The world is minus a great physician

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I know this probably isn't the right place....but I want to share so that anyone who may have known him and those who don't that the world is minus a great man....My heart hurts today....The world is minus a great man. To Dr.Scully's family, especially Dr, Harig...I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Dr. Scully was a great man and physician. He made me the nurse that I am today with his generous nature to teach anyone willing to learn and SMMC the best ICU I ever worked. He was a great man, wonderful physician, giving teacher. Dr.Scully.... 35 years later, I can never thank you enough for sharing your knowledge and making me a great nurse! He was a very special physician that stood behind his nurses and gave us to power to think independently. I remember one time (of many) I went toe to toe with a new anesthesiologist at SMMC about not giving a certain drug. I would not give the drug and of course I heard "I'll have your job!" I told that MD to try for he will not be successful and besides that he couldn't do my job. I remember Dr. Scully coming up to me the next day and thanked me for saving the patient. Dr. Scully you will be missed.

VALPARAISO | Cardiologist Dr. John T. Scully, 89, is being remembered as a distinguished physician, a dedicated teacher and mentor and a devoted family man.

Scully, of the Shorewood community in Union Township, died Tuesday after battling cancer.

In his obituary, his daughter, Dr. Sharon Harig, wrote that her father was "universally admired for his tremendous devotion to the practice of medicine, compassion for his patients and dedication to teaching and mentoring of physicians and nurses."

Scully was born and raised in Gary, attended Holy Angels grade school and graduated from Horace Mann High School. While studying for his bachelor's degree at Indiana University in Bloomington, he volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II as a lieutenant in the Army Medical Administrative Corps.

Following the war, Scully completed his undergraduate degree and attended medical school at the University of Maryland with the aid of the GI Bill. He received his doctor of medicine degree in 1951 and served his residency in internal medicine at the Youngstown (Ohio) Hospital. He also was certified as a specialist in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

During his nearly five decades of practicing medicine in Northwest Indiana, Scully was on the medical staffs at St. Anthony hospital in Crown Point, Methodist Hospitals and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart.

He took on leadership roles at the hospitals, including the chairmanship of the department of medicine at Methodist and St. Mary's. He was a founding partner of Internal Medicine Associates and taught at the medical school at Indiana University Northwest.

For 27 years, he served as medical director of the intensive care unit at St. Mary Medical Center. When he retired in 2000, that unit was named the John T. Scully ICU.

The many honors Scully received for his service to the community included Sagamore of the Wabash, the Blessed Mary Katherine Kasper Healthcare Award, the American Heart Association's Heart of Gold Award, the Shamrock Award from the Friendly Sons of Erin and Andrean Man of the Year.

His passion for sports led him to follow IU basketball, Notre Dame football and the Andrean High School '59ers.

Scully is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joan; children Dr. Sharon Harig, of Dyer, John A. Scully, of Dallas, Susan Scully, of Valparaiso, and Dr. Thomas Scully, of Tucson, Ariz. He also is survived by eight grandchildren; two sisters, Madeline Scully Cowgill and Betty Scully Martin; and nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Dr. John Scully Medical Scholarship Fund, c/o The Legacy Foundation.

DR. JOHN T. SCULLY

Dr. John T. Scully, distinguished physician and devoted family man, died peacefully with his family by his side on November 19, 2013 at the age of 89, following a courageous battle against cancer. Universally admired for his tremendous devotion to the practice of medicine, compassion for his patients, and dedication to teaching and mentoring of physicians and nurses, Dr. Scully gave his entire professional life to the people of Northwest Indiana. Self-described as the "luckiest man in the world" for having met and married his wife of 60 years, Joan Carol, Dr. Scully was keenly devoted to, and incredibly loved by Joan. At the time of their initial meeting, Joan was the Chief Medical Technologist where Dr. Scully was a medical resident in training. He gained her attention by constantly ordering "Stat" procedures at night. That was the last time he gave her an "order." Together, they created a loving and wonderful family filled with four children and eight grandchildren who will dearly miss their Dad and "Poppa." Born March 10, 1924 at Mercy Hospital in Gary, Dr. Scully attended Holy Angels grade school and graduated from Horace Mann High School. After beginning undergraduate studies at Indiana University and establishing deep friendships in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Dr. Scully volunteered for the U.S. Army and honorably served the country during World War II as a Lieutenant in the Army Medical Administrative Corps. Following additional training and education at The Citadel during the war, Dr. Scully completed his undergraduate studies and medical school at the University of Maryland with the assistance of the GI Bill. Receiving his Doctor of Medicine in 1951, Dr. Scully was a member of the Rush Medical Honorary. Completing his residency in Internal Medicine at the Youngstown Hospital Association where he served as Chief Resident, Dr. Scully then became certified as a specialist in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Scully practiced medicine in Lake County for almost five decades and cared for thousands of Northwest Indiana residents. Upon his retirement in 2000, St. Mary's Hospital named its intensive care unit the "John T. Scully ICU." Dr. Scully had served as Medical Director of that ICU for 27 years. He also served the St. Mary's community as Chairman of the Department of Medicine, as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the medical staff, Director of the Cardiodiagnostics Division of the hospital, Chairman of the Institutional Review Board overseeing research projects at the hospital, and Chairman of the Critical Care Committee for many years. Dr. Scully was a founding partner of Internal Medicine Associates. He taught for many years at the medical school located at IU Northwest. Dr. Scully also served on the medical staffs of St. Anthony of Crown Point, Methodist Hospital, and St. Mary's Medical Center of Hobart, IN. At Methodist Hospital, he served as Chairman of the Department of Medicine, and as a member of the Executive Council. Dr. Scully served on the Board of Directors of the Lakeshore Hospital System overseeing St. Mary's and St. Catherine's. He was a member of the Lake County Medical Society, Indiana State Medical Association, and the American College of Physicians. He was also a life member of the Elm Society of the University of Maryland Medical School Alumni Association. For his generous service to the community and his fellow man, Dr. Scully received numerous awards and recognitions including the Sagamore of the Wabash Award from the Governor of Indiana, the Blessed Mary Katherine Kasper Healthcare Award given to a single physician annually, the American Heart Association's Heart of Gold Award, the Shamrock Award from the Friendly Sons of Erin and recognition as Andrean Man of the Year. Among other causes, Dr. Scully served the community as the first Co-Chairman of the Andrean High School Foundation, and on the first Board of Directors of the Gary Diocese Foundation. Dr. Scully was a longtime member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, a member of the University Club and Innsbrook Country Club. A complete sports addict, he intensely followed IU basketball, Notre Dame football, and, most importantly, the Andrean '59ers. To honor Dr. Scully at the time of his retirement, colleagues, family, and friends created in his name an IU Northwest School of Medicine Scholarship fund dedicated to the education of medical students of Lake and Porter County. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Dr. John Scully Medical Scholarship Fund, c/o The Legacy Foundation, 1000 E. 80th Place, North Tower 420, Merrillville, IN 46410. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.burnsfuneral.com.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/longtime-region-cardiologist-john-t-scully-dies-at/article_cebc1185-122c-537c-8e5e-7638ee6997df.html

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

Thank you for sharing!

[cardiacfreak, ADN]

Wow, what a legacy! I am from Indiana and we had a pediatrician by the name of Scully, who has also passed away, that everyone was fond of, I wonder if they were related.

His name was William Scully and he went to med school in Ohio. He founded our NICU in 1968.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

Sounds like a wonderful man. I cannot begin to i imagine the impact he made in the community. We need more like him today.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Wow, what a legacy! I am from Indiana and we had a pediatrician by the name of Scully, who has also passed away, that everyone was fond of, I wonder if they were related.

His name was William Scully and he went to med school in Ohio. He founded our NICU in 1968.

I am not sure....I remember vaguely about a cousin. I'll have to ask.

He was a great man....he stood behind us unfailingly. Before fax machines and computers he taught us to read the EKG's so that when we called in the middle of the night we could read them what the EKG said. We had the best equipment. The Best education. He interviewed the nurses himself with the manager, a great lady, he made the MD's behave and would suspend admitting privileges to MD's who were aggressive or mean. He stood behind us 100%...he spoiled me.

The education he gave us all....the supportive environment...the demand for excellence was like nothing I have ever experienced except at one place....a hospital in a corn field. The advanced technology, the skills we learned....the opening of a cutting edge cath lab and began an open heart program with the best CV group in the Chicago area. We had no residents, no med students... it was us...the nurses...who were taught to think like a MD and make intelligent educated judgements based on standing orders......I just can never repay the education he gave me.

This is where I have snuck beer into the room of a dying 28 year old patient and rallied a hospital to take a man on the vent outside to feed our ducks...carried a dog in my bag to see it's owner because the dog wouldn't eat and the patient was so depressed. It was here that the ever presence of Sister and morning prayer brought me peace. A very special place and all because of Dr. Scully.

I remember one day he was madder than a wet hen because we kept documenting that his patient was confused and was he insistent she wasn't....he wrote a scathing progress note about the nurses assessment capabilities and put a new grad into tears (she was a sensitive soul)....I came into the nursing station and called him out of his scathing behavior (which really wasn't that bad...but he had a way about him, you know? When he wasn't pleased you were crushed)

He was rambling about the lack of assessment skill of the staff....I told him I would bet $100.00 that the patient was confused and that his assessment skills were not up to par that day...he said "she is perfectly oriented...she knows who I am, what day it is, and that she is in the hospital" I told him to go ask her where she thinks the hospital is located...he stomped off into the room.

He came back out and made an addendum in the chart...."The above assessment by this physician is inaccurate and one should always listen to the nurses...this patient is confused...she believes I drove to Ontario Candida this morning....just for her." hugged the new grad and left me $100.00. Which we later agreed to donate to the hospital chapel.

I have NEVER met another MD like him...who loved his patients, who loved his nurses, who loved to empower those around him with education and learning. He used to tell me the secret to success was to surround yourself with brilliance so you always come out smelling like a rose.

A rare man. Today I'm sad.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I've met one or two like that, and the result is the same-- great patient care, empowered nurses, true teamwork, and an example to follow for the rest of our lives. RIP, Dr. Scully.

[vintage_RN, BSN, RN]

Wow, if only I had the privilege to know and work with a physician like that. Looks like you were truly blessed to know and learn from him. I hope I can work with a physician like that one day.

[Caffeine_IV]

I'm sorry for your loss. I hope to come across an MD like that.