Riley Hospital for Children’s Pediatric Burn Center verified by the American Burn Association
INDIANAPOLIS - Riley Hospital for Children’s Pediatric Burn Center is once again verified by the American Burn Association (ABA). Riley Children’s is Indiana’s only verified burn center dedicated to serving children and has been verified consecutively since 2019.
The Burn Center at Riley includes a 10-bed inpatient unit where patients’ needs can be met from intensive care needs through discharge. The adjacent outpatient burn clinic provides follow-up clinical and rehabilitative care. The center is a leading hub for burn care not only for Indiana but also receives referrals for patients from surrounding states seeking pediatric expertise within a verified pediatric burn center. Clinicians treat over 150 inpatient burns and 2,000 plus burn clinic visits every year.
“Achieving verification by the American Burn Association is a testament to the comprehensive, evidence-based care we provide at Riley Hospital for Children’s Burn Center,” said Dr. Leigh Spera, Medical Director for Riley Hospital for Children Burn Center. “This recognition underscores our commitment to delivering the highest standards of acute burn care, surgical intervention, and rehabilitation. Through multidisciplinary collaboration, we ensure optimal outcomes for pediatric burn patients, from initial assessment to long-term recovery.”
The Burn Center provides holistic burn care that considers the child’s growth and development as a primary part of the treatment plan. The burn team includes three specialty burn fellowship trained plastic surgeons, pediatric burn nurses, respiratory therapists, child life specialists, occupational (OT) and physical (PT) therapists, schoolteachers, case management, social workers, registered dietitians, and mental health clinicians.
"At Riley Hospital for Children, we are incredibly proud to have earned the American Burn Association's prestigious verification for our Burn Center. This recognition is proof of dedicated care our team provides every day. Above all, it reaffirms our unwavering commitment to the children and families who trust us with their care. Our patients are at the heart of everything we do, and we will continue to provide the highest standard of treatment and support in their healing journey," said Dr. Mara Nitu, Chief Medical Officer of Riley Children’s Health.
Riley’s burn care spans inpatient and outpatient clinic services, emergency department evaluations, as well as an inpatient rehab unit dedicated to children’s specific needs and healing. This highly trained and skilled team, with access to all of Riley’s pediatric resources, provides a personalized approach and an array of services to treat children with immediate burn injuries as well as cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, if needed, in the future to improve function, appearance, and self-image as children grow. The burn center also treats other non-burn related skin injuries such as Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TENS), Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), Purpura Fulminans, and Frostbite. More information can be found at Burn Program | Riley Children's Health.
The ABA Burn Center verification process involves assessment by the ABA to validate the burn center provides high-quality burn care to patients from the time of injury through rehabilitation needs and is good for 3 years.
