Montgomery County Firefighters Donation
Montgomery County Firefighters Donate to MedStar Health Research Institute Firefighters’ Burn and Surgical Research Laboratory
Washington, DC, August 27, 2014 —The Firefighters’ Burn and Surgical Research Laboratory at MedStar Health Research Institute has received a donation from the Montgomery County Career Firefighters Association Golf Tournament.
The Firefighters’ Burn and Surgical Research Laboratory (FBSRL) focuses on researching wound healing after cutaneous trauma and burn injury, bioimaging to non-invasively diagnose disease pathology, burn pathophysiology, systems biology of host response to physical and environmental trauma, and the microbiology of surgical, traumatic, and chronic wounds.
The research laboratory is the first in the Washington area to focus on burn injuries and is located at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center, home of the only adult burn facility in the region. The laboratory, dedicated on September 15, 2009, and the research program it houses, came to fruition thanks in a large part to the physical and financial support from the DC Firefighters’ Burn Foundation and many local firefighters.
“As a research group that is very diverse both in pre-clinical and clinical work, we rely on both federal and commercial grant support. Often, there are lean times between grants and it is through those times we depend on the support and generosity of the firefighters to be able to continue the work without interruption and to obtain preliminary data for future grant proposals. Further, it is through donations such as this one from the Montgomery County Career Firefighters that afford us the possibility to purchase equipment and specialty items that aren’t written into a contract or grant but that are needed to do the research,” says Lauren Moffatt, director of the FBSRL.“The work that we do in the Burn and Surgical Research Program that these folks support is aimed at improving patient care. The goal of our research is intended to result in the advancement and improvement of burn care, including all of our firefighters.”
The Montgomery County Career Firefighters have supported the Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center for more than 30 years, and have been supportive of the research program as well.
Darlene Machovec of the Montgomery County Career Firefighters Association (MCCFFA) said, “I believe the Firefighters Burn and Surgical Research Lab is imperative as it helps patients that are transported to Hospital Center with burn injuries recover and rehabilitate with physical therapy much faster today thanks to the research that has been done over the years.”
The donation comes from the proceeds generated at the MCCFFA Annual Golf Tournament which was held June 2, 2014 at the Rattlewood Golf Course in Mt. Airy, MD. Many sponsors, charitable donors, and golfers supported this event, which in turn, allowed the MCCFFA Golf Committee to support the Burn Lab with the money raised.
About MedStar Health Research Institute The MedStar Health Research Institute is the research arm of MedStar Health, the largest healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, DC region. The Research Institute provides scientific, administrative and regulatory support for research programs throughout the MedStar Health system. The Research Institute’s expertise includes translational research into disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. These programs complement the key clinical services and teaching programs in the 10 MedStar hospitals and other MedStar entities. Visit us at http://www.medstarresearch.org.
About the Firefighters’ Burn and Surgical Research Laboratory MedStar Health researchers specializing in burn-related care are closely aligned with clinicians and surgeons in MedStar's Burn Center. The Burn Center, located at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, is the only adult burn treatment center in the Washington metropolitan area. This 20-bed facility features a multidisciplinary team approach to burn care that provides comprehensive, cutting-edge care for burn patients. Visit us at http://burnsurglab.org/Home.
