FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
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.