A. Brent Eastman, MD, FACS, ACS Past-President and a lifelong champion of trauma care and surgical excellence, died June 24. He was 86 years old. His visionary leadership helped reshape trauma systems and improve care for injured patients worldwide.
Dr. Eastman's legacy within the ACS spanned decades of extraordinary volunteer leadership. A Fellow of the College since 1976, he served in numerous leadership roles, including Chair of the ACS Committee on Trauma (COT), member and Chair of the Board of Regents, and ultimately as the 93rd President of the ACS from 2012 to 2013.
He was instrumental in advancing trauma systems around the world, cofounding the San Diego County Trauma System, which has served as a model since its establishment in 1984.
This coordinated, integrated system emphasized getting patients to specialized, high-quality trauma care within the first “golden hour” after injury. Previously, patients in San Diego County were taken to the nearest hospital regardless of its ability to treat trauma, resulting in a trauma mortality rate of approximately 22%. After Dr. Eastman and his colleagues implemented the new system, which designated high-performing, well-equipped hospitals as trauma centers and directed injured patients there for initial treatment, the mortality rate dropped to approximately 2%.
The San Diego County Trauma System became the foundation for modern trauma center verification and the development of trauma systems in the US and around the world. Dr. Eastman helped establish trauma systems on six continents.
He also played a pivotal role in developing and teaching the Advanced Trauma Life Support® (ATLS®) program, helped to create and serve as first chair of the COT Trauma System Consultation Committee, and contributed extensively to many other ACS committees and initiatives.
Throughout his career, Dr. Eastman authored or coauthored multiple publications and articles related to trauma. He served on the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) committee that in 2006, published the landmark report, “The Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System.” In 2009, he delivered the prestigious Scudder Oration at the annual ACS Clinical Congress, “Wherever the Dart Lands: Toward the Ideal Trauma System.”
Beyond the College, Dr. Eastman was internationally recognized as a leader in trauma surgery, injury prevention, and health system development, and was an honorary Fellow of many international surgical organizations. Throughout his distinguished career, he remained committed to improving surgical care, mentoring future generations of surgeons, and advancing the mission of the ACS.
The ACS is deeply grateful for Dr. Eastman's remarkable service, leadership, and enduring contributions to our profession. His legacy will continue to inspire surgeons and improve patient care for generations to come.
He is survived by his wife, Sarita Eastman, MD, his three children, and his five grandchildren.
Learn more about Dr. Eastman’s life and career in a June Bulletin article, as well as his life and career, in his own words, from a 2015 ACS oral history.
