The Clark Burn Center at Upstate

11/20/2025

This is what excellence looks like.🥇
Shoutout to the incredible nurses who joined us for today’s Burn Champion class! From the moment a burn patient arrives in the ER, every step matters- initial assessment, fluid resuscitation, hypothermia prevention, airway management, therapy, post-op graft care, and long-term recovery.

These nurses showed up eager to learn it all- building skills, asking questions, and stepping into the full journey of burn care. We can confidently say:
At Upstate, you’ll receive the best care every step of the way. 💙💛

11/19/2025

Install the Device, Save a Life
This holiday season, we’re teaming up with the incredible Taberg Fire Department whose members serve with heart, courage, and dedication every day, for a hands-on community event focused on fire and burn prevention.
Come out and learn simple steps that can help save lives:
🎁 Get a FREE 10-year smoke alarm
🛠️ Learn how to install it, test it, and maintain it
📍 Find out where smoke alarms should be placed in your home
🚪 Join an interactive demonstration on how to safely escape a fire
🔥 Get practical burn and fire safety tips for the holiday season
🚨 Learn from Upstate New York Poison Control about carbon monoxide dangers and how to stay safe this winter
🤝 Presented in partnership with the Taberg Fire Department, Safe Kids Upstate New York Coalition, and Upstate New York Poison Control, all united in keeping our communities safe and informed.
📍 Taberg Fire Department 9066 Meadows Road, Taberg
📆 Saturday, December 6th from 11:00 am-2:00 pm
Let’s recognize the everyday efforts and sacrifices of Taberg’s first responders and take meaningful steps toward a safer season for all.

11/19/2025

💛❄️ Our Winter Warmth Drive Starts Now!❄️💛
As the temperatures drop, many in our community face the cold with no safe way to stay warm.
At the Clark Burn Center, we see the impact firsthand. Patients arrive with frostbite, hypothermia, and burn injuries from unsafe attempts to stay warm.

From November 17–January 31, we are asking our community to join us in bringing warmth, safety, and hope to those who need it most.
🛒 Amazon Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3PYCXS93WQTQ2/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2
Every item makes a difference.
For questions, contact us through Messenger. We appreciate your kindness. ❤️

11/18/2025

💚 National Injury Prevention Day 💚
Today we join communities across the country to raise awareness about preventing injuries and promoting safer homes for children. Burn injuries can happen in seconds but most are highly preventable with simple, everyday safety habits.
🔥 Pediatric Burn Injury Prevention
Children are most often injured by scalds, flame, and contact burns. Each can be prevented:
💡 What You Can Do:
🥘 Scald Safety
• Set water heaters to 120°F
• Always test bath water
• Keep hot drinks and foods away from edges
• Never allow children to eat hot noodles in their laps
• Young children shouldn’t operate microwaves, especially over-the-counter units
🔥 Flame Safety
• Stay in the kitchen while cooking
• Keep children 3 feet away from stoves, ovens, heaters, grills, and campfires
• Turn pot handles inward
• Store matches and lighters out of reach
✋ Contact Burn Safety
• Keep kids away from hot appliances and cookware
• Unplug and cool styling tools (curling irons, straighteners) before storing
• Remember: glass fireplace screens can reach over 500°F and cause instant burns
🏠 Home Fire Safety Essentials
• Test smoke detectors monthly
• Practice a home escape plan with two ways out
• Sleep with doors close, Close Before You Doze!
• Charge lithium-ion batteries safely on hard, flat surfaces and unplug devices before going to bed

Prevention is powerful. Prevention is Shared Work!
Help us spread the message this National Injury Prevention Day. 💚

11/14/2025

🔥 Burn Champion Class in action! 🔥

Nurses from the units that care for our burn patients came together with the purpose to better care for people whose lives have been changed by a burn injury.

We walked through what happens physiologically during a burn, why careful fluid resuscitation matters, and what a burn survivor needs to heal.

We talked about the real journey: PT and OT helping someone rebuild strength and mobility, the hard stretches, nutrition to support healing, graft care, and the quiet moments of support at the bedside when fear and pain feel overwhelming.

The end is always the most fun, trying to craft dressings that cover, protect, and provide comfort and function. Check out their talent in this reel! ✂️🩹

This is our Center’s commitment to excellence in burn care throughout our hospital.

11/13/2025

⚠️ HEAP Delay and Important Winter Burn & Fire Safety Tips
The Regular HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) for the 2025–2026 season is currently delayed until further notice. Many families rely on this assistance to stay warm, and the delay may leave some turning to alternative or temporary heat sources.
While we wait for HEAP to reopen, please remember: your safety comes first. Many burn and home fire injuries happen when people are simply trying to stay warm. Here are ways to protect yourself and your loved ones:
🔥 Use space heaters safely
• Keep at least 3 feet of space around all sides
• Plug heaters directly into a wall outlet
• Turn them off before bed or when leaving the room
🔥 Never use ovens or stovetops to heat your home
This is a leading cause of fires and carbon monoxide emergencies.
🔥 If you use wood or pellet stoves:
• Burn only appropriate materials
• Keep screens or doors secure
• Dispose of ashes in a metal container with a lid, stored outside
🔥 Glass fireplace fronts can cause serious burns
Glass on gas or electric fireplaces can reach 400–500°F and stay hot for up to an hour after use.
• Keep children and pets at least 3 feet away
• Always use a safety screen or barrier
• Never leave children unattended near an active or recently used fireplace
🔥 Check your smoke & carbon monoxide alarms
Working alarms save lives. Test them monthly.
❄️ If you or someone you care for is struggling to stay warm, please reach out to local community agencies for guidance and emergency heating assistance until HEAP reopens.
The Clark Burn Center team is here for you. Stay warm, stay safe, and please share this message to help others in our community. ❤️

11/13/2025

🚨 Shoutout to the Town of Lenox for putting safety first! 🧯

We’re grateful for the Fire Marshal’s Office and their continued commitment to protecting local families. Their free smoke detector installation program for Lenox, Canastota, and Wampsville residents is an incredible service.

✅ Working smoke alarms can double your chance of surviving a house fire. This kind of outreach saves lives.

Help spread the word and thank you again to the Town of Lenox for all you do to protect your community! 🙌

11/10/2025

Close Before You Doze 🚪🔥
One simple habit can make all the difference in a fire:
Close your bedroom door before you go to sleep.
It slows the spread of fire, keeps toxic smoke out, and buys precious time to escape.
🔥 Build a Safe Bedtime Routine:
• 🚪 Close all internal doors
• 🔌 Unplug space heaters
• 📵 Don’t charge phones, tablets, e-cigs, or laptops overnight
• 🕯️Put out candles and ci******es, NEVER smoke in bed
• 🚪 Make sure exits are clear and keys are easy to find
• 📱 Take your phone to bed in case you need to call for help
🌙 Tonight, take 60 seconds to make your home safer.
Close Before You Doze.

11/06/2025

🚨🏥More than 9,500 children ages 4-12 are treated for scald burns each year from instant soups and noodles in microwavable cups.
Most injuries happen around age 7, and the torso is the most commonly burned area.

11/04/2025

🔥 Gratitude Post! 🔥
Yesterday’s community outreach event was a powerful example of what happens when prevention meets partnership. 💪

We at the Clark Burn Center at Upstate University Hospital want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the incredible team with Rome Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 694 for joining us in delivering an outstanding presentation on burn and fire safety in the home.

Rome FD brought professionalism, warmth, and a strong presence, answering community questions and reinforcing lifesaving safety messages. 🧯🏡 We are so grateful for your ongoing support and dedication!

A special thank you to the Copper City Community Connection for so graciously hosting us and welcoming these important conversations. Your hospitality, warmth, and commitment to your community made this event a success. ❤️

Together, we built a message of safety, awareness, and resilience. We’re proud to serve alongside such incredible partners!

Many thanks to the gals, from the Clark Burn Center at Upstate University Hospital and the guys from the Rome Fire Dept., for giving an outstanding presentation about fire safety in the home. They gave many tips on staying safe, many we would not have thought of. We will definitely invite them back!

11/03/2025

🔥 Vacation Rental Safety Check! 🔥
This weekend was a perfect reminder to always complete your safety checks when staying at vacation rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.)! The rental we stayed in was beautiful and spotless, but 3 out of 4 smoke alarms didn’t work! 😱
We immediately contacted the host and replaced the batteries ourselves, ensuring we were protected.
✅ Safety Checklist for Vacation Rentals:
• Test ALL smoke alarms (modern alarms should have a sealed 10-year lithium battery)
• Identify and practice your escape routes (doors & windows)
• Locate the fire extinguisher and confirm it’s accessible
• Do a quick walkthrough to make sure matches and lighters are stored safely away from children

10/31/2025

Highlight of our day! 🎃🧡
We got to spread a little cheer at Golisano Children’s Hospital for inpatient pediatric trick-or-treating! Our crew went full Nightmare Before Christmas-Sally, Jack, Zero, and Oogie Boogie rolling off the elevator with treats, smiles, and lots of laughs.
Grateful for the brave kiddos, families, and the incredible staff who make magic happen every day. 🥹✨