In this special collaboration episode of the Cutting Edge and Frontline Surgery podcasts, host Dr. Caroline Park is joined by co-hosts Dr. Joshua Dilday and Dr. Rachel Russo, along with national trauma leader Dr. Mary Margaret Knudson, to discuss surge capacity and workforce continuity in military-civilian partnerships. Dr. Knudson traces the history of mil-civ partnerships from World War II through the National Defense Authorization Acts of 2017 and 2018, and examines whether the current 25 Mission Zero-funded partnerships are truly preparing the trauma system for large-scale combat operations (LISCO).

The panel confronts a sobering reality: in a major conflict, military treatment facilities and embedded military personnel will all be deployed — leaving civilian trauma centers to receive combat casualties while already operating at capacity with reduced staffing. The episode explores what individual trauma centers and the national system must do now to prepare, including patient redistribution agreements, OR and ICU surge planning, and practicing combat casualty reception protocols well before they are needed.

The panel confronts a sobering reality: in a major conflict, military treatment facilities and embedded military personnel will all be deployed — leaving civilian trauma centers to receive combat casualties while already operating at capacity with reduced staffing. The episode explores what individual trauma centers and the national system must do now to prepare, including patient redistribution agreements, OR and ICU surge planning, and practicing combat casualty reception protocols well before they are needed.

In this episode of the AAST Cutting Edge Podcast, host Dr. Caroline Park and co-host Dr. Susan Kartiko are joined by Shira Rothberg, licensed clinical social worker and Trauma Survivors Network Coordinator at Inova Fairfax Hospital, to discuss Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and its role in supporting trauma and emergency department staff after high-impact cases. Drawing on her training through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF), Shira breaks down how structured debriefs help providers normalize acute stress responses, reconnect with their teams, and access further support when needed.

The conversation explores what CISM looks like in practice — from leadership recognition that a debrief is needed, to hybrid in-person and virtual formats, to the important distinction between something that is therapeutic and formal therapy. For trauma programs looking to implement CISM, the takeaway is clear: it starts with one or two trained facilitators and leadership buy-in — and once staff experience it, they keep coming back.

Injury Prevention Month: Advancing Trauma Prevention Beyond the Hospital

In recognition of Injury Prevention Month, the Cutting Edge Podcast features a timely conversation highlighting the critical work of the AAST Prevention Committee and its impact on patients, trauma systems, and the communities we serve.

The discussion explores how trauma surgeons and acute care providers can lead prevention initiatives that address violence intervention, firearm injury prevention, falls, motor vehicle safety, and community-based outreach. Panelists emphasize that prevention is a systems-level responsibility, requiring collaboration across hospitals, public health partners, policymakers, and local organizations. By integrating prevention into trauma program infrastructure, advocacy efforts, and education, surgeons can move upstream—reducing injury burden before patients ever arrive in the trauma bay.

As Injury Prevention Month reminds us, the work of trauma professionals extends far beyond operative care and resuscitation. Prevention is trauma care, and this episode highlights actionable ways AAST members can strengthen their role as leaders in community health and injury reduction.