Home > Programs : C-STARS (Center for the Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills)

Shock Trauma has deep historical ties with the nation's armed forces through its physicians and nursing staff. We have maintained a working relationship with the physicians of institutions such as Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Maryland National Guard for decades. These relationships have taken on new meaning in this period of actual and anticipated terrorist attacks.

Shock Trauma is host to the largest C-STARS program in the country, providing real-time training in trauma and critical care for U.S. Air Force physicians, nurses, OR technicians, Special Operations medics and chaplains prior to their deployment to the Middle East. Thirteen "permanent" Air Force personnel in several trauma and critical care specialties join the School of Medicine faculty and participate with the Program in Trauma faculty in training approximately 30 Air Force personnel per month from bases around the world. Relationships established and the cooperative learning environment have extended far beyond the classroom to include telemedicine consultations with military personnel in field hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan and treatment of wounded soldiers upon their return to the United States

 Dr. Scalea discusses his experiences flying on an aero-medical evacuation mission with the Air Force medics in Iraq