For top-notch allergy care, visit Dr. Lockey, Glaum, Cho & Pepper! — Neighborhood News

On the top floor of a busy medical office near Fletcher Ave. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Dr. Richard Lockey , Mark Glaum, Seong Cho and Amber Pepper—all board-certified allergists and immunologists—help patients find relief at the group’s flagship clinic. The doctors also have a second location in South Tampa.

In 1984, Dr. Lockey established the clinic under the name of the Academic Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Fast forward nearly 40 years and he remains an active practitioner, joined by a dedicated team of board-certified professionals whose shared commitment to excellence in patient care is unwavering.

Dr. Lockey received his MD degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and later became Professor of Medicine at the University of South Florida (USF) Morsani School of Medicine. He is a past president of the World Allergy Organization and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI).

Dr. Glaum received his MD from Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia (now Drexel University School of Medicine) and completed a fellowship in allergy and clinical immunology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He focuses on understanding allergic reactions and improving diagnostic methods such as rhinoscopy (examination of the nasal passages).

Dr. Cho is an otolaryngologist who received his MD from Kyung Hee University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. He honed his expertise in allergy and immunology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL.

Dr. Pepper received her MD degree from the University of South Florida in 2013 and completed her internal medicine residency and allergy and immunology fellowship in the USF Department of Allergy and Immunology in 2016.

These four experts are deeply involved in educating and teaching USF residents and medical students, as well as leading a prestigious program to train incoming allergists and immunologists. Doctors are actively engaged in clinical research and have made important contributions to the continuous advancement of allergy and immunology. Centered around the nearby USF Division of Allergy and Immunology Clinical Research, they have decades of experience. They are also active members of AAAAI.

Dr. Glaum explains, “We will continue to play an important role in clinical research to bring new products to market to help individuals. Currently, we are working on food allergies, chronic sinusitis, hereditary angioedema (recurrent episodes of severe swelling) and urticaria. In terms of hereditary angioedema, when I came here in 2004, there were no FDA-approved products on the market; now, there are nearly a dozen. Most of those products are already on the market, It’s because of the research done in the department and elsewhere.”

The clinic treats a variety of allergy, asthma and immunology related conditions including food allergies, rhinitis (hay fever), chronic cough, sinusitis, venom allergy (insect stings), headaches, rashes, dermatitis, hives and immunology defect.

These doctors are among the pioneers in Florida using an advanced food desensitization method, called oral immunotherapy, to help patients deal with severe food allergies.

“We were instrumental in the U.S. approval of an oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy, and we are continuing to work on other programs related to food allergy,” Dr. Graum said. “We are one of the clinical centers researching ways to desensitize children and adults with peanut allergies so that they can tolerate some peanuts and continue to consume them daily, thereby reducing their risk of accidental peanut exposure and severe allergic reactions.”

Dr. Graum recommends that anyone with undiagnosed or suspected allergies seek a board-certified immunologist. “Practice associated with universities are often the latest practices for the current situation,” he said.

Through ongoing research and university experience, doctors also adopt a scientific approach to treating patients. During a new consultation or follow-up appointment, the patient never sees the physician’s assistant, but always the physician.

Dr. Graum (pictured left) mentions a challenging case where his research skills and immunology expertise made a difference in the patient’s life. “I did see a guy who came in mainly with hives (an itchy skin condition). However, upon further questioning, he also had a debilitating problem where his muscles would spasm and tense up to the point where Unable to move or function at work. (Through) investigation and laboratory studies, he ended up suffering from a condition called “stiff-person syndrome.” “It’s an autoimmune problem where antibodies sometimes activate inappropriately muscles, causing weakness and sometimes even fractures if the spasms are too strong. ”

In other words, Dr. Graum added, “He came in to fix one problem but ended up being diagnosed with that (another) problem. We referred him to neurology and they could do some treatments to alleviate the condition. Urticaria may be part of this syndrome, so it’s important as a good immunologist to know other medical knowledge to be able to make those connections.”

Helping patients improve and manage allergic and immune diseases is always the ultimate goal of physicians. They are also committed to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases through specialized options such as clinical trials.

In addition to receiving medical treatment, patients at the clinic can participate in paid clinical research trials. For those who cannot afford medication for a certain condition or who have not been successful with standard treatments, there may be opportunities to receive free treatment using products on the market for different conditions.

For patients who may be unsure whether their doctor is board certified in their scope of practice, Dr. Graum aims to reassure them that they are in skilled hands.

“The most common misconception is that allergists are not board-certified doctors,” he says. “In fact, allergists are trained in internal medicine or pediatrics, become board certified in that specialty, and then receive training in allergy and immunology. Any allergist you see is either an internist or has further specialized training Pediatrician.”

After a new patient completes his or her initial appointment, he or she can conveniently complete registration documents online: AllergyTampa.com.

Patients can schedule an appointment with Dr. Lockey, Glaum, Cho or Pepper at the North Tampa office (13801 BBD Blvd., Ste. 502) or the South Tampa office (1906 W. Platt St.). For more information about the clinic and services offered, please call (813) 971-9743.