The Burn Center at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC) opened one year ago, fulfilling a growing need in the East Idaho Community. Why do we need a burn center, you might be wondering? Burn centers don’t just treat the immediate burns from oil or water that come to mind. Centers also treat injuries like road rash and frostbite, as well as a range of skin conditions. Having our own burn center in Idaho Falls allows for patients to stay close to home while receiving life-saving medical care.
Close Care
Before the burn center opened at EIRMC, the closest burn centers were in Utah, Denver and Seattle — quite the trek from Idaho Falls. The opening of the burn center has allowed patients to receive treatment close to home and provides easy access for families of patients. With experts in the field of burn care, patients can expect to receive top-of-the-line attention as they’re treated.
Inpatient and Outpatient Care
What’s the difference between inpatient and outpatient care? Inpatient care is when treatment requires admission to a hospital or medical facility and outpatient care consists of procedures and tests that do not require a hospital stay. The burn center at EIRMC offers both.
Wound Care
Wound care has been available at EIRMC for decades. Opening the burn center has allowed EIRMC to expand its level of care and fully utilize medical experts in their employment. Treating burn patients has also required new additions, such as significant education, equipment and training for wound care nurses.
“Our wound care center has been here for a really long time for outpatient care,” said Director of Wound and Hyperbaric Wound Burn Trauma Outpatient, Traci Maier. “We are the regional specialists. We have quite a lot of experience in our wound center, 60 percent of us are certified and there’s lots of different layers of experience that go along with that. When there’s a community member that has a complicated skin issue and they just are hitting a roadblock, then they’ll call on us.”
Avoiding Care
Eastern Idaho is a proudly self-sufficient area, a quality which has made it the perfect hub for farming and rural living. Burns in particular can be tricky to identify for the inexperienced eye, which can lead patients to avoid care until they realize their injury isn’t healing.
“People like to do their own first aid, but burns are progressive,” shared Traci. “So, if you were burned by some hot water, it might look like a tiny blister today, but then in a couple of days it might not get better. If that happens, just come in. No burn is too small and if you’ve taken care of it yourself and it’s just not quite healing, that’s what we’re here for.”
Whatever form of care you’re seeking, EIRMC will take care of you in your moment of need.
For more information about the Burn Center at EIRMC visit www.eirmc.com.
Click here to read more of the September issue of Idaho Falls Magazine.