Len Hughes Andrus M.D.

Len Hughes Andrus, MD, of Bodega Bay and San Francisco, California died suddenly of acute pneumonia and heart failure on the morning of October 4, 2010 at the age of 90. At his bedside was his wife Mary O'Hara-Devereaux. Dr. Andrus had a long distinguished career as a pioneer in the development of primary care, Family Medicine, and providing health care to underserved populations in the United States and abroad. Since 1993 he was a Board of Director of the Archstone Foundation engaged in funding innovative solutions for aging populations where he served until his death. Known as Hughes to friends and colleagues, Dr. Andrus was born in Spanish Fork, Utah on May 10, 1920. He was the first of three children born to Lenard and Leora Andrus. In 1931 the Andruses moved to King City, California where Hughes completed elementary school, skipped a grade and graduated at the age of 16 from King City Joint Union High School. He excelled in sports and was elected Senior Class President. This year he convened the Class of 1937 for their 74th Reunion. After attending Hartnell College in Salinas, he entered Stanford University. At the outbreak of World War II he enrolled in national emergency fast-track training for doctors. He followed in his father's footsteps by earning a medical degree at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., graduating in 1944. While in medical school, he married Kathleen Harney of Gonzales, California. They had four children. Dr. Andrus interned at LA County General Hospital in Los Angeles and did his residency at Kern County General in Bakersfield. He went into partnership with his father in King City, and then moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to pursue post -graduate studies in internal medicine at Tufts, Harvard and the Lahey Clinic. While in Boston, he was drafted into the United States Public Health Service, was stationed at Brighton Marine Hospital, rose to the rank of Lt. Commander and served aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Coos Bay. He returned to King City in 1956 and stayed until 1970. He became board certified in internal medicine and was accepted as a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He turned the partnership with his father into a multidisciplinary group practice, Southern Monterey County Medical Group, and was the lead fundraiser and founder of George L. Mee Memorial Hospital. serving as its medical director for 18 years. His passion for better health care for all was kindled by the plight of migrant farm workers. With a grant from the Office of Economic Opportunity, he started The Rural Health Project, a pilot program to provide health services to migrant workers that became a national model of a private-public partnership that was successful for decades. He developed a relationship between Stanford Medical School and The Rural Health Project, becoming an Associate Clinical Professor at Stanford. He began to write for medical journals and lecture widely, focusing first on epidemiology, and then on social issues and the use of allied health professions such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants. He was published in 38 scientific and professional journals, and was a co-editor and contributing author of several books. Recognized as a visionary leader, the University of Utah Medial School in Salt Lake brought in Dr. Andrus as a physician consultant during the construction of its new primary care centered ambulatory care unit in 1970. He was Diplomat of the American Board of Family Medicine founded in 1969. He was asked to found the Department of Family Practice at the University of California, Davis, Medical School, and served as its first chairman. There he met his second wife, Mary O'Hara-Devereaux, a community health leader and nurse practitioner. They formed a personal and professional partnership that lasted 40 years. Dr. Andrus designed innovative models of physician, nurse practitioner and physician assistant training. He developed one of the largest networks of Family Practice Residencies in the nation. He developed innovative delivery systems including the Foundation for Comprehensive Health Services that established multidisciplinary group practices in medically under-served areas of northern California. Dr. Andrus served on many state and national advisory boards, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and served as an advisor to California's legislature and U.S. Congress to support legislation that enabled innovation in medical education and delivery systems. He was a tireless and articulate spokesman for wide primary care access and cost effective health care delivery. He consulted in many other countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. In 1974 he developed the Andrus CliniRec medical record system, one of the first problem-oriented records. Published by Bibbero Systems, it remains in use 36 years later. During his semi-retirement from the university, Dr. Andrus pursued his interests in writing, painting, photography and was a wannabe golfer. His first novel, Orval Wood, was the story of a young boy growing up in Steinbeck Country in the Salinas Valley. He was an accomplished watercolor artist and photographer, and was the Chairman of the Bodega Bay Allied Arts. Despite a number of medical crises in recent years, he tackled the challenges as opportunities to forge ahead and live life to the fullest. His essence can be summed up in his oft offered counsel: "Whenever you want to say no in life, think first of all the reasons why you should say yes." He was preceded in death by his mother and father; and by his brother George Andrus and his sister Nancy Getris of Salinas, California. He is survived by his wife Mary O'Hara-Devereaux, Ph.D., chief executive of Global Foresight of San Francisco and Bodega Bay; his first wife Kathleen of La Mirada, California; his children Dan Andrus, MD, of Fallbrook, California, Jeff Andrus of Post Falls, Idaho, Jon Andrus, MD, of Washington, D.C, and Kathleen "Keenie" Andrus, RN, of Sacramento, California. He leaves ten devoted grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and many friends of all ages whom he loved as an extended family. A private celebration of Hughes' life for family and close friends is planned.