A brilliant and dedicated doctor, Scott devoted his 20-year career to the Emergency Department at Pennsylvania Hospital. He was also a naturalist and accomplished herpetologist. Scott had a legendary sense of humor, and his colleagues always knew they would have a good shift if he was on the schedule.

With his encyclopedic knowledge about snakes and snake bites, colleagues across the hospital system would seek him out for guidance on the management of snakebites. Once, as a junior resident, he sought out the senior trauma surgeons and gave them “constructive feedback” after they had performed an extensive fasciotomy on a snakebite patient. Calmly and directly, Scott shared scientific research showing that the surgical team should change their management of future patients with similar envenomations.

The Asclepius Snakebite Foundation mourns the loss of Dr. McWilliams and we want to honor his memory. In coordination with Scott’s family, we have set a fundraising goal of $10,000 to name the “Dr. Scott McWilliams Critical Care Room” and provide equipment at a new snakebite clinic in Kindia, Guinea. Funds raised in excess of this amount will go to directly treating patients of snakebites in West Africa and supporting ASF’s ongoing mission to educate future clinicians on snakebite management globally.

All donations are 100% tax deductible.