Using a secure TeleBurn app, practitioners at a local hospital can take photos of burn injuries and send them to experts at a specialized hospital burn center for immediate consultation. The center can help the local facility treat patients there, close to home, or determine if the injuries are serious enough to warrant transfer to a burn center.
Lehigh Valley Health Network has Pennsylvania’s largest and busiest TeleBurn practice. More than 100 sites in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware participate in the network’s program, giving those emergency rooms access to a burn specialist around the clock.
The network reports that TeleBurn lowers costs, improves patient safety, and increases burn care access and quality.
More than 6,000 patients have been assessed through Lehigh Valley Health’s TeleBurn program since its inception in 2008. About 20 percent of TeleBurn patients can stay at their local facilities for treatment, LVHN reports.
Pennsylvania has a total of six burn centers. They receive special state funding to ensure they can provide the specialized services burn victims need. The centers are staffed with top surgeons, specially trained therapists, experienced nurses, and other health care providers with the expertise to provide the surgery and rehab patients need to survive and heal.
The six burn centers in Pennsylvania are:
- West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh
- Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Delaware County
- Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown
- Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia
- Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia
- UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh