Lifestyle Improvement

Programs & Systems

The Heart of Wellness

718 Linwood Avenue

    Stevens Point, WI 54481

 

    Bill Hettler, MD

    President, National Wellness Institute

    Board of Directors

 

V I T A

 

GERHARD WILLIAM HETTLER III, M.D.

 

Born                                                                 Gerhard William (Bill) Hettler III, M.D. was born September 10,

                                                                        1943 in Alliance, Ohio to Gerhard W. and Jeanne Roath Hettler.

 

Childhood                                                        The Hettler family moved to Youngstown, Ohio in 1947.  Bill is the

                                                                        oldest of three children.  He was an active member of the

                                                                        Youngstown YMCA from age 9 through age 18.  He was a

YMCA                                                               member of the YMCA swimming and gymnastics teams.  Bill

Experience                                                      competed in the National YMCA Diving Championships in 1962

                                                                        and 1963.  He was a member of the Junior Leader’s Club from

                                                                        1958 until entering college in 1961.

 

Education                                                        Bill attended public schools, kindergarten through high school, in

                                                                        Youngstown, Ohio.  After his graduation from South High School

                                                                        in 1961, he entered the premed program at Mount Union College. 

                                                                        Bill graduated from Mount Union College in 1965 with a B.S. in

                                                                        chemistry, and minors in religion and philosophy.

 

                                                                        Following graduation from the University of Cincinnati College of

                                                                        Medicine in 1969, Bill completed a rotating internship at The

                                                                        Youngstown Hospital Association.  During the next two years Bill

                                                                        served as a General Practitioner in the U.S. Air Force.

 

Employment                                                    Bill joined the staff of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

                                                                        Health Service in September of 1972.  He was appointed director

                                                                        of the Health Service in August of 1977, and has served in that

                                                                        capacity continuously.

 

Publications                                                     Bill enjoys writing for both professional and popular audiences.  A

                                                                        list of recent contributions includes:

 

                                                Feb., 1977         New Concepts in Health, a New Horizon Proceedings of the

                                                                                                Twelfth Annual Meeting, Society of Prospective Medicine

                                                                                                Health Risk Counseling - A New Major

 

                                                Sep., 1977        Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire (First Edition)

 

                                                Jan., 1978         Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual Meeting of the

                                                                                                Society of Prospective Medicine  “A Comparison of                                                                                                 Seven Methods of Health Hazard Appraisal”

 

                                                Feb., 1979         Proceedings of the Fourteenth Annual Meeting of

                                                                                                Prospective Medicine  “A Lifestyle Improvement Program

                                                                                                That Pays For Itself”

 

                                                Oct., 1979         Women’s Sports, Volume 1, No. 10 “Fit To Be Tried”

 

                                                Jan.-Feb.,1980 Health Education “Effects of the Health Hazard Appraisal

                                                                                                Inventory of Practices of College Students”

 

                                                Feb., 1980         Runner’s World  “Eliminating the Need to Be Sick”

 

                                                Apr., 1980         New Woman  “How Healthy Are You?”

 

                                                May, 1980         Family and Community Health Vol. 3, No. 1 “Wellness

                                                                                                Promotion on a University Campus”

 

                                                July, 1980         Better Homes and Gardens - Diet and Exercize “Better

                                                                                                Homes and Gardens Wellness Self-Test”

 

                                                Sep., 1980        Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire (Second Edition)

 

                                                May, 1981         Family Strengths Vol. 3 Univ. of Neb. Press “A Concept

                                                                                                of Wellness

 

                                                Sep., 1981        In Pursuit of Excellence-Proceedings of the 60th Annual

Conference  Associations of College Unions-International

                                                                                                “Wellness:  You Can Only Be As Good With Others As

                                                                                                You Are With Yourself”

 

                                                June 1982         Promoting Health Through Risk Reduction, 1982

                                                                                                Macmillan Publishing Co.  “Wellness Promotion and Risk

                                                                                                Reduction on a University Campus”

 

                                                Feb., 1983         Behavioral Health:  A Handbook Of Health Enhancement

                                                                                                And Disease Prevention, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

 

                                                June, 1985        Wellness Management Vol.1 No. 1  “Microcomputers in

                                                                                                Health Promotion” National Wellness Assn.

 

                                                April 1986          Corporate Fitness and Recreation Vol.5 No. 3

                                                                                                “Computerizing the Corporate Wellness Program”

 

                                                June, 1986        New Directions for Student Services No. 34.  Jossey-Bass

                                                                                                “Strategies for Wellness and Recreation Program

                                                                                                Development”

 

                                                                                                .

June, 1996        Health Professionals Communication Guide   RAI Communications Health Care Consultant to Authors

 

June, 1998        Textbook of Medicine, Exercise, Nutrition and Health  Section Editor and Chapter Author

 

In addition to these publications Bill has assisted the preparation of numerous newspaper articles throughout the U.S. and Canada.  Bill wrote a regular column for Medical Self-Care Magazine, and is a regular contributor to Worksite Health

 

Editorial                                                           Bill was appointed editor of the Society of Prospective

Activities                                                          Medicine Newsletter in October of 1977.

 

                                                                                                In addition to that responsibility, Bill has served on the

                                                                                                editorial board of the following journals:

 

                                                                                                Patient Education and Counseling

 

                                                                                                Medical Self-Care Magazine

 

                                                                                                Health Values:  Achieving High Level Wellness

 

                                                                                                AFB Journal

 

                                                                                                Ardell Wellness Report

 

                                                                                                Wellness MD

 

Awards and                                                     1978                 Individual Achievement Award American

Honors                                                                                     Association of Fitness Directors in Business and

                                                                                                                        Industry

 

                                                                        1978                 Health Enhancement Policy Board YMCA of

                                                                                                                        the USA

 

                                                                        1983                 Health Advocate Award American Occupational

                                                                                                                        Therapy Association

 

                                                                        1983                 Peter Karpovich Lecture Springfield College

 

                                                                        1986                 YMCA of the USA  Medical Advisory Board

                                                                        1988                 Healthy American Fitness Leaders Award

 

                                                                        1992                 Elected Fellow, American College Health

                                                                                                                        Association

 

                                                                        1992                 Special Advisor Presidents Council on Physical

                                                                                                                        Fitness and Sports

 

Professional                                                     Bill is co-founder and President of the Board  of the National

Activities                                                          Wellness Institute.  He is frequently requested to

                                                                        serve as a keynote speaker for national or regional

                                                                        conventions.  Bill has served as consultant to groups

                                                                        throughout North America.  He has also served

                                                                        groups from Japan, Australia, Germany, England

                                                                        and South Africa.

 

Consultation                                                    Bill is also very active as a consultant to business

                                                                        and industry, communities, universities, YMCAs and

                                                                        hospitals on health promotion and cost containment.

 

                                                                        Bill was the originator of the National Wellness

                                                                        Conference.  This conference attracts 1000+ people

                                                                        to Stevens Point each summer.  The conference is

                                                                        held the third week of July.

 

                                                                        Bill was a co-founder of the Stevens Point Area

                                                                        Wellness Commission.  This community based

                                                                        wellness program has served as a model for

                                                                        programs throughout the U.S. and Canada.

 

                                                                        Bill assisted the Frost Valley YMCA in developing

                                                                        a wellness program in a residential camp.  The Frost

                                                                        Valley Program has also served as a model for

                                                                        hundreds of camps and schools.

 

                                                                        Bill and his wife, Carol Weston, designed and built

                                                                        the first FIT STOP, a movable self testing center

                                                                        that is being marketed throughout North America.

 

                                                                        Bill and Carol have traveled extensively conducting

                                                                        seminars and training programs.  They have been

                                                                        invited to serve as consultants to Japan, Germany,

                                                                        Canada, China, Australia and Great Britain.

 

National                                                           Bill has served as a consultant to national television

Television                                                        shows.  He appeared 6 times on “Good Morning

                                                                        America” and twice on the “Hour Magazine”.  He

                                                                        has also been featured on numerous public television

                                                                        which was aired in Feb, 1984.

                       

                                                                        Bill served as a consultant to Spectrum Films during

                                                                        the production of a movie on changing risky health

                                                                        habits.  The movie was released Feb., 1984.  Bill is

                                                                        also featured in the movie.

 

                                                                        During the past decade Bill has become interested in

                                                                        the use of computers as adjuncts to lifestyle

                                                                        improvement programs.  He is currently developing

                                                                        interactive computer programs that will assist people

                                                                        who are interested in learning more about self-care.

 

Computer                                                         Bill has been involved in the design of computer

Programs                                                         programs since 1976.  He was the original designer

                                                                        of the Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire.

 

                                                                        Since 1976 Bill has designed more than 30

                                                                        computer programs that assist people in making

                                                                        healthy choices.  Bill has teamed up with his wife

                                                                        Carol and his brother Bob to develop user friendly

                                                                        software that includes touch screen technology.

 

                                                                        A partial listing of Hettler-Weston software includes:

 

                                                                        Compute-A-Life                          TestWell

                                                                        Stress Assess                           Why Smoke?

                                                                        Heart Throb                               LifeScan

                                                                        HowFat                                     LiveWell    

                                                                        LifeTime                                    Less Stress

                                                                        Lick Salt                                   Hi! Fiber

                                                                        Label Game                               Health Trak

                                                                        Right Back                                Al-Control

                                                                        Eating Out                                 Food Fats

                                                                       

Bill has had extensive experience creating assessments, streaming audio and video content for Internet delivery. Visit http://hettler.com   

Bill has presented Grand Rounds at numerous hospitals throughout the U.S.

 

 

Personal                                                          Bill is an avid exerciser.  He swims, bikes, runs, and

Interests                                                           cross-country skies as his main aerobic endeavors.  He

enjoys winter and summer camping.  Bill and Carol have skied the 35 mile American Dirkebeiner Race several times.  In the winter of 2001 Bill, Carol and their son John and daughter Anna slied the Kortelopet 23 kilometer ski race in Northern Wisconsin.

 

 

Teaching                                                         Bill enjoys teaching at the undergraduate level.  He team

Interests                                                           teaches a course entitled “The Healthy American”.  This

                                                                        course draws 700 to 800 students each semester.

 

                                                                        Bill has been a preceptor for the UW-Madison 

                                                                        Physicians Assistant  since 1977.

 

                                                                        Bill Has been a preceptor for the UW-Madison  Family Practice                                                                             Residency Program since 1993.

 

                                                                        Bill has taught a course on Asthma Self-Care since 1987.

 

Presentations                                                   Bill Has keynoted just about every major Health Promotion or Wellness                                                                         Conference in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia.

 

                                                                        Bill and his wife Carol have presented hundreds of workshops, training                                                                         sessions and presentations on a wide variety of topics.

 

Hobbies                                                           Bill enjoys:  woodworking, welding, reading, music,

                                                                        photography, dancing, magic and playing with kids.

 

Children                                                           On Feb. 18th, 1986 Bill and Carol were delighted by the

                                                                        arrival of a son, John.

                                                                        On April 13th, 1987 Bill and Carol were further delighted

                                                                        with the birth of a daughter, Anna.

                                                                        On October 25, 1989 Bill and Carol were even further

                                                                        delighted with the birth of a son, Adam.

                                                                        William Weston (Billy) was born May 17, 1993.  At that point Bill

                                                                        and Carol were maximally delighted and exhausted.

                                                                       

                                                                        New schedules for all!