Grossman Burn Center at St. Luke’s Medical Center opens in Phoenix

PHOENIX - You now have a new option, when it comes to the treatment of severe burns, in the Phoenix area.

The Grossman Burn Center at St. Luke’s Medical Center just opened its doors Monday afternoon.

The world renowned Grossman Burn Center's newest facility in Phoenix adds eight intensive care unit beds for burn patients of all ages here in Arizona.

The state's only other burn center is the Arizona Burn Center at Maricopa Medical Center .

“We wanted to offer additional burn services, for not only Arizona, but surrounding states,” said St. Luke’s Medical Center CEO, Ed Meyers.

There are four other Grossman Burn Centers, with the flagship in Los Angeles.

In addition to wound care, the program relies on reconstructive plastic surgery to restore patients to as close to their pre-injury condition as possible.

“It's a different approach; a holistic approach," said Connie Sasser, Clinical Nurse Manager at the Grossman Burn Center at St. Luke’s Medical Center. "We want the patients and families, when they come in here, to feel taken care of.”

In addition to plastic surgery, treatment includes psychotherapy, hydrotherapy and the use of hyperbaric chambers.

“The hyperbaric chamber is a way that we can increase tissue oxygenation to the patient, to their wounds," said Sasser. "And, it speeds up the healing process quite a bit.”

Doctors and nurses at the St. Luke’s facility will use tele-medicine to consult with medical director Dr. Peter Grossman and their counterparts at other locations.

“As medical services have advanced, so has technology," said Sasser. "We've married the two.”

Patients will undergo their treatments in a tranquil setting.

A local artist painted murals on the walls of the facility to reflect Camp Courage in Prescott, where child burn survivors gather each year.

Sasser said the goal is to decrease anxiety has much as possible so patients can focus on healing.

She also points out the center provides long-term follow up and support for burn patients and their families.