WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Burn Center of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has received verification by the American Burn Association (ABA), making it one of only five verified burn centers in the Southeast.
Burn center verification provides a true mark of distinction for a burn center and is an indicator to government, third-party payers, patients and their families, and accreditation organizations that the center provides high quality patient care to burn patients from time of injury through rehabilitation.
“Verification of our burn center by the ABA puts an official stamp of approval on what we’ve already been doing here to treat burn patients and provide them with the highest quality care available,” said James H. Holmes IV, M.D., director of the Burn Center. “I am really proud of our team and the work they do.”
Burn center verification is a joint program of the ABA and the American College of Surgeons (ACS). To achieve verification, a burn center must meet the rigorous standards for organizational structure, personnel qualifications, facilities resources and medical care services set by the ABA. Elements of this voluntary program include completion of a pre-review questionnaire and an in-depth on-site review by members of the ABA Verification Committee. A written report by the site visit team is reviewed by the ABA Verification Committee and by the ACS’s Committee on Trauma.
The Burn Center is one of only two in North Carolina.
The Wake Forest Baptist burn team consists of a multi-disciplinary group of direct caregivers such as physicians, physician assistants, a psychologist, a dietitian, nurses, pharmacists, nursing assistants, rehabilitation therapists, social workers, chaplains and burn survivors. The team meets weekly to evaluate each patient's progress, develop the patient's plan of care and set goals for the future. The Burn Center has eight beds in the burn ICU and 16 beds in the acute care unit, with two hydrotherapy areas for wound care, and a gym for therapy. It also has a dedicated waiting area, weekly coffee hour, and the long-term individual units nearby. There is a support group to help burn survivors and their families cope with the long-term effects of serious burn injuries that meets monthly, as well as inpatient survivor support via the Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery peer (SOAR) support program.
Media Relations
Bonnie Davis: bdavis@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-1597