Bill Medford has always been on the cutting edge, career-wise. The long-time Keizer resident graduated from Oregon Health Sciences University in 1978, and helped to launch the ultrasound department at Salem Hospital. After 25 years in the direct patient care in Salem and another seven years in nearby Stayton, he moved on to consulting for an innovative imaging company, and at the same time, did some work with athletes—in the relatively new field of musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound. His decision to pursue that job track has been—excuse the sports pun—a game changer for the world of sports generally and the athletes specifically.
Bill went from a mild-mannered medical technician to a super hero sports injury diagnostician. He has been in personal contact with college and professional teams and their doctors and trainers everywhere— including top-tier college conferences, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League.
“I have worked with Blazers, the Timbers, the Mariners, and the Seahawks locally,” says Medford with a small measure of pride.
For most of the world, ultrasounds are normally associated with expectant parents checking on the growth of their soon-to-be son or daughter. But the ultrasound Bill Medford works with these days has a different purpose. His job is to train physicians to read the state-of-the art diagnostic ultrasounds—an on-site procedure that frequently provides medical answers quicker and at a lower cost than follow-up imaging techniques done later away from the sports fields/arenas/facilities.
Even semi-retired, Medford is a true believer in the technology he passionately teaches about.
“It’s so very simple,” says Bill about ultrasound.
“Sound goes into the body, and the echoes that return are analyzed. All of those echoes are assigned (by computer) 1 to 256 shades of gray… It instantly results in finely detailed images of the human anatomy.”
Medford’s involvement in sports medicine began innocently enough. His earliest opportunity to work with athletes and sports medicine came in 2002. He was a guest faculty member at a prestigious ultrasound course in Florida. He had previously polished-up his reputation in sports medicine by speaking across the country about ultrasound imaging—even traveling to Belgium to speak with physicians learning to use the new MSK imaging units. Word spread about his expertise.
Bill was pursued by the track and field world to be a valuable professional in their medical tents at several high-profile events. In 2016, Medford worked at the World Indoor Championships held at Portland’s Convention Center, and later the same year, was at Eugene’s Hayward Field for the Olympic Trials. After the COVID pandemic pause, he was back in Eugene at the Olympic Trials in 2021 as a prelude to the Tokyo Olympics.
This summer, Bill was given the chance to work the 2022 World Track and Field Championships at the newly renovated Hayward Field. It was a ten-day gig that was still fresh in his mind as we chatted via cellphone while he was driving to his fiftieth high school reunion in Eugene.
Medford preferred to talk about his admiration for the track competitors he has examined at the major events like the recently completed World Championships.
“The awe I have is great for the level of commitment these athletes have to their sport. They are just wired to be exceptional.”
He shared a story about an American distance runner who gutted out completion of the 5000 meters, but failed to place. The female competitor was distraught as she came to the medical tent where Bill examined her.
“She ran with a severe lower leg injury,” recalls Medford. “Her competitive spirit and still being out there (while hurting) was so inspirational… it brings me to tears.”
His praise for athletes from outside the United States is even greater in some respects.
“Athletes from other nations seem to be exceptionally grateful to be a part of their sport,” said Medford.
“They are not just great athletes—they are phenomenal people.”
When it comes to talking about his own talents, Bill is more reserved. Medford himself is predictably modest about his sterling reputation in the sports field.
“How the body is put together fascinates me,” he said casually. “It is what originally motivated me to pursue ultrasound.”
“Nothing works with such precision as our body parts in sync with each other, and you can see this synchronicity in real-time motion with these glorified fish-finders we call ultrasound machines. You don’t need a special room constructed just for them—any room with an electrical outlet will do just fine.”
And his unfaltering interest in that synchronicity has been a real boon to athletes who have benefitted from his expertise.
Medford also loves being able to train doctors from other nations. He specifically identified the team physician for Kenya as an example from the World Championships.
“The team doctor from Kenya wants to bring ultrasound back to his country, where there isn’t as much available technology,” explains Bill. “He was quite interested in what we were able to see.”
And it is that curiosity from other medical professionals that gets Medford pumped up.
“It’s just really been fun to have a skill set that I can teach that helps them in achieving their purpose of effective and efficient care of athletes. The practitioners feed my interest in better understanding human mechanics.”
The 67-year-old Medford is in his 43rd year as a medical imager, yet he is as busy as ever. But that doesn’t keep him from taking time to step back from the craziness of his position.
These days, Bill lives in the Seattle area to be near family, including his wife Kathy and daughter Jenny—who has Down Syndrome, as well as his eldest adult son Ryan, daughter-in-law, and beloved grand kids. He also spends time with his youngest son Jason, who resides in Portland. His life isn’t picture perfect—but Bill tries to find balance—just like any other well-grounded human being.