Sharon Hubler

Dr. Willis L. Hubler was born in 1922 to Roy and Jennie (Wybenga) Hubler near Meadow, South Dakota, in a home built by his Dutch immigrant grandparents. His early years in South Dakota were formative and he never lost his country boy beginnings throughout his long life. At age 12, with his family’s move to Rochester, Minnesota, many new educational opportunities opened up. He earned a B.A. in chemistry from the University of Minnesota in 1944. After serving as a U.S. Army Reservist during World War Il, he earned a degree in psychology and, in 1947, an M.D. from the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Hubler was a fellow in internal medicine at the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research and received a postM.D. master’s degree in 1951.
In 1952, lured by the beauty and outdoor opportunities in southwestern Idaho, Dr. Hubler moved west to establish his internal medicine practice in Caldwell, Idaho. He was the first board certified internist in Canyon County. In addition to developing his practice, Dr. Hubler was committed to increasing access to health care and education to improve health outcomes benefiting residents in Canyon County and beyond. In the 1970s, Dr. Hubler served as program chair for the Idaho Heart Association, bringing distinguished medical faculty and practitioners from across the country to share their expertise with Idaho cardiologists.
It was during this same period, in 1975, that Dr. Hubler played an integral role in establishing the Canyon County Paramedic Program. The program was one of the first in the State of Idaho along with Idaho Falls and Pocatello Fire Department based systems. Dr. Hubler helped interview and hire ten paramedic students selected from 150 applicants from all over the country. After the completion of their training, eight of these individuals formed the nucleus of the new paramedic program that eventually evolved into the Canyon County Paramedic Ambulance District when the private ambulance company closed its doors in Canyon County in 1977. Dr. Hubler retired from his internal medical practice in 1991. He then served as a medical advisor for the Medicaid division for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare for many years as well as the part-time medical director for the Garden Valley Medical Center. His medical practice, Caldwell Internal Medicine, now West Valley Medical Center Caldwell Clinic, has served Caldwell community continuously for over 70 years. Dr. Hubler passed away in October 2015 with loving support from his wife of 57 years, Sharon, and their four living children, Carol, Jennifer, Timothy, and Alicia. His son, Bruce, a Boise radiologist, proceeded him in death three years earlier. Several current and former Canyon County Paramedics, including a handful Dr. Hubler helped hire to the original team of paramedics, led his funeral cortege in an ambulance with lights flashing. In 2016, the Canyon County Paramedics dedicated their auditorium at the Canyon County Ambulance District Administration building in honor of Dr. Hubler to honor his continued legacy. 2025 marks the 50th anniversary since the founding of Canyon County Paramedics. They currently employ approximately 70 pre-hospital care providers including paramedics and emergency medical technicians. Canyon County Paramedics currently support eight stations in the county, which includes four in Nampa, two in Caldwell, one in Middleton, and one in Wilder.