MUSC Health earns elite American Burn Association verification

One of just 40 burn centers in North America to earn ABA verification for both adults and children; partners with Shriners Children's to provide pediatric burn care

Charleston, S.C. (Aug. 15, 2025) –The MUSC Health South Carolina Burn Center is proud to announce that it has received official verification from the American Burn Association (ABA). This elite designation recognizes MUSC’s commitment to delivering the highest-quality burn care, from emergency treatment to long-term rehabilitation.

There are only 40 burn centers in the United States and Canada combined that hold this verification for both adult care and pediatric care. Verification is awarded only after a rigorous multi-day onsite review of clinical care, operational readiness and patient outcomes.

“This prestigious verification from the American Burn Association reflects MUSC’s unwavering dedication to excellence in patient care, innovation and clinical leadership,” said MUSC President David J. Cole, M.D., FACS. “We are proud to be recognized as a national leader in burn care, and we remain committed to serving the people of South Carolina with compassion and cutting-edge treatment.”

The South Carolina Burn Center at MUSC Health is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of board-certified burn surgeons, critical care specialists, nurses, rehabilitation therapists and support staff. The team is prepared to respond 24/7 to burn emergencies and mass casualty events and offers long-term recovery services, including reconstructive surgery, psychosocial support and return-to-work planning.

“Shriners Children's is proud to partner with MUSC Health in providing high-quality burn care for pediatric patients,” said Leslie D. Stewart, M.D., Shriners Children's chairman of the Board of Trustees. “Shriners Children's has a long history of leading the way in the field of burns through excellent care and innovative bench-to-bedside research.”

“This verification underscores the South Carolina Burn Center’s commitment to delivering high-quality, patient-centered burn care. MUSC distinguishes itself as the only institution in both South Carolina and Georgia that is ABA-verified for pediatric and adult burn care and a Level 1 trauma center for both children and adults,” said Steven Kahn, M.D., chief of burn surgery at the South Carolina Burn Center. “Given the advanced multidisciplinary services available here, no patient will ever need to leave South Carolina to receive world-class burn care.”

The ABA verification also affirms MUSC’s role in disaster preparedness, research and community outreach, ensuring that South Carolinians have access to the highest level of burn care in their own state.

For more information regarding the South Carolina Burn Center, please visit our South Carolina Burn Center website. 

For pictures from the event, follow this link. 

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About MUSC 

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates over 3,300 students in six colleges and trains more than 1,060 residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in federal, National Institutes of Health and other research funding. For information on our academic programs, visit MUSC.edu.

 As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2025, for the 11th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit MUSCHealth.org.

 MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $8.2 billion. The nearly 34,000 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research and patient care.