The Clark Burn Center at Upstate

03/13/2026

Makenna is an amazing individual, and we are so proud of all she has achieved.

Her recovery is marked by incredible strength, resilience, and determination. Virtual reality technology played an important role in supporting her recovery and helping her return behind the plate to the game she loves.

Her story also reflects the dedication of our staff and the passion behind the care we provide as we continue finding ways to help survivors reach their own goals.

We are so grateful for the generosity and kindness that make this technology and these opportunities possible for our patients. We truly have the best staff and the most wonderful community.

Keep after it, Makenna. We are cheering you on wherever your goals take you.

Upstate's Clark Burn Center has transformed patient care by implementing virtual reality headsets into the recovery process.

03/11/2026

Today we celebrate Registered Dietitian Day and the incredible impact of Regina, our Registered Dietitian, on our team and our patients.
Regina brings knowledge, compassion, and dedication to every patient she cares for. Nutrition plays a vital role in healing, and Regina ensures that each patient receives thoughtful, individualized care to support their recovery and overall wellbeing. From collaborating with providers and nurses to educating patients and families, she is an essential part of our multidisciplinary team.
Beyond her clinical expertise, Regina contributes to the strength of our team dynamic. She brings positivity, collaboration, and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed. Her work often happens behind the scenes, but its impact is felt every day by patients and staff alike.
We are grateful for the expertise, compassion, and energy Regina brings to our burn center and to the lives of those we serve.
Happy National Registered Dietitian Day!
Thank you for all that you do.

03/10/2026

The Clark Burn Center’s Burn Injury Prevention Coordinator, Kelly, was cooking up safety with the Oneida Tri-Valley YMCA afterschool program. 🍳🧑‍🍳 Children learned how to be safe in the kitchen and why extra caution is needed with foods coming out of the microwave. ⚠️🔥 We played pass the spatula to Ratatouille 🥄🎶 and repeated what we learned together. These kids were incredible. 💛👏
Kitchen safety matters. 🍜🏠 The American Burn Association reports that scald burns account for 58% of burn center admissions, and studies show instant hot noodles are a recognized cause of pediatric scald burns. In one study, instant noodle burns made up 5.4% of all pediatric burn referrals to a burn unit. 📊 Hot noodles belong at the table, not in your lap. 🍜➡️🪑

03/09/2026

Through “Baby’s First Bath,” the Upstate Community Hospital Family Birthing Center team helps provide parents with important scald prevention and infant bath safety education in partnership with the Clark Burn Center.
Thank you for your commitment to protecting infants and supporting families through prevention, education, and compassionate care.

03/06/2026

It’s time to spring forward… do you know what that means? ⏰
It is a great reminder to check your smoke alarms and make fire safety a family activity.
Kids learn by watching us. When we involve them in simple safety routines, we help build habits that can last a lifetime.
This weekend, work together as a family to:
🔎 Find and count the smoke alarms in your home
🔋 Test each smoke alarm with a grown-up
🔄 Change replaceable batteries then retest
🏠 Make sure you have smoke alarms on every level of the home, inside each bedroom, and outside each sleeping area 
🚪 Practice your family escape plan
📍 Choose your outdoor meeting place
Not all smoke alarms are the same. Smoke alarms with non-replaceable 10-year batteries are designed to last up to 10 years. If one of those alarms chirps for a low battery, replace the entire alarm. For alarms with replaceable batteries, change the battery and test the alarm again. NFPA also says to replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.
We created a fun Detective Noodle Fire Safety Case File to help families engage kids while checking off this important safety task.
Save the letter and solve the clues together, and let your little detectives crack the case. 🔎✨
Tell us how your family did.

03/05/2026

March is Professional Social Work Month and this year, the National Association of Social Workers established the theme Compassion + Action, turning care into meaningful, patient-centered change.

The Clark Burn Center is honored to recognize Mary Rose, our burn social worker. Burn injuries affect every part of life, and Mary Rose helps patients and families navigate the challenges that come with recovery, from the moment they arrive in the ER, throughout hospitalization, and after discharge through support group, pediatric events, and burn camp.

Her work reflects whole-person care in action: removing barriers to care, strengthening safety and support at home, connecting patients to resources, guiding difficult conversations, and helping families adjust after trauma.

Mary Rose, thank you for the difference you make for our patients, their families, and our team every single day. 💛

03/05/2026

🔥 In Burn Champion class on Wednesday, nurses learned the complexity of burn care, including:
🩺 Initial triage and early management
📏 Burn size estimation to guide initial fluid resuscitation 💧
🫁 Inhalation injury and why strong pulmonary care matters
🦠 Infection prevention and wound protection
🧘‍♀️ Stretching, mobility, and contracture prevention
🎮 Functional pain management to support participation in care and therapy
💛 Psychosocial support for patients and families throughout recovery

👏 A huge thank you to our team members for presenting: Tamara, Randy, and Alecia.
🧤 The hands-on portion was a favorite too: dressing application, helpful tips and a little creativity 🎨✨ that reminded everyone burn care is both skill and art.

🌟 These nurses are now better equipped to advocate, anticipate needs, and deliver stronger care. That directly impacts outcomes 💛🔥

03/04/2026

The Clark Burn Center is proud to showcase the benefits of virtual reality (VR) as part of our multimodal pain management approach. Made possible by a $15,000 grant from an anonymous donor through The Upstate Foundation, our Center was able to purchase five VR headsets to support pain and anxiety management, along with an additional system with PT/OT attachments to encourage movement through interactive, game-based therapy.

Burn injuries can be extremely painful and can make even routine care and movement difficult. Burn recovery requires daily, active work physically and emotionally. Our patients participate in daily PT/OT to restore range of motion and rebuild the skills needed for everyday tasks. Anticipating these therapies, along with daily dressing changes, can be overwhelming and can amplify both anxiety and pain. Tools that reduce distress and support coping can help patients better tolerate care and participate more fully in the care and therapy that support recovery.

On The Informed Patient podcast, Tamara Roberts, MSN, RN, Burn Program Manager, discusses how we assess pain using a Functional Pain Scale that focuses on how pain impacts mobility, rest, and activities of daily living and how we use multiple supportive modalities to help reduce pain and anxiety. These include virtual reality, essential oils, journaling, music therapy, meditation and guided imagery, and Reiki, alongside standard pain management strategies.

Thank you to The Informed Patient podcast team for the opportunity to share this work.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc0AaV5NsV8
Episode page (audio + transcript): https://www.upstate.edu/informed/2026/021926-roberts-podcast.php

02/24/2026

🔥 Partner Spotlight: Oneida City Fire Department

We are grateful for yesterday’s outreach event and the partners who helped make it possible.

The Clark Burn Center at Upstate University Hospital thanks the Oneida Fire Department for joining us to share burn prevention and home fire safety education. We truly value your experience, knowledge, and commitment to your community. Thank you for breaking down the risks, why they happen, and what people can do at home to stay safe. 🧯🏡

Together, we discussed how to reduce common risks at home, including:
• Kitchen safety like avoiding loose sleeves, never leaving cooking unattended, and what to do if a grease fire starts
• Space heater safety including choosing a heater with a UL label, keeping a 3-foot clearance from anything that can burn, and turning it off before sleep and before leaving the room or home
• Electrical safety such as not plugging appliances into extension cords and avoiding “daisy chain” power strips
• Escape planning, knowing two ways out, get out and stay out, and calling 911
• The difference a closed door can make in slowing smoke and fire
• Checking faucet water temperature for safe bathing
• Medical oxygen safety
• Lithium-ion battery safety

Thank you as well to Oneida Healthcare and Seneca Fields for hosting us and creating such a welcoming space. Prevention saves lives, and together, we’re helping make our communities safer. ❤️

02/23/2026

02/16/2026

School break travel reminder 🧳

It’s a new place, so take 2 minutes to make an escape plan when you arrive.

✅ Practice your way out: make sure windows and doors open
✅ Identify 2 ways out of the room or home
✅ Push the test button on smoke alarms. Just because they’re there does not guarantee they work
✅ Carbon monoxide check: Is there a CO alarm? Not all places have them. Portable CO detectors are a great travel safety tool
✅ Pick a meeting place outside
✅ Lithium ion battery care: Use the correct charger, do not charge on beds or couches, and unplug when you leave

Have fun, travel safe, and enjoy these moments. ❤️