In Memoriam: Remembering Robert A. Warriner III, MD: A Tribute to a True Leader

  Robert A. Warriner III, MD, died Aug. 2, at the age of 62 after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma six years ago. During the final days of his illness, I visited Bob in the intensive care unit at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Although he was very ill when I saw him, when I later received an email regarding a complicated question about hyperbarics, my first thought was, “I must remember to ask Bob what he thinks.” You see, asking Bob Warriner for his opinion had long been an ingrained habit of mine. For more than 20 years, there had not been a question, a crisis, an accomplishment, or an idea that I had not talked over with him. Around the world, many hyperbaric physicians share the same sense of professional “loneliness” since his death.

  A New Orleans native, Bob graduated from Tulane University and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He trained in anesthesiology at Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation in New Orleans and conducted a critical care fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.

  From 1980-83 he served as the director of the surgical intensive care unit at Wilford Hall on Lackland Air Force Base while serving in the Air Force. Additionally, at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, he served as chief of anesthesia services, proudly attaining the rank of Major in the US Air Force Medical Corps.

A True Inspiration

  When I arrived in Houston in 1990, fresh out of my hyperbaric medicine fellowship at Duke, Bob was one of the first professional colleagues I met.

  Over the years he became a friend, a collaborator, and a neighbor in The Woodlands, TX. Bob had moved to Texas after leaving the military, and in 1989 he founded the Southeast Texas Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine in Conroe, serving as its director until 2003.

  During the 28 years that he lived in Montgomery County, Bob served as the county district EMS medical director and was named medical director for the EMT training program of North Harris/Montgomery College District and the Rural/Metro Ambulance Corps.

  In 1998, only days after I became president of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Medicare effectively withdrew hyperbaric oxygen therapy coverage for nonhealing wounds. Over the next two years, Bob and I made seven trips to the headquarters of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to try to convince officials to abandon this decision, with each encounter preceded by weeks of detailed preparations that he tackled with infinite patience — shouldering the vast majority of the work.

  During that time, the Medicare director of coverage policy changed three times, and we had to reinvent our discussions with each change in leadership. In the final meeting with CMS, with the issue of coverage for diabetic foot ulcers hanging in the balance, I lost my composure with an official. Bob stepped in, handling the situation with aplomb. That was one of his great qualities — that he could say the right things and keep his head when others, like me, lost theirs. I always respected Bob, but in that moment I developed a deep and abiding admiration for him.

  An excellent scientist who was a joy to conduct research with, Bob could cultivate any basic idea into a fully articulated creative project. I may be a university professor, but I always learned a lot from Bob. The “ask Bob” option was usually the most thorough way to understand any topic pertaining to wound care or hyperbaric medicine.

  For the last 10 years, Bob was employed as chief medical officer for Praxis and Diversified Clinical Services (most recently with Healogics). Many hyperbaric medical physicians owe their passion for the field to the training they received through his courses. Bob set the bar with the clinical practice guidelines he developed and the passion with which he conveyed them.

The “Other” Bob

  Despite his extensive, busy career, Bob somehow managed to devote his time and energy to Bible School programs (along with his wife Karen) for hundreds of churches in Mexico and to medical mission trips to Malaysia, Kenya, and Nigeria.

  He’s survived by his wife of 36 years, his brother Mark, his sister Judith, his mother Alice, and his daughters: Amy Lemire, Lesley Davies, and their families. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions to Mexico Missions, First Baptist Church of The Woodlands (11801 Grogans Mill Road, The Woodlands, TX, 77380); Barry University, School of Podiatric Medicine (11300 NE 2nd Ave., Miami Shores, FL, 33161); and Volunteer Services at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030).

  Bob was devoted to his family, his patients, his colleagues, and the field of wound care and hyperbaric medicine. He will be greatly missed by all of us.

  He had a strong faith in the Lord, and this Bible verse seems a fitting tribute to him: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-9)

  Perhaps we can take comfort and encouragement from Bob’s example to continue to run, with courage, the race set before each of us.

Caroline Fife, co-editor of TWC, chief medical officer at Intellicure Inc., cfife@intellicure.com