Shriners Children’s and MUSC Health to Expand Pediatric Burn Care in Charleston

Children and families across the Southeast will soon have expanded access to specialized pediatric burn care through a new Shriners Children’s outpatient clinic in Charleston, developed in collaboration with MUSC Health. Building on more than five years of pediatric burn care through the MUSC Health South Carolina Burn Center, the clinic will relocate existing outpatient services to a dedicated space while connecting patients with the expertise, programs and resources of Shriners Children’s. The clinic will begin seeing patients this fall, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for August 4 at 9 a.m.

The clinic, located in the Roper Medical Office Building at 125 Doughty Street, will be Shriners Children’s fifth dedicated burn location in its healthcare system, with all five locations accredited by the American Burn Association (ABA) as verified pediatric burn centers.

"We are proud to expand access to world-class pediatric burn injury care for children and families throughout the Southeast alongside MUSC Health,” said Dr. Leslie Stewart, Shriners Children’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to delivering compassionate, specialized care closer to home for children and families throughout the region. We are honored to build upon this important relationship and excited for the impact our Shriners Children’s Charleston burn clinic will have for years to come.”

“For a child recovering from a burn injury, healing does not end when the hospital stay is over,” said Steven A. Kahn, M.D., FACS, FABA, medical director of the MUSC Health South Carolina Burn Center. “Families need expert follow-up care, therapy, education and reassurance over time. This clinic gives us a dedicated setting to support that recovery journey and to help each child return to school, home and daily life with strength and confidence.”

Shriners Children’s is internationally recognized for its expertise in pediatric burn care, treating some of the most complex burn injuries while pioneering innovative approaches to rehabilitation, reconstructive care and scar management. As a nonprofit healthcare system, all care is provided regardless of a family’s ability to pay or insurance status. Through the Charleston clinic, patients will benefit from coordinated outpatient services backed by the expertise and resources of the Shriners Children’s.

“This expansion reflects our commitment to increasing access to highly specialized pediatric care through strong clinical partnerships,” said Ryan VanderWerff, Vice President of Shriners Children’s Medical Group. “It’s a privilege to expand our mission to serve the children of South Carolina with burn care needs. By collaborating with MUSC Health, Shriners Children’s continues to enhance the level of burn injury care available in the region while ensuring more children and families can access the expertise they need, closer to home.”

Shriners Children’s provides care for all levels of burn injuries, from minor burns to severe, life-threatening trauma. The healthcare system takes a multidisciplinary approach to care that includes trauma surgeons, reconstructive plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, occupational and physical therapists, prosthetists, orthotists, and rehabilitation specialists.

Beyond physical healing, Shriners Children’s burn care focuses on helping children regain confidence, mobility and independence while minimizing scarring and supporting emotional recovery for both patients and families.

About MUSC Health

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates nearly 3,500 students in six colleges and trains more than 1,060 residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in research funding from the National Institutes of Health, including National Institute of General Medical Sciences COBRE awards. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu. As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2025, for the 11th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org. MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $8.9 billion. The more than 36,200 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research and patient care.