Washington University School of Medicine Oral Histories
Gary Walco Oral History
Interviewer
Bryan Sisk MD, MSCI
Files
Download Interview Transcript [PDF] (102 KB)
Summary
Gary Walco was interviewed by Brian Sisk on August 24, 2019 for approximately 48 minutes for the Pediatric Palliative Care Oral History Project.
Scope and Content
Dr. Walco discusses his career beginnings in pediatric pain medicine. He describes field observations of “barbaric” practices that were founded on the notion that children did not experience pain the same way adults do. Dr. Walco recounts some landmark events in the 1980s and 1990s that gained public notoriety and aided in developing the field of pediatric pain medicine, including the Jeffrey Lawson case-study of a premature baby who was administered thoracic surgery while awake and conscious. Dr. Walco then describes early experiences in a field with general disregard for the pain and suffering of pediatric patients. The need for pediatric health care advocacy drove him to connect with other health care providers to investigate multi-disciplinary, multi-organizational level solutions to improving the quality of life for pediatric patients. Dr. Walco describes the barriers and successes he has experienced in pain medicine as the sub-specialty has evolved in the last thirty-five years. Dr. Walco also describes the vision he seeks to achieve within pediatric pain medicine, as well as the work he is doing to continue to advance the field in establishing the best evidence-based practices.
Biographical Information: Interviewee
Gary Walco, Ph.D, is the Director of Pain Medicine at Seattle Children’s Hospital in Seattle, Washington, a Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and an adjunct professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Walco received his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA, his Master’s degree in Clinical Child Psychology from Ohio State University, and his Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology from Ohio State University.
Dr. Walco has spent over three decades developing and influencing the sub-specialty of pediatric pain management. His research and writings examine psychological and pharmacological pain treatment in infants, children, and adolescents, ethics of pain management in children, and assessing pain and stress responses expressed by children. Dr. Walco has served in leadership and advisory roles for the American Pain Society, American Psychological Association, the Children’s Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance, the Children’s Oncology Group,, and the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Dr. Walco is the recipient of the (2006) Lee Stalk Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contributions to pediatric psychology from the American Psychological Association, the (2003) Jeffrey Lawson Award for Advocacy in Children’s Pain Relief from the American Pain Society, and the (2019) Distinguished Service Award from the American Pain Society. In his spare time, Dr. Walco is a “die-hard” L.A. Dodgers fan.
Biographical Information: Interviewer
Bryan Sisk, MD, MSCI is an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and an Assistant Professor in General Medical Sciences as a member of the Bioethics Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis. He completed medical school at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. He completed his clinical training at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.
Dr. Sisk was a clinical fellow in pediatric hematology and oncology when he initiated this Pediatric Palliative Care Oral History Project. As a trainee, Dr. Sisk had a strong interest in palliative care, the approach to the suffering of children, and the history of medicine. Prior to initiating this project, Dr. Sisk performed an in-depth review of the development of pediatric palliative care as a discipline and philosophy. This research culminated in a publication entitled, “Response to Suffering of the Seriously Ill Child: A History of Palliative Care for Children” in the journal Pediatrics. However, this historical review was limited to textbooks and publications. It lacked the personal experience of caring for these children and inspiring the development of a new clinical discipline. Inspired by David Clark’s oral history of the adult hospice movement, Dr. Sisk began to plan this pediatric oral history project.
Of note, this collection of oral histories is incomplete, and many important figures have not (yet) been interviewed. Dr. Sisk’s goal is to continue adding to this collection create a rich repository of personal insights and wisdom from leaders who changed the field of pediatrics.
Interview Date
2019-08-24
Collection Identifier
OH154-S34
Length
Approximately 48 minutes.
Restrictions
Users wishing to publish (in whole, or in part) content taken from the audio or transcript of this oral history interview must request, sign, and return a Statement of Use form to the Becker Archives. For detailed information regarding publication and use of this oral history, contact the Becker Archives (arb@wusm.wustl.edu).
Recommended Citation
Gary Walco Oral History, OH154-S34, Bernard Becker Medical Library Archives, Washington University in St. Louis.
Disclaimer
The Becker Archives provides access to this oral history interview as a record of the past. This interview reflects the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of the interview participants, which may reflect outdated, biased, and offensive views and opinions. The Becker Archives does not endorse the views expressed in this interview, which may contain materials offensive to some users.
Notes
Access to the audio recording for this oral history may be obtained via approval of the archivists at Becker Library. Contact the archives for more information (arb@wusm.wustl.edu).