Message from the CEO: ABA Member Updates | May 2026

As we move forward from an energizing and highly successful 2026 ABA Annual Meeting in Orlando, I continue to reflect on the strength, commitment, and collaboration that define our burn care community. This year’s meeting was the highest-attended ABA Annual Meeting in our association’s history, with 2,333 participants from across the multidisciplinary burn care community.  

From outstanding educational programming and networking opportunities to celebrating award recipients, welcoming a new class of Fellows of the American Burn Association (FABA), and recognizing incoming Board leadership, the meeting reflected the momentum, innovation, and shared purpose continuing to drive burn care forward.  

Reflecting on a Meaningful Annual Meeting

One of the highlights of the week was the opportunity to tour the Warden Burn Center in Orlando and spend time with their exceptional multidisciplinary team. The visit created valuable opportunities for collaboration, discussion, and shared learning while highlighting the outstanding work being performed daily by burn centers throughout the country. Sincere appreciation goes to the Warden Burn Center leadership and staff for their hospitality, professionalism, and commitment to excellence in patient care.  

This year’s plenary presentations were especially impactful and reinforced many of the themes shaping the future of burn care. Professor Odhran Shelley’s presentation highlighted the importance of global collaboration, humanitarian engagement, and expanding access to burn and reconstructive care worldwide.  Dr. John Holcomb’s presentation provided important perspectives on trauma systems, military-civilian readiness, disaster preparedness, and system-level response coordination.  

Together, these sessions challenged all of us to think more broadly about leadership, innovation, preparedness, and multidisciplinary collaboration to improve patient outcomes and strengthen healthcare system readiness for the future. 

Listening to the Burn Care Community

The weeks following the meeting have been equally productive, with significant activity underway across education, workforce development, advocacy, research, disaster preparedness, and strategic plan implementation initiatives. 

One important priority this spring has been to listen carefully to members and plan intentionally for the years ahead. The ABA Workforce Survey, Endowment Survey, strategic planning implementation efforts, and ongoing committee initiatives are all designed to better understand the evolving needs of the multidisciplinary burn care community and to strengthen the long-term sustainability of our profession and association.  

The 2026 ABA Workforce Survey continues important physician workforce assessment efforts while also expanding participation opportunities across the broader burn care team. Insights gathered will help inform future workforce development, advocacy priorities, educational planning, recruitment and retention strategies, and long-term sustainability initiatives across the specialty. If you haven’t completed the survey yet, I strongly encourage you to do so before the end of the month.  

✅ Click this link to share your input on the  2026 ABA Workforce Survey . 

Recognizing the Professionals Who Make Burn Care Possible

We also continue to invest in the people who make burn care possible every day. As National Nurses Week and National Firefighters Recognition Week are observed this month, I want to extend heartfelt appreciation to the nurses, firefighters, first responders, and multidisciplinary professionals throughout our burn community whose compassion, expertise, courage, and resilience are foundational to patient care, recovery, prevention, and emergency response. Their impact reaches far beyond the bedside and continues to shape the future of burn care in profound ways. 

Supporting Education, Research, and Professional Growth

The ABA remains equally committed to supporting professional growth, leadership development, and continued innovation within the burn community. Current initiatives include the inaugural ABA-BCEN Nursing Advancement Scholarship, which supports burn nursing education and professional advancement. Members interested in this opportunity are encouraged to explore and apply. We’re also excited to launch our inaugural collaborative research scholarship opportunities with the Wound Healing Foundation, focused on advancing burn-related research, innovation, and future scientific discovery in wound healing and burn care. I encourage eligible members to explore and submit applications for consideration. 

Education and innovation remain central to the ABA mission. Registration is now open for the inaugural ABA Virtual Masterclass Series and the 2026 Burn Surgeon Forum in San Antonio, Texas, both designed to create highly interactive opportunities for multidisciplinary learning, leadership development, surgical strategy discussion, and practical application. In addition, engagement with ABA’s On-Demand Learning Center  continues to grow significantly, reflecting increasing demand for flexible, year-round educational opportunities across the burn care community. 

Advancing Advocacy, Preparedness, and Partnership

Our advocacy and preparedness efforts are also advancing in important ways. May is recognized nationally as Trauma Awareness Month, highlighting the importance of injury prevention, trauma systems, emergency preparedness, and multidisciplinary collaboration across the continuum of care. The ABA is proud to continue its partnership with the Coalition for National Trauma Research (CNTR) and other national stakeholders to strengthen research collaboration, preparedness initiatives, and long-term outcomes for injured patients. 

The ABA also continues to strengthen collaboration and partnership efforts across the broader surgical and pediatric communities. During the May American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) Annual Meeting, ABA leadership participated in several joint educational sessions, pediatric burn panel discussions, verification conversations, and strategic planning discussions focused on the future of pediatric burn care, quality initiatives, preparedness, and multidisciplinary collaboration. These discussions reflected a strong spirit of partnership between APSA and ABA and highlighted ongoing opportunities to align efforts in education, advocacy, pediatric quality improvement, and future program development. 

Through ongoing collaboration with federal partners, pediatric surgical leaders, military colleagues, and national stakeholders, the ABA continues to expand its role in disaster readiness, workforce strategy, research advocacy, and systems-level coordination. These efforts are becoming increasingly important as we prepare for future challenges impacting burn care and emergency preparedness nationally. 

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, I am especially excited to sit down with Dr. Leopoldo Cancio next week to discuss his upcoming 2026–2027 presidential year and his vision for ABA. Our conversation will explore several important themes, including disaster readiness, military and civilian collaboration, innovation, preparedness, workforce resilience, and the evolving future of burn care leadership. I believe you’ll find his perspective both timely and inspiring as the ABA continues to advance its strategic priorities and position for the future. 

Thank you again for your continued engagement, leadership, and commitment to the burn care community. The work happening across your association is only possible because of the expertise, passion, and collaboration of all ABA members.  

Together, we continue to advance care and improve outcomes for patients, families, and communities around the world.  

With appreciation,

Ed Dellert, RN, MBA, CAE, FACEHP
Chief Executive Officer
American Burn Association