Brigham and Women’s Hospital 7th Annual Stepping Strong Trauma Research & Innovation Symposium 2024

Stepping Strong Trauma Symposium 2024 | Trauma Research | Trauma Innovation | Injury Prevention | Emergency Trauma Care | Surgical Critical Care | Trauma Recovery | Multidisciplinary Trauma Care

Information

Brigham and Women’s Hospital 7th Annual Stepping Strong Trauma Research & Innovation Symposium 2024 is a multidisciplinary educational program dedicated to advancing innovation across the full continuum of trauma care—from injury prevention and pre-hospital care to acute treatment, surgical management, rehabilitation, and long-term recovery.

Presented by the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital together with Mass General Brigham, the symposium brings together trauma surgeons, emergency medicine physicians, surgical intensivists, orthopedic and reconstructive specialists, researchers, engineers, and other healthcare professionals involved in caring for injured patients.

The Stepping Strong Center focuses on accelerating trauma innovation for both civilian and military populations through multidisciplinary research collaboration.

The seventh annual symposium featured presentations from finalists for the 2024 Stepping Strong Breakthrough Award, a panel discussion with leading Boston trauma clinicians, and a keynote session examining the future direction of trauma care.

Course Details

• Course: 7th Annual Stepping Strong Trauma Research & Innovation Symposium
• Provider: Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation
• Institution: Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Mass General Brigham
• Date: November 14, 2024
• Time: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST
• Location: Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
• Specialty: Trauma Surgery / Emergency & Critical Care
• CME: Up to 2.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
• Nursing Credit: Up to 2.50 ANCC Contact Hours
• Language: English

The original educational activity was held at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, Massachusetts.

Target Audience

This symposium is relevant to healthcare professionals and researchers working across the trauma-care continuum.

The official target audience includes:

• Physicians
• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Pharmacists
• Athletic Trainers
• Psychologists
• Physician Assistants
• Social Workers

It is particularly relevant for:

• Trauma Surgeons
• Orthopedic Trauma Surgeons
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons
• Emergency Medicine Physicians
• Critical Care Physicians
• Surgical Intensivists
• Neurosurgeons
• Disaster Medicine Specialists
• Psychiatrists and Psychologists involved in trauma recovery
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialists (Physiatrists)
• Emergency Medical Services Professionals
• Injury Prevention Researchers
• Trauma Researchers
• Biomedical Engineers involved in trauma innovation

Program Overview

Traumatic injury remains a major clinical and public-health challenge requiring collaboration well beyond a single medical specialty.

The Stepping Strong symposium examines trauma care as a continuum involving:

• Injury prevention
• Pre-hospital care
• Emergency response
• Trauma resuscitation
• Surgical treatment
• Critical care
• Reconstruction
• Rehabilitation
• Psychological recovery
• Long-term functional restoration
• Research funding
• Clinical innovation

The 2024 program combines research presentations with expert clinical discussion to explore how emerging ideas can be translated into better outcomes for injured patients.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the lack of funding allocated towards trauma research and identify methods to increase funding for the field of trauma.
• Review the latest funded projects in injury prevention, pre-hospital care, treatment, and recovery of traumatic injuries.
• Acquire education on current standards of practice and research conducted through the center for healthcare workers to integrate these innovations into patient care.
• Create partnerships and opportunities for collaboration across various medical disciplines to produce further innovation of clinical best practices, advance research, and develop awareness for funding for trauma care.

Official Program Topics

Opening Remarks

Audrey Epstein Reny, MBA & Ali Salim, MD

The symposium opened with an introduction to the mission of the Stepping Strong Center and the role of multidisciplinary collaboration in advancing trauma research and patient care.

Trailblazers in Trauma Research: Breakthrough Award Finalist Presentation

Natalie Artzi, PhD

A major feature of the symposium was the presentation of finalists for the Stepping Strong Breakthrough Award.

The Breakthrough Award is designed to support promising trauma research and innovation with potential to improve prevention, treatment, or recovery after traumatic injury.

This portion of the program emphasized:

• Translational trauma research
• Emerging technologies
• Innovative treatment strategies
• Injury prevention
• Functional recovery
• Multidisciplinary research
• Clinical implementation

Audience participation also contributed to the selection process for the 2024 award.

Navigating the Future of Trauma Care with Boston’s Trauma Leaders

Moderator: Ali Salim, MD

Panelists:

• Haytham Kaafarani, MD, MPH
• Crisanto Torres, MD, MPH
• Horacio Hojman, MD
• Charles Cook, MD
• David Mooney, MD, MPH

This multidisciplinary panel brought together trauma leaders from major Boston medical institutions to examine the future of trauma care.

Discussion centered on challenges and opportunities across areas such as:

• Trauma system development
• Acute trauma management
• Surgical critical care
• Emergency general surgery
• Pediatric trauma
• Quality and safety
• Research
• Innovation
• Collaboration between trauma centers

The inclusion of experts from multiple institutions highlights the regional and multidisciplinary nature of modern trauma systems.

Keynote Presentation

Eric Goralnick, MD, MS & Michael VanRooyen, MD, MPH

The keynote session addressed future directions in trauma care and emergency response.

Both speakers bring expertise in emergency medicine, disaster preparedness, population health, and civilian-military collaboration.

The keynote reflects the broader Stepping Strong mission of improving trauma care through:

• Preparedness
• Emergency response
• Systems innovation
• Research translation
• Civilian-military collaboration
• Multidisciplinary problem-solving

Closing Remarks and Breakthrough Award Announcement

Audrey Epstein Reny, MBA & Ali Salim, MD

The educational program concluded with final reflections and the announcement of the 2024 Stepping Strong Breakthrough Award.

Major Topics Covered

Trauma Research

The symposium emphasizes the importance of expanding the scientific evidence base for trauma care.

Research areas may span:

• Injury prevention
• Pre-hospital treatment
• Emergency response
• Surgical care
• Critical care
• Reconstruction
• Rehabilitation
• Long-term recovery

Trauma Research Funding

One of the explicit educational objectives is recognizing the relative lack of funding available for trauma research and identifying strategies to increase support.

The program encourages collaboration among clinicians, researchers, institutions, philanthropists, and other stakeholders to accelerate trauma innovation.

Injury Prevention

Preventing injury is an important component of the Stepping Strong trauma-care continuum.

Research and innovation may address:

• Community injury prevention
• Public health interventions
• High-risk populations
• Safety systems
• Education
• Data-driven prevention strategies

Pre-Hospital Trauma Care

Care provided before hospital arrival can significantly influence trauma outcomes.

Important areas include:

• Emergency response
• Triage
• Hemorrhage management
• Stabilization
• Transport
• Trauma-system coordination

Emergency Trauma Care

Rapid diagnosis and stabilization of injured patients are critical components of trauma medicine.

Trauma teams must coordinate assessment, resuscitation, imaging, surgery, and critical care under time-sensitive conditions.

Trauma Surgery

Surgical treatment remains central to the care of many severely injured patients.

Relevant areas include:

• Hemorrhage control
• Emergency operations
• Damage-control strategies
• Abdominal trauma
• Thoracic trauma
• Complex soft-tissue injury
• Multisystem trauma

Surgical Critical Care

Critically injured patients frequently require specialized intensive care after initial resuscitation and surgery.

Important considerations include:

• Hemodynamic support
• Mechanical ventilation
• Sepsis
• Multiorgan dysfunction
• Nutrition
• Complication prevention
• Recovery after severe injury

Orthopedic Trauma

Musculoskeletal trauma may cause major functional impairment and can require coordinated orthopedic, reconstructive, rehabilitation, and trauma care.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Complex traumatic injuries can require reconstruction to restore form and function.

Reconstructive care may involve:

• Soft-tissue reconstruction
• Limb salvage
• Microsurgery
• Wound management
• Functional reconstruction
• Amputation-related innovation

Neurotrauma

Traumatic brain and spinal injuries represent major causes of disability.

Management may require collaboration among:

• Trauma surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Neurocritical care
• Emergency medicine
• Rehabilitation
• Psychology
• Physical and occupational therapy

Trauma Rehabilitation

Recovery does not end when the patient leaves the operating room or intensive care unit.

Rehabilitation may focus on:

• Mobility
• Strength
• Functional independence
• Prosthetic adaptation
• Return to work
• Pain
• Psychological recovery
• Quality of life

Psychological Recovery After Trauma

Severe traumatic injury can have important psychological and social effects.

Comprehensive trauma care may therefore include assessment and treatment of:

• Post-traumatic stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Adjustment difficulties
• Pain-related psychological distress
• Reintegration into everyday life

Trauma Innovation

Innovation is central to the Stepping Strong mission.

Potential areas include:

• Medical devices
• Biomaterials
• Surgical techniques
• Pre-hospital technology
• Rehabilitation technology
• Biomedical engineering
• Data science
• Novel models of trauma care

Multidisciplinary Trauma Care

The symposium demonstrates how trauma care depends on collaboration across specialties.

Trauma Surgery

Provides leadership in acute evaluation, operative management, and trauma-system care.

Emergency Medicine

Supports early recognition, stabilization, resuscitation, and emergency treatment.

Surgical Critical Care

Manages critically injured patients requiring intensive monitoring and organ support.

Orthopedic Surgery

Addresses fractures, musculoskeletal injury, limb preservation, and functional reconstruction.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Contributes to complex wound coverage, limb salvage, and restoration of function.

Neurosurgery

Manages traumatic injury involving the brain, spine, and nervous system.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Supports long-term neurological, musculoskeletal, and functional recovery.

Psychology and Psychiatry

Address the psychological consequences of traumatic injury.

Biomedical Engineering and Research

Help translate new technologies and scientific discoveries into clinical trauma care.

Injury Prevention and Public Health

Work to reduce the incidence and severity of traumatic injury before it occurs.

Course Director

Ali Salim, MD

Dr. Ali Salim served as Course Director for the 2024 symposium.

His official roles listed by Mass General Brigham included:

• Co-Medical Director, Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation
• BWH Distinguished Chair in Surgery
• Chief, Division of Trauma, Burn, Surgical Critical Care & Emergency General Surgery
• Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Selected Faculty

The official 2024 symposium faculty included:

• Natalie Artzi, PhD
• Charles Cook, MD
• Eric Goralnick, MD, MS
• Horacio Hojman, MD
• Haytham Kaafarani, MD, MPH
• David Mooney, MD, MPH
• Audrey Epstein Reny, MBA
• Crisanto Torres, MD, MPH
• Michael VanRooyen, MD, MPH
• Ali Salim, MD

The faculty represented institutions including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Tufts Medicine, Harvard Medical School, MIT, and Boston University.

Why This Symposium Is Relevant

Trauma is not a single-specialty problem.

Severely injured patients may require coordinated expertise in:

• Emergency medicine
• Trauma surgery
• Critical care
• Orthopedic surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Reconstruction
• Rehabilitation
• Behavioral health
• Public health
• Biomedical research

The 7th Annual Stepping Strong Trauma Research & Innovation Symposium 2024 is particularly relevant because it connects frontline clinical practice with research, innovation, funding, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Its emphasis extends beyond treating the immediate injury to improving the entire trauma-care pathway—from prevention and emergency response to treatment and recovery.

CME Information

Mass General Brigham is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

The original live activity was designated for:

• 2.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
• 2.50 ANCC Contact Hours

Credit applies only to eligible participation in the original accredited activity and should not be assumed to accompany independently distributed educational recordings or files.

Short Description

Brigham and Women’s Hospital 7th Annual Stepping Strong Trauma Research & Innovation Symposium 2024 explores emerging trauma research and innovation across injury prevention, pre-hospital care, emergency treatment, trauma surgery, surgical critical care, reconstruction, rehabilitation, recovery, and future models of trauma care.

Topics

• Opening Remarks

• Trailblazers in Trauma Research: Breakthrough Award Finalist Presentations

• Navigating the Future of Trauma Care with Boston’s Trauma Leaders

• Transforming Trauma Care: Paving the Road Ahead

• New Frontiers in Humanitarian Assistance: Providing Care in a World of Conflict and Crisis

• Lunch & Learn: Injury Prevention 101

• Lunch & Learn: Injury Prevention in a Crisis

• Lunch & Learn: Suicide Prevention

• Boston City Council Hearing: Safe & Healthy Hotels Ordinance