Name: Michael Van Vliet, M.D., FACS Title/Position: Medical Director of BRCA at Blake Medical Center BRCA location: Blake Medical Center Where were you born? Suffern, NY Where did you grow up? Franklin Lakes, NJ Tell us about your family. “I have two fabulous children: my inquisitive, creative son Charlie, age 8, and my sweet, bright, […]

Meshea Danner was on fire. Unable to unbuckle her seatbelt, she was trapped in her burning UTV. “I was panicking because I looked … and my shoulder was on fire. I could see the flames on me. I started panic-clawing at my seatbelt,” Meshea said. Meshea and her husband, Ely, were hundreds of miles away […]

Two days after he turned 18, a bullet pierced Aaron Assiter’s neck as he sat in his car in Lubbock, TX. The attack left the high school senior paralyzed from the chest down with little to no movement in his left arm, hand, and fingers. “I had extremely little use of my left fingers and no use of my left arm,” he […]

“I guess, when you’re going through something that horrific, you aren’t thinking clearly, because I just wanted to run through and make sure everyone was out. I thought I was Super Woman, going to save everything and everybody,” said Patricia. Oct. 24, 2013 was a routine morning for Patricia Perkins. The 44-year-old beautician from Little […]

Name: Juan Socas, M.D. Title: Medical Director Location: Brandon, FL Where were you born? Buenos Aires, Argentina  Where did you grow up? Buenos Aires, Argentina  Tell us about your family. “I am married with two sons and two daughters.”  What are your hobbies? “I enjoy polo, golf, fishing, soccer, and rugby.”  Why did you choose BRCA? “I wanted the opportunity […]

Get amped up for Burn Awareness Week by helping Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America raise awareness for electrical safety. National Burn Awareness Week is observed the first full week of February and promotes safety education and burn prevention. This year, the American Burn Association (ABA) has dedicated the week to electrical safety from A […]

Today, on National Women Physician’s Day, BRCA recognizes and celebrates Drs. Neha Amin, Lily Daniali, Chandra Ellis, and Kirsten Smith. To help celebrate these amazing women and their achievements, each was asked four questions about their experiences as a woman in medicine, and these are their personal and heartfelt answers. Dr. Neha Amin, burn surgeon […]

Nearly six months after he was severely burned, Kevin Vann walked out of the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital. To this day, room 7 in the Burn ICU remains a constant reminder to Kevin that, in a time of uncertainty, he was given the gift of a second chance. “There’s people that […]

Name: Tayseer H. Chowdhry, M.D. Title: Burn Surgeon Location: Atlanta, Georgia  Where were you born? Brooklyn, New York  Where did you grow up? Columbia, Maryland   Tell us about your family.   “My wife is a marketing major with aspirations to pursue further education in interior design once our two children are a little older and in school. My father is a […]

Name: Rizal Lim Title/Position: Reconstructive Surgeon Location: Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America | Miami, Florida Where were you born? Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Where did you grow up? New York and Ohio  Tell us about your family.  “My father is a surgeon, and my mother is a dentist, which puts a lot of pressure on me. […]

Though countries around the world celebrate the new year with gatherings and public performances, if fire and pyrotechnics are not handled properly, a night of festivities can result in serious injuries. Beretta Craft-Coffman, PA-C, of Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America, believes using sound judgment and a pinch of precaution when around open flames or fireworks can help people stay safe while having fun.  “A little bit of precaution […]

Though candles and decorative lights are essential to many holiday festivities, Beretta Craft-Coffman, PA-C, of Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America and the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital, wants to remind everyone that those open flames and decorations can also be dangerous. No matter what holiday you’re celebrating this December, she said, remember to unplug the decorations and blow out the candles before leaving the house or going […]