Some might define an outstanding leader in medicine as a strong patient advocate who goes above and beyond to meet their needs, while making significant contributions to the field to advance clinical care and treatment for all patients. Our very own, Anjay Khandelwal, MD, director of Akron Children’s Adult and Pediatric Burn Institute, was recently inducted as a 2024 Fellow of the American Burn Association (FABA) for embodying this very approach to advance burn care.
“Being conferred the designation of FABA is a great honor for me professionally, as well as for the Burn Institute,” said Dr. Khandelwal, who attended the induction ceremony for the 46 inaugural fellows at the American Burn Association’s annual meeting in Chicago last month. “It serves to formally recognize commitment and contributions in clinical care, prevention and advocacy efforts, rehabilitation, research and teaching — all of which were only possible through the support of the burn team.”
Physicians with a FABA designation demonstrate specialization in burn care through advanced training, contribution and commitment to the field. Newest fellows are armed with the task to continue to shape the future of burn care, build on the work of those before them and inspire future professionals in the field.
Dr. Khandelwal shares more about his passion to treat patients, spark innovation in the field and his hopes for the future of burn care.
What drives your passion for advancing patient care?
Seeing patients in one of the worst — if not the worst — days of their lives drives my passion to provide the highest quality of care. Compassionate, family-centered and innovative care helps to ensure we can lift patients up and restore their lives to as close to normal as possible.
Burn care has been practiced for thousands of years, and interestingly, many modern principles are deeply rooted in age-old techniques and approaches. It’s imperative that we challenge the norm and provide innovative solutions to problems associated with burn injuries, such as pain, frequent dressing changes, scarring and lengthy hospitalizations.
I challenge myself and the team to critically evaluate every process and ascertain if we can do it better. For example, we challenged the status quo of frequent dressing changes with ointment to pioneer a new level of care with our innovative combination of minimally invasive burn surgery and Spray-on Skin™.
Akron Children’s Burn Institute Director Dr. Anjay Khandelwal receives prestigious FABA designation for advancing burn care.
Can you expand upon recent advancements and the impact on patient outcomes?
The most critical aspect of burn care is a race against time. Healing burn wounds as quickly and safely as possible helps to prevent infection, reduces pain and scarring, enables functional recovery, and decreases hospital stays and healthcare costs.
“Spray-on Skin™” is a recent innovative approach that has truly made a difference in patients’ recovery. We’ve proven through our own research this technique has reduced length of stays, infections and other complications, number of surgeries and healthcare costs, while greatly increasing healing times.
Other recent advancements we provide routinely to our patients include laser treatments, advanced skin substitutes and innovative approaches to pain management.
Your initiative in recognizing burn patients’ personal heroism is inspiring. How do such programs contribute to a holistic healing process for patients?
Simply put, our patients are heroes. They are the greatest source of inspiration to all of us, propelling and driving us to excel in our field. Their stories of strength, determination, resiliency and hope have a profound impact on all our lives. Recognizing their journey is crucial, and solidifies the bond between patients and the team, cementing what we tell our patients: “After treatment, you will be family to us, and we will be family to you.”
I’m a firm believer in the positive environment created by patients ringing the bell and our team placing a medal around their necks. The gratuitous words exchanged, the laughs and the tears are indeed a sight to behold and, apart from patients and families, have a dramatic impact on staff.
What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your work in burn care?
The greatest rewards are two-fold: patients and the team. Getting a hug from a patient, a handmade gift from a child, a “thank you” from a family member, being interrupted in rounds by a child pulling at your suit to help rescue his toy, seeing a healed patient walking down the halls to greet me – it’s these experiences that can turn even the roughest day completely around.
As for staff, it’s truly an honor and privilege to work alongside our many talented and dedicated team members. They inspire me and enable me to be the very best I can. We share laughs, tears, victories and losses. They are my family.
What do you see as the future of burn care?
The ultimate goal in burn care is simple: No deaths, no pain and no scars. A lofty goal, but nonetheless, one that we strive for every day. The future of burn care is a complete holistic approach to not just physical healing, but emotional, mental, psychosocial and spiritual. This is our duty, our responsibility to patients. I hope that I can bring about transformation in the global burden of burn care by empowering my patients and team to be the best they can be.
Get to know Dr. Anjay Khandelwal and Akron Children’s Burn Institute.
