The mission of the Division of Burn, Trauma, Acute and Critical Care Surgery (BTACCS) is to provide the best trauma care to the injured patient. This includes both adult and pediatric burn patients. An equally important part of the division’s responsibility is the teaching of medical students, residents, and surgical critical care fellows, both at Parkland Memorial Hospital and at outside training programs.

International Recognition

UT Southwestern ranks among the top academic medical centers in the world. The institution’s faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 16 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators.

The burn and trauma service is internationally known for its seminal contributions in burn care and trauma care, and continues to have extremely active laboratory and clinical research programs aimed at improving patient care and gaining a better understanding of the cellular, molecular, and genetic basis of inflammation and injury. It also has a strong commitment to research and education in injury prevention and injury control. It is also a part of several multi-institutional federally funded research groups, including the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC), and the Glue Grant, which investigates the genetic basis of complications of thermal and other forms of trauma.

More than 5,000 patients are admitted to the dedicated trauma services at Parkland every year.

Burn Service

The burn service is composed of an intensive care unit that treats both pediatric and adult patients, and an acute burn care unit. There are 30 burn beds (10 ICU and 20 acute care). The burn center admits more than 600 pediatric and adult patients per year. As a part of the Parkland/UT Southwestern Trauma Network, surgical residents from Baylor University Medical Center and Methodist Medical Center rotate on the burn service.

The burn unit serves as the Regional Burn Center for North Texas. It is involved in an NIDRR-sponsored Model Burn Care Rehabilitation Program with the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Quarterly outreach programs involving teaching and patient consultation are conducted at the UT Health Sciences Center at Tyler.

Trauma Service

The Trauma service division covers Parkland Health & Hospital System, William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and Zale Lipshy Pavilion – William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. Last year the division evaluated over 3,500 trauma patients playing a significant role in a mature regional trauma system. The Division is also a part of several multi-institutional federally funded research studies, including the SiVENT trial and studies originating from the LITES and SIREN Consortiums. This continues a long history of leadership in multi-institutional consortium participation including the previously successful Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC), and the Trauma Glue Grant.

Faculty and Training

All Division members are involved in teaching, research, and administrative duties both within the division and at Parkland. Faculty teaching of other clinical disciplines such as respiratory, dietetics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry, and nursing are important because of the multidisciplinary approach to patient care in the SICU and the burn unit. Junior medical students rotate on the trauma services and senior student electives are available in the SICU and burn unit. A one-year surgical critical care fellowship has been available since 1994.

We also offer an ACGME-approved one-year surgical critical care / burn track. Successful completion qualifies the fellow to take the ABS Surgical Critical Care Examination. We have six one-year Surgical Critical Care fellow spots each year.

Adult trauma and burn admissions are discussed at a weekly mortality and morbidity conference. This conference is attended by the trauma faculty and specialty services (Orthopaedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Urology, Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine, and Emergency Department Radiology staff). At this important teaching conference, all aspects of trauma and critical care of the injured patient are discussed. Students and trauma nurses attend the conference as well.