William LeRoy Heinrichs, MD, PhD, a prof emeritus of obstetrics and gynecology astatine the Stanford School of Medicine, died Sept. 21. He was 90.
Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from 1976 until 1984, Heinrichs pursued minimally invasive surgical techniques, took an aboriginal involvement successful fertility and hormone treatments arsenic good arsenic surgical attraction of endometriosis, and was a champion of virtual aesculapian grooming technologies.
“LeRoy Heinrichs helped alteration the tract of obstetrics and gynecology by embracing future-facing treatments specified arsenic laparoscopic surgery,” said Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the schoolhouse of medicine. “He employed that forward-thinking cognition successful his teaching, becoming a palmy decorator of systems to virtually bid students successful surgery.”
Heinrichs’ bequest arsenic seat was 1 of affirmative growth, according to Gerald Shefren, MD, adjunct objective prof emeritus of obstetrics and gynecology.
“He modernized the department,” Shefren said. Heinrichs brought connected specialists with world and objective expertise successful specialties similar high-risk maternal-fetal medicine oregon cancers of the reproductive system. “That endowment was bully for the world environment, but besides bully for the attraction of radical successful the community.”
Heinrichs offered a manus to caller hires, according to Mary Lake Polan, MD, PhD, prof emeritus of obstetrics and gynecology. When she was recruited to Stanford arsenic seat successful 1990, she said, “LeRoy was precise adjuvant successful mentoring maine done my archetypal years. He had been astir a agelong time. He knew the personalities. And helium was precise adjuvant successful determining however those personalities would respond to caller issues and decisions.”
Farm to lab
Growing up connected a dairy farm, Heinrichs’ emotion of subject and exertion started early. He was calved Aug. 14, 1932, successful Collinsville, Oklahoma, to Daniel and Ruby Heinrichs, 1 of 4 boys.
On the farm, they utilized technologies, precocious for the time, to measure their cows’ beverage accumulation and execute artificial insemination and selective breeding connected the herd. Heinrichs besides took a technological attack to poultry breeding, winning expansive champion of the world’s largest poultry amusement astatine property 12.
He graduated from Central High School successful Collinsville successful 1950 and received his bachelor’s grade successful biology and chemistry from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
He attended the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, earning a aesculapian grade successful 1958. He did his internship astatine the SMM Health St. Anthony Hospital successful Oklahoma City and his residency successful obstetrics and gynecology astatine the DMC Harper University Hospital successful Detroit.
After residency, Heinrichs attended the Oregon Health & Science University successful Portland, Oregon, earning a PhD successful biochemistry successful 1967.
From past until 1976, erstwhile helium arrived astatine Stanford University, Heinrichs was a prof of obstetrics and gynecology astatine the University of Washington School of Medicine.
A forward-shifted focus
Heinrichs was a person successful reproductive endocrinology and infertility, studying the biochemistry of hormones and the effect of biology chemicals connected pregnancy. He was besides an aboriginal adopter of little invasive laparoscopic country for conditions specified arsenic endometriosis and different causes of infertility and pelvic pain.
After helium stepped down arsenic seat successful 1984, Heinrich remained a prof of obstetrics and gynecology until 1991, erstwhile helium became a prof emeritus to indulge his passionateness for virtual learning. He developed technologies and simulator applications for grooming aesculapian students and physicians successful precocious and distant surgical procedures. He launched his archetypal startup, Surginetics, successful 1992.
He retired from objective enactment successful 1994 and spent the remainder of his vocation designing technologies for surgical simulations and virtual aesculapian training. He became the subordinate manager of the Stanford University Medical Media and Information Technologies group, done which helium developed Surgical Workbench, a programme to thatch the manipulative skills and maneuvers of surgery, and Virtual World, a programme to assistance aesculapian students amended connection and determination making.
In 2008, helium near Stanford Medicine to instrumentality the helm arsenic enforcement aesculapian serviceman of a institution helium founded, Innovation successful Learning, successful Los Altos, California, designing a virtual learning situation called CliniSpace.
An progressive assemblage life
In 1954, Heinrichs joined Phyllis Smith, with whom helium shared 68 years of matrimony and 2 children. When helium took the occupation astatine Stanford University, the mates settled successful Menlo Park, California, wherever helium was progressive successful respective organizations, including the Menlo Church men’s fellowship group.
Heinrichs loved music, frequenting the San Francisco Symphony and California Pops concerts. He enjoyed walking successful his assemblage regular and chatting with neighbors. He often attended his grandchildren’s sporting events.
Throughout his career, Heinrichs won galore awards and honors. In 1975 helium won the President’s Award from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In 2011 and 2012 respectively, Innovation successful Learning’s CliniSpace and BattleCare won Grand Prize astatine the Defense GameTech Users conference. His simulation enactment astatine Stanford besides earned him the Satava Award astatine the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality conference.
Heinrichs is survived by his wife, Phyllis Heinrichs, and his 2 children: Lynn and Stephen. He has 3 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. Heinrichs was preceded successful decease by his parents and 3 brothers, Harold, Raymond and Don.
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