In the late 1960's, treatment for burn injuries took a major step forward. New trends in caring for victims of serious injuries, including burns, showed that patients had a much greater chance of survival if they were treated by a multidisciplinary team of highly trained health care professionals at a specialized facility.

In 1970, only one out of two patients survived a 50 percent body surface burn. Today, most patients survive burns of greater than 75 percent of their body.  Physicians credit modern technology, an aggressive surgical approach, new methods for early coverage of burn wounds, and new insights into providing nutritional support for this dramatic improvement in survival

Since its inception in 1970, the Burn Care Center at MetroHealth has treated both pediatric and adult patients. Initially, the Center consisted of two beds in enclosed rooms in the surgical intensive care unit. All hydrotherapy tubing was done in the newly constructed physical therapy department. 

In 1972, the Burn Care Center was moved to its first permanent quarters in the west wing of  the newly constructed twin towers. The Center now consisted of eight double rooms and a 16 patient capacity, and included hydrotherapy areas and a specialized area for dressing changes.

In 1987, The John A. Gannon Center for Burns and Trauma opened with 14 inpatient beds, five of which were dedicated to burn intensive care. Today, the Burn Care Center has grown  and is widely recognized as the regional burn care center. 

In 25 years, the Burn Care Center has seen almost 8,000 admissions and is proud to report and an overall survival rate of 97 percent.  All services are offered within the Center, reducing the risk for infection. These services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and include:

• A burn trauma resuscitation room
• Wheelchair-accessible shower activity room
• Expanded procedure room to facilitate wound care
• Gym for physical and occupational therapy
• Round-the-clock dressing clinic