Bigger, Bolder, Life-Saving: Valleywise Unveils Expanded Halle Arizona Burn Center

Valleywise Health opened its new Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center June 13, 2024, nearly tripling in size and opening a new era of burn care in Arizona.

The new facility, with 72,000 square feet in space, occupies the entire fourth floor of the Valleywise Health Medical Center, with 16 adult intensive care beds, 24 adult acute care beds, and 10 pediatric ICU/acute care beds. It also includes a dedicated wellness space for physical and occupational therapy, and playrooms for pediatric and teen patients. The burn center was formerly housed in three different locations, on two floors, in the legacy hospital.

“What makes this space so unique is that from start to finish, it was specifically designed only for burn patients,” said Dr. Kevin Foster, burn center director. “It was made for them by those who care for them. It’s a very special place.

Established in 1965, the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center is the first and only adult and pediatric burn center in Arizona verified by the American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons — a status we’ve maintained since 2000.

The new burn center stands out nationally with:

• Two hyperbaric chambers for improved wound care

• A dedicated burn emergency department

• A large and modern wellness area for current and former patient

• Outpatient clinic

  
  

Because burn patients are more comfortable when surrounded by loved ones, the new rooms and family waiting area can accommodate overnight stays by immediate family. Multi-disciplinary teams address patients’ unique needs and distinct physical and psychological challenges. Since in-patient burn care can take weeks or months, physicians have the unique opportunity to get to know and understand their patients and remain in contact with them long after their discharge.

“Our patients are very special to us,” Foster said. “Beyond the physical pain, our patients often have to deal with emotional trauma as well. If we can ease some of that pain, then we’ve done our job.”