Raising Awareness Through Education

In the aftermath of the 2023 Maui wildfires, interest in burn care training increased across the state. And the only specialized burn care unit in Hawai‘i and the Pacific responded to meet the need.

Straub Benioff Medical Center’s Burn Care Unit now offers its burn education classes monthly, up from four times a year. The course focuses on Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS), a program of the American Burn Association.

Straub Benioff is the only provider of the course in the state. It’s designed for a wide range of professionals, including physicians, nurses, firefighters, paramedics and more. Participants learn how to assess, treat and stabilize burn patients and, if necessary, transfer them to the Burn Care Unit for advanced lifesaving care.

“People often think burn treatment is as simple as putting antibiotic ointment on the wound, but it’s far more complex than that,” said Dr. Robert Schulz, Burn Care Unit co-founder and medical director. “The educational process is an important part of what we do at the Burn Care Unit, and it is something we need to continue doing because treatment of burns is always evolving.”

The ABLS training focuses on the first 24 to 48 hours after a burn injury, a critical timeframe that could mean the difference between life or death for some patients. The course is especially beneficial for neighbor island professionals, who may have more responsibility stabilizing patients before any necessary transport to O‘ahu.

Cheryl Kaluhiwa, Straub Benioff critical care/burn nurse and ABLS instructor, examines a manikin simulating a burn patient.

“We’ve had medical professionals from all over the state attend our class, including teams from Queen’s Medical Center, Maui Memorial Medical Center, Hilo Benioff Medical Center, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, Hawai‘i Life Flight and even the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Amy Chong, Burn Care Unit supervisor. “They were definitely grateful to have taken the course and gain more knowledge and understanding of burn injuries.”

Straub Benioff has been able to meet the increased demand for burn education by training more of its own staff to be ABLS-certified instructors. Before the Maui wildfires, there were approximately five instructors on O‘ahu. By the end of this year, Straub Benioff is expected to have more than a dozen certified instructors.

Community support has been instrumental in expanding the local burn education program. One of the biggest supporters of this initiative is First Hawaiian Bank, which has donated more than $100,000 to the Burn Care Unit since 2023.

“We are proud to support Straub Benioff Medical Center’s Burn Care Unit for the critical service it provides, and its leadership in training health care professionals in our community,” said Cameron Nekota, First Hawaiian Bank Foundation president. “As the state’s leading resource for burn care, First Hawaiian Bank recognizes the importance of investing in this program.”

Support Straub Benioff’s Burn Care Unit

A burn injury can happen to anyone at any moment. In emergencies where expert burn care is required, the Burn Care Unit at Straub Benioff Medical Center provides comprehensive, state-of-the-art services. Established in 1983, the Burn Care Unit is the first and only one of its kind in the state and the Pacific region.

The Burn Care Unit relies on donations for its program to support specialized equipment and advanced education opportunities. With the community’s support, the unit has been the lifesaving resource for patients from the Maui wildfires, the New Year’s fireworks explosion in Āliamanu, and more. To date, the Burn Care Unit has treated thousands of patients, whether it be a burn from hot saimin to significant bodily injuries from a house fire. To donate, go to Giving.HawaiiPacificHealth.org/Make-a-Gift/Straub-Benioff-Foundation.