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  • International Relations Committee

  • Mission:

    To enhance the knowledge and involvement of the International Trauma and Acute Care Surgical Community in the activities of the AAST, and to enhance the academic and scholarship role of the AAST in Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, globally.

    Vision:

    The International Relations Committee (IRC) helps to expand AAST’s academic leadership and professional impact in Trauma and EGS care to the global stage, and serves as the gateway for international academic and scholarly activity and outreach for the AAST and its members.

    Goals:

    The IRC is perpetually building on previous progress. Always moving forward, we will work closely with the AAST leadership, fellow committees, and members to redefine the IRC’s mission and goals in order to ensure that we are in alignment with the AAST’s strategic research (SR) and ACS initiatives.

    The International Relations Committee will continue to develop programs that foster and support an optimal environment for the involvement of the international community in AAST activities, including:

    Poster Professors

    International leaders will continue to be involved with the poster sessions and be among the Professors who lead the poster sessions.

     

    Annual Lunch Sessions (International)

     

    The International Relations Committee will submit a selection of topics and moderators to be considered by the Program Committee for a lunch session.

     

    Collaboration/Integration with AAST Committees

     

    The IRC is also open to collaborating with fellow AAST committees as well as engaging in Multi-Institutional Trials to explore international opportunities for cooperation and to enhance the size and number of studies being conducted.

    Ongoing Projects

    The Joint AAST/PTS Virtual International Trauma Case Conference

    This monthly one-hour virtual session focuses on innovative and challenging trauma management strategies, particularly in resource-limited or austere settings. Each session features two global trauma case presentations, highlighting unique approaches in the trauma bay, operating room, or ICU. A panel of three expert trauma surgeons provides insights, debates alternatives, and shares practical wisdom, drawing from relevant literature and personal experience. The goal is to offer an international perspective on trauma care that is innovative, complex, or uniquely demanding.

    With an average of 50 international attendees, the session provides valuable education for junior surgeons and trainees worldwide. Committee members play a crucial role in organizing and moderating, inviting expert panelists from around the globe. Judges from the IRC and PTS evaluate presentations and select the top cases, along with expert insights, for publication in Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open (TSACO). The article processing charge (APC) is covered by AAST.

    In partnership with the Chest Wall Injury Society (CWIS) and Endovascular Resuscitation and Trauma Management (EVTM), we also host an annual thematic session shared among the three societies, with potential for more in the future.
     

    The METRIC course – Methodology in Emergency and Trauma Research for International Colleagues in Surgery (METRICS)

     

    The IRC is committed to advancing global trauma care standards and fostering the exchange of innovative research practices. A key upcoming initiative is the Methodology in Emergency and Trauma Research for International Colleagues in Surgery (METRICS) course. This program aims to equip surgeons in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with foundational skills and tools to actively engage in trauma research.

    The International Academic Mentorship (IAM) Program
    To prioritize academic development and global collaborations, particularly for scholars from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the International Academic Mentorship Program (IAM) supports international scholars, fosters collaboration, and provides AAST travel funding. The inaugural awardee, announced in 2021, presented research at the 2023 AAST conference and the 2024 ESTES meeting.
    The AAST/ACS International Scholarship
    The AAST-ACS International Visiting Scholar Fellowship program aims to align with the IRC's mission by enhancing the knowledge and involvement of the international trauma and acute care surgical community in AAST activities. These programs support global academic and scholarly exchange by hosting international fellows at the AAST annual conference and sponsoring visits to leading U.S. trauma centers and the TQIP program at the ACS headquarters in Chicago.

    AAST Annual Meeting

     

    The IRC is actively involved in the annual AAST meeting, highlighting the work of partners throughout the world on advancing trauma systems and quality. In 2024, the IRC organized sessions hosting multiple domestic and international experts including: 

    • Navigating the Unforeseen: Trauma System Preparedness
    • Military Trauma Care and Zero Preventable Deaths: Lessons Learned, Challenges, and the Future
    • Boots on the Ground: Lessons Learned from the 2022 Ukraine-Russia Conflict, 2023 Israel-Gaza Conflict, and the 2010/2021 Haitian Earthquake Disasters
    • Health Systems in Conflict: Diverse Actors and Roles

    The IRC welcomes suggestions or input on topics for future AAST Meeting sessions.

    Please contact committee chair Dr. Weidun Alan Guo (waguo@buffalo.edu) or AAST staff liaison Patrick Croce (patrickcroceaast@gmail.com) with suggestions for future sessions.

    Previous Annual Meeting Sessions

    International Attendee Breakfast Session, 2023
    Topic: TBI Connect: A Global Dialogue on Mechanisms and Management
    Presentations
     
    "Across the Pond: Differences in Mechanisms of Injury and Outcomes of TBI in Portugal and the US"
     
    Eduarda Sa-Marta, MD
    Dept of Neurosurgery, Braga Hospital, Portugal
     
    "TBI Around the Globe: The Qatar Experience"
     
    Prof. Ruben Peralta, MD, FACS, FCCM, FCCP
    Deputy Trauma Medical Director
    Professor & Director Trauma, Emergency and Surgery Critical Care Fellowship Program
    Senior Consultant - Surgery, Trauma, Emergency and Critical Care Medicine
    Chair of HMC Surgery Corporate Quality & Patient Safety Program
    Associate Director of Trauma Intensive Care Unit
    Hamad General Hospital & Hamad Medical Corporation
    Academy of Master Surgeon Educators, American College of Surgeons
    Co-Founder Casa Rubén Foundation
    "The Australian Contribution to Evidence Based Traumatic Brain Injury Care"
     
    Zsolt J. Balogh - Trauma Surgeon and Polytrauma Specialist
    Professor of Traumatology and Surgery at the University of Newcastle
    Director of Trauma of the John Hunter Hospital
    Program lead of the Injury and Trauma Research Program at the Hunter Medical Research Insititute
    Program Governor of the Master of Traumatology international postgraduate course at the University of Newcastle
    Chair of the ANZ Trauma Care Verification Program
     
    International Attendee Breakfast Session, Clinical Congress 2024
    Theme: Connecting the International Trauma Community
    Moderator: Li Hsee - Aukland, NZ
     
    Speakers
     
    Tina Gaarder"Bridging Borders in Trauma: We Can All Do Better With What We Have – How Can We Assist Each Other?"
    President, European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery (ESTES)
    Chair, Department of Traumatology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
     
    Zsolt Balogh"Polytrauma – Connecting the World Through Our Disease"
    Director of Trauma, John Hunter Hospital, Australia
    Professor of Traumatology and Surgery, University of Newcastle, Australia
     
    Rebecca Schroll, MD FACS"Patterns of interpersonal violence in NZ and USA"
    Consultant Trauma and Acute Care Surgeon, Auckland City Hospital
    Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Auckland
     
    Ruben Peralta, MD, FACS, FCCM, FCCP"Connecting and Serving the World with Advanced Medical Education: The Trauma Critical Care Fellowship Program – The Qatar Experience"
    Deputy Trauma Medical Director
    Professor & Director Trauma, Emergency and Surgery Critical Care Fellowship Program
    Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
    Pedro Henríquez Urena National University, Santo Domingo, D.R.
    Co-Founder Casa Rubén Foundation
     
    Elliott Haut"Open Access Publishing Resources as a Resource for Global Trauma Care"
    Editor in Chief, Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open (TSACO)
     
     
    The IRC is always on the lookout and actively searching for opportunities to explore collaborations with other international trauma associations.

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