Dr. Stanley J. Kurek Jr., D.O., F.A.C.S., is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Extant Healthcare, a Denver-based organization specializing in building and operating trauma programs for hospitals and trauma centers across the United States. In this role, Dr. Kurek collaborates with senior leadership and Trauma Medical Directors to ensure the delivery of high-quality care and efficient operations across Extant's network of facilities. Dr. Kurek is a board-certified general and critical care surgeon with over 30 years of experience in trauma and acute care surgery. He most recently served as the Trauma Medical Director of the Trauma Program & Trauma-Surgical ICU at Chippenham Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, where he has been recognized as one of Richmond’s Top Trauma Docs in 2022 . Additionally, he holds a faculty position as a professor of surgery at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) and was the Associate Program Director of the Chippenham & Johnston-Willis Hospitals General Surgery Program. A respected leader in his field, Dr. Kurek was elected as the 28th president of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) .He earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1993 and completed his surgical training at Conemaugh Memorial Hospital and Temple University. He then went on the complete his Trauma/Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at Lehigh Valley Hospital/Penn State College of Medicine. Known for his compassionate patient care and leadership in trauma systems, Dr. Kurek continues to influence the advancement of trauma surgery and critical care through his roles at Extant Healthcare and Chippenham Medical Center.