Harvin appointed burn director
Richard Andrassy, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery and executive dean ad interim, has appointed John Harvin, MD, the burn medical director of the John S. Dunn Burn Center at Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center.
Harvin, associate professor of surgery, has served as the interim burn medical director since 2020 and served as the Burn Intensive Care Unit director since 2019.
“During this time, his leadership has resulted in ongoing improvements in the quality and efficiency of care,” said Andrassy, holder of the Mayfield Distinguished University Chair, Cooley Chair, and Hightower Distinguished Professor. “Dr. Harvin’s commitment to patient care and his ability to be an effective communicator and administrator make him an excellent choice for burn director.”
A graduate of The University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas, Harvin completed his internship and residency at McGovern Medical School and a fellowship in trauma and surgical critical care at the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center, The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
He joined the McGovern Medical School faculty in 2013 and was appointed associate program director of the Acute Care Surgery, Surgical Critical Care and Trauma Fellowships in 2016. A fellow of the American College of Surgeons, his research interests include opioid-minimizing strategies in trauma and burn patients.
“We have already seen significant improvements during his time as interim burn medical director in hospital-acquired infections and in use of opioid minimizing multimodal pain regimens to provide pain relief from burns,” said Lillian Kao, MD, professor of surgery and director of the Division of Acute Care Surgery. “We look forward to our burn patients experiencing excellent clinical care under Dr. Harvin’s leadership through innovation, cutting edge research, data-driven quality improvement, and promotion of a culture of safety.”
The burn unit recently was re-verified by the American Burn Association, indicating high quality care and a commitment to the care of burned patients.
“Our shared vision with Memorial Hermann Hospital-TMC is to become the premier burn center in the state and country and to offer comprehensive, evidence-based, patient-centered burn services to the greater Houston area across the spectrum of care from injury to recovery,” said Kao, holder of the Jack H. Mayfield, M.D. Chair in Surgery.
The burn unit maintains a multidisciplinary approach to care that includes specialists from surgical and anesthesia critical care, anesthesiology, plastic surgery, and trauma psychology. Nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, occupational and physical therapists, respiratory therapists are integral to the team.