19th annual UCI Health Regional Burn Center summer picnic fosters support, community
Picnics, support groups play a critical role in one’s recovery from severe burns
Orange, Calif. — More than 100 burn survivors and their loved ones joined UCI Health Regional Burn Center physicians and nurses to kick off the summer with a picnic featuring games, a photo booth, bounce house, food and community.
The 19th annual event, held in the Healing Garden in front of UCI Douglas Hospital on the UCI Health — Orange campus, also reunited patients and their families with their care team.
“Picnics, peer-to-peer support groups and attendance at burn survivor camps play an important role in everyone’s recovery journey,” said Dr. Syed F. Saquib, a trauma surgeon and medical director of the UCI Health Regional Burn Center. “Having a patient connect with someone who is a survivor helps them to understand what their journey will be like and what to be mindful of during recovery.”
New to the event this year was a popular skin art printing station, where survivors and loved ones of all ages rolled ink directly onto the skin and then printed the inked skin onto paper. This type of art provides survivors and their loved ones with a creative way to express their healing journey and celebrate resilience.
Firefighters from the Orange City Fire Department also attended and provided kids with tours of their firetruck. Each family also received a back-to-school backpack filled with school supplies.
UCI Health –– Orange is home to the county’s only Regional Burn Center verified by the American Burn Association for adult and pediatric care.
Each year, the team treats more than 600 patients — one-third of them children — for mild, severe and life-threatening burns.
This includes:
- Scald burns
- Friction burns and road rash
- Thermal burns
- Chemical burns
- Electrical burns and related injuries
In addition to medical care, the UCI Health Regional Burn Center also addresses the emotional needs of patients and families recovering from injury. They have access to a burn psychologist, monthly burn survivor support groups, annual gatherings and events to build community and more.
Learn more about the UCI Health Regional Burn Center.
In the news
Watch coverage of the annual picnic on Spectrum News 1 and Good Nite LA.
About UCI Health
UCI Health is one of California’s largest academic health systems and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Established on July 1, 1976, UCI Health has grown into a 1,461-bed health system that includes UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Irvine, four Community Network hospitals and a growing network of ambulatory care centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. As Orange County’s only academic health systems, UCI Health is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in the county, the region’s only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, American College of Emergency Physicians Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and a nationally recognized regional burn center verified by the American Burn Association. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people across Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County through excellence in patient care, research and medical education. Follow UCI Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.