The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma
Hospitals and Health CareIllinois, United States2-10 Employees
The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) is a small professional organization within the Hospitals and Health Care sector, based in Chicago, Illinois. It serves surgeons who specialize in trauma and the care of critically ill surgical patients, and it advances knowledge related to acute care surgery—encompassing trauma, surgical critical care, and emergency general surgery—through research, education, and professional development in a fellowship- and collegiality-focused environment. Its members and affiliated institutions pursue improvement in patient outcomes in acute care settings by supporting standards and education. In 2022, AAST launched the Emergency General Surgery Verification Program to help hospitals establish and maintain high standards for emergency general surgery. In 2026, the organization partnered with the European Society for Trauma & Emergency Surgery to offer the Emergency Surgery Course, a joint effort designed to aid surgeons in non-trauma emergency scenarios with practical guidance for managing acute surgical conditions.