Burn Treatment Center

The Burn Treatment Center is one of 62 burn centers in the United States (and the only one in Iowa). It is officially verified by the American Burn Association. The center includes a 17-bed critical and intermediate care inpatient unit plus related emergency, outpatient care, telemedicine capabilities, and rehabilitation facilities for both adult and pediatric populations.

Request an Appointment

For all requests:

1-800-777-8442

Emergency burn care instructions

The center's staff applies skill and compassion, aided by specialized monitoring and bathing equipment and a hydrotherapy facility. The Burn Treatment Center features hydrotherapy facility for state-of-the-art wound care.

The unit, along with acute care surgery, also serve trauma patients, general surgery patients and patients requiring monitoring or intensive care observation, in addition to cardiovascular patients requiring blood clot therapy.

Upon discharge, patients are scheduled for follow-up appointments at the outpatient clinic located in the Burn Treatment Center. These periodic visits allow our health care professionals to closely monitor each patient’s healing process.

Many patients and families find it helpful to write down their questions or concerns to bring to the clinic visit. Outpatients should complete their daily bath and bandage change prior to the clinic visit unless otherwise instructed. Patients who anticipate a dressing change during a visit should take pain medication 30 minutes prior to their appointment.

During the clinic visit, the physician examines the patient and makes recommendations concerning medication adjustment, bandage changes, physical activity level, and return to work or school.

Nurses assist the patient and family with any questions or concerns regarding wound care. This assistance includes offering advice about discomfort, itching, or home routine, and providing additional bandage supplies.

A physical or occupational therapist evaluates the patient for scarring and tightening or pulling of the skin and revises home exercise programs.

A social worker is available to discuss the patient and family's adjustment at home and can provide referrals for counseling, community resources, or other needed assistance.

Telephone consultations and transfer requests are always available. Our faculty physicians and burn nurses are also able to view images of the patient while conducting the call, ensuring clear communication while protecting the patient's privacy.

For basic burn care reference and referral information, please see our emergency burn care instructions.

Leaving the hospital can be both an exciting and a difficult time for those who have been treated in the burn clinic. Because of this, we have made a series of videos with the aim of making home treatment easier. There are a few things to remember when beginning home treatment:

Call us with questions or concerns.
Remember healing takes time.
Watch the Burn Patient Education Videos over and over if needed.

Community Programs

The Burn Treatment Center gives back to the community in an effort to not only support its past patients, but to prevent serious burns from happening in the future.

Miracle Burn Camp

Miracle Burn Camp is a camp for children ages 8-18 who have experienced a burn or any other traumatic injury that ended up requiring skin grafting. This weeklong camp is designed to provide a fun summer camp experience in a non-threatening environment for children with burns.

School Re-entry Program

Returning to school following a burn injury can be overwhelming and stressful for children with burn injuries and their families. Our team of experienced school re-entry experts helps reduce anxieties and smooth the transition from the hospital back to the classroom.

Safe Start Burn Prevention Puppet Program

The Safe Start Burn Prevention Program is a free program for third-graders designed to teach children how to prevent burn injuries and keep themselves (and their families) safe.

Young Adult Burn Survivor Retreat

This is a weekend retreat designed to help transition burn survivors who participate in Miracle Burn Camp into their adult lives. Late adolescence is an already tough time, but this retreat is designed to help ease the transition for those who have suffered significant traumatic injuries.