Burn care at Research Medical Center
At Research Medical Center, you have access to specialized burn care for serious burn injuries, complex wounds and related conditions.
Our team provides inpatient and outpatient treatment, advanced therapies and follow-up care designed around your needs.
Why choose Research Medical Center for burn care
Research Medical Center offers specialized burn care in Kansas City with an eight-bed burn unit, a dedicated burn surgical suite and a helipad for rapid transport. We also offer outpatient programs, telemedicine services, burn victim support programs and community safety and prevention education programs.
Burn injuries we treat
We treat many types of burn injuries and related conditions, including:
- Thermal burns
- Chemical burns
- Electrical burns
- Friction burns and road rash
- Frostbite
- Inhalation injuries
- Radiation burns
Our team also cares for complex hand and extremity injuries, limb salvage cases, skin sloughing disorders, diabetic wounds and other severe skin and soft tissue conditions.
What to expect with burn treatment
Every burn is different, so your treatment plan depends on the depth, size and location of the injury. Your care may begin with immediate evaluation and wound treatment. From there, your team may recommend inpatient care, outpatient follow-up, surgery or other services based on your needs. If a burn needs specialized care, our team works quickly to stabilize the injury, relieve pain, protect healing tissue and help lower the risk of complications.
When should you go to the hospital for a burn?
Seek immediate medical care for:
- Burns that go deep into the skin
- Burns that quickly swell
- Burns with white or leathery skin
- Second-degree burns over a large area
- Any third-degree burn
- Burns of the face, hands, feet, genitals, perineum or major joints
- Electrical, lightning, chemical or inhalation burns
- Burns that circle the chest, arm or leg
- Burns along with another injury, such as trauma or a broken bone
Burn wound care and surgical treatments
Your burn treatment may include one or more advanced therapies, including:
- Biological skin substitutes
- Biopsies
- Debridement under anesthesia
- Homograft and autograft skin grafting
- Hydrotherapy
- Negative pressure wound therapy
- Compression therapy and wraps
- Topical dressings
- Plastic surgery
- Transcutaneous oxygen monitoring
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for burns
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat several medical conditions that involve breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. At Research Medical Center, we use this advanced therapy to treat a variety of wounds and conditions, including:
- Burns
- Compartment syndrome and crush injuries
- Infections of the bones and skin (necrotizing infections, osteomyelitis)
- Surgical grafts or flaps
- Tissue damaged by radiation therapy
- Vascular disease damage (arterial insufficiency)
Your burn care team
Burn recovery often involves a team of specialists, including:
- Burn surgeons
- Chaplains
- Medical physicians
- Nurses
- Nutritionists
- Physical and occupational therapists
- Psychologists
- Respiratory therapists
- Social workers
- Specialty surgeons
Visitor guidelines
To support healing and rest, we ask visitors to follow the Burn Center’s visitor guidelines:
- Only two visitors are allowed at a time.
- No waiting is allowed in hallways. Families should use the designated waiting areas: Burn Center waiting room, main lobby, hospital cafeteria or coffee shop.
- Due to federal confidentiality laws, no detailed information can be released over the phone. One contact person should be identified for updates.
- No children under 14 years old are allowed in the Burn Center.
- Plants, flowers, fresh fruit and animals are not permitted in the unit.
Burn Center contact information
The Burn Center is located on the third floor of Research Medical Center at 2316 E. Meyer Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64132.
24-hour inpatient line: (816) 276-HEAL (4325)
Outpatient clinic: (816) 276-3518
We accept most major insurance plans in the Kansas City area.