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JBSA News
NEWS | Aug. 5, 2015

BAMC Simulation Center open house showcases new healthcare technologies

Brooke Army Medical Center

Brooke Army Medical Center’s Simulation Center held an open house July 22 to highlight their recent expansion of centralized simulation training space on the third floor of the consolidated tower at 3 North.

“The purpose of our open house was to emphasize some of the opportunities we have in healthcare education through the use of simulation,” said Army Maj. (Dr.) Heather Delaney, chief of the BAMC SIM Center. “In particular, the vision we have in promoting healthcare education that is rooted in both qualityand patient safety.”

With the addition of the space on 3 North, the SIM Center encompasses more than 10,000 square feet within San Antonio Military Medical Center.

“With the expansion, we have been able to significantly increase the amount of training we support and are now the busiest simulation center across the Department of Defense,” Delaney said.

BAMC’s SIM Center is one of 31 simulation centers in the world that is accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

During the open house, there were demonstrations of a wide variety of simulators including task trainers and high-fidelity simulators.

“Our virtual reality simulators have very impressive features where we can create an immersive environment to help train our general surgeons, obstetricians and urologists,” Delaney explained. “A variety of different departments can also utilize these simulators.”

The SIM Center is equipped with all the same equipment medical personnel use in their normal work areas including gas, suction, airway carts and crash carts … identical to what is being used throughout SAMMC.

 “The good part about having the simulation center on 3N is we can immerse our medical personnel in the environment they will be working in, particularly nurses and physicians running critical care, because this is an actual intensive care unit,” said Robert Coffman, administrative director for the SIM Center.

One goal of the SIM Center is to train code teams more effectively on the new Zoll defibrillator.

“With the Zoll defibrillator we can give code teams instant feedback on CPR quality metrics in both simulated and real-life code situations,” Delaney said.

“We are the only DOD facility that utilizes the wireless transmission capabilities of the Zoll defibrillator technology,” Delaney added. “That’s what we wanted to highlight with the Code Team Challenge.”

Nine multi-disciplinary teams made up of a physician, nurse, respiratory therapist or technician and a wildcard pick participated in the Sim Code Team Challenge. Points were awarded for task management, decision making, communication, CPR quality, code documentation and style.

First place in the SIM Code Team Challenge went to 2 North’s “Team Awesome,” made up of Air Force Capt. Vincent Diaz, Andrea Garay, Senior Airman Sheena Holloway and Air Force Capt. Juli Beadleston. In second was 3 South’s “Team Voluntold” made up of Air Force Capt. Matthew Van Dam, Army 1st Lt. Andre Brown, Cadet Lauren Snodgrass and Army 1st Lt. David Gisla. Placing third were the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit “PICUties” made up of Army Capt. Stephen Barbera, Air Force Capt. Ginny Welchel, Air Force Staff Sgt. Samantha Taylor and Air Force Capt. Erika Bernardo.

Snodgrass, a student on 3 South, supervised by Brown, received the overall best compressor award. She earned the award for her near perfect depth and rate of compressions.

To schedule simulation training at the SIM Center, call 916-9318.