For seventeen years, the Southwest's trauma and acute care community has come together each November in Phoenix — and we would be honored to have you with us at STACS 2026.
Whether you carry a patient from the scene, lead a resuscitation, sit at the bedside, or shape the systems behind all of it, this symposium was built for the work you do. Two days of sharp, practical education and the colleagues who truly understand it — set against the Sonoran Desert at its most beautiful.
Come learn something that changes how you practice on Monday. Come find your people. We can't wait to welcome you.
STACS brings together the entire trauma and acute care community — from the scene of injury to the bedside to the boardroom. Wherever you fit, there's a place for you here.
Interactive workshops and cutting-edge clinical content that translate directly to the bedside and the field.
The newest research and innovative technologies empowering professionals at every stage of their careers.
Networking, mentorship, and engagement that strengthen trauma systems locally, nationally, and globally.
Join us in Phoenix, or take part virtually. Either way, registered participants get the full STACS experience — live and after.
Tune in to STACS 2026 as it happens — keynotes, sessions, and the Caruso Academic Session, streamed live to registered virtual attendees.
The live link will be activated here for registered attendees ahead of the event.
Recordings of the symposium will be made available on demand so you can revisit sessions on your own schedule.
On-demand access will appear here once recordings are ready.
Two days of lectures, scientific sessions, and the Daniel M. Caruso Academic Session, with faculty from across the country. Times may be modified as needed.
Check in, fuel up, and visit the exhibit hall.
Jon Perlstein, MD, FACS
Chair, ACS/COT Verification, Review & Consultation Committee · Sutter Roseville Medical Center, Roseville, CA
Ryan Dumas, MD, FACS
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Daxa Clarke, MD
Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Adrian Santini, MD, MS
BUMCT, Tucson, AZ
David Skarupa, MD, FACS, FCCM, FACHE
University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL
Shannon Acker, MD, MSCS
University of Colorado Anschutz, Denver, CO
Reagan Williams, MD, MS, FAAP, FACS
University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN
Roberto Damian, MD
Guadalajara, Mexico
Niels Martin, MD, FACS, FCCM
Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Shannon Acker, MD, MSCS
University of Colorado Anschutz, Denver, CO
Rory Murphy, MD
Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Michele Burleson, MD, HEC-C
Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ
Eric Petersen, MD, MS
BUMCP, Phoenix, AZ
Chris Salvino, PhD, MD
Lunar Helium-3 Mining, Scottsdale, Arizona
Kim Davis, MD, MBA, FACS
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
Original research and scholarly work from across the community.
FeaturedCheck in, fuel up, and visit the exhibit hall.
Kim Davis, MD, MBA, FACS
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
Judy Mikhail, PhD, MSN, MBA, RN & Elizabeth Atkins, MSN, RN, TCRN
Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission, Madison, GA
Niels Martin, MD, FACS, FCCM
Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
David Skarupa, MD, FACS, FCCM, FACHE
University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL
Ryan Dumas, MD, FACS
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Judy Mikhail, PhD, MSN, MBA, RN
University of Michigan NCRC / MTQIP, Ann Arbor, MI
Elizabeth Atkins, MSN, RN, TCRN
Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission, Madison, GA
Chris Salvino, PhD, MD
Lunar Helium-3 Mining, Scottsdale, Arizona
Reagan Williams, MD, MS, FAAP, FACS
University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN
Roberto Damian, MD
Guadalajara, Mexico
Tanya Anand, MD, MPH, FACS
BUMCT, Tucson, AZ
Jon Perlstein, MD, FACS
Chair, ACS/COT Verification, Review & Consultation Committee · Sutter Roseville Medical Center, Roseville, CA
Adrian Santini, MD, MS
BUMCT, Tucson, AZ
Devin O'Connor, MD
BUMCT, Tucson, AZ
Caitlin Sayyid, MD
BUMCT, Tucson, AZ
The Southwest Trauma & Acute Care Symposium (STACS) brings together a dynamic community of surgeons, nurses, EMS providers, and healthcare leaders to share the latest breakthroughs, sharpen hands-on skills, and spark new ideas in trauma and acute care.
This premier event goes beyond lectures — offering interactive workshops, cutting-edge research, and innovative technologies that empower professionals at every stage of their careers. With a strong emphasis on collaboration, prevention, and improving patient outcomes, STACS highlights real-world solutions that span the entire spectrum of care, from the scene of injury through recovery.
By blending world-class expertise with opportunities for networking, mentorship, and community engagement, STACS inspires participants to drive change not only in their practice but across trauma systems locally, nationally, and globally.
Meet the experts shaping STACS 2026.
Dr. Perlstein is currently the Chief of Staff and Chair of the Department of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at Sutter Roseville Medical Center. He also serves as GME Associate Designated Institutional Official, Surgery Residency Program Director, and Medical Director of the Trauma Program, and as Clinical Professor of Surgery for Charles Drew University, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and California Northstate College of Medicine.
His areas of expertise are trauma surgery, surgical critical care, and acute care surgery. His career began in the United States Air Force, where he trained and served as a trauma surgeon, with extensive combat surgical experience highlighted by his role as Chief of Trauma Surgery at Balad Air Base, Iraq. At Travis AFB, he served as medical director of trauma and surgical critical care and surgery residency program director for eight years. He continues to serve as a Colonel in the Air National Guard as Commander of the 152nd Medical Group in Reno, NV.
Surgical education has always been a passion of Dr. Perlstein. As surgical residency program director at David Grant USAF Medical Center, he achieved a graduation rate greater than 90%. He was named surgical educator of the year and continues to teach locally and nationally with University and American College of Surgeons affiliations. Most recently, he focuses on his role as GME Associate DIO and Surgery Residency Program Director at Sutter Health/Sutter Roseville Medical Center.
With four years of training at the military medical school, 19 years of military experience, and 13 years of chairmanship, Dr. Perlstein cherishes his leadership duties. He serves as Chairman of the Sierra-Sacramento Valley EMS Agency Trauma Quality Improvement Committee and as Chair of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Verification, Review, and Consultation (VRC) Committee, having previously served as the committee’s Vice Chair. He also chaired the ACS Northern California Committee on Trauma.
On a personal note, Dr. Perlstein is married to his high school sweetheart, Jamie, and has three children — Ashley, Jake, and Zack. Jon and Jamie enjoy traveling, spending time with family, golfing, and visiting with their grandchildren, Jesse and Jade.
Dr. Shannon Acker is an Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Trauma Medical Director at Children's Hospital Colorado. A Colorado native, she values the opportunity and responsibility to provide optimal care for injured children in the Rocky Mountain Region.
She completed her undergraduate education at Emory University in Atlanta and medical school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. She also holds a Certificate in Health Quality Transformation and a Master of Science in Clinical Science from the University of Colorado.
Tanya Anand, MD, MPH, MT(ASCP), FACS, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery with the University of Arizona Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Burns and Acute Care Surgery. She is also the Assistant Trauma Medical Director, Geriatric Trauma Medical Director, and Research Director within the Division of Trauma.
Dr. Anand's research interests are diverse, but she is particularly interested in understanding the impact of aging and frailty upon resuscitation and glycocalyx integrity in the critically ill trauma patient. She also has a passion for exploring avenues to improve opportunities for women in healthcare and advancing a nuanced resuscitation protocol in injured adults.
Dr. Anand obtained a certification in Advanced Trauma Life Support, among other clinical certifications. She is the co-Chair of the Southwest Trauma and Acute Care Symposium. She is a member of multiple professional societies, including the American College of Surgeons, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and the Association of Women Surgeons.
Prior to joining the Georgia Trauma Commission, Elizabeth “Liz” Atkins most recently served as Executive Director of Trauma and Burn Services at Grady Memorial Hospital, an ACS-verified Level I trauma center and ABA-verified Burn Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She has over 31 years of progressive clinical leadership experience in pediatric and adult trauma, cardiac, critical care, and flight nursing.
Liz earned an associate degree in nursing from Drexel University in Philadelphia and practiced critical care nursing along the East Coast before moving to the Atlanta area in 2005. She is a graduate of the Duke University master's program in nursing and healthcare leadership; her work at Duke led to a novel approach to statewide trauma center performance evaluation now in practice within the Georgia Trauma System. She served as the 2017 Finance Fellow for the Trauma Center Association of America (TCAA), authoring a chapter on trauma center programmatic staffing for the TCAA Finance Manual.
Liz is active in state and national organizations, serving as Chair of the Georgia Committee for Trauma Excellence, Editorial Board member for the Journal of Trauma Nursing, Past Chair of the Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) Annual Conference Committee, STN Liaison to the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Education Pillar, and a member of the TCAA Trauma Systems Committee and the LifeLink Georgia Advisory Board. She also serves as an accreditation site reviewer for the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation.
A nationally recognized speaker on trauma quality improvement, trauma quality collaboratives, trauma center leadership, and trauma data quality management, Liz is faculty and course director for Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN) and the TCAA Trauma Medical Director Course. She has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on trauma clinical care, trauma systems, finance, and injury prevention.
Dr. Michele Burleson is a Pediatric Critical Care physician and the Chair of the Bioethics Committee at Phoenix Children's. She completed medical school at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she also completed her residency, followed by fellowship training in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Primary Children's Hospital and the University of Utah.
She has been an ethicist since 2015, became Vice-Chair of Phoenix Children's Bioethics Committee in 2018, and has served as Chair since 2019. She is a certified Healthcare Ethics Consultant and certified in advanced transplant ethics, with additional training in mediation and conflict management. She currently leads Schwartz Rounds at Phoenix Children's, focusing on the social, emotional, and ethical aspects of caring for patients and families.
Dr. Daxa Clarke is the Vice President and Chief Medical Information Officer at Valleywise Health and a Pediatric Hospitalist with District Medical Group (DMG).
She earned undergraduate degrees in Genetics and Biochemistry at Texas A&M University and completed medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas in 2003, followed by a pediatric residency in the combined program with Maricopa Integrated Health System and Phoenix Children's Hospital (2003–2006), where she served as Chief Resident in her final year.
After residency, Dr. Clarke joined the Pediatric Hospital Medicine faculty at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Alongside her clinical work, she held several administrative roles, including Clerkship Director for the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Fellowship Director for the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship Program, Medical Director for Clinical Documentation and Utilization Management, and Chief Medical Information Officer. In 2024, she joined DMG and Valleywise to continue her clinical and administrative careers.
Dr. Clarke is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Creighton School of Medicine and the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and is board certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Hospital Medicine, and Clinical Informatics. Her clinical work has driven system-wide improvements in documentation, informatics, utilization, and patient safety.
Dr. Roberto Miguel Damián Negrete is a medical professional, academic leader, and pediatric surgery specialist based in Jalisco, Mexico. He serves as Director of the Health Division at the Tlajomulco University Center (CUTLAJO) of the University of Guadalajara, where he also leads the Maternal and Child Department. In January 2024, he was appointed Vice Director, Night Shift A, at the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Fray Antonio Alcalde.”
His clinical expertise includes pediatric surgery, pediatric endoscopic surgery, pediatric trauma, chest surgery, and bronchoscopy. He completed his medical degree, pediatrics specialty, and pediatric surgery training through the University of Guadalajara, later pursuing high-specialty training in pediatric endoscopic surgery.
He is active in medical education and research, with work spanning epidemiology, respiratory viruses, dengue, antibiotic stewardship, critical care outcomes, nosocomial infections, and infection control. Through his combined clinical, academic, and leadership roles, he contributes to the advancement of pediatric healthcare and health sciences education in Jalisco, Mexico.
Dr. Kimberly A. Davis is Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of General Surgery, Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at the Yale School of Medicine Department of Surgery. She is also the Trauma Medical Director for Yale New Haven Health System.
After earning a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale, she attended Albany Medical College and received her surgical training from the Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital program. Following a fellowship in trauma and surgical critical care at the University of Tennessee–Memphis, she spent eight years on the faculty at Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois before returning to Yale in 2006. She received her MBA from the Yale School of Management Leadership in Healthcare program in 2012.
Dr. Davis is the President of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, a Past President of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and Secretary of the Western Trauma Association. She has served on the National Committee on Trauma and is a Past-President of the Connecticut chapter of the American College of Surgeons and a former member of the Board of Governors.
She has published extensively, with over 200 peer-reviewed publications, and serves on the editorial boards of Annals of Surgery and the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.
Dr. Ryan Dumas earned his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in general surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center, followed by fellowship training in trauma and surgical critical care at the John Paul Pryor Shock Trauma and Resuscitation Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
He is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, where he serves as Section Chief of Acute Care Surgery, and also holds the position of Chief of General Surgery at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center.
His research focuses on trauma surgery and artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on leveraging video technology to capture, review, and analyze trauma resuscitations. Dr. Dumas has played a pivotal role in developing and implementing Trauma Video Review programs nationwide. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on the subject, led two multicenter clinical trials, and is the principal investigator of a large, multicenter collaborative involving more than 40 institutions. His most recent work includes developing artificial intelligence algorithms to streamline and augment trauma video review.
Dr. Niels Martin is the C. William Schwab Professor of Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is Chief of the Division of Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care & Emergency Surgery and Program Director for the Traumatology (Acute Care Surgery) & Surgical Critical Care Fellowships. He is also Medical Director of the Trauma & Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and the Organ Donor Management Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery in both Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine. He received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and his MD from Rutgers–Robert Wood Johnson, completed a General Surgery Residency at Thomas Jefferson University and a fellowship in Traumatology and Surgical Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania, and spent five years on faculty at Thomas Jefferson University before joining Penn.
Dr. Martin's clinical, educational, and research interests center on caring for injured and critically ill surgical patients, with a focus on clinical trials and outcomes research in novel care pathways including trauma, surgical education, end-of-life care, and organ donor management. He has been included in over 15 funded grants, many as primary investigator, and has more than 150 peer-reviewed publications. He holds leadership roles in the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Society for Critical Care Medicine, the Surgical Critical Care Program Directors Society, and the American Board of Surgery.
Judy N. Mikhail, PhD, MBA, RN, is a nationally recognized trauma nursing leader with more than 30 years of experience in trauma care, quality improvement, and program administration. She has served in leadership roles including Clinical Nurse Specialist, Trauma Program Manager, and Trauma Administrator at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan.
Dr. Mikhail currently serves as Senior Program Manager for the Michigan Trauma Quality Improvement Program, a collaborative of 34 Level I and II trauma centers across Michigan, and as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Trauma Nursing. Her research focuses on trauma disparities and trauma performance improvement.
A former President of the Society of Trauma Nurses, Dr. Mikhail is a nationally recognized speaker and instructor for the Optimal Trauma Center Organization & Management Course, sponsored by the Society of Trauma Nurses and the American College of Surgeons.
Dr. Rory KJ Murphy is a minimally invasive spine surgeon trained in neurosurgical and orthopedic spine surgery. He is a board-certified neurosurgeon and an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Barrow Neurological Institute.
His clinical practice focuses on the surgical treatment of complex cranial and spinal pathologies, including tumors and spinal cord compression. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), AO Spine, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), and the Cervical Spine Research Society Education Committee.
Dr. Murphy earned his medical degree from University College Cork in Ireland, completed his neurosurgery residency at Washington University in St. Louis, and a fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.
He is active in translational research as an investigator on Neuralink's Precise and Convoy studies and the Department of Defense Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Hypothermia Trial. His research has been published in Nature, the Journal of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery, and Spine. To bring better solutions to patients, he has co-founded, invested in, and advises a number of venture-backed medical device start-ups (Intelligent Implants, Neurobell, Fortego, Neuvotion), and his work has been featured on CNN, Fox, BBC, The Guardian, and TechCrunch.
Dr. Murphy is a trustee for myelopathy.org, a patient-run organization raising awareness and treatment of degenerative cervical myelopathy — the most common cause of spinal cord injury — and serves on the Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital advisory board. He was voted a PHOENIX magazine Top Doc in 2023, 2024, and 2025. He is committed to matching each person's goals with the least invasive treatment option, using motion-preservation techniques so patients can return to their activities as soon as possible.
Dr. Devin O’Connor is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, where he practices at the Level I trauma center and Pediatric Level II trauma center — a 649-bed tertiary academic referral center for Southern Arizona with more than 7,000 trauma activations each year — as well as at Banner University Medical Center Tucson South Campus, a Level III trauma center. He joined the University of Arizona trauma faculty in 2024.
He earned his medical degree at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and completed his general surgery residency at Creighton University Phoenix, training at St. Joseph’s Hospital Medical Center and Valleywise Medical Center, where he built extensive robotic surgical experience. He completed fellowship training in Surgical Critical Care, Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at the University of Arizona, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Arizona State University.
His published work includes a 23-year analysis of mass shootings across the United States and a study of endovascular management in traumatic inferior vena cava injuries, both in the American Journal of Surgery. He is an ATLS instructor and completed the inaugural AAST Robo-Tracs course in robotic emergency general surgery. A dedicated teacher, he was named University of Arizona Emergency Medicine Teacher of the Year in 2025 and received the Golden Apple Outstanding Resident Award four times during residency, along with the Dr. Caruso Society Award for compassion and humanism in patient care. Outside the hospital he is a ski racer and mountain biker.
Eric Petersen, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Surgery, Associate Program Director of the General Surgery Residency, and Program Director of the Arizona Program for Exploration (APEX) Medicine and Surgery Fellowship.
He earned his medical degree at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and completed his general surgery residency at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, followed by fellowship training in Aerospace Medicine at UTMB Galveston and Surgical Critical Care at Stanford University. His areas of interest include trauma, surgery, and critical care in deep space.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Petersen enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, making orchestral music, and being outdoors in the Arizona sun.
Chris Salvino is a practicing trauma surgeon with over three decades of experience in trauma and critical care, having led and operated multiple Level I and Level III trauma centers across the United States. He has built three trauma centers from the ground up and has led his centers through more than ten American College of Surgeons trauma center verifications, bringing a systems-based, high-acuity approach to patient care in some of the most demanding medical environments.
In parallel with his medical career, Dr. Salvino is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Engineer of Lunar Helium-3 Mining (LH3M), a company focused on developing the technology required to detect, extract, and return helium-3 from the Moon. LH3M is building one of the most extensive intellectual property portfolios in this emerging sector, with approximately 40 issued and pending patents. The company's mission is to enable helium-3 as a foundational resource for quantum computing — where it is required for ultra-low temperature cooling — and for nuclear fusion.
Dr. Salvino holds approximately ten advanced degrees spanning engineering, aerospace, mining, planetary geology, medicine, and flight test engineering:
This multidisciplinary expertise uniquely positions him at the intersection of medicine, engineering, and space systems, with a focus on enabling sustained human presence and resource utilization beyond Earth.
Adrian Santini, MD, is a vascular surgeon based in Tucson, Arizona, and an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Arizona. He completed his residency at Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) in West Virginia and earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.
Dr. Caitlin Elizabeth Jones Sayyid is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Burns, and Acute Care Surgery at the University of Arizona and Banner University Medical Center, following fellowship training at the Elvis Presley Trauma Center and residency at the Medical College of Georgia.
She is board certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, including multi-center research with the PRODUCT Consortium.
Her professional interests include trauma resuscitation, massive transfusion strategies, critical care optimization, and surgical education, and she remains actively involved in curriculum development, simulation training, and multidisciplinary trauma initiatives.
David Skarupa, MD, FACS, FCCM, FACHE, is a University of Florida Professor of Surgery and a board-certified acute care surgeon at UF Health Jacksonville, where he also serves as Associate Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Skarupa received his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. He completed his residency in surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and a fellowship in trauma and surgical critical care at the University of Maryland Medical Center – R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
At Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Dr. Regan Williams is the Medical Director of Trauma and the Surgical Champion for the Children's Surgical Verification program. She is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in the Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics, and currently chairs the Tennessee chapter of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
Dr. Williams' goal is to decrease gun-related injuries in children and to support communities exposed to violence through hospital and community initiatives, while working with national organizations to disseminate evidence-based programs that support children exposed to trauma.
STACS is made possible by partners who share our commitment to advancing trauma and acute care. We're grateful for their support.
Every sponsor and exhibitor joining us in Phoenix, with a contact at each one. Questions before the symposium? Reach out to them directly.
The STACS 2026 Daniel M. Caruso Academic Session showcases original research and scholarly work from across the trauma and acute care community.
Presenters for 2026 will be confirmed soon — once they are, you'll find them featured here.
Named in honor of Daniel M. Caruso, the academic session is a cornerstone of STACS — a forum where new evidence and ideas are presented and discussed.
Presenter photos & details — coming soon
STACS is designed to deliver practical, high-value education you can bring straight back to your practice — and to recognize that learning with continuing education credit.
Continuing education credit for the 2026 symposium will be provided by the Trauma Center Association of America (TCAA). The number of available credit hours and full accreditation details will be posted here as they're finalized.
Trauma Center Association of America →Trauma centers, health systems, fire and EMS agencies, universities and military medical centers — registered from across Arizona and the country, together with the institutions our faculty come from.
If your badge isn't ready when you arrive on-site, or you spot a mistake on it, submit a quick request and our team will take care of it.
STACS 2026 takes place at the Phoenix Convention Center in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is about three miles away — roughly 10 minutes by car or a quick ride on the Valley Metro light rail.
Please note: no Wi-Fi at the venue. The Phoenix Convention Center will not have Wi-Fi for STACS 2026 — plan to bring a personal hotspot or use cellular data to stay connected during the symposium.
100 N 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Downtown Phoenix
We have not secured a room block, and we don't endorse or advocate for any one hotel. The options below are simply nearby suggestions to make booking easier — choose whatever suits you best.
Listed by approximate distance. Distances are approximate walking distance.
Phoenix is famously sunny and dry around the symposium — warm afternoons and cool evenings. Typical conditions for mid-to-late November:
Packing tip: light layers for warm, sunny days, plus a jacket or sweater for cooler evenings. Figures are long-term climate averages.
The Phoenix Convention Center offers several parking garages within easy walking distance. Our suggested parking is the East Parking Garage, with convention entry at the South Building. Open the full parking map for garage locations and the closest entrances.
STACS lands at the best time of year in Phoenix — so why not make a trip of it? Bring the people you love and turn two days of learning into a warm-weather escape.
Make a trip of it and bring your family to Phoenix. While you're in sessions, they'll find plenty to explore nearby — museums, desert trails, and great food just steps from downtown.
When sessions wrap, downtown Phoenix is yours to explore — grab dinner with colleagues, catch up with peers from across the region, and make the most of your time in the city.
November in the Sonoran Desert is hard to beat — warm, sunny days and cool desert evenings. Slow down, get outside, and enjoy Arizona at its most beautiful.
For the people we care for, and the love that keeps us showing up.
Because taking care of people is what we do. Our Valentine's-themed 5K is for everyone — walkers, runners, first-timers, and families. Lace up, show some heart, and support trauma awareness and prevention across Arizona. Join us in person at Kiwanis Park, or take part virtually from wherever you are.
Every step supports the AzTA mission to improve care for injured patients across the state. All paces and ages welcome — in person or virtual.
Looking for a meaningful wellness activity for your residents and staff? Sign your team up together — a low-pressure morning outside, a break from the pager, and a great way to build camaraderie while supporting the cause you train for every day.
Trade screen time for sunshine. Bring the kids and make a morning of it. All ages and paces welcome — walk it, run it, or cheer from the sidelines.
Every step supports AzTA's mission to improve care for injured patients statewide. Come for the cause, stay for the community.
Lend a hand and help make the symposium a success — from registration and check-in to supporting sessions and events. Fill out the quick form and our team will follow up with the details.
The Arizona Trauma Association works every day to improve the delivery of care to injured patients across Arizona — through education, advocacy, and community programs like STACS and our annual 5K. Your donation helps fund scholarships, training, injury-prevention efforts, and the people who show up when seconds matter. Every gift makes a difference.
100% supports the AzTA mission.
STACS is guided by the volunteer leaders of the Arizona Trauma Association — clinicians and advocates dedicated to trauma care across the state. Meet the people behind it all.
STACS 2026 is shaped by a dedicated committee of trauma and acute care professionals from across Arizona. Our thanks to everyone giving their time to bring it together.
A few quick answers. Don't see what you're looking for? Reach out below.
Be the first to know as we confirm speakers, sessions, registration details, and more. Add your email and we'll keep you posted.
Have a question about STACS 2026, or something you'd like to share with the team? Send it our way and we'll get back to you.
A glimpse of Southwest Trauma & Acute Care Symposiums past — the speakers, the hands-on learning, and the community that makes STACS what it is.
A few moments from past symposiums.
Attended in person or joined us virtually? We'd love to relive it with you. Share a favorite photo and a few words from your STACS experience — it goes straight to the AzTA team.
Having trouble with the live stream or on-demand video? Our streaming partner, GlobalCast MD, is here to help registered virtual participants.
A heartfelt thank you to the GlobalCast MD team for making STACS 2026 available to our virtual audience — bringing the symposium to colleagues wherever they are.
Please note: no Wi-Fi at the venue. The Phoenix Convention Center will not have Wi-Fi for STACS 2026 — plan to bring a personal hotspot or use cellular data to stay connected during the symposium.
Membership in the Arizona Trauma Association connects you with the people advancing trauma care across the state — and helps power everything we do, including STACS.
Got time between sessions, or staying an extra day? Downtown Phoenix is walkable, sunny in November, and full of great food and culture. A few favorites to get you started.
Arizona's deep ties to Mexico mean the food here is the real deal. A few favorite Mexican spots in and around downtown:
Suggestions only — distances approximate from the Phoenix Convention Center. Not affiliated with or endorsed by STACS or the Arizona Trauma Association.
The Arizona Trauma Association is committed to providing a professional, respectful, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all STACS 2026 participants, whether attending in person or virtually. All attendees, faculty, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, staff, vendors, and guests are expected to conduct themselves professionally, treat others with courtesy and respect, and comply with all symposium, venue, and virtual platform requirements.
Harassment, discrimination, intimidation, disruptive conduct, retaliation, unauthorized recording or screenshots, misuse of symposium resources, and conduct that compromises safety or the professional learning environment are prohibited. Participants may not photograph, record, livestream, screenshot, reproduce, or distribute STACS 2026 content without prior authorization from the Arizona Trauma Association and, when applicable, the presenter or affected participants.
The Arizona Trauma Association reserves the right to take appropriate action, including removal from sessions or the event, revocation of access without refund, removal of unauthorized content, referral to venue security or law enforcement, or restriction from future events. Concerns may be reported to AzTA staff on site or by contacting info@arizonatrauma.org. By participating in STACS 2026, participants agree to comply with this Conduct Policy.
Disclaimer. The opinions expressed in these presentations are those of the individual participants and not necessarily those of the Arizona Trauma Association.
To our faculty, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and every attendee — thank you for being part of STACS 2026 and for the work you do every day for injured patients across the Southwest. We'll see you in Phoenix.
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