Shriners of North America

Last modified: 10/26/06

   Shriners Burns Hospital - Galveston, Texas is well suited as a model system of comprehensive burn care and rehabilitation.  For more than 27 years, through the philanthropy of the Shriners of North America and in affiliation with the University of Texas Medical Branch, the faculty and staff of this institute have successfully endeavored to develop methods and techniques to improve the outcomes of burned children. 

   Rehabilitation after severe burn injury remains problematic both in terms of maximizing function and providing psychosocial adaptation.  This situation becomes even more complex in the setting of pediatric injury where consideration must be given to the growth and development of the patients, cognitive development and differing motivations at each period, and the longer life span over which rehabilitation interventions are likely to affect outcome.  Mechanisms are currently in place for the interdisciplinary comprehensive rehabilitation and follow up of the over 250 acutely burned children referred to our institute each year.  Patients are cared for in our system from the time of injury until age 21;  consequently our comprehensive treatment plans are directed toward long-term outcomes.  Existing programs include longitudinal outcome assessments, outreach clinics to rural areas and investigations into techniques to improve functional outcomes.

   This institute is well suited to evaluate the benefits, costs and outcomes of rehabilitation therapies for burned children because of our collected experience, patient load and expertise in evaluating data as evidenced by our preliminary data and by our publications.  We are particularly adapted to assess the costs of these varying techniques because all our care is free through philanthropy of the Shriners of North America, and thus only true costs are incurred.

   Probably because the staff and faculty are responsible for the burn care and burn sequelae over such a long span of each patient's life, there has historically been a great concern for the long-term success of the patients.  The interdisciplinary team who follow the children through their physical growth and psychological development are continuously striving to meet the challenges of complex burn-related problems for the growing child and developing adolescent, as well as for the families of children so injured.

OUR VISION STATEMENT

Shriners Burns Hospital - Galveston, is committed to providing excellence in compassionate family centered burn and reconstructive care from the acute phase through rehabilitation by teamwork and innovation in research, education and prevention.

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