One of my goals since I was quite young included becoming a physician. I achieved this goal when I graduated from medical school while living in Lima, Peru. Subsequent education and training occurred in Puerto Rico and the United States, including fellowship in pediatric pulmonology and eventually pediatric and adult sleep medicine.

Today I am board certified as a general pediatrician as well in pediatric pulmonology and sleep medicine. My pediatric pulmonology fellowship training was at Texas Children’s Hospital where I learned management of medically complex patients, which included both children and neonates. Some of the many disorders treated include severe asthma, chronic lung disease of prematurity, interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary hypertension. In addition, I became skilled in the management of mechanical ventilation and procedures such as flexible bronchoscopies. My additional 1 year of experience and training was at Baylor College of Medicine in pediatric and adult sleep medicine as stated above. Diagnosis and management of these patients included disorders such as insomnia, parasomnias, sleep breathing disorders, and REM behavior disorders amongst others. Management may include need for mere medical management such as can be seen in insomnia or possible need for non-invasive ventilation. Also, I was able to become highly skilled at the reading and interpretation of both adult and pediatric polysomnograms.

From completion of my fellowship programs I started a position in both pediatric pulmonary and sleep medicine at Banner Health in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. In the short period of approximately 7 years I have been able to develop a well-rounded pediatric sleep medicine program. Under my leadership there was an expansion of pediatric services to meet the need of a wide-ranging and diverse community, expanding from one side of the city to the other. Need for these services increased as awareness within the community arose, leading to additions to the medical provider management team. After thorough training of the advanced medical practice providers, I was able to make more time to devote to continued advances and improvements within our practice.

Furtherance of medical programs often has an educational component as well. This past year I was allotted the opportunity to work on the implementation of an adult and pediatric sleep medicine fellowship program at the University of Arizona School of Medicine. Through this initiation of this program adult sleep medicine physicians and I worked together to start and hopefully continue to grow this fellowship program to advance the knowledge and skill set of upcoming sleep medicine doctors.

Along with the clinical aspects, I was provided the opportunity to learn more about marketing strategies to help further grow the practice. This included participation in local TV and radio programs, interviews, and fundraising charity events.

Through the start of my early medical training to where I am now, looking at the fruits of my labor, the creation of a comprehensive pediatric sleep medicine program, I can say that I am excited to see what the future holds and where my career will next take me.

For additional information, please refer to my curriculum vitae.

Best regards,

Walter A. Castro, M.D.