Referrals to Galveston’s Shriners Hospitals for Children

Shriners Hospitals are operated by the Shrine of North America. All medical care provided at Shriners Hospital is provided free of charge.
Children to the age of 18 years, who have received a burn injury and live in North America, may be eligible for treatment.

Emergency Admissions

For emergency burn admissions, the referring physician should telephone a physician at the Shriners Hospital in Galveston and indicate the patient needs emergency care. Information will be requested concerning the patient’s demographic information, medical history and physical assessment including a description of the burn injury. A Referral Sheet and a Burn Diagram will be filled out.
Phone - (409) 770-6773

Non-emergency Admissions

Non-emergency admission to the Galveston Hospital is dependent on the medical needs of the patient and on the availability of beds. Please fill out an Application form (English / Spanish) for non-emergency admission to a Shriners Hospital.
Appointments for current patients only - (409) 770-6998
All other patient questions - (888) 215-3109
From Mexico - 001-888-215-3109

Foreign Patient Requirements

The child's parent/guardian will need to accompany the patient to the hospital. This is imperative for treatments/surgical consents as well as for emotional and psychological support for the patient during their stay. The parent/guardian will be trained in the care of the patient and will be responsible for care while the patient is an outpatient.
Although all medical treatment if provided free of charge, the hospital cannot be responsible for any transportation, food or lodging for the parent/guardian or for any expenses incurred while a child is an outpatient in the United States.
A medical history of the child must be provided (i.e. past/present diseases or conditions, previous surgeries, hospitalizations, etc.).
Round trip transportation between the home country and the United States, for the child and guardian must be guaranteed prior to acceptance. Confirmation of this would be copies of airline tickets or similar documents.
Please provide a letter from a local physician stating that medical treatment is available for this child upon return to his/her country.

Approximate costs while at Shriners Hospital

Costs for parent lodging and meals may range from approximately $140.00 to $245.00 per week depending on the place of lodging.

Burn Unit Referral Criteria

Burn injuries that should be referred to a burn unit include the following:

Partial thickness burns greater than 10% total body surface area (TBSA).
Burns that involve the face, hands, feet, genitalia, perineum, or major joints.
Third-degree burns in any age group.
Electrical burns, including lightning injury.
Chemical burns.
Inhalation injury.
Burn injury in patients with preexisting medical disorders that could complicate management, prolong recovery, or affect mortality.
Any patients with burns and concomitant trauma (such as fractures) in which the burn injury poses the greatest risk of morbidity or mortality. In such cases, if the trauma poses the greater immediate risk, the patient may be initially stabilized in a trauma center before being transferred to a burn unit. Physician judgment will be necessary in such situations and should be in concert with the regional medical control plan and triage protocols.
Burned children that are in hospitals without qualified personnel or equipment for the care of children.
Burn injury in patients who will require special social, emotional, or long-term rehabilitative intervention.

Hospital Emergency Care

Degree	Depth	History	Etiology	Sensation	Appearance	Healing
1^st Degree	Superficial Epidermis only	Momentary Exposure	Sunburn	Sharp, uniform pain	Blanches red, pink. Edematous, soft, flaking, peeling	± 7 days
2^nd Degree	Partial Thickness Epidermal and part of Dermal layer	Exposure of Limited Duration to Lower Temperature (40-55°C)	Scalds, flash burn without contact, weak chemical	Dull or hyperactive pain, sensitive to air/temperature changes	Mottled, red blanches red/pink, blisters, edema, serous exudate, moist	14-21 days
3^rd Degree	Full Thickness Entire epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue	Long duration of exposure to high temperature	Immersion, Flame, Electrical, Chemical	Painless to touch and pinprick, May hurt at deep pressure	No blanching, pale white, tan charred, hard, dry, leathery, Hair absent	Granulates, Requires Grafting
4^th Degree	Underlying structures of muscle or bone	Prolonged duration of exposure to extreme heat	Electrical, Flame, Chemical	Usually painless	Charred, Skeletonized	Requires Fasciectomy, Possible amputation