We were happy to donate a case of the “Essential Burn Unit Handbook” to the University Medical Center, (UMC), Lions Burn Center. It Is a book that Dr. Roth co-authored with Dr. William Hughes, (who now runs the Philadelphia Burn Unit at Thomas Jefferson Hospital). “We wrote it out of frustration as when we were surgical residents, there was no portable book about burns that could fit into your lab coat pocket. We wrote it for the medical students, junior surgical residents, and nurses taking care of burn patients. If it helps them take care of their patients, then we have completed our task.”
He was then fortunate enough to be given a tour of the Burn Unit. ‘I have seen many of these types of units over the years. It is clear that they have something special here.” The Burn Unit is very busy as their catchment area is large. Not only do the cover Las Vegas and Clark County, they also cover Nevada, and parts of California, Utah, and Arizona. The UMC Lions Burn Care Center is one of the few hospitals in the nation, and the only hospital in Nevada to earn verification as a Burn Center by the American Burn Association, and the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons. They take care of all ages, (pediatric to geriatric). They have been serving the community for over 50 years. In 2021, they admitted approximately 500 inpatients to the Burn Unit. They cared for approximately 1100 outpatient burns in the Burn Clinic.
They also do a tremendous amount of outreach to the community. Some of the focus is related to the season. They noted, “As we move into the colder months and the holiday season, we like to bring awareness to cooking and scald injures. We like to remind families about safe cooking practices and being mindful when children are around. Fires and spills can happen quickly.”
“Our busiest times are the summer months when the ambient temperature reaches triple digits, causing the pavement temperatures to reach up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. As you know this can cause deep burns in seconds. We have collected flip flops for our high risk and homeless communities to protect feet from the hot pavement. We have provided some education to elderly and high fall risk populations that can end up on the pavement for minutes or hours due to limited mobility.”
The University Medical Center, Lions Burn Center is one that truly serves the community, from prevention, to treatment, to rehabilitation, they strive to make a large difference.
Thank you to Ryan Moore, R.N. (Head Hurse), and Yasmin Conaway R.N. (Burn Unit Manager) for the tour. Please keep up the great work.
Jeffrey J. Roth, M.D. F.A.C.S.
Las Vegas Plastic Surgery
References:
https://www.umcsn.com
https://umcsn.com/medical-services/lions-burn-care-center
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