Chippenham Hospital finalizes Level I burn center designation

Richmond, Va. — HCA Virginia’s Chippenham Hospital has been certified by the Virginia Department of Health as a fully designated Level I burn center, becoming the second hospital in Central Virginia with this status. Under the hospital’s recent provisional status, its ability to operate at the higher standards expected of a burn center was assessed. Only hospitals with a Level I trauma center are able to qualify for a Level I burn center.

“As a comprehensive trauma center, we are able to provide total care for every aspect of injury, from the moment of arrival through hospital discharge and follow-up appointments,” said Lance Jones, chief executive officer of Chippenham & Johnston-Willis Hospitals. “Now as a fully designated Level I burn center, we are able to provide an even greater level of care – not just to the city, but to the entire Commonwealth. I am proud of our trauma team and medical staff for integrating the burn service into our care program and demonstrating excellence for our patients.”

A multidisciplinary team of specially-trained physicians, surgeons and medical professionals is ready 24/7 to provide patients with the critical attention they need for complex injuries. The burn program joins HCA Virginia’s air ambulance as complementary services to Chippenham’s existing Level I trauma care, bringing the highest level of emergency care to the region.

In addition, Chippenham offers the only state-of-the-art laser treatment for burn and traumatic scars in Central Virginia, further bolstering its Level I designation.

In order to qualify for the Level I burn certification, the hospital hired a burn medical director with extensive training in burn care, as well as an experienced nurse to manage the program. Construction was completed to dedicate five beds in the burn intensive care unit with special isolation protocols and supplies. Twelve additional beds on the medical/surgical floor are now dedicated to burn patients. And, there are now three suites in the operating room for burn and wound care with two additional rooms in the outpatient clinic to accommodate an influx in volume. An operating room expansion is underway to include a fourth room for the comprehensive outpatient laser program.

According to the American Burn Association, patients should receive treatment from a burn center, rather than an emergency room, for the following: third-degree burns, burns that cover more than 10% of total body surface area, and electrical and chemical burns.

Please click here for more information about the burn program.