April 6 - 8, 2027
Alyeska Resort, Alaska
THE EVENT
Welcome to The Big Sick Alaska — where medicine meets the field.
A conference focused on civilian, military, special operations, search and rescue, and austere medicine.
Explore practical lessons in trauma, transfusion, rescue, and team performance from leaders in military, civilian, and operational medicine.
Welcome to the frontier.
PRESENTED BY
LOCATION
Just 38 miles south of Anchorage International Airport, Alyeska Resort feels a world away from civilization—and that’s exactly where TBS Alaska belongs. Surrounded by mountains, glaciers, and the vastness of Alaska, it provides an authentic backcountry setting without sacrificing the amenities, comfort, and hospitality of a full-service resort. It’s the perfect backdrop for a conference built around medicine in the environments where the margin for error is smallest.
SCHEDULE
The conference is organized around themed sessions each morning from 08:00–11:00 and evening from 17:00–19:00. Afternoons are dedicated to hands-on workshops from 11:30–16:00, giving participants the opportunity to put concepts into practice.
Tuesday
Conference Room - Trauma
0800 - 0830 Welcome to TBS
0830 - 0900 Stacy Shackelford, MD
0900 - 0930 Samuel Aldridge, MD
0930 - 1000 Lila Cohen, MD
1015 - 1100 Panel Discussion
Workshops (pick one)
1130 - 1530 Ski instruction (PJs)
1300 - 1500 Arctic survival (SERE)
1300 - 1500 Advanced trauma (Trauma Surgeons)
Conference Room - Blood (THOR)
1700 - 1730 Philip Spinella, MD THOR
1730 - 1800 THOR
1800 - 1830 THOR
1830 - 1900 THOR
Wednesday
Conference Room - SAR medicine
0800 - 0830 Alaska Rescue 212th RQS
0830 - 0900 Urs Pietsch, Prof. MD. Switzerland
0900 - 0930 US Army MEDEVAC Mission
0930 - 1000 Offshore Long Range 131st RQS
1015 - 1100 Panel discussion
Workshops
1300 - 1500 Helicopter Rescue Workshops
Conference Room - Helicopter Rescue
1700 - 1730 Oliver Kreuzer
1730 - 1800 Jeff Love, Pilot (Sheriff, AZ)
1800 - 1830 Air Zermatt
1830 - 1900 US Army MEDEVAC Alaska
Thursday
Conference Room - Military Medicine
0800 - 0830 Special Operations Medicine
0830 - 0900 US Army Special Operations
0900 - 0930 USAF Pararescue
0930 - 1000 Naval Special Operations Medicine
1015 - 1100 Panel Discussion
Workshops (pick one)
1130 - 1530 Ski instruction
1300 - 1500 Ultrasound
1300 - 1500 Surgical airways
Conference Room - Extreme Medicine
1700 - 1730 Jennifer Dow, MD
1730 - 1800 Jason Williams UNM
1800 - 1830 Patrick Wenger, Irish Coast Guard
1830 - 1900 Speaker
Brew Hall
SPEAKERS
TBS Alaska brings together an exceptional mix of speakers from military and special operations, civilian medicine, law enforcement, search and rescue; and clinical, street, mountain, and austere environments. Our speakers come from Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, Alaska, and across the United States, bringing diverse perspectives and hard-earned experience from the field to the conference hall. Together, they share practical lessons, challenge conventional thinking, and explore what it takes to care for patients and teams when conditions are anything but ideal.
REGISTER FOR TBS ALASKA
We intentionally keep TBS-Alaska small to create an environment where meaningful conversations and genuine connections can happen. Our goal is to encourage discussion and shared learning not only in the conference hall, but around the table, in the hallway, or on the mountain. Attendance is limited. The registration fee is $1,000 USD. There are 24 CME’s available for attendance.