Valleywise Health

A Legacy of Healing at the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center

At Valleywise Health, healing begins with the heart. For nearly three decades, Dr. Kevin Foster has led the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center with a mission rooted in compassion and excellence. “The patient always comes first,” he says. “But just as important is caring for the family, because a burn injury doesn’t just affect one person. It affects everyone who loves them.”

Caring for the Whole Person

That truth has shaped a legacy of healing that extends far beyond the hospital walls. The Burn Center provides care to more than 1,500 inpatients and 12,000 outpatients each year, serving not only Arizona but much of the Southwestern United States. Each number tells a story of strength, recovery, and humanity. Yet what defines this place isn’t the scale of its work but the depth of its care. “A burn injury can take an enormous psychological toll,” Dr. Foster explains. “We make sure our patients and their families are surrounded by the right team of therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists because healing must address the mind and the heart as much as the body.”

Prepared for Every Season

In Arizona, where summer heat can turn pavement into danger, the Burn Center faces unique challenges. “Contact burns are a big problem for us during the summer,” Dr. Foster says. “We plan for that surge every year and launch prevention campaigns to help people stay safe. Most of these injuries can be avoided with simple awareness.” Yet when accidents happen, Valleywise stands ready, staffed, prepared, and unwavering in its commitment to save lives.

Defining Excellence Through Humanity

The impact of this care is not just medical; it is deeply human. “For most people, a burn is the worst thing that will ever happen to them,” Dr. Foster reflects. “It is an honor to help them through it.” Those experiences change everyone involved. “You stop complaining about little things when you see what true resilience looks like,” he says. It is a perspective that fuels the culture of excellence that defines the Arizona Burn Center, one that exceeds national standards year after year. Since 2000, the Center has maintained continuous verification by the American Burn Association, a testament to its consistency, innovation, and high standards of care.

Restoring Life Beyond Survival

Perhaps the most forward-thinking part of Valleywise’s work lies in what happens after the hospital stay ends. “We’ve figured out how to save almost everyone,” Dr. Foster explains. “Now the real question is how do we help them live fully again.” The new Burn Center was designed around that philosophy, prioritizing rehabilitation, psychological support, and reintegration into daily life. “We want our patients to rediscover who they are, to go back to school, to work, to love, and to dream again.”

The Power of Team and Community

That level of care demands an extraordinary team, people who choose this work not because it is easy but because it matters. “Most of us didn’t plan to go into burn care,” Dr. Foster admits. “But once you see how patients recover, how they transform, you can’t look away. It’s tough work, physically, emotionally, and mentally, but it’s gratifying. Our patients become new people, and in some way, so do we.”

None of this would be possible without the generosity of others. The Burn Center is named for Diane and Bruce Halle, whose philanthropic support made its growth possible. “We’ve been blessed by people who give their time, talent, and resources simply because it’s the right thing to do,” Dr. Foster says. “That kind of community generosity makes everything we do possible.”

A Message of Hope

As one of the leading burn centers in the country, Valleywise Health continues to evolve its mission to prevent injuries, to heal those affected, and to guide them toward wholeness. “Most burn injuries are preventable,” Dr. Foster notes. “Life can change in a second, but with awareness and care, we can save lives and reduce suffering.”

His message, at its core, is one of hope: “We will do everything that needs to be done to make you whole again.” Because at Valleywise Health, healing isn’t just about survival. It is about restoration, resilience, and the renewal of the human spirit.

Every act of healing restores more than a body; it restores faith, courage, and connection. Continue celebrating the organizations that help individuals and families rise from adversity and rebuild their lives with strength and dignity. Subscribe and be part of the movement that keeps their stories alive.

Photo Credit: Valleywise Health

Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center

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