William C. SCOTT II, M.D., F.A. C.S., F.A.C.C.,

1949 - 2020

SCOTT -William C. II, M.D., F.A. C.S., F.A.C.C., F.C.C.P. (1949 2020), an accomplished cardiothoracic surgeon and extensive hobbyist, died on May 31, 2020 surrounded by his family in San Francisco, C.A. He was 72. Born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, William was known to friends and family as Bill. If there was something that Bill valued, it was education and the opportunity to put it into practice. His scholastic journey began at Princeton University; graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1970 and earning the Robert Thornton McKay Prize in Physical Chemistry. Bill's appreciation for science turned into a love for medicine and he continued on to Harvard University Medical School, where an elective course incited his love for the mechanics of the heart. With his diligent work ethic and thirst for knowledge and innovation, Bill set out to become a top cardiothoracic surgeon and dedicated many years of his life to training at Massachusetts General Hospital for general surgery, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for cardiac surgery, and Stanford University for thoracic and cardiac surgery. Bill's love for learning turned into a love for teaching as he took a position as attending surgeon and clinical instructor at Yale-New Haven Hospital. His tireless effort for and connection to his patients as well as his meticulous attention to detail and preparation permitted Bill to thrive as a surgeon. During Bill's more than 40-year career as a cardiothoracic surgeon, he earned numerous awards and recognitions of achievement, such as the Annual Andrew G. Morrow Traveling Fellowship Award from the NIH, the Christian Doppler Award for Outstanding Achievements in the field of Perioperative Echocardiography from the International Society of Intraoperative Cardiovascular Ultrasound, Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Heart Association and others.. He leaves behind a vast contribution to science and medicine with more than 40 publications and published abstracts. Dr. Scott and his forward-thinking perspective on medical practice remains the subject of chapter 9 in Michael Millenson's book, "Demanding Medical Excellence: Doctors and Accountability in the Information Age," which details Bill's time as Chairman of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, New York. Prior to Bill's appointment, Winthrop's heart program finished 26 out of 30 similar programs in the state. Within a couple of years of his appointment, Winthrop ranked first in New York. "Bill Scott was the kind of man who checked every nail in every horseshoe before he ventured out for a ride" (Millenson, 1997, p.183). Following his retirement from clinical surgery, Bill continued to help shape medical care as the Chief Medical Officer at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. Bill was a compassionate, innovative surgeon who felt it a privilege to serve his patients with the most cutting edge and quality health care. Bill's passion for knowledge and excellence extended beyond the operating room and into his numerous hobbies: photography, precision shooting, music, cars and building computers. He is survived by his wife of 49 years Phyllis Scott, son Jason Scott and wife Maggie Danielson, son Aaron Scott, daughter Shelby Scott Lazarow and husband Robbie Lazarow, grandchildren Ruby Scott, Violet Scott, Samuel Scott and Casey Lazarow. His curiosity, high standards and drive helped to move the field of Cardiothoracic surgery forward and both improved and saved the lives of thousands of individuals. Please direct any gifts to the American Heart Association in memory of Dr. William C. Scott.