Rising trauma and acute care surgery leaders stepped into the spotlight at this year's Future Trauma Leaders (FTLs) Mentoring Day, where early career surgeons pitched innovative project ideas in a fast-paced “Shark Tank”-style session and received candid feedback from seasoned trauma leaders.
The annual event is a cornerstone of the ACS Committee on Trauma (COT) FTL program, a 2-year leadership development initiative that provides intensive mentoring, hands-on project experience, and direct engagement with ACS COT leaders to help participants build the skills and connections needed to become the next generation of trauma surgery leaders.
Surgeons within 5 years of completing fellowship training are eligible to apply to the FTL program. A competitive application process is promoted among members of the ACS COT, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and Western Trauma Association. Through participation in ACS COT committees and leading projects aligned with their own professional interests, FTL members contribute meaningful work that advances the mission of the ACS COT.
This year’s FTL Mentoring Day, which convened June 25 at the ACS Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, featured a series of brief presentations by trauma leaders highlighting updates on COT initiatives in trauma education, injury prevention, Stop the Bleed, and ACS Quality Programs.
The presentations began with a look at the broader strategic direction of the ACS COT. Kristan L. Staudenmayer, MD, MS, FACS, Chair of the ACS COT, provided an overview of emerging priorities including national trauma preparedness, regional coordination, and rural access to trauma care. She noted that the US lacks a fully integrated trauma system, echoing the long-standing observation that the nation has “islands of excellence in a sea of chaos.” In response, the COT is advancing efforts to strengthen a National Trauma and Emergency Preparedness System (NTEPS) to establish a trauma care infrastructure that has the capability to manage the daily injured population in the US along with mass population events (e.g., mass casualty incidents, public health emergencies, large-scale military conflicts).
Dr. Staudenmayer also highlighted Regional Medical Operations Coordination Centers (RMOCCs) as a foundational component of NTEPS. Serving as central hubs for real-time situational awareness, these centers mitigate crises by continually monitoring system capacity and facilitating rapid, equitable resource sharing across broader geographic areas. The ACS COT is currently developing RMOCC standards, which she said will ensure “high-quality, consistent care across diverse settings.”
Shark Tank Turns Ideas into Action
Among the day's highlights was a “Shark Tank” session in which participants present and defend their FTL project proposals before a panel of veteran trauma leaders. The event reflects the broader mission of the FTL program to cultivate emerging leaders through structured mentorship and a collaborative approach to project management. See the sidebar for details on the 2026 cohort and their proposed projects.
The Shark Tank panel of experts featured Dr. Staudenmayer, Avery B. Nathens, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS, FRCSC, Medical Director of the ACS Trauma Quality Programs, Leah Tatebe, MD, FACS, Chair, ACS COT Injury Prevention Program Area, and Jeremy W. Cannon, MD, SM, FACS, Chair, ACS COT NTEPS Program Area.
After each 5-minute presentation, the panel challenged FTL participants with questions designed to strengthen and refine their projects. Discussion topics included implementation strategies, practical uses for project data, the importance of taking a systems-level approach, potential opportunities to collaborate with other specialty societies, the role of advocacy, crafting a compelling elevator pitch to unify project goals, securing buy-in from users and administrators, and defining meaningful measures of success at the end of the 2-year FTL program.
For more information on the FTL Program, eligibility requirements, or to submit an application, visit facs.org/ftl.
Tony Peregrin is the Managing Editor of Special Projects in the ACS Division of Integrated Communications in Chicago, IL.
