HEALING ALL WOUNDS

HEALING

The Regional Burn Center offers compassionate, advanced care to those who need it most

BY SETH SOFFIAN

ALL WOUNDS

Sunny Sandhu never learned what caused the explosion that nearly took his life.

Sandhu was a medical student living on the small Caribbean island of Saba at the time of the 2019 accident, when flames engulfed his apartment. He was burned on more than 95 percent of his body.

What Sandhu did discover during six months of treatment at Tampa General Hospital’s Regional Burn Center—and later after moving home to his native Southern California to continue his recovery—was a level of care and concern for which he’ll forever be indebted.

“I just feel an immense sense of gratitude,” said Sandhu, who was then 25. “It does get me a bit emotional.”

Now 28, Sandhu remains in touch with most of the medical staff who treated him at TGH, where he was flown via aeromedical helicopter from St. Martin after he was originally transferred there from Saba.

As the only Level I trauma center in West Central Florida, TGH regularly receives burn patients from 23 counties across Florida. TGH’s Wallace Trauma Center was the first verified American College of Surgeons (ACS) Level I adult and pediatric trauma center in the State of Florida.

TGH is one of only five burn centers in Florida to earn verification from the American Burn Association (ABA). The verified status—which the hospital also holds as one of only two pediatric burn centers in the state—means TGH has met the stringent guidelines for patient care, procedures, and staffing.

Dr. Jake Laun

WE’RE ALWAYS ADAPTING, ALWAYS CHANGING, IF THERE IS SOMETHING NEW THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HELP. TAMPA GENERAL [HAS] EVERY LAYER OF POSSIBLE TREATMENT.” — Dr. Jake Laun

“Our whole goal is to try to get them back into society in the most meaningful, functional way we possibly can after a potentially devastating injury,” said Dr. Jake Laun, who practices at TGH as a sixth-year resident in plastic surgery at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida. Laun, as with others at the burn center, speaks of deeply impactful, long-standing relationships with many of the patients they treat, often those most severely injured. “I think that’s why a lot of us have gone into burn care and burn surgery,” he continued. “It [can be] such a debilitating injury. You definitely have that emotional connection to the patients.”

TGH’s 18-bed burn center includes six beds for intensive care and 12 for wound care, as well as treatment rooms and a burn operating room located within the unit itself. It offers the latest in immediate medical care and short- and long-term surgical treatments, including burn-specific reconstructive efforts for adults and children.

“We’re constantly looking at how to better care for patients,” said Laun, noting the many research contributions TGH and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine have made in the areas of fluid management, nutrition, and infection monitoring, as well as medical and surgical treatment of burns. “We’re always adapting, always changing, if there is something new that could potentially help. Tampa General [has] every layer of possible treatment.”

While TGH is not alone in employing an array of medical and other professionals to treat burn patients—including doctors, nurses, mental health professionals, dietitians, and physical and occupational therapists—it stands apart in its degree of commitment to the integrated team approach, one cultivated by Dr. David J. Smith, chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Every Monday, for example, a team of 15-20 health care professionals discusses every patient in the burn center and analyzes their treatment plans for everything from minor cases of road rash to severe traumas.

“I think that sets the tone of making sure everyone is involved and knowing that every single person is critical to getting our patients back to their way of life,” Laun said.

Given the emotional toll that often accompanies severe burns, TGH also provides mental health evaluations and long-term patient support in its treatment. That begins with an initial visit from a mental health professional for all new patients, but it also includes monthly support group meetings for burn survivors and their families. In addition, children who have suffered burn injuries are invited to Camp Hopetáke, a weeklong summer camp where kids can share their experiences and feelings. The camp is free to attend, thanks to efforts by TGH, the Tampa General Hospital Foundation, and Tampa Firefighters Local 75.

“It’s extremely valuable,” Laun said of the camp and other support services, which include burn center visits from past patients. “It’s a tough battle. These patients go through a lot. Having that support is really inspirational. It’s really inspirational for us, too, to see how resilient these patients are.”

For Sandhu, the two-fold approach of heartfelt care and innovative treatments has proven to be crucial to his recovery. When finding effective donor sites for skin grafts turned out to be difficult due to the extensive nature of his burns, the team at TGH employed new technology that used his own tissue to help cover his injuries.

“I’m doing okay, all things considered,” Sandhu said. “I’ve been able to get back to a basic level of functionality. I’m able to do most tasks independently. There’s still a journey to go.”

In California, Sandhu continues to focus on his recovery, working with burn specialists, exercising, and exploring meditation and spirituality to help him move beyond his trauma. Once he builds his endurance more, he hopes to be able to work again. He would like to pursue a job that enables him to “be of service,” perhaps teaching or social work.

“I’ve been told numerous times by numerous people that I’m fortunate to have lived,” Sandhu said. “So I think the meaning of my newfound life has to be to live in a way that satisfies that claim, that living was a fortune. That’s my goal… You can make something good of suffering and even possibly triumph over it.”

And while it’s been nearly two years since Sandhu returned home, he has “built a bond that lasts for life” and remains in touch with many of his TGH caregivers.

“They’re very gracious to refer to me as their friend,” Sandhu said. “It’s quite humbling actually. I just feel eternally indebted to the care and compassion I received at their hands.”

Tampa General ’s Wallace Trauma Center: Expertise Ready to Save Lives

•More than 3,000 trauma patients treated each year • Only Level I trauma center in West

Central Florida and the first verified

American College of Surgeons (ACS)

Level I adult and pediatric trauma center in the State of Florida • One of five burn centers in Florida to earn verification from the American

Burn Association (ABA) • One of two pediatric burn centers in

Florida to earn verification from the

ABA • Designated Florida Department of

Health Brain and Spinal Cord Injury

Program (BSCIP) • Specialty surgeons are available for the following trauma cases: cardiac, hand, microsurgery, obstetric/gynecologic, ophthalmic, oral/maxillofacial, orthopedic, otorhinolaryngologic, plastic, thoracic, and urologic • TGH operates five aeromedical helicopters to transport trauma patients from 23 surrounding counties (air transport services provided by Metro Aviation, Inc.) • Treats patients of all ages • Dedicated trauma team and operating rooms are always ready 24/7 • Participates in an inclusive system of trauma care, including providing leadership, system evaluation, and quality improvement activities