60 Years of Healing, Innovation, and Hope: The Story of the Arizona Burn Center
Sixty years ago, a small team of doctors and nurses at Maricopa County General Hospital took on one of medicine’s greatest challenges– treating severe burn injuries. What began in 1965 as a five-bed unit has grown into one of the busiest and most respected burn centers in the nation: the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center at Valleywise Health.
For six decades, the Burn Center has been a beacon of hope for thousands of patients across Arizona and the Southwest, transforming not just burn care, but countless lives.
From a Modest Beginning to a Statewide Lifeline
When the Burn Center first opened, burn injuries were often considered untreatable beyond basic wound care. That changed when Valleywise Health (then Maricopa County General Hospital) dedicated a specialized unit for burn patients– the first of its kind in Arizona.
The early team understood that treating burn injuries required more than medical skill; it demanded innovation, compassion, and collaboration. By bringing together surgeons, nurses, and specialists from pharmacy, psychiatry, and rehabilitation, the Burn Center set a new standard for comprehensive care.
Today, what began as a five-bed unit has expanded to a 50-bed, state-of-the-art facility recognized nationally for its excellence in adult and pediatric burn treatment.
Leading the Way in Burn Care Excellence
Over the years, the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center has evolved alongside the science of burn treatment, and often led the way. The Center has been continuously verified by the American Burn Association (ABA) since 2000, a mark of the highest quality of care in the field.
Each year, the Burn Center treats around 1,500 inpatients and 12,000 outpatients, serving as the primary referral center for Arizona and much of the Southwestern U.S. Its expertise has even drawn patients from across the country and beyond, including six individuals airlifted from Hawaii after a fireworks explosion in 2025.
At the heart of the Center’s success is its multidisciplinary team of surgeons, nurses, wound-care technicians, dietitians, therapists, pharmacists, and mental-health professionals– all united by one mission to restore lives.
From Survival to Recovery: A New Era in Burn Treatment
“Fifty to sixty years ago, only half of people with burns over 30 percent of their body survived their injuries,” explains Dr. Kevin Foster, Burn Center Director. Today, the Burn Center’s survival rate is 98 percent.
That remarkable statistic reflects not only medical advances, but also a shift in philosophy. The focus is no longer just on keeping patients alive, it’s on helping them heal fully, both physically and emotionally.
“The discussion today isn’t about keeping people alive, it’s about restoring burn survivors’ quality of life,” Foster said. “How do they deal with their scars and their disabilities and psychological trauma? How do they reintegrate back into work and school communities and learn to be people again?
“Our new burn center is really designed to do that – to have a new paradigm of care where we really concentrate on what patients need in the outpatient arena to help them become the people they want to be again.”
Powered by Community, Philanthropy, and Courage
Behind every innovation at Valleywise Health is a community that believes in its mission. The Valleywise Health Foundation has been a driving force in expanding the Burn Center’s reach, raising funds and awareness to sustain its lifesaving work.
In 2022, a transformative gift from the Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation led to the Center’s naming and ensured continued investment in cutting-edge care. That same year, Dr. Foster and eight burn survivors from the Center climbed Mount Kilimanjaro– a powerful symbol of resilience captured in the Foundation’s award-winning documentary Courage Rising, available on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Google Play.
Their journey brought national attention to the human side of burn recovery and proof that courage can rise from even the most devastating circumstances.
The Next Chapter: Innovation for Generations to Come
The Burn Center’s recent move into the new Valleywise Health Medical Center marked another major milestone. The expanded space nearly tripled its size, giving patients and families access to advanced treatment environments designed around comfort, safety, and healing.
With every advancement, the Center continues to redefine what’s possible in burn medicine– through education, research, and a deep commitment to treating the whole person.
A Legacy That Shines
After six decades of care, compassion, and community, the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center remains more than a hospital unit– it’s a symbol of hope for all who walk through its doors.
From its early days as a five-bed ward to its current home at Valleywise Health’s state-of-the-art campus, the Burn Center has touched tens of thousands of lives and inspired generations of caregivers.
As Valleywise Health looks toward the future, its mission endures: Exceptional Care, Without Exception– every patient, every time.
