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University Hospital opens new burn intensive care unit In 1977, University Hospital opened the George David Peak Memorial Care Center, the first dedicated burn intensive care unit in mid-Missouri. Thirty years later, University Hospital is still leading the way in burn care by opening a new expanded burn intensive care unit that is the largest such facility in Missouri. A grand opening and anniversary celebration for the new George David Peak Memorial Burn and Wound Center was held Aug. 27 at University Hospital. The new burn unit features 14-private intensive care rooms, an integral operating room equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technology, a specialized treatment room and a rehabilitation therapy room. It is staffed by three full-time, fellowship-trained burn surgeons as well as a team of nurses with advanced certification in the critical care of burn and wound patients. “We have everything in the unit that we need to provide the absolute best care for burns that can be provided,” said James Kraatz, M.D., director of the George David Peak Memorial Burn and Wound Center and assistant professor of general surgery at the University of Missouri-Columbia’s School of Medicine. The new burn intensive care unit provides a specially controlled environment to reduce the threat of infection that is a concern for all burn and wound patients. The new environment allows staff to individually regulate the temperature of each patient’s room, an important feature for patients who may have lost the ability to regulate their own body temperatures due to severe burns. “These rooms are set up so that if we need to, we can increase the temperatures in these rooms to more than 100 degrees very quickly,” said Kraatz. A new operating room offers the team of burn surgeons the latest technology in burn treatment and care. The room features temperature and humidity controls, a sterile warm water source, and portable equipment that can easily be rolled out of the room. “The operating room is designed with state-of-the-art technology for treating patients with burns and wounds,” said Kraatz. “The additional space will also allow two or three teams of surgeons to operate on a severely burned patient simultaneously and deliver the best patient care possible.” University Hospital began providing burn care in 1968 and in 1977 opened the first burn intensive care unit in mid-Missouri. The center was established in memory of George David Peak, a Columbia native who died in a plane crash. Peak worked with the Boone County Volunteer Fire Department and University Hospital’s Emergency Medical Services team. Through the generous support of his parents, George W. and Blanche Peak, the family established the burn intensive care unit in George David’s honor. Thirty years later, the Peak family continues to provide support for the center. University Hospital and Clinics, a part of the University of Missouri Health Care system, serves patients from every county in Missouri. The 274-bed hospital specializes in treating the most severe illnesses and injuries, offering the only Level I trauma center in mid-Missouri, intensive care units and highly specialized medical and surgical services. |
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