Care Providers

Our Team

Nursing & Nutrition Support

Nursing

Our nurses receive specialized training to care for both adult and pediatric burn patients. They not only take care of patients’ physical needs during their stay, but also their emotional and spiritual needs.

Nursing is the lifeline between families and providers and nurses are always available to assist with any questions.

Nutrition Support

A licensed registered dietitian’s role on in the burn unit:

• Responsible for the overall nutrition care of each patient
• Performs nutrition-focused physical assessment on patients to identify signs of malnutrition
• Calculates nutrient needs (protein, calorie, fat, vitamins and micronutrients)
• Formulates and monitors nutrition therapy
• Provides nutrition education for patients, families and staff

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is integral to the treatment of burn patients. The process starts almost immediately from admission through discharge and outpatient treatment. At OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, rehabilitation from burns relies on a team approach, incorporating the patient and, when appropriate, family members.

Therapy Services

Occupational Therapy

Burns can be life altering and may impact all areas of daily living. Occupational Therapy helps burn patients return to work, maximize independence and improve quality of life by helping them recover day-to-day functionality.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy must begin on the day of admittance and can continue well beyond discharge. It might include years of recurring treatments and exercises. Treatment goals and strategies vary, depending on the nature of the patient's injury, age and comorbidities. Goals range from minimizing loss of range of motion in the critically ill patient to establishing a work-hardening program in recovered patients. 

Speech Therapy

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) help burn patients with communication challenges and swallowing issues (dysphagia) that are common in cases of severe burns due to ventilator use, prolonged intubations and tracheostomy tubes. 

Social Workers

Case managers at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center assist patients and families throughout their stay at the hospital. We seek to care for the whole patient – physically, emotionally and spiritually – as well as providing information and support to families during this challenging time.

Serving with the Greatest Care and Love

Soon after admission, the case manager completes a comprehensive psycho-social assessment of the patient to identify their needs and goals. The case manager identifies the patient’s living situation and social supports, as well as the impact illness or injury will have. The case manager meets daily with the interdisciplinary trauma/burn team, participating as patient advocate and working with the team to identify safe, appropriate discharge/transition recommendations.

Once discharge/transition recommendations are established, case managers discuss appropriate options with patients and families, given patient’s condition, prognosis and insurance coverage. Once patients/families choose from lists of appropriate providers, the case manager will make and follow-up on referrals from the burn unit to the next level of care. The case manager can also provide information on community resources for the patient’s home area.