American Burn Association

Lore & Background

After World War II, interest in burn care grew among medical professionals. In 1959, thirteen surgeons from nine institutions held the first National Burn Seminar at the Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. At the Seventh National Burn Seminar in 1966, a committee was appointed to plan a national organization centered on burn care. The day after the eighth National Burn Seminar in 1967, the committee finalized the bylaws for the American Burn Association, and appointed its officers. The first president of the ABA was trauma surgeon and burn specialist Curtis P. Artz.

Reader's Guide

Burn center verification: While there are 129 burn centers in the US, only 71 are verified burn centers, meaning they meet specific criteria set by the ABA and the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Education: The Board of Certification for Emergency Nurses is working with the ABA to develop the Certified Burn Registered Nurse certification, the first burn nursing specialty certification in the world. Nurses were to be able to take the exam starting in 2023. The ABA Advanced Burn Life Support certification is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. Research and publications: The Journal of Burn Care & Research (JBCR) is the official journal of the ABA, and is currently the only medical journal in the US dedicated exclusively to burn care. It began publication in September 1980 as The Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation and obtained its present title in 2006. The American Burn Research Network (ABuRN) facilitates research and clinical trials affiliated with the ABA. The ABA's Burn Care Quality Platform is a dataset of burn research provided voluntarily by burn centers each year. Prevention and advocacy: The first full week of February is National Burn Awareness Week.

Did You Know?

• The ABA was founded in 1967.
• The first president of the ABA was Curtis P. Artz.
• The Journal of Burn Care & Research began publication in September 1980.
• National Burn Awareness Week is the first full week of February.

Military Roots and a Small-Town Start

Chase David Burns entered the world on January 16, 2003, not on American soil but at a U.S. military installation in Naples, Italy, where both of his parents were serving with the United States Navy at Naval Support Activity Naples. The family's overseas posting lasted only about eight months before they returned stateside, settling in Gallatin, Tennessee, where Burns spent his formative years. He has often pointed to that military upbringing as the source of his work ethic, crediting his parents with teaching him the importance of staying tough and committed in daily life. In high school, he first suited up for Station Camp before transferring to Beech Senior High ahead of his final year. His early draft stock was modest: the San Diego Padres took him in the 20th round of the 2021 MLB draft, but Burns passed on signing, choosing instead to further develop his arm in college ball.

A Two-School College Journey

Burns arrived at the University of Tennessee as a true freshman and immediately anchored the Volunteers' starting rotation. His rookie campaign produced an 8-2 record, a 2.91 ERA, and 103 strikeouts over 81⅓ innings, earning him the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Freshman Pitcher of the Year honor. The following year proved more turbulent. After posting a 2-3 mark and a 6.10 ERA as a starter, the coaching staff shifted him into a relief role. That adjustment paid dividends in the postseason: across 16 innings he surrendered just one run while fanning 22 hitters, headlined by six scoreless frames and nine strikeouts in a 6-4 victory over Stanford at the 2023 College World Series. He finished the season 5-3 with two saves and 114 strikeouts in 72 innings. Unsatisfied, Burns entered the NCAA transfer portal and landed at Wake Forest, where he set a Demon Deacons single-season record with 191 strikeouts and was named Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Year.

A Debut for the History Books

The Cincinnati Reds selected Burns with the second overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft, and on July 18 he signed for $9.25 million, shattering the previous major league signing bonus record held by Paul Skenes. After a spring at Goodyear Ballpark and a stint in the Arizona Instructional League, he debuted professionally with the Dayton Dragons on April 4, 2025, and climbed through the minors with remarkable speed—three High-A appearances, eight at Double-A Chattanooga where he added a changeup, and two Triple-A starts in Louisville. His 13-start minor league season yielded a 7-3 record, a 1.77 ERA, and 89 strikeouts in 66 innings. On June 24, the Reds called him up, making him the first pitcher from the 2024 draft class to reach the majors. Facing the New York Yankees, Burns struck out the first five batters of his debut—the first starting pitcher to do so since the Expansion Era began in 1961. Among those five were three reigning or former MVPs: Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt. He finished with eight strikeouts, six hits allowed, three earned runs, and a no-decision.

Breaking Through and Cementing His Place

Entering 2026, Burns was named to Cincinnati's Opening Day roster as a fixture in the starting rotation. His first major league victory came on March 30 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he retired batters over five scoreless innings, allowing a single hit while drawing three walks and fanning seven. By midsummer his standing had solidified further: on July 18 he inked a seven-year, $105 million contract extension with the Reds, and he was selected for the 2026 All-Star Game alongside teammate Sal Stewart. A tight right groin ultimately kept him from taking the mound in the midsummer classic, but the selection itself underscored how quickly the Italian-born pitcher—only the sixth to make it to the majors from that country, and the first since the 2024 season—had become a cornerstone of the Reds' pitching staff. As a child, his favorite player had been Derek Jeter of the Yankees, and his father had played college football for the North Greenville Trailblazers, a detail that adds a quiet layer to a family story already shaped by service and small-town grit.

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