3 / 8
3
The doctor who came in that night was Brandon
Freeman, MD, Medical Director of The Burn
Center (pictured at right).
Dr. Freeman performed surgery on Tanner that
night. “I knew then that they weren’t just going to
bandage Tanner’s hands and send us home,” says
Jennifer. “This was really serious, and it was going
to be a long road to recovery.”
Over the years, Jennifer—not sure about the
exact number, since there have been so many—
estimates that Tanner’s had 10 to 15 surgeries.
“As he grows, his fingers curl, and they have to
straighten them to release the scar tissue so that
they can grow straight,” she explains.
Tanner is looking forward to starting second
grade and playing more baseball. He may not
remember the night he tumbled into the fire,
but his mother certainly does. Jennifer says she’s
forever grateful to The Burn Center at SJCH for
helping give Tanner his life without limits.
Brandon Freeman, MD
Medical Director,
The Burn Center at SJCH
Michael Brandon Freeman, MD, is
a board-certified plastic surgeon.
Dr. Freeman specializes in caring
for patients with burns, hand
injuries, craniofacial traumas and
deformities, as well as those who
need reconstruction procedures
following cancer treatment.
Community support
makes a difference
Bakersfield law firm Chain Cohn Stiles
remains a major supporter of The Burn
Center at San Joaquin Community
Hospital (SJCH). In fact, the Intensive
Care Unit (ICU) at SJCH is called the
Chain Cohn Stiles Burn Center ICU.
“The law firm represents people who
are injured, including with burns,” says
attorney Matt Clark. “We see firsthand the
need for expert burn care in our commu-
nity. Because of The Burn Center at SJCH,
people who need burn care don’t have to
travel out of town and can have their loved
ones nearby.”
Chain Cohn Stiles is just one of
the many incredible partners that continue
to support Kern County’s first burn center.
Other valued supporters include Aera
Energy, Chevron, KGET–TV 17, Sturgeon
and Sons, Hall Ambulance and the Bakers-
field city and Kern County fire departments.
A legacy of care in Kern County
The Burn Center at San Joaquin Community Hospital (SJCH)—the first of its kind in Kern
County—opened in 2009. Before then, area residents in need of specialized burn care
had to travel more than 100 miles for treatment—either north to Fresno or south to Los
Angeles.
Since opening, The Burn Center has treated more than 3,400 patients—40 percent of those
being children. While many things have changed over the years, SJCH’s commitment to
providing world-class burn care hasn’t.
The Burn Center at SJCH features:
•
A specialized ICU for treating severe burns
•
State-of-the-art technology, including a hydrotherapy suite
•
Board-certified plastic surgeons who use advanced burn treatments to reduce scarring
•
Outpatient treatment and rehabilitation at The Aera Clinic
•
Financial assistance for child burn survivors through The Chevron Fund