Dear Friends of ABF,

Since 2019, when I first joined the Arizona Burn Foundation as CEO, the number of burn survivors and their families that we assist has doubled, expanding our reach significantly. Additionally, we now host six camps and retreats and have increased our team from five to 12. This growth underscores the critical need for ABF in our community.

Today, ABF is recognized as a key strength in the Arizona Burn Center’s reverification site report, which confirms the hospital meets industry standards for quality care and patient safety. The report highlights ABF’s established presence and the quality of our services.

Additionally, ABF was recently recognized in the American Burn Association’s Western Region’s After-Action Report for our pivotal role in responding to the Hawaii incident that occurred on New Year’s Eve. The report noted that ABF played a crucial role in supporting the families of the six patients transferred from Hawaii to the Arizona Burn Center, “underscoring the vital importance of integrated, family-centered wraparound services during and after large-scale burn events involving out-of-state transfers.”

After-Action reports are critical as they also identify areas for collective improvement. For example, it is imperative that community-based organizations are identified and engaged early in disaster response planning. Additionally, the scale and urgency of such responses can place a financial strain on nonprofit organizations. Therefore, it is essential to explore funding mechanisms to support these actions.

Building on these insights, and as we continue to support the Arizona Burn Center in Phoenix and Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, we are committed to ensuring that our services and programs grow in tandem with the increasing needs of our community while also serving as a model for other private burn foundations across the country.

As we continue discussions with key industry leaders that will help to raise further awareness about how we can comprehensively support entire families in a sustainable and compassionate manner. I’d like to thank the American Burn Association for recognizing ABF’s role in our community and for their unwavering support.

Warm regards,

 

Rex Albright
ABF CEO