MetroHealth Burn Care Center Earns Reverification
MetroHealth's Comprehensive Burn Care Center has been reverified as an adult and pediatric Burn Center by the American Burn Association (ABA) and American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma. MetroHealth is the only hospital in Ohio with an adult and pediatric trauma and Burn Center.
The reverification review began in late 2020, with the site visit delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The adult reverification was completed in January 2021. The pediatric reverification was completed earlier this month.
The review included three years' worth of documentation about the Burn Care Center's patient outcomes, performance improvement, community involvement, research and more.
MetroHealth voluntarily participates in the ABA/ACS reverification, and is one of the country's first verified Burn Centers. The joint verification is active through October 2023.
"The fact that we can provide burn and trauma care to adult and pediatric patients sets us apart from many other programs nationally," says Trauma Medical Director Jeffrey Claridge, MD. "The addition of three highly trained burn and trauma surgeons allows us to provide the most comprehensive burn care for all of Northern Ohio."
These additions, paired with Metro Life Flight air and ground critical care transport service, extends the reach of this comprehensive burn and trauma care to communities throughout the region.
The Burn Care Center opened in the summer of 1970 under the direction of Richard B. Fratianne, MD, who was instrumental in its establishment. Its first location was in the old SICU (Surgical ICU) with one patient bed. It later moved to occupy the entire 11th floor of the West Tower before moving again to the fifth floor of the Hamman Building. You can learn more about its history here.
The Burn Care Center on average treats more than 1,700 new burn injuries a year. It continues to provide primary care, teaching, training, and research in burn-related injuries. In addition to thermal injuries, the Burn Center treats chemical and electrical burns, inhalation injuries, frostbite injuries, exfoliative skin conditions and other complex wounds, such as necrotizing soft tissue infections.
Founded in 1837, MetroHealth is leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery, and teamwork. Cuyahoga County’s public, safety-net hospital system, MetroHealth meets people where they are, providing care through five hospitals, four emergency departments and more than 20 health centers. Each day, our nearly 9,000 employees focus on providing our community with equitable healthcare — through patient-focused research, access to care, and support services — that seeks to eradicate health disparities rooted in systematic barriers. For more information, visit metrohealth.org.
