bill was a friend and colleague who always had a smile and presented a positive outlook. I had the privilege of working closely with him for over 30 years and found him to be an inspiration. As another example of being a communicator, he developed and oversaw the closed circuit TV network that links the VA with UNMC and Creighton. This connection permited the students, house staff and faculty assigned to the VA to participate in lectures and conferences originating at UNMC without having to travel outside the building. It was also used for patient consultation, linking Omaha with the other Nebraska VAs, years before the term tele-medicine was even coined. It will be a long time before someone like him comes this way again.
Bill was one of those guys who makes UNMC such a special place to work. He spent his entire career at UNMC and really was one of our staunchest advocates. He did a wonderful job of telling the UNMC story through the media. He received more than his share of obstacles over the years, but his positive attitude and strong demeanor always pulled him through. What a guy! He will be dearly missed.