Citing a decline in the number of acute burn injuries in children, Tampa, Fla.-based Shriners Hospitals for Children proposed a plan to consolidate burn care across its 22-hospital network, reports The Boston Globe.
It is unclear whether the consolidation plan will result in burn center closures or just condensed services. The consolidation plan, which would include these details, are expected to be finalized in July.
Mel Bower, a spokesperson for Shriners, told The Globe the demand for pediatric burn care has decreased and hospital officials have a duty to monitor the "financial efficiency" of services they provide.
"By consolidating our burns services and utilizing technology and other resources available to us, we believe we can serve our domestic and international patients more effectively and efficiently," Mr. Bower said.
Of Shriner's 22-hospital network, just four locations offer burn services nationwide. Two of those, Shriners Hospitals for Children-Boston and Shriners Hospitals for Children-Cincinnati, are being targeted for cuts in the consolidation plan.