For Top-Notch Allergy Care, Visit Drs. Lockey, Glaum, Cho & Pepper! 

In addition to the practice’s four Board-certified allergy doctors, the office of Drs. Richard Lockey, Mark Glaum, Seong Cho & Amber Pepper on Bruce B Downs Blvd. also includes this friendly, professional staff. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

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

In 1984, Dr. Lockey established the practice under the name Academic Associates in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Fast forward almost 40 years, and he still remains an active practitioner, joined by a dedicated team of Board-certified professionals whose shared commitment to exceptional patient care is unwavering. 

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

Dr. Glaum earned his M.D. degree from Hahnemann University School of Medicine (now Drexel University College of Medicine) in Philadelphia, and completed an allergy and clinical immunology fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, also in Philadelphia. He focuses on understanding allergic responses and advancing diagnostic methods, such as rhinoscopies (examinations of the nasal passages). 

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

Dr. Pepper earned her M.D. degree from USF in 2013 and concluded her internal medicine residency and allergy & immunology fellowship through USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology in 2016. 

These four experts are deeply involved in education, teaching residents and medical students at USF while leading a renowned program for training upcoming allergists and immunologists. The doctors all actively engage in clinical research, significantly contributing to the continuous progress in allergy and immunology. Their extensive experience spans decades, centered at the nearby USF Division of Allergy & Immunology Clinical Research Unit. They also are all active AAAAI members. 

Dr. Glaum explains, “We continue to be instrumental in performing clinical research, which brings new products to the market to help individuals. Currently, we have ongoing studies in food allergies, chronic sinusitis, a condition called hereditary angioedema (recurrent attacks of severe swelling), and urticaria (hives). In the case of hereditary angioedema, there were no products on the market that were FDA-approved when I arrived here in 2004; now, there are almost a dozen products. Most of those have come to market due to the research done here in the division, among other places.” 

The practice manages a variety of disorders related to allergies, asthma and immunology, including food allergies, rhinitis (hay fever), chronic cough, sinusitis, venom hypersensitivity (insect stings), headaches, rashes, dermatitis, urticaria and immune deficiencies. 

The doctors are among the pioneering doctors in Florida to use the advanced food desensitization method, known as oral immunotherapy, to assist patients dealing with severe food allergies. 

“We’ve been instrumental in getting oral immunotherapy for peanut allergies approved in the U.S. and we’re continuing to work on other projects related to food allergies,” Dr. Glaum says. “We’re one of the clinical sites that looked at ways of desensitizing children and adults who were peanut-allergic to the point where they can tolerate a few peanuts and continue to ingest them on a daily basis, decrease their risk of having accidental exposure and a severe allergic reaction.” 

Dr. Glaum recommends seeking a Board-certified immunologist for anyone undiagnosed or suspecting allergies. “University-associated practices are usually the ones most up-to-date on current conditions,” he says. 

Through continuing research and university experience, the doctors also adopt a scientific approach to patient treatment. Whether a new consultation or follow-up appointment, patients will never see a physician’s assistant and always the physicians. 

Dr. Glaum (photo left) references a challenging case where his research skills and immunology expertise changed a patient’s life. “I did see a person who came in primarily for hives, an itchy skin condition. But, upon further questioning, he also had a debilitating problem where his muscles would spasm and tense up to the point where he couldn’t move or function at work. (Through) investigation and laboratory studies, he ended up having a condition called Stiff Person Syndrome. This is an autoimmune problem where antibodies activate muscles inappropriately at times, causing debilitation and sometimes even a fracture of the bone if the spasm is so strong.” 

In other words, Dr. Glaum adds, “He came in for one problem, and he ended up getting diagnosed with that (other) issue. We referred him to neurology, which has certain treatments they can do to alleviate that condition. Hives can be part of that syndrome, so it’s important as a good immunologist to know the rest of medicine to be able to make those associations.” 

Empowering patients to improve and manage their allergies and immunological disorders is always the doctors’ end goal. They also are dedicated to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions through specialized options like clinical trials. 

The practice’s patients can take part in paid clinical research trials, in addition to their medical treatments. For those who can’t afford medication for a condition or haven’t seen success with standard therapies, there might be a chance to access free treatment using products coming to the market for different conditions. 

For patients who might be uncertain about their doctor’s Board certification within the practice, Dr. Glaum aims to provide reassurance that they are in skillful hands. 

“The most common misconception is that allergists are not Board-certified doctors,” he says. “In fact, allergists have undergone training in internal medicine or pediatrics, are board-certified in that specialty, and then train in allergy and immunology. Any allergist that you see is either an internal medicine doctor or a pediatrician who’s done further specialized training.” 

Once a new patient has made an initial appointment, he or she can conveniently complete the registration paperwork online at AllergyTampa.com

Patients can schedule appointments with Drs. Lockey, Glaum, Cho, or Pepper at their North Tampa office, which is located at 13801 BBD Blvd., Ste. 502, or in the South Tampa office (1906 W. Platt St.). For more info about the practice and the services provided, call (813) 971-9743. 

Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates Can Help You Breathe Easier

Dr. Richard Lockey, M.D., of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay.
Dr. Richard Lockey, M.D., of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay.

New Tampa residents who enjoy the botanical beauty and seafood bounty associated with the region may find that allergies and related health problems can also be a part of living our sub-tropical lifestyle.

Fortunately, when allergic reactions become more than an inconvenient nuisance, medical help is available at Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay, which has an office in the University Community Medical Center on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just north of E. Fletcher Ave.

Dr. Richard Lockey, M.D., is the founder and president of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay. He earned his M.D. degree in 1965 from the Temple University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. After serving as a physician in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, he joined the faculty of the University of South Florida College of Medicine (now Morsani College of Medicine) in 1973 as an assistant professor of medicine and founded Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay. Now, he is the director of USF’s allergy and immunology division, chief of the allergy and immunology section at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital and his practice now has four locations — New Tampa, South Tampa, Citrus Park and Brooksville — staffed by five physicians.

Dr. Lockey also has served as a president of the World Allergy Organization and is a past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

He says some of the most common allergies come from exposure to substances like pollen or ragweed and foods such as shellfish, eggs, wheat, milk and peanuts. He also cites insect bites, chemicals and medicines as causing allergic reactions and adds that the way doctors treat allergies and related conditions like asthma has changed considerably since he began practicing medicine.

“When I started, we would hospitalize asthmatics all the time on an inpatient basis,” says Dr. Lockey. “What’s changed exponentially are the methods and means by which we can treat and care for patients with allergic diseases, particularly asthma.”

He notes that means asthma patients can continue to live their lives with minimal disruption.

“If appropriate care is available and given, we virtually can keep asthmatics functioning on a normal basis, almost without exception,” he says.

Dr. Lockey credits research that has yielded greater understanding of the disease and new safe, effective medications to treat asthma, for changing a diagnosis of it from potentially life-threatening to manageable for people like Leslie Barton.

Barton has been a patient at Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates for 10 years. She suffers from asthma and credits Dr. Lockey and his team for helping her maintain her independence while dealing with the disease’s debilitating effects.

“It really changes your life when you can’t breathe,” she says. “They work very closely with you on a one-on-one basis and have kept me out of the hospital.”

Dr. Lockey says asthma can occur as a result of allergies, nasal polyps, exertion or be related to other respiratory diseases.

Once the doctors at Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay determine why a patient has asthma, they determine the severity of the illness and conduct a complete physical examination to check for related conditions that can make the condition worse. And, while the physicians are specialists, Dr. Lockey it all gets back to the basic principles of the medical arts.

“You have to be a good internist — or a good practitioner — first, to take care of a patient with asthma,” he says. “If you treat the patient who has chronic sinusitis and you treat their chronic sinusitis, their asthma gets better; if you treat their GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), their asthma can get better; and if you treat their asthma, their GERD gets better. You have to be a physician that knows about the patient as a whole.”

A Team Of Allergy Specialists

Speaking of good practitioners, in addition to Dr. Lockey, there are four other physicians on the staff of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay. They are all Board-certified allergy, asthma and immunology specialists and members of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), with each of them contributing a unique perspective derived from their different medical advocacy and research interests.

The range of substances that can cause an allergic reaction is wide, and Dr. Roger Fox, M.D., who earned his medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, in 1975, has written and lectured extensively on the topics of environmental, chemical, food and drug allergies.

Dr. Dennis Ledford, M.D., received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis in 1976 and has served as president of AAAAI. His research and published writings focus on immunology and autoimmune disorders, and he has been active in promoting education and awareness of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

In addition to being a medical doctor, Dr. Mark Glaum, M.D., is also a Doctor of Philosophy. In 1999, he earned his medical degree at Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA and went on to earn his Ph.D. dgree in immunology from there in 2001. His areas of interest include how the body responds to substances that cause allergic reactions and advancing diagnostic techniques such as rhinoscopies (examining nasal passages with specialized instruments).

The congestion and related problems caused by allergies can require the expertise of an ear, nose and throat specialist (otolaryngologist) and at Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay, that is Dr. Seong Cho, M.D. He received his medical degree from Kyung Hee University School of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, in 1989, and began his medical career there as an otolaryngologist.

This range of expertise means the doctors and staff at Allergy, Asthma & Immunology of Tampa Bay treat and manage many health conditions besides asthma. These include rhinitis (inflammation and swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose, often referred to as hay fever), cough, laryngitis, headaches and immune disorders. Allergic reactions and immune responses resulting in rashes and dermatitis also can be treated there, says Dr. Lockey.

“We are allergists and immunologists. We are trained to take care of a variety of different dermatologic diseases, including hives, eczema, and others. It’s part of our training,” he says.

Patients are provided a wide range of diagnostic and treatment services such as rhinoscopies (examination of the nasal passages using a speculum or similar instrument), patch tests, hearing tests and, of course, allergy injections.

All of the doctors at Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay also teach at USF’s Morsani College of Medicine. This academic side has promoted a working relationship with USF Health’s Asthma, Allergy & Immunology Clinical Research Unit, of which Dr. Lockey is the associate director.

According to USF Health’s Michelle Twitmyer, the unit’s clinical research coordinator, the benefits available to study participants are considerable.

“Some clinical trials are using medications that are not yet available on the market for the doctors to prescribe, so there might be people who are interested in seeing if this new medication is available,” Twitmyer says. “During the trial, they have the potential of getting that treatment for a year or even two years before it becomes available on the market.”

Twitmyer also says one of the unit’s current projects is researching a treatment for peanut allergies.

While the doctors and staff at Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates have considerable clinical and research experience, as well as access to the latest in treatments and technology, Dr. Lockey expresses a basic principle that guides his team in its work.

“We practice the most cost-effective and honest medicine,” he says. “We treat patients like they’re our family members. That’s what all medicine should be about.”

You can learn more about Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay by visiting AllergyTampa.com or by calling 971-9743. The New Tampa office is located at 13801 BBD Blvd., Suite 502.