Burn Center Earns Re-verification from American Burn Association

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Oct. 1, 2008) – Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network’s (LVHHN) Regional Burn Center received re-verification from the American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons for adults and children. This achievement recognizes the Burn Center’s dedication to providing superior care for its patients from the point of injury through the rehabilitation process.

To receive re-verification, which lasts for three years, LVHHN’s Burn Center underwent an on-site review by a team of experienced surgeons. The team used the “burn care” chapter from an American College of Surgeons’ manual as a guideline in conducting the survey. For the second time, LVHHN’s Burn Center received no deficiencies, meaning all core criteria were met. “This is a true mark of distinction for our Burn Center,” says Daniel Lozano, M.D., Burn Center medical director. “We pride ourselves in providing our patients the highest level of burn care possible, whether the injury is minor or severe.”

LVHHN’s Regional Burn Center is the largest and busiest of Pennsylvania’s six burn centers. Working with 100 referring hospitals, LVHHN cares for more than 600 burn patients every year. That’s three times the number of patients the average burn center sees.

In January, a new 18-bed unit opened inside LVH-Cedar Crest’s Kasych Family Pavilion. It features private rooms equipped with a ceiling lift to safely move patients and suspend extremities during dressing changes. Rooms also have air filters, window blinds embedded between two panes of glass, and other features to prevent infection. The Center’s tele-burn service allows referring physicians to securely share photos of patients’ burn injuries with a member of the Center’s full-time medical staff. A Lehigh

Valley Hospital burn specialist can review the photos while consulting with the referring doctor to ensure the best care and prepare for the patient’s arrival should they need to be transferred.

LVHHN’s Burn Recovery Center cares for patients after hospitalization and for those whose injuries are less severe. Here, patients receive wound care, rehabilitation, scar management, pressure therapy, tattooing, instruction on makeup techniques and support services. Learn more about LVHHN’s Regional Burn Center here.

A premier academic community hospital, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network includes three hospital facilities - two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem, Pa. - and Lehigh Valley Health Services, providing home health, hospice, pharmaceutical and health management services. In 2008, U.S. News & World Report named Lehigh Valley Hospital one of America's Best Hospitals for the thirteenth straight year. LVHHN's advanced regional resources include a Level I Trauma Center with added pediatric qualifications; a regional referral Burn Center for critical care burn patients; national certification as a Primary Stroke Center; the largest cancer program in the region and fourth largest in Pennsylvania; the Regional Heart Center - the second largest heart program in Pennsylvania based on volume; and an Advanced ICU with tele-intensivists to provide an extra level of care for critical care patients.

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