Welcome to The Cutting Edge
The Cutting Edge is the official member newsletter of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), designed to keep you informed, inspired, and engaged. Each issue delivers timely updates, thought leadership, committee initiatives, educational resources, member achievements, and the latest developments across the world of trauma and acute care surgery.
Whether you're looking for executive updates, advocacy efforts, grant opportunities, program highlights, or perspectives from your peers, The Cutting Edge brings the pulse of AAST directly to your inbox.
The most up-to-date information for all things AAST
The Cutting Edge Podcast
Prefer to listen on the go? The Cutting Edge Podcast brings AAST to life with engaging conversations, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories from the world of trauma and acute care surgery.
Are Civilian Trauma Centers Ready for the Next Major Conflict?
The Cutting Edge teamed up with Frontline Surgery for a special collaboration episode tackling a question every trauma center should be asking: when the next large-scale combat operation comes, who takes care of the casualties?
National trauma leader Dr. Mary Margaret Knudson joined hosts Dr. Caroline Park, Dr. Joshua Dilday, and Dr. Rachel Russo to trace the history of military-civilian trauma partnerships, from World War II through the National Defense Authorization Acts of 2017 and 2018, which made these partnerships a requirement and led to the 25 centers now funded through Mission Zero.
The conversation turns urgent when the panel confronts what happens in a major conflict. Military treatment facilities and VA hospitals will lose staff to deployment, leaving civilian trauma centers, especially those on the coasts, to absorb combat casualties without the rapid evacuation timelines of past conflicts. Dr. Knudson's call to action is clear: hospitals need patient redistribution agreements, surge capacity planning, and practiced protocols in place now, not after the need arises.
As Dr. Park puts it, the question is not whether civilian systems will be called on. It is whether they are structurally ready when that moment comes.
Front Line Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care
Tune in to Front Line Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care, a podcast dedicated to military trauma care. Each episode features expert military surgeons sharing real-world cases and battlefield-ready strategies.
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