In his career in the California Attorney General's office, he developed a keen sense of the current level of expertise in pain care within the healthcare community. That understanding led him to begin to craft policy and legislation to better educate healthcare professionals and to support those patients whose lives are so affected by pain and its sequelae. Bill had been an active member of the Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative for many years, and most recently has served in several capacities within the Northern California Cancer Pain Initiative group. He was instrument in the development of legislation on pain care and pain education in California. Bill worked closely with David Joranson and the Pain & Policy Studies Group on many projects throughout the years to expand the awareness of the dilemma of inadequate pain management within the various states. Bill was involved in the Pain Care Forum, the American Pain Foundation and had served in many and varied capacities with a number of other pain organizations, including the American Pain Society, through which he was able to guide and assist in the development of supportive documents for better pain care.

Bill was a great friend and ally of the American Pain Foundation. He was one of the very first PainAid online community moderators, conducting a Pain Legal Issues chat for years. He also was a great resource to APF on any legal and legal/historical issues. He worked (volunteered) very closely with APF in constructing some of its consensus responses to the DEA. He represented the Northern California Pain Initiative on the Pain Care Forum. He provided much insight into the meaning and implications of the Gonzalez vs. Oregon Supreme Court decision. He had unequaled understanding of many of the federal legal pain issues and will be sorely missed by us and the rest of the pain community.

Will Rowe

American Pain Foundation