Keynote Speakers

Philip F. Stahel, MD
Disaster Management in the Face of Hurricane Helene

Philip F. Stahel, MD, serves as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of HCA Healthcare’s North Carolina Division, overseeing Mission Health, one of the state’s largest health systems. In this role, Dr. Stahel leads the clinical agenda, regulatory readiness, and provides executive support to the medical staff. Dr. Stahel’s experience spans trauma surgery, clinical education, health system management, and patient safety. He is a nationally recognized leader in patient safety and quality initiatives. He currently serves as a professor of surgery at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine and as teaching faculty for MAHEC’s graduate medical education programs. His work is also supported by his role as Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal Patient Safety in Surgery.

A triple-board-certified European trauma surgeon, Dr. Stahel has an extensive background in both clinical care and healthcare leadership. He received his medical training at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, Charité University in Berlin, Germany, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dr. Stahel is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), Fellow of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), and a former Professor of Orthopedics and Neurosurgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Prior to his current role, Dr. Stahel served as CMO of the Medical Center of Aurora, Chair of the Orthopedic Department at Denver Health, and CMO of North Suburban Medical Center.

Victoria Miles, EMT-P, MD
Management of Traumatic Burn Injuries

Victoria Miles, EMT-P, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Burn Surgery at University Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. She specializes in Surgical Critical Care with a focus on Burn Surgery. Board certified in both surgery and surgical critical care; Dr. Miles joined the University Medical Center New Orleans Faculty in 2024.

Dr. Miles completed her EMT-Paramedic certification while attending college and medical school, then worked full-time at the Hardy Wilson Ambulance Service in rural Mississippi. She earned her medical degree at the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine and completed her residency in general surgery at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga. Dr. Miles received advanced training in burns and surgical critical care through a fellowship at the UT Southwestern and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas, where she received the Top Knife Award for Best Fellow Technical Skills in the Operating Room.

Dr. Miles conducts and publishes research on trauma surgery, having dedicated substantial time to burn and trauma research, ultimately leading to the publication of 1 book chapter and over 30 scientific articles. In addition to these, Dr. Miles has held active roles on the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) Burn Surgery, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Critical Care Committees, American Burn Association Burn Reconstruction and Membership Advisory Committees, and is a reviewer for the Journal of Burn Care and Research.