The C. William Schwab, MD Endowed Professorship in the Division of Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Surgery

The first endowed chair in the Division, the Professorship was established by John M. Templeton, Jr., MD, Josephine J. Templeton, MD, the Division, and additional friends of Penn Medicine. The Professorship honors C. William Schwab, MD, the internationally known trauma surgeon and educator who has served as the first Chief of Division since 1987.

From his service in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War onward, Dr. Schwab has dedicated his career to improving care of the injured. At the Perelman School of Medicine, he established the PennSTAR flight program, which has rushed thousands of critical patients to Penn via helicopter. He also initiated a fellowship program that now has graduated dozens of surgeons who are trauma leaders around the globe.

Among his innovations, Dr. Schwab has fostered a technique called “Damage Control Surgery,” which has been connected to the increased numbers of soldiers surviving devastating injuries. He also works to reduce firearm-related injuries as Founding Director of Penn’s Firearm and Injury Center at Penn.

Among his many recognitions, Dr. Schwab has been elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Glasgow), of the Swedish Surgical Association, and of the European Society of Trauma and Emergency Surgery.

Dr. John Templeton (1940 -2015) was the son of investor, businessman, and philanthropist Sir John Templeton (1912-2008). In 1995, Dr. Templeton retired as Director of the Trauma Program at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to head the John Templeton Foundation, where his wife, Dr. Josephine Templeton, continues to serve as Trustee. Previously, Dr. Josephine Templeton worked as a clinical anesthesiologist at CHOP, often alongside her husband. Both Drs. Templeton was dedicated to improving care for trauma patients.

Current Chairholder
Patrick M. Reilly, MD, FCCP, FACS

Patrick M. Reilly, MD, FCCP, FACS is Chief of the Division of Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Reilly received a BS from the University of Notre Dame and an MD from Jefferson Medical College. He completed his surgical residency at the Medical Center of Delaware and performed fellowships in surgical research at Johns Hopkins and in trauma/surgical critical care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Reilly’s current research activities focus on trauma system design and performance. Working with collaborators at Penn, his focus is on the impact of trauma system components on outcomes for injured patients. He also has research interests in surgical education, critical care outcomes, and ICU design.