Message from the CEO: ABA Member Updates | June 2026
Thursday, June 11, 2026
As I sit down to write this month's message, I am reminded once again that the burn community is defined not only by how we respond to challenges, but also by how we prepare for the future.
Over the past several weeks, we have witnessed multiple incidents across the country that underscore the importance of burn centers, burn teams, and the systems that support them. In Maine, burn professionals responded following a significant industrial explosion and fire. In the Pacific Northwest, a devastating chemical tank rupture at the Nippon Dynawave paper mill resulted in multiple casualties and severe chemical burn injuries requiring highly specialized care. And while I was in Washington, DC this week, multiple utility workers sustained serious electrical injuries in an incident that once again demonstrated the importance of having experienced burn teams prepared to respond when every minute matters.
Whether the injury results from fire, chemicals, electricity, explosions, industrial accidents, or disasters, the response is remarkably consistent. Burn centers activate. Burn surgeons, nurses, advanced practice providers, therapists, psychologists, social workers, researchers, and countless others answer the call. Teams mobilize resources, coordinate transfers, support families, and deliver extraordinary care during some of life's most difficult moments.
That is why the American Burn Association exists.
The ABA exists to support you…the professionals who answer that call. Through education, quality improvement, verification, research, advocacy, prevention, workforce development, disaster preparedness, and emerging initiatives such as the Resource-Related Information and Tracking Medical Communications Application (RITCA), we work every day to strengthen the people, programs, and systems that make exceptional burn care possible.
A Month of Growth and Momentum
June represents an exciting month for the ABA.
This month, we officially begin a new chapter in our new headquarters within Chicago's historic Board of Trade Building. For nearly a century, the Chicago Board of Trade has symbolized leadership, innovation, resilience, stewardship, and long-term investment in the future. Those same qualities reflect what the ABA and the burn community strive to embody every day. Our new home represents more than a new address; it reflects ABA’s continued growth, stability, and aspirations.
In just a few days, the ABA Board of Trustees will gather in Chicago for strategic discussions focused on workforce development, leadership, governance, philanthropy, education, preparedness, and organizational effectiveness. While these discussions are important, successfully advancing many of these priorities will depend upon the engagement, expertise, and commitment of our members.
As the ABA continues implementing its strategic plan, we are entering a phase that requires even greater collaboration among Board members, committee chairs, volunteers, burn centers, survivors, industry partners, and members across all disciplines. The ideas generated through our committees, special interest groups, educational programs, quality initiatives, advocacy efforts, and volunteer leadership structure are helping shape the future of the Association and the profession.
The strength of the ABA has always been rooted in member engagement. Every member has an opportunity to contribute through education, research, quality improvement, advocacy, prevention, mentorship, leadership development, or committee service. The future of the ABA will be shaped not only by strategic plans, but by the collective energy, expertise, and passion of its members.
Understanding the Future Workforce
One example of that engagement is the recently completed ABA Workforce Study. Thank you to everyone who participated.
The study reinforces both the strengths and challenges facing our profession. We have a highly experienced and deeply committed workforce, but we must continue investing in recruitment, mentorship, leadership development, succession planning, survivorship care, and disaster readiness if we are to meet the needs of the future.
Importantly, the study reminds us that modern burn care extends far beyond acute hospitalization. Long-term recovery, rehabilitation, reconstruction, psychosocial support, survivorship, and quality of life increasingly define the patient journey. The future of burn care depends on strengthening and supporting the entire multidisciplinary team.
Spotlight on Burn Rehabilitation
This month, I also had the privilege of speaking with Marla Robinson, Derek Murray, and Lisa Forbes about the current state and future of burn therapy .
Our discussion explored what excellence in burn rehabilitation looks like today; the resources and multidisciplinary partnerships necessary to achieve successful patient outcomes; opportunities and challenges associated with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence; reimbursement realities; and the critical role burn therapists play throughout the recovery journey.
One message stood out clearly (and it is worth reinforcing here): recovery does not end when a patient leaves the hospital. Burn therapists play an essential role in helping survivors regain function, independence, confidence, and quality of life. Their perspectives reinforced the importance of continuing to invest in education, workforce development, specialty expertise, leadership opportunities, and advocacy across all disciplines represented within the burn care team.
Expanding Educational Opportunities
I am equally encouraged by the commitment our members continue to demonstrate toward lifelong learning and professional development.
At the time of writing this message, more than 80 participants have registered for the inaugural ABA Masterclass Series session, JBCR Highlights & Future Frontiers. This exciting new educational offering reflects our commitment to providing meaningful year-round learning opportunities that connect emerging science, clinical innovation, and practical application across the burn care continuum.
Additional educational opportunities continue to expand through webinars, ABLS programs, the Burn Surgeon Forum, and other initiatives designed to support learners at every stage of their careers.
Your Opportunity to Shape the Future
The future of the ABA is shaped by member participation.
I encourage you to consider several important opportunities currently underway:
Whether through education, research, quality initiatives, advocacy, prevention, or volunteer leadership, there has never been a better time to engage with the ABA.
Transparency, Governance, and Leadership
As part of our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement, the ABA continues to make resources available through the Bylaws , Policy Manual, and Policy Exhibits .
While these documents may not be the most exciting reading, they provide the framework that supports member engagement, leadership development, governance, accountability, inclusion, and organizational continuity. Simply put, they help ensure that the ABA remains a strong, member-driven organization prepared for the future.
I am also looking forward to connecting with many of you later this month at the Western Regional Burn Conference in Taos, New Mexico. Meetings like these remind us that one of the greatest strengths of the burn community is our willingness to learn from one another, share ideas, build relationships, and work collaboratively to improve patient outcomes. If you attend, I hope you will take a moment to introduce yourself and share your thoughts on how the ABA can continue supporting you, your burn center, and the patients and families we collectively serve.
Looking Ahead
When I reflect on everything taking place this month, the dedication of burn teams responding to patients in need, the launch of new educational programs, the insights emerging from our workforce study, the perspectives shared by our burn therapy leaders, our move into a new headquarters, and the strategic discussions shaping the future of the Association. These initiatives help me see a common theme:
We are investing in the future of burn care.
The burn community has always been defined by resilience, innovation, collaboration, and a willingness to answer the call when others need us most. Together, we are not simply responding to today's challenges. We are helping build the workforce, partnerships, systems, knowledge, and leadership necessary to meet the needs of tomorrow.
Thank you for all that you do on behalf of patients, families, survivors, and one another.
Together, we stand ready. Together, we learn. Together, we lead. Together, we advance burn care.
Sincerely,
Ed Dellert, CAE
Chief Executive Officer
American Burn Association