Dr. BILL RELEFORD

Dr. BILL RELEFORD, a graduate of the Temple School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia, began his practice in 1990 and established the
Diabetic Foot Institute, a facility dedicated exclusively to the reduction of diabetes-related amputations in high-risk populations. Dr. Releford is recognized both domestically as well as internationally as a leader in the field of diabetic limb salvage wound care.
Dr. Releford’s limb salvage success and philosophy was formalized in the development of the Daniel Freeman Wound Care Center where platelet-derived growth factor therapy was used to facilitate healing of chronic wounds via angiogenesis. A multi-disciplinary approach to limb salvage was exercised where vascular surgeons, infectious disease specialist, plastic surgeons, endocrinologist and podiatrists would collaborate solely for the benefit of salvaging a foot at risk of amputation.
Dr. Releford is founder and CEO of The Releford Institute for Limb Salvage and Wound Care at Miracle Mile Medical Center in Los Angeles. The Releford Institute’s mission is to effectively decrease the diabetes related amputation rate in Los Angeles and its surrounding communities by providing a comprehensive wound care and limb salvage service. The Releford Institute addresses patients specialized needs and creates individual treatment plans to heal wounds and prevent amputations.
Dr. Releford’s community outreach and health care advocacy efforts are facilitated through the Diabetic Amputation Prevention Foundation (DAP), a non profit organization he founded in 2001, whose mission is to increase public awareness of diabetes through culturally specific education and community based programs. The education of at risk populations to better understand the disease, its complications as well as the standard of care as it relates to diabetes is the primary focus. Our primary goal is to decrease the amputation rate among high risk populations both domestically and internationally through prevention / education, early detection and access to state-of-art technologies and applying a multi-disciplinary approach to managing the disease. Domestically, Dr. Releford and the DAP Foundation have been recognized for the success of innovative and effective community outreach programs:
• The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program: Over 300 black owned Barbershops throughout the country have participated in screening nearly 8000 African American men for diabetes and hypertension. As results of this effort, the month of May has been designated as “Black Barbershop Month” for the entire state of California. The program has screened men in the states of New York, Illinois, Louisiana, Georgia, Missouri and throughout the state of California. The BBHOP will screen nearly 20,000 men by the end of this year. Ultimately, 500,000 men will be screened by the end of 2012.
Internationally, The DAP Foundation has projects in Fiji, Costa Rica, Brazil, Ghana, Uganda, Gabon, Benin as well as Cuba. Globally, our vision is to address healthcare disparities in the Diaspora from a cardiovascular disease perspective.
Dr. Releford is an assistant professor at Charles R. Drew University and he lectures both domestically as well as internationally about the latest techniques in limb salvage and community based outreach strategies. Additionally, Dr. Releford has recently authored his much anticipated book, “Five Colors to Better Health”.
Dr. Releford and his work have been featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, ABC’s THE VEIW as a featured guest, The Washington Post, Newsweek as well as the Los Angeles Times.

Website: www.blackbarbershop.org