Where Are They Now: Scott Kellermann, MD

In honor of our 75th anniversary, we are revisiting the stories of individuals who have shaped the AMA Foundation’s history and following up to see where they are today.

One of those individuals is Scott Kellermann, MD, MPH, recipient of the 2018 Excellence in Medicine Dr. Nathan Davis International Award in Medicine, which recognizes physicians whose influence reaches patients beyond the U.S. border and honors those making a lasting impact on global health care. Dr. Kellermann was recognized for his extraordinary commitment to improving health outcomes for the Batwa people of Uganda, an Indigenous community displaced from their ancestral forest home.

A Call to Serve

Dr. Kellermann’s path to Uganda began in 2000, when he and his wife Carol traveled there to conduct a medical survey. What they found was devastating: extremely high child mortality rates, low life expectancy, and families living in extreme poverty.

Moved to respond, the Kellermanns made the life-changing decision to sell their possessions in California and relocate permanently to Uganda. They began by setting up simple outdoor clinics before founding Bwindi Community Hospital, which has since become a cornerstone of care for the region.

Scott Kellermann, MD, working with the Batwa community in Uganda.

Building a Lasting Legacy

Today, Bwindi Community Hospital has grown into a 150-bed facility serving tens of thousands of patients each year. Continuing this progress, the nursing school launched alongside the hospital is transitioning into the African University of Science and Management, where Dr. Kellermann will serve as chancellor. The university will prepare a new generation of health professionals and leaders in East Africa.

Dr. Kellermann has worked to ensure his efforts are sustainable and collaborative, engaging local leaders and traditional healers to improve patient outcomes in malaria, tuberculosis, and other diseases. These partnerships have dramatically reduced preventable deaths and strengthened trust in the hospital’s services.

Continuing the Mission

As the AMA Foundation reflects on 75 years of advancing health care and supporting physician leadership, we are proud to honor Dr. Kellermann’s ongoing journey, a remarkable example of compassion, dedication, and the power of physicians to create change across the globe.

Learn more about his work here: https://www.kellermannfoundation.org/