Dr. Bill Releford

Dr. Bill J. Releford, a podiatric surgeon based in Los Angeles, is a graduate of the Temple School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia. He began his practice in 1990 and established the Releford Foot and Ankle Institute. Dr. Bill Releford specializes in diabetic amputation prevention in an effort to reduce the astronomical diabetes-related amputation rate experienced by high-risk populations both domestically and internationally. This disparity inspired Dr. Releford to dedicate his life to developing innovative medical as well as outreach strategies to promote the adoption of healthier lifestyles that will ultimately decrease the amputation rate in underserved communities.

From an outreach perspective, Dr. Bill J. Releford is the founder of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, the only national barbershop-based health initiative in the country. The program has screened over 30,000 African American men for diabetes as well as high blood pressure throughout the country. The ultimate goal of the program is to screen over 1 million men.

On the international stage, Dr. Bill Releford has developed his "Health, Wealth and Sustainability Initiative" which links health and wealth creation in emerging economies for the benefit of indigenous people. Presently, programs exist in various Sub Saharan African countries including Ghana, Uganda, Benin, Senegal as well as Nigeria. Dr. Releford also has developed diabetes amputation prevention initiatives in the South Pacific Islands and Salvador, Brazil.