Building a new future for burn care and disaster response.
The Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center is the only adult burn treatment center in the Washington, D.C. region. It serves over 6 million residents from the District of Columbia, Southern Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Eastern West Virginia. For more than 50 years, it has been saving lives and advancing burn treatment and recovery.
Annually, the center’s multidisciplinary teams care for more than 1,200 patients, including 500 inpatients and 700 outpatients, providing personalized, state-of-the-art treatment for burns ranging from minor to severe. Significant advances over the past five decades have reduced mortality and improved outcomes for burn victims.
Every minute, someone in the U.S. sustains a burn serious enough to require treatment. Annually, about 486,000 burn injuries need medical care. Frontline defenders like police, firefighters, and military personnel especially need quick access to burn care. The most significant progress in burn injury survival comes from regional burn centers, like ours, which centralize expert care for rapid, specialized treatment critical for survival and recovery.
The new Burn Center offers a state-of-the-art environment for specialized surgical, therapeutic, and rehabilitation needs. Located on MedStar Washington Hospital Center 's fourth floor, it includes next-generation infection control and private rooms with specialized showers and restrooms for burn patients requiring complex care.
Key features include:
- A state-of-the-art operating room optimized for burn surgeries with higher temperatures, humidity, and specialized equipment such as skin grafting devices and advanced lasers.
- Two hydrotherapy bays for gentle tissue removal and pain management.
- A dedicated wing for burn patients to reduce exposure and infection risks.
- Overhead infrared heating panels and thermostats to maintain optimal temperatures.
- An advanced ventilation system to ensure a sterile environment.
- Treatment and consultation rooms with the latest hydrotherapy technology for pain-free wound cleaning and healing.
There is a need for philanthropic support to support the creation, purchase, and implementation of this new center.
On September 11, 2001, an airplane flown by terrorists crashed into the Pentagon, causing a mass casualty incident with 189 deaths and 106 persons treated for injuries in local hospitals. Nine burn victims and one victim with an inhalation injury were transported to the burn center hospital. The Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center admitted and treated the acute burn patients while continuing its mission as the regional burn center for the Washington, D.C., region.
The Burn Center’s active basic science and clinical research program is the largest in the nation, focusing on burn injury repair. It includes 21 clinical and 6 pre-clinical trials exploring new treatments. Over five decades, the Burn Center has pioneered a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach advancing treatments like faster smoke inhalation diagnosis and spray-on skin technology. Philanthropic investments will accelerate these innovations, increasing survivability, reducing pain, and shaping the future of burn care worldwide.
Led by Burn Center director Jeffrey Shupp, MD, the Center’s team focuses on training the next generation of burn care providers. Annually, Burn Center clinicians mentor and train over 100 physicians and surgeons, and a similar number of nurses and therapists. They welcome researchers and observers from around the world and help design and manage burn-prevention educational outreach in the community.
Taryn Travis, MD, is a physician specializing in acute and long-term burn care. Her practice encompasses critical care of burn patients, surgical intervention for skin injuries, and later interventions for burn scars.
"When I was young, my father survived a large, life-threatening burn injury,” recalls Dr. Travis. “The fact that he was able to return to a life of family, hobbies, career, and fulfillment enables me to empathize with the fear and uncertainty of patients with burn injuries, as well as their families, and guides my approach every day.”
Jamie Oh, MD, from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, specializes in burn trauma surgery and surgical critical care. His expertise will enhance our treatment capabilities for critically ill burn patients.
For over 50 years, the Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center has provided specialized burn care, crucial research, and innovative advancements globally. We are now seeking community support to ensure the Burn Center continues to care for burn patients, disaster survivors, and prevent burn accidents across the Washington, D.C. region.
Support the Burn Center by making an online gift today. To explore additional ways to contribute, please contact Mika K. Standard, CFRE, FCEP, vice president and chief philanthropy officer, at 215-834-1166 or via email at mika.k.standard@medstar.net.