Ten years of healing and hope for Medical City Plano's Burn & Reconstructive Center

Plano, Texas — After suffering life-threatening burns in a devastating oilfield explosion, patient Brady Russell defied the odds because of the swift, specialized care delivered at Medical City Plano’s Burn & Reconstructive Center, Collin County’s only verified burn center. Russell — and other burn survivors — returned to share their impact stories as part of the Burn Center’s 10-year anniversary event.

Since opening its doors in 2015, the center has become a vital regional resource, offering advanced surgical and emergency services, 24/7 specialist availability and ongoing burn and trauma education and research. To mark the milestone, the center hosted its annual holiday reunion, bringing together former and current patients and their families; EMS partners, including flight transport teams; and care providers, including burn specialists and outpatient clinic staff.

“As we celebrate ten years of service, we reflect on the thousands of lives touched and the incredible resilience of our patients,” says James Cross, MD, medical director of the Burn & Reconstructive Center at Medical City Plano. “Our dedicated team, with more than 100 years of combined burn care experience, remains committed to delivering excellence and hope to every person who comes through our doors.”

Medical City Plano’s Burn & Reconstructive Center annually provides care for approximately 4,000 outpatients and more than 400 hospitalized patients. The center’s specialized facilities — including climate-controlled emergency burn rooms, operating rooms and ICUs — are designed to meet the unique needs of burn patients, who often struggle to regulate body temperature.

During the anniversary commemoration, the burn center staff recognized patients, first responders and compassionate caregivers for their contributions and courage:

• Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter crew No. 69 was honored for their August 2024 lifesaving care and transport of Brady Russell, a young father of two from Graham, Texas, who sustained burns over 70% of his body in an oilfield accident. Thanks to the Air Evac team’s actions and expert coordination and care from Medical City Plano’s emergency burn team, Russell survived and has now returned to his family. After spending almost six months in the Burn & Reconstructive Center’s ICU and two months in its inpatient rehabilitation program, Russell continues his recovery through the outpatient rehabilitation program at the hospital’s Outpatient Burn Clinic.
• Scott Denman, a former burn patient and current volunteer with the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors’ SOAR (Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery) program, was recognized for his ongoing support of burn survivors across five regional burn centers, including Medical City Plano.
• Four colleagues were honored for their decade of service to the Burn & Reconstructive Center: nurses Kim Caldwell and Maria Watson, Quality Coordinator Laura Garner, and ICU physical therapist MK Roberts.

“Each of these outstanding colleagues reflect the heart of our mission, carried out daily by every member of our dedicated team,” says Jennifer Rosenthal, RN, burn center director and a nurse who has specialized in burn care for over 18 years. “Excellence always, compassion and skill have helped build a legacy of healing that we are proud to celebrate across our system of care.”

As a verified Burn Center, Medical City Plano remains committed to advancing burn care and supporting patients and families through every stage of recovery. In addition to earning designations for the highest level of care available, the hospital has also received multiple Healthgrades awards, including America’s 250 Best Hospitals and Patient Safety Excellence. Medical City Plano is a four-time Magnet®-designated facility for nursing excellence.