Committee on Trauma Centennial Quilt

Designed and Handmade by Eileen M. Bulger, MD, FACS
Chair, Committee on Trauma (2018-2022)

This quilt was made in honor of the 100th anniversary of the ACS Committee on Trauma (COT) in 2022. The quilt was designed to capture the many contributions of the members of the COT toward the goal of eliminating preventable death and disability from injury across the globe. The quilt also seeks to capture the spirit of the COT, including an unwavering focus on keeping the patient at the center of our work, a commitment to maximal inclusiveness in our efforts, and the development of a supportive community for our members.

This first block represents the Chair of the COT. This role is key to setting the strategic direction of the COT but more importantly, this individual serves as a convener to establish teams to lead the COT programs, and as an ambassador of the COT to partner organizations, governmental agencies, and the Regional Committees on Trauma (RCOT).

The Scudder Oration on Trauma is named for Charles L. Scudder, MD, FACS, the first Chair of the Committee on Fractures, which evolved into the Committee on Trauma. The Scudder Oration is given each year at the ACS Clinical Congress. Being selected as a Scudder Orator is one of the highest honors bestowed upon a trauma surgeon for his or her contributions to the field.

The camaraderie and lasting friendships that come from working side by side with a common purpose are the focus of this block. The multiple colors used reflect the COT's goal to be maximally inclusive and support a diverse membership.

The Future Trauma Leaders (FTL) program was established in 2015 as part of the COT's Mentoring for Excellence in Trauma Surgery Program. The shooting stars represent the participants in this program and the trees represent the future growth of the COT due to their engagement.

This block honors all the committees and work groups of the COT where surgeons partner with the COT staff and liaisons to manage the programs of the COT. A representation of a virtual meeting was added in recognition of the shift to this format during the pandemic.

Surgeons perform the central role in the care of the injured patient, as emphasized in the surgical skills courses developed by the COT including: Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET), Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM), and Basic Endovascular Skills for Trauma (BEST).

The reception and banquet held each year at the COT Annual Meeting and ACS Clinical Congress provide the opportunity to recognize major accomplishments including the winners of the annual Resident Trauma Papers Competition and provide a venue for socializing with friends. Traditionally, the entertainment has been legendary.

Chicago is home to the ACS headquarters and most of the COT staff. Cloud Gate, commonly known as "The Bean" is a landmark sculpture in Millennium Park designed by artist Anish Kapoor.

The Advanced Trauma Life Support® (ATLS®) program is the only COT program that has two blocks in the quilt. This was done to reflect the global reach of this important program as well as the goal of ATLS to provide a common language for all providers caring for injured patients.

The STOP THE BLEED® program seeks to empower bystanders to become immediate responders by teaching the basic skills of bleeding control and making equipment available in public places. This block honors all who have contributed to, and continue to drive, this campaign.

This block is a tribute to all of those who provide rural trauma care and the Rural Trauma Committee of the COT, which developed the Rural Trauma Team Development Course

We acknowledge some of the many mechanisms of injury that impact our patients. Importantly, we recognize burn injury as part of trauma and appreciate the active engagement of burn surgeons in the COT.

Emergency medical services (EMS) play a critical role in the continuum of trauma care. This block represents and honors both the work of the COT to help establish EMS as a profession, and the EMS Committee, which helped develop the Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) Course and continues to advance prehospital trauma care.

This block is a tribute to the major contributions of the COT to injury prevention, including both its initial push and its ongoing advocacy for improvements in motor vehicle safety, which have led to dramatic reductions in mortality associated with motor vehicle collisions.

We honor the ongoing work of the COT Injury Prevention and Control Committee to develop strategies to reduce firearm injuries by addressing the root causes of violence and developing hospital-based violence intervention programs.

All of the subspecialty surgeons who care for trauma patients and are integral members of the COT are honored in this block, which also recognizes the increasing number of women surgeons across all surgical specialties and celebrates their contributions to the evolution of the COT.

This block represents the critical role that rehabilitation services play in the continuum of trauma care and pays homage to all those who work to reduce long-term disability. It also emphasizes the importance of collecting long-term outcomes data for our patients.

The injury prevention efforts of the COT to reduce traumatic brain injury through helmet campaigns and other efforts to improve road safety are acknowledged in this block.

This block recognizes the work of the COT Advocacy Pillar and the ACS Advocacy and Health Policy team in Washington, DC, at both the state and federal levels, which speaks on behalf of the injured patient. The purple fabric represents the importance of a bipartisan effort to address these issues.

We are committed to furthering the importance of trauma research and ongoing advocacy efforts to ensure federal funding commensurate with the burden of the public health impact of injury. The COT is proud to advance this mission as a core member of the Coalition for National Trauma Research (CNTR).

The Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) has been vital to the work of the COT Quality Pillar to establish a data-driven approach to quality improvement. This block honors all those who worked tirelessly to establish the National Trauma Data Bank and its transformation to TQIP.

The second ATLS block represents the regional committees that were started by Dr. Scudder in 1922, including both the U.S. and Canada. The global growth of COT programs followed the promulgation of ATLS. There are now 17 regions which include 4 international regions: Region 14: Latin America; Region 15: Europe and South Africa; Region 16: Australasia; and Region 17: Middle East and North Africa.

The Verification, Review, and Consultation Program has been fundamental to ensuring optimal quality of care for injured patients. This block honors all those who worked tirelessly to develop this program and continue to support this vital effort.

This block recognizes the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the COT and is an expression of gratitude to all those who have worked for more than two years to capture the rich history of the COT and prepare for this celebration.

The ancillary services that support injured patients, particularly all those who have worked to advance the science of blood transfusion and all those who donate blood, are recognized in this block.

This block acknowledges all the members of the COT Disaster and Mass Casualty Management Committee and those who have responded to disasters and mass casualty events across the globe. This block also recognizes the educational contributions of the Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness Course and the Advanced Disaster Medical Response Course.

COT members work tirelessly to improve pediatric trauma care and ensure that the needs of children are addressed in all COT programs.

All of the COT members who have worked to improve the care of elderly trauma patients and ensure that their needs are addressed in all COT programs are honored in this block.

This block is a tribute to all COT members who have served in the military and recognizes the importance of military­ civilian partnerships in advancing our vision for a National Trauma System. We also recognize the contributions of Region 13 which represents all branches of the military.

This final block looks forward to the day that we achieve the COT vision of Zero Preventable Death and Disability (ZPDD) after injury across the globe. Perhaps we can raise this flag when we celebrate our 300-year anniversary in 2222.