Colonel Dr. Martin A. Schreiber, a nationally recognized leader in surgery, military medicine, and trauma research, delivered the keynote address at the North Pacific Surgical Association (NPSA) Annual Meeting, held November 21 to 23, 2025, at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The meeting brought together surgeons from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia, and Alberta to explore the theme Military Influences on Surgical Training.
In his keynote presentation, “Large Scale Combat Operation: Are We Ready,” Dr. Martin Schreiber assessed how prepared health systems are to manage the demands of future large-scale conflicts or mass casualty events. He reviewed the major advances that emerged from the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including improved tourniquet practices, whole blood transfusion, and earlier treatment for traumatic brain injury. These innovations, he noted, have already transformed emergency care throughout North America.
“These advances represent real progress,” Dr. Schreiber said. “But progress alone does not ensure readiness for a crisis that strains every link in the system.”
Dr. Schreiber warned that future conflicts may challenge assumptions about rapid evacuation and plentiful resources. Scenarios that include delayed medical transport, supply shortages, communication disruptions, and large casualty surges could place heavy demands on hospitals of every size. Civilian medical centers, including those far from active military facilities, would likely shoulder much of the response.
He encouraged deeper collaboration across military and civilian health networks, along with expanded training in austere care and readiness exercises. Surgeons in attendance raised questions about sustaining preparedness in peacetime, the coordination of blood product availability, and developing the workforce needed for large-scale emergencies.
Dr. Schreiber’s call to action reflects decades of service and scientific leadership. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago and earned his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. A Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, he has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and continues to support national medical readiness efforts.
For more than ten years, he led the Division of Trauma, Critical Care, and Acute Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University, helping to shape one of the nation’s highest-volume acute care programs and guiding major national research initiatives. He has authored more than 450 scientific papers focused on severe bleeding and lifesaving surgical care.
NPSA will release official meeting materials when they become available. Conference organizers described the keynote as a timely reminder of the continued need for planning and innovation to meet tomorrow’s surgical challenges.
About Dr. Martin A. Schreiber
Dr. Martin Schreiber is a Colonel in the United States Army Reserve and Adjunct Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University. He is internationally recognized for his leadership in trauma resuscitation, surgical innovation, and the integration of military medical lessons into civilian healthcare. He continues to guide national research collaborations and mentor the next generation of surgical leaders.
