CHICAGO — The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Board of Regents has confirmed Kristan L. Staudenmayer, MD, MS, FACS, as the next Chair of the ACS Committee on Trauma (COT). Dr. Staudenmayer assumes leadership of the ACS COT in March 2026, becoming the 22nd Chair of the COT during its 104th year as an ACS committee. Dr. Staudenmayer succeeds Jeffrey D. Kerby, MD, PhD, FACS, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“Being named Chair of the Committee on Trauma is a great honor,” said Dr. Staudenmayer. “I’m thankful to the leaders who have shaped the COT, especially Dr. Kerby, whose leadership has made a lasting impact. I’m dedicated to continuing that legacy as we develop a national trauma system, improve our core programs, and get ready for the challenges ahead to ensure we provide the best care to every patient.”
Dr. Staudenmayer is a trauma and acute care surgeon at Stanford University in California, where she serves as associate section chief of acute care surgery and an associate professor of surgery. She also holds the Betty and Gordon Moore Endowed Faculty Scholar position, acknowledging her leadership in and contributions to clinical care and surgical systems improvement, particularly in trauma surgery.
“Dr. Staudenmayer is a highly respected trauma surgeon and uniquely qualified to take on the role as Chair of the COT,” said Dr. Kerby. “Her extensive breadth of knowledge and high-level engagement in issues related to development of a national trauma system of care will ensure this transformational strategic target will remain a priority of the COT. In addition, her ability to energize high functioning teams that further key mission elements bodes well for the ability of the COT to advance its vision of eliminating preventable death and disability from traumatic injury across the globe.”
A recognized leader in trauma surgery, Dr. Staudenmayer’s clinical practice focuses on trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care. She plays a central role in Stanford’s multidisciplinary efforts to care for critically ill and injured patients, while also working to advance trauma systems of care and drive innovation in the management of trauma patients.
Dr. Staudenmayer received her medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and completed her general surgery residency at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. She went on to pursue a trauma and surgical critical care fellowship at the University of California San Francisco, followed by a master of science in health services research degree at Stanford. Her academic training also includes an NIH T32 research fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she studied innate immunity in trauma. Dr. Staudenmayer is triple board-certified in general surgery, surgical critical care, and clinical informatics.
The mission of the ACS COT is to develop and implement programs that support injury prevention and ensure optimal patient outcomes across the continuum of care. These programs incorporate advocacy, education, trauma center and trauma system resources, best practice creation, outcome assessment, and continuous quality improvement.
