1984 A.B.A. presidential address: burn unit success--a problem of management.

In summary, the burn unit succeeds or fails on the basis of managerial capability. Managers are responsible for accumulating resources, educating personnel, maintaining morale, and integrating the burn unit with the rest of the hospital. Moreover, it has become apparent that burn unit managers must become financial managers as well, if we are to: 1) maintain reasonable resources for the conduct of research; 2) participate in a variety of health delivery systems; 3) curtail health delivery costs; 4) maintain the current excellence of clinical care in an efficient manner; and 5) guarantee access of patients to the burn care delivery system at a cost that the country can afford.