William "Bill" Farr

William Farr was educated at the University of Cincinnati where he received a Ph.D. in Medical Pharmacology, and a M.D. degree. He taught cardiovascular physiology and experimental medicine until he moved to Tucson Arizona to pursue further clinical training. He practiced geriatrics/hospice/palliative care in Tucson for 20 years. In 1976 he became the medical director of the Hillhaven Hospice in Tucson, the first freestanding hospice facility in the US. Hillhaven was one of three hospices chosen to participate in a three year National Cancer Institute contract to study the application of the hospice concept developed in England to America. Bill was the co-principal investigator on this contract. He continued as medical director of the successor hospice program, Carondelet Hospice, Tucson, until his retirement from medicine in 1995. Bill was Frank Waters' physician (Dean of Southwestern writing) up until his retirement from medicine, whereupon he and his wife moved to Taos. He has been a board member and Vice President of the International Hospice Institute and the International Hospice Institute and College, and is the Vice Chairman, and Life Member of the Board of the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC). He is also the Editor of the IAHPC Newsletter which goes to over 8,000 subscribers each month by email and is also on the web at www.hospicecare.comBill is an abstract painter and currently lives on his Angus cattle farm in Georgia with his wife, dogs, sheep and cattle. They also have a small retail Angus beef business near Griffin, GA. www.sellfarm.com