And that’s exactly what he did.

Over the course of a decades-long career Dr. McSwain created New Orleans’ emergency medical services system and earned international renown as a trauma physician. Emphasizing the immediate treatment of victims of gunshots, stabbings, car accidents and other life-threatening injuries, his methods have become the global standard for trauma care outside of hospitals. These methods have been taught to more than 500,000 people in 45 countries, helping to save countless lives in New Orleans and around the world.

A beloved giant in the field, McSwain mentored legions of medical students, authored numerous books and articles, and is the only physician to win all five trauma-related awards of the American College of Surgeons. And to those who knew him, he will always be remembered as the living embodiment of his favorite, often-repeated personal mantra: “What have you done for the good of mankind today?”