Written on July 25, 2023
Surviving a burn injury can change your life in ways you never could have imagined. You may need adaptive equipment, be unable to work at the same job, and struggle with intense emotions it feels like no one else can understand. As the days ahead stretch into weeks and months, consider seeking a burn treatment center to receive as many services as possible under one roof.
Medical providers who work for a burn treatment center have completed specialized training in caring for, treating, and helping to rehabilitate burn survivors. Their expertise is treating people with burns, including everyday care like changing wound dressings to completing complex surgery to remove dead skin.
The American Burn Association offers a resource on its website to help burn survivors find the nearest burn treatment center. After clicking on the Find a Burn Center Directory link, enter as much information as you know about a specific burn treatment center to help you find it. Here are some of the fields the American Burn Association asks for when helping people find burn center treatment:
Name and address of the facility, including the ZIP code if you have it
Type of burn center
Whether the burn center has been verified for a specific credential
Once you locate a burn center in a convenient location for you, be sure to check out its website to determine what type of help the staff can offer.
Verified burn centers have met the highest standards of care for the burn-injured patient. A burn center that has gone through the verification process demonstrates to burn survivors and their families, along with third-party payors, the government, and accreditation organizations, that it has met the highest standards in treating burn survivors from the time of the initial injury through the rehabilitation process.
The purpose of burn center certification is multi-faceted and includes the following:
Advocacy
Encouragement to continue investing in research
Promote burn survivor safety
Provide outreach and regional education regarding burn injury prevention
Reduce costs
Our organization, Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, also offers supportive programs and resources:
Journey Magazine: This community magazine contains survivor stories, organizational updates, and multiple resource articles delivered directly to your mailbox or available online in a PDF format.
Phoenix SOAR: This hospital-based program connects burn survivors and their loved ones with people who have experienced similar circumstances.
Phoenix World Burn Congress: This conference is the largest in-person gathering for members of the burn community and connects attendees to resources, support, and, most importantly - each other.
Virtual Support: Peer Support Chat, Virtual Support Group, and our Facebook group provide virtual connection opportunities to find hope, healing, and fellowship on your terms.
Phoenix SOAR (Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery) is a peer-to-peer support network that connects survivors and loved ones with others who have experienced similar trauma, whether through their own burn injury or as the loved one of a burn survivor.
Burn centers play a vital role in promoting and facilitating Phoenix SOAR peer support at healthcare facilities. Phoenix Society has provided healing for the burn community since 1977. Phoenix SOAR was designed by a national advisory team of healthcare professionals and burn survivors to provide a structured volunteer peer support program for patients like yours.
This article explains how burn centers can get involved with the Phoenix Society’s Phoenix SOAR Program to provide immediate, relevant peer support for their patients when they need it most.
If you want to learn more about bringing the Phoenix Society’s SOAR program to your area, we’d be happy to discuss. Get in touch with our team to learn more about the peer programming that may be right for you.