Dr. Jeff Kerby Is New ACS Medical Director, Trauma Education

Jeffrey D. Kerby, MD, PhD, FACS, from Birmingham, Alabama, is the new ACS Medical Director, Trauma Education. He begins this part-time executive leadership position on March 16, when his 4-year term ends as Chair of the ACS Committee on Trauma. A globally esteemed trauma surgeon, researcher, and US Air Force veteran, Dr. Kerby will help shape domestic and international trauma care by providing strategic, clinical, and scientific guidance for key ACS trauma education initiatives.

Register Now for Global Symposium

Registration is now open for the Advanced Trauma Life Support^® (ATLS^®) Global Symposium. The Symposium, March 13–15, will be held in conjunction with the Committee on Trauma (COT) Annual Meeting at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel in Alabama.

This year's Global Symposium, under the theme “Global Unity, Local Impact: Advancing ATLS & Trauma Education Everywhere,” will offer an interactive program for course directors, instructors, educators, and coordinators as ATLS moves into a new era.

Highlights include:

• Keynote Speaker Garry Taylor. Taylor was involved in a serious car accident in October 2024, which led him to undergo emergency surgery at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. His touching story of determination and resilience will be featured on Saturday, March 14.
  

• ATLS 11 Best Practices with a focus on the Communication and Triage Skills Stations.
  

• Poster Session Reception with two categories: Scientific and Best Practices. Winners from each category will present their poster as part of the Opening Session.
  

• Small group discussions on:
  

  • Offering Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses course in conjunction with ATLS
    

  • Incorporating Stop the Bleed as part of the Circulation Skills Station

• Trauma Education research projects conducted by ATLS friends and family.

A 1-day virtual attendance option is available. Learn more and register.

Compendium of Changes Supports Transition to ATLS 11

All sites are encouraged to transition to ATLS 11 as soon as possible. To provide updated content to those who recently completed ATLS 10, we ask that sites distribute the Compendium of Changes to those who have completed ATLS 10 since August 2025. To support this, the Compendium of Changes—included in the Online Updates Courses for Instructors, Educators, and Coordinators—is now available in the Course Management System (CMS) Resources section. Ensuring exposure to the most current trauma education standards during this transition period is essential for maintaining educational integrity and supporting safe, high-quality patient care.

RTTDC 5th Edition Will Launch Mid-April

The Resource-Variable Trauma Team Development Course (RTTDC) Workgroup will pilot the new 5th Edition over the next few months in South Dakota and Alaska, and as part of the upcoming Global Symposium, with the official launch scheduled for April 15. The RTTDC reflects adult learning principles—engaging participants actively and applying new knowledge directly to real-world situations.

Course objectives include:

1. Emphasize teamwork, preparation, and communication.
2. Help teams match interventions to available resources and accelerate transfer when higher levels of care are required.
3. Recognize that trauma care begins where the patient is injured; small teams save lives through organization and education.
4. Expand the mission globally (Resource-Variable Trauma Team Development Course).

If you would like to observe the RTTDC 5th edition course being taught by those who developed it—with the goal of teaching at an institution in your state—there are a few spots available for Monday, March 9 in Birmingham, Alabama. Reach out to traumaeducation@facs.org for more information.

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Surgical Skills Instructor Readiness Course Is Now Available

The new Surgical Skills Instructor Readiness Course—a free online program designed to strengthen the quality and consistency of ACS surgical skills education—has launched. The course introduces modern instructional strategies grounded in adult learning principles, psychomotor skill development, effective feedback, interactive teaching, and appropriate use of simulation. It is required for ACS COT Surgical Skills Instructors who are not already ATLS Instructors and are seeking to teach Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET), Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM), or Basic Endovascular Skills for Trauma (BEST). The course also is available as an alternative pathway for ATLS Educator applicants. Completion of the course is required before teaching and must be reported to traumaeducation@facs.org.

Detailed instructions and additional information can be found via the CMS on the ATOM and ASSET Resources page under the document “Criteria and Process for Surg Skills Instructor Course.” For those who are interested in completing this process for a BEST course (not currently in the CMS) participant, contact traumaeducation@facs.org.

We extend our sincere appreciation to those who helped develop the Surgical Skills Instructor Readiness Course.

Education Program Chairs

• Jody Kaban, MD

• John Sutyak, EdM, MD, FACS

• Kim Joseph, MD, FACS

Contributors

• Alfred Croteau, MD, FACS

• Rob Leeper, MD, FRCSC, FACS

• Paul Engels, MD, FRCSC, FACS

• Megan Brenner, MD, MS, FACS

• Neil Parry, MD, FRCSC, FACS

ATLS 11 Videos Offer English Captions, Spanish Subtitles

ATLS 11 videos now offer English closed captions and Spanish subtitles to improve accessibility. These videos are available in ATLS online courses within the Learning Management System and through the Pro subscription in the MyATLS mobile app. English captions can be enabled using the CC button in the video player. Spanish subtitles can be turned on by selecting Settings (gear icon), choosing CC/Subtitles, and then selecting Spanish.

Check Out eDMEP Enhancements and Demo

More user-friendly versions of the interactive triage scenarios for earthquake and tornado are now available in the Electronic Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness (eDMEP) course. These enhanced scenarios were designed to improve usability and address any previous technical issues. Even if you’ve already taken the scenarios, you’re welcome to use the updated versions. In addition, a new triage scenario—expected to launch this spring—also is in development. Stay tuned for more details. A new overview video is now available to walk you through how the triage gaming scenario works in the eDMEP course. Thank you for your continued participation in this important course and for your ongoing commitment to disaster preparedness.

New ATLS 11 Pre-Course Requirements Are in Place

Significant enhancements were made in the 11th edition of ATLS, including the development of new instructional videos (with sincere thanks to the many ATLS friends and family contributors/actors who helped bring this content to life). These videos are a core component of the ATLS flipped classroom model, which engages learners with foundational content prior to the course and allows in-person time to focus on application, discussion, and skills practice. For this approach to be effective, it is essential that Course Sites emphasize the importance of completing these assignments in advance of the course. Doing so supports educational quality, learner engagement, and effective use of in-person time.

As a reminder, these educational components are housed within the Online Update Courses, which Instructors, Educators, and Coordinators can access through the Learning Management System. Review the instructions for access.

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ATLS, COT Leaders Convene in Ankara for Region 17 Annual Meeting

Region 17 hosted its Annual Meeting in Ankara, Türkiye in early December 2025, bringing together COT and ATLS leadership from across the region. Several engaging presentations were delivered ranging from scientific studies and the future of artificial intelligence to successes and lessons learned from country promulgations, as well as inspiring stories of the impact and journey of ATLS. The meeting also was attended by the Region 15 Chief Joakim Jørgensen, MD, PhD, FACS (Norway), who delivered an informative presentation on trauma systems and shared experiences from his region. Dr. Jørgensen highlighted key opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing across ATLS regions.

Thank you to the team from ATLS Türkiye led by Kurtulus Aciksari, MD, Chair, and Erdal Demirtas, MD, Vice Chair, who hosted a successful gathering and made everyone feel welcome in Ankara. Sincere gratitude as well to Region 17 Chief, Hakim Elkholy, MD, FACS (Egypt) for his leadership in facilitating the program and discussions. 

Policy Change Impacts Faculty Elevation

All coordinator candidates, course director candidates and instructor course director candidates are required to be monitored and evaluated by an individual who is “experienced” in that same role. During the transition to the 11th edition, the criteria for an “experienced” observer were updated. An individual is now considered “experienced” after participating in a minimum of two courses in the current edition, rather than four. Contact traumaeducation@facs.org with any questions.

ATLS 11 Resources Are Password Protected

To maintain the educational integrity of all ATLS 11 courses, the pretest and post-tests located within the CMS “Resources” tab are now password protected. All Site Coordinators, Instructors, Educators, and Course Directors can access these materials by using ATLS11 as the password. Contact traumaeducation@facs.org with any questions.

Additional States Qualify for Sales Tax Exemptions

The ACS is required by state law to levy the applicable sales tax rate for all taxable sales within the US. Additional states now include Florida, Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina, Washington, and Louisiana (soon). If your organization is tax-exempt, send a copy of your tax exemption certificate to traumaeducation@facs.org so that all taxes can be removed before an invoice is submitted. Email traumaeducation@facs.org with any questions.

TELL US MORE

The Trauma Education team is here to support you in offering quality educational programs. Share ideas for future newsletter topics, and contact traumaeducation@facs.org with questions.