The Hard Question We Still Haven’t Answered: Are We Ready?

I shared a keynote at the North Pacific Surgical Association meeting about an issue I’ve spent my entire career thinking about: readiness. Trauma systems have benefited enormously from lessons learned in military medicine, but the next challenge may not look like the last one. Prolonged care, limited evacuation, and supply shortages are real possibilities, and our civilian hospitals especially in rural areas need plans in place long before a crisis hits.

The progress we’ve made in hemorrhage control, whole blood, TXA, and damage control resuscitation has saved countless lives, both on the battlefield and at home. But the question of whether we’re truly prepared still remains. Readiness isn’t something we can build in the moment. It has to exist before the first patient arrives.

I’m grateful for the thoughtful discussion in Banff and encouraged to see so many leaders committed to strengthening the systems our communities rely on every day.