When a trauma patient arrives at a hospital, every second is crucial. Decisions made within the first few minutes can significantly impact a patient’s life or death. For Dr. Martin Schreiber, that urgency has defined his career.
For more than ten years, Schreiber led the Division of Trauma, Critical Care, and Acute Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). As Chief and Professor of Surgery, he guided one of the busiest trauma programs in the country. His expertise spans hemorrhagic shock, brain injury, and damage-control surgery, but what truly sets him apart is how he uses technology to make treatment faster and smarter.
The Digital Shift in Trauma Care
Schreiber has spent much of his career bridging two worlds: the battlefield and the hospital. His military and academic experiences lead to a straightforward mission: stop bleeding and get the patient to a surgeon as fast as possible. In combat zones, surgeons work with limited tools, limited time, and endless pressure. That mindset shaped how Schreiber contributed to transforming civilian trauma systems in Oregon and the rest of the United States.
He focused on improving how teams communicate, how data is shared, and how information guides split-second choices. Trauma bays once filled with confusion are now organized around digital displays that show vital signs, blood supply, and surgical readiness in real time. “You can’t stop the chaos,” Schreiber has said, “but you can make sense of it faster.”
This is the new language of trauma care: clear information, quicker action, and better outcomes.
The Era of Teletrauma
For years, telemedicine was viewed as a convenience for routine visits or checkups. Schreiber helped turn it into something far more powerful. He was a participant on a team that developed a teletrauma network that connects smaller hospitals in Oregon with trauma specialists at OHSU based on similar principles that improved outcomes in Iraq and Afghanistan..
When a critical patient arrives at a rural emergency room, doctors can immediately connect with OHSU emergency medicine,trauma and subspecialty experts using secure video systems. They review scans and make treatment decisions together.
The result is real-time collaboration that saves lives. Instead of waiting hours for a transfer or referral, local teams can begin life-saving procedures with expert guidance on screen. Teletrauma has made specialist support available anywhere, closing the gap between large trauma centers and small hospitals while also avoiding unnecessary transfers to the Level 1 trauma center keeping appropriate patients near their homes.
Training Without the Risk
Schreiber also helped expand the use of simulation training, which allows surgeons and nurses to practice high-stress scenarios in a controlled setting. Advanced manikins mimic breathing, bleeding, and vital signs, allowing teams to rehearse emergency situations before they happen.
It is a lot like pilot flight training. Every move is recorded, reviewed, and improved. Young doctors learn not only how to perform procedures but also how to think, lead, and communicate under pressure.
Schreiber saw the process as more than practice. It was preparation. By recreating the intensity of trauma care, simulation gives teams the confidence to perform when it matters most.
Robots in the Operating Room
In recent years, hospitals throughout the US have introduced robot-assisted systems to trauma and acute surgery. The idea is not to replace surgeons but to enhance their precision. Robotic arms can help perform delicate operations that may be more difficult when performed open or laparoscopically.
These tools are especially useful for complex procedures that require delicate skills in small spaces or difficult to reach spaces. Combined with digital imaging, they allow surgeons to plan procedures in real time while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.
Schreiber views these advances as the natural evolution of surgery. Technology should make surgeons more effective, not less human.
Rebuilding the System from Within
Beyond the operating room, Schreiber worked to improve how trauma systems communicate. He pushed for better coordination between emergency services, hospital teams, and blood banks. Every delay, he said, has a cause, and technology should help eliminate it.
His vision was simple: create a network where information flows as quickly as the patient moves. If a helicopter is en route, the trauma team knows exactly what is coming. If blood is needed, it is ready before the patient arrives.
Under his leadership, OHSU became a model for how hospitals can modernize trauma care. The systems he help build continue to shape how new centers are designed and how teams train nationwide.
The Next Chapter of Trauma Surgery
Schreiber’s 23 years at OHSU left a clear mark. The surgeons he mentored now lead their own teams, carrying forward the same approaches: organized, data-driven, and patient-focused. The tools he helped implement are saving lives daily.
The future of trauma care will depend on what he helped start: a balance between technology and teamwork. In the trauma bay of tomorrow, decisions will be faster, communication clearer, and patient outcomes stronger.
For Dr. Martin Schreiber, the mission remains the same as it was on day one. Save time. Save lives. And never stop finding better ways to do both.
