b'www.east.org 9Thank You to DonorsThank you to the many donors who have made generous contributions to the EAST Development Fund. Your generosity and commitment allow us to continue to fund scholarships and initiatives designed to reduce the incidence of trauma and improve the care of injured patients. As trauma continues to be the leading cause of death in the USA among persons ages 1 to 46,your support is vital to helping develop the next generation of trauma leaders working to prevent injury and save lives. Learn how your philanthropy is helping to change the future of trauma care from our scholarship and award recipients on this page. Click the images below for more information. As COVID-19 continues to spread, we recognize that the future has never felt so unpredictable. If youre able, please make a donation and continue to support trauma leaders working to prevent injury and save lives. If youre unable to donate at this time, there are many other ways you can support us. Advocate for EAST by sharing our mission with a family member or friend. Even a quick mention on social media would be appreciated. You can also support EAST when you shop AmazonSmile. Youll find the same prices and selection as Amazon, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to EAST, at no cost to you. Thank you for your support and stay healthy and safe!I had the opportunity to attend the 33rd Annual Scientific Assembly in Orlando, FL. To express the full magnitude of impact this meeting had on my life would be challenging. It was truly a turning point in my career. I was fortunate enough to win the 2020 Oriens Essay Resident Award and publicly share my story and desire to pursue trauma surgery. Immediately after my presentation, I was able to make numerous national and international connections with people who are current leaders in the field.Mike M. Mallah, MD Carolinas Medical CenterThe EAST GRADE Workshop Scholarship provided me with the hands-on education and training at the Guideline Development Workshop necessary for me to lead a PMG development effort. It was an invaluable experience, and I am very appreciative of the support from EAST. I plan on doing my best to utilize and apply what I have learned for additional guideline development as it is extremely important work to improve the care of our patient population.Jin Hee Ra, MD, FACS University of NC - Chapel HillAs one of the 2018-2019 ACS Health Policy Scholars for EAST, I gained priceless experience and made lasting connections with several rising surgical leaders across the country. The Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management at Brandeis University was a content-packed, intense week of gaining new appreciation for how we can and do affect policy, and how we can lead organizational efforts effectively whether in the local, regional, or national domains. The year culminated in the ACS Leadership and Advocacy Summit, with incredible networking opportunities and perspective-building as we work to advocate effectively for ourselves and our patients.Catherine Velopulos, MD, MHS, FACS University of Colorado Denver'