Editor's Note

Jeffry T. Nahmias, MD

As the weather heats up, in many parts of the country that means an increase in trauma volume. While all of us are called to take action to care for the injured patients in our communities, we pay special homage to providers who not only heal but take their own personal time to do work in the field of injury prevention. As our nation turns 250 years old, this edition of the Cutting Edge provides important guidance related to injury prevention including ATV safety, drownings, and firework-related injuries. Here's to the hope of 250 more years with zero preventable deaths.

— Jeffry T. Nahmias, MD

In This Issue

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Sharon Gautschy

Executive Leadership

Executive Director Message

Written by: Sharon Gautschy

Get ready for the AAST Annual Meeting in Dallas, TX.

★ Featured Article

Warm Weather, Smart Choices: Preventing Common Summer Injuries

Written by: Gabriel Froula, DO, Christine Castater, MD, Leah Lucero, MD

Gabriel Froula, DOChristine Castater, MDLeah Lucero, MD

Long summer days bring celebrations, adventure, and time outdoors. They can also bring injuries with life-changing consequences. In this issue of The Cutting Edge, we take a closer look at three common sources of summer trauma and share practical prevention strategies to help keep patients and communities safe all season long.

Elliott R. Haut MD, PhD, FACS, MAMSE

Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open

Happy Birthday, Dear TSACO: Congratulations on the 10-Year Anniversary

Written by: Elliott R. Haut MD, PhD, FACS, MAMSE

Happy Birthday TSACO! 10 Years and Going Strong

Stephanie Savage, MD, MS

Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open

Call For TSACO Mentors

Written by: Stephanie Savage, MD, MS

Volunteer as a Peer Review Mentor for TSACO

Katherine Marie Kelley, MD, FACS, FAWM

★ Featured Article

Take a Hike: Medical Care in the Wilderness

Written by: Katherine Marie Kelley, MD, FACS, FAWM

Trauma surgeons, with some additional training, are able to rapidly provide care to injured patients in the wilderness. As a trauma surgeon, you can enhance your enjoyment of the outdoors by using your skills to help other outdoor enthusiasts. Ready? What do you say?

Kevin Schuster, MD, MPH

Multicenter Investigation and Trials Committee

The Multicenter Investigation and Trials Committee Update

Written by: Kevin Schuster, MD, MPH

From the launch of the AAST Sprint Grant Program to updates on the Sounding Board mentoring initiative, multicenter research, and the evolving survey process, the MITC continues to expand opportunities for collaboration, scientific rigor, and member engagement. See what's new and what's coming next.

Marc de Moya, MD FACS

Acute Care Surgery Committee

Acute Care Surgery Committee Update

Written by: Marc de Moya, MD FACS

The Acute Care Surgery Committee shares updates on the continued growth of the ACS Fellowship Bootcamp, new fellowship partnerships, expanding AAST-approved training programs, and ongoing efforts to strengthen acute care surgery education both nationally and internationally.

Melanie Bobbs, MD FACS

Palliative Trauma Committee

PEG Tube Consultation & the Acute Care Surgeon

Written by: Melanie Bobbs, MD FACS

Just a PEG tube? How the Acute Care Surgeon navigates consultations involving diagnoses with unclear prognoses and complex ethical dilemmas.

Emergency General Surgery Committee

A New Home for Emergency General Surgery: Introducing the AAST EGS Committee

Written by: Matthew Neal, MD, Patrick Murphy, MD, MPH, MSc, Caroline Reinke, MD

Matthew Neal, MDPatrick Murphy, MD, MPH, MScCaroline Reinke, MD

Introducing the AAST Emergency Surgery Committee

Healthcare Economics Committee

What Does an Acute Care Surgeon Need to Know about Modifier 22?

Written by: Raeanna Adams, MD, MBA, FACS, Samir Fakhry, MD, FACS, Edward Kelly, MD, FACS

Raeanna Adams, MD, MBA, FACSSamir Fakhry, MD, FACSEdward Kelly, MD, FACS

Modifier 22 is often touted as the tool of payment for increased complexity. Does it work, and how does that happen?