CHICAGO (August 26, 2026) — San Antonio, Texas, has long been recognized for its deep connection to military medicine, trauma care, and the care of some of the nation’s most complex burn injuries. This September, that expertise will serve as the backdrop for the American Burn Association’s (ABA) Burn Surgeon Forum, bringing burn surgeons and other burn care professionals together to advance the care of patients with serious burn injuries.
The Burn Surgeon Forum 2026, taking place Sept. 23–25 in San Antonio, will bring together leading burn surgeons and interprofessional burn care individuals for focused discussion, education, and collaboration around the challenges facing burn care today.
But bringing the Forum to San Antonio is about more than selecting a meeting location.
It reflects a longstanding connection between San Antonio’s military medical community, the U.S. Army’s burn care expertise, and the ABA’s commitment to advancing care for patients with burn injuries.
San Antonio is home to a nationally recognized military medical community and has played an important role in the development and delivery of trauma and burn care for service members and civilians. San Antonio’s designation as “Military City, USA®” reflects the military’s longstanding role in shaping the city’s identity and its medical community, including its nationally recognized leadership in military medicine, trauma, and burn care.
“San Antonio is a uniquely fitting place to bring the Burn Surgeon Forum because of its deep history and ongoing leadership in military medicine, trauma, and burn care. The connection between the U.S. Army’s burn care community, the American Burn Association, and San Antonio’s identity as ‘Military City USA’ is a powerful one,” says ABA President Leopoldo Cancio, MD, FABA.
“This is a community that understands the complexity of burn injuries and the importance of having highly specialized teams prepared to care for patients when they need it most,” says Cancio. “Bringing this event to San Antonio allows us to build on that history while focusing on where burn care needs to go next, and on the collaboration and innovation needed to improve outcomes for patients with serious burn injuries.”
Continued collaboration and innovation in burn care remain essential. Burn injuries can result in complex physical and psychological challenges and often require specialized care from an interprofessional team. Advances in surgical techniques, critical care, rehabilitation, and long-term recovery continue to shape burn care.
The Burn Surgeon Forum gives experts at the forefront of this field a chance to examine these challenges, share experiences, and discuss where burn care is headed next.
“There may be no place in the country where the history and future of burn and trauma care come together quite like San Antonio,” says Ed Dellert, RN, MBA, CAE, FACEHP, ABA’s Chief Executive Officer. “From the extraordinary legacy of Dr. Basil Pruitt and generations of burn surgeons trained here, to the contributions of leaders such as Dr. John Holcomb (ABA 2026 Annual Meeting Keynote speaker) and today, Dr. Lee Cancio, discoveries and lessons from these halls have influenced the care of both military and civilian patients around the world. With the Department of War’s only burn center here at Brooke Army Medical Center, bringing the ABA Burn Surgeon Forum to San Antonio is more than choosing a location; it connects our profession’s history with the surgeons who will shape what comes next.”
The event will also give attendees opportunities to connect with colleagues, explore emerging technologies, and engage in conversations focused on improving outcomes for patients with burn injuries.
For San Antonio, hosting the Burn Surgeon Forum is an opportunity to showcase the city’s unique place in the burn care community. For the ABA and its members, it is an opportunity to bring the field together in a city where the history, expertise, and ongoing mission of burn care are particularly meaningful.
Plan Your Surgeon Forum Experience
Registration is open for Burn Surgeon Forum 2026. Burn care professionals can register online and explore the full program to plan their experience in San Antonio.
Attendees are encouraged to make travel plans early and reserve accommodations through the Burn Surgeon Forum hotel room block by Aug. 26 to take advantage of the group rate, subject to availability.
About the American Burn Association
The American Burn Association (ABA) works to improve the lives of people affected by burn injuries through advocacy, education, research, and prevention. Founded in 1967, the ABA supports burn care professionals and organizations and works to advance the quality of burn care worldwide. For more information, visit ameriburn.org.
The American Burn Association (ABA) works to improve the lives of people affected by burn injuries through advocacy, education, research, and prevention. Founded in 1967, the ABA supports burn care professionals and organizations and works to advance the quality of burn care worldwide. For more information, visit ameriburn.org.
About the Burn Surgeon Forum
The Burn Surgeon Forum is an American Burn Association meeting designed to bring burn surgeons and other burn care professionals together for focused education, discussion and collaboration on issues affecting the specialty. Burn Surgeon Forum 2026 will be held Sept. 23–25 in San Antonio, Texas.
The Burn Surgeon Forum is an American Burn Association meeting designed to bring burn surgeons and other burn care professionals together for focused education, discussion and collaboration on issues affecting the specialty. Burn Surgeon Forum 2026 will be held Sept. 23–25 in San Antonio, Texas.
