UAB’s Burn Center team introduced the best of Birmingham to nearly 300 burn medical professionals during this month’s “Burn in the Ham,” the Southern Region Burn Conference. The conference was hosted by the Southern Medical Association and UAB served as co-host.

James Hwang, M.D., associate professor and Director of UAB’s Burn Center and a team including Burn Program Manager Josette Cockrell BSN, RN, MSHQS, Burn Educator Dana Doriety, BSN, RN, Director of Acute Therapies Valerie Labbe, MSHA, MSHQS, (and her acute care team members), Administrative Clinical Coordinator Maria Tyson, and Director of Development Bertram Young helped make the event a success and helped UAB and the city of Birmingham shine.

Over 290 attendees came to Birmingham to learn about current interventions, protocols, treatment modalities, research, and critical pathways to advance patient care. Sessions were interspersed with guest speakers, networking opportunities, an exhibition hall with 120 vendors to connect with.

Attendees came from all across the southeast, and the East and West coasts. Top leadership from the American Burn Association were also in attendance, as well as burn survivors who received care at UAB. che team from UAB planned the inspiring opening keynote address, led by retired UAB football coach Bill Clark.

The team also planned the opening reception at Uptown Cantina on the rooftop, and the closing reception at Regions Field, with a 270 degree view of the Birmingham skyline at sunset, casino-style games, a dance floor, and more.

“It was a great conference highlighted, by exciting research, education and collaboration within the burn community,” Hwang said. “Birmingham shined amongst participants from all over the globe praising the conference, hospitality, great venues, and restaurants of the area.”

Members from UAB’s Burn team also presented research at podium presentations and poster presentations.

Research presented by UAB staff and trainees:

• Compassion Closet: Nick Hakes, BS, Medical Student
• Inhalation Injuries: Effects on Swallowing and Voicing: Erin Milford, CCC-SLP
• Journey to Verification: Burn Education Redesign: Meredith Guthrie MSN, BSN, RN and Dana Doriety BSN, RN
• Effectiveness of Orofacial Rehabilitation: A Literature Review: Nathan Anderson, M.S., CCC-SLP and Blair Johnson, M.S., OTR/L
• Utilization of Different Orthotics for Improving ROM: Kaitlyn Chenoweth, PT, DPT, NCS, Kaitlyn Cashman, PT, DPT, Shea Zablan, M.S., OTR/L
• Effective and Efficient Therapy Intervention in Hydrotherapy: Felicia Sanders, COTA/L, Shea Zablan, M.S., OTR, Blair Johnson, M.S., OTR/L
• Utilization of a Bed-Based Airplane Splint for Optimal Positioning of the Upper Extremity in Burn Patients with Axillary Involvement: Symone Hinton, OTR/L, Felicia Sanders, COTA/L, Jonathan Pennington, OTR/L
• Pressure Injury Prevention in the Burn Patient: Meredith P. Guthrie, RN, MSN, CNL/ Josette Cockrell RN, BSN, MSHQS
• The Use of Hydrotherapy with Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) for the Non-Burn Patient: Sarah Ashouri, MSN, CRNP/ Alayna H. Wolfe, PA-C
• Don't Scald the Ham: An In-depth Review of Scald Burns in High Risk Groups: Josette Cockrell BSN, RN, MSHQS; Karen Coles DNP, MSN, RN; Dana Doriety BSN, RN; Louann Standifer BSN, RN, Director COA

See the photos from the conference here.