Las Vegas, NV – The Sunrise Health Graduate Medical Education Consortium, based at MountainView Hospital, today celebrated the opening of its Simulation Center, an interactive learning facility where residents can practice and hone their skills.
The facility will be open 24-7 to complement full-access learning, and it includes tools, such as "SIM Mom," "SIM Man" and robotic surgery. The center is also home to a virtual reality console – one of two in North America.
The Sunrise Health SIM Center was supported in part through a grant from the State of Nevada to further physician development and resident educational opportunities in our state.
"While there are other SIM Centers in the valley, the Sunrise Health GME SIM Center is unique in that it is based at the hospital, allowing residents to visit the center at any time," said Dr. Ferenc Puskas, Sunrise Health Medical Education Consortium Designated Institutional Official. "SIM Centers are impactful when they are used. With the proximity to the hospital and the GME resident offices and the unique equipment available to train with, our residents are able to garner the most benefit from the center."
Brian Mitchell, Director of the Governor's Office of Science, Innovation and Technology said: "Graduate Medical Education is an important part of Nevada's strategy to grow its physician workforce and increase access to high-quality healthcare. We're excited to partner with Sunrise Health to provide new residency programs and state-of-the-art simulation for Nevada's next generation of doctors."
The SIM Center supports resident education and physician development with equipment, such as virtual reality.
Residents, as part of their chosen specialty, must work through the SIM Center curriculum, using the different equipment. Training includes everything from a simulation of a mom giving birth, to robotic and laparoscopic surgeries. The virtual reality module offers an immersive learning experience, using a virtual reality station with goggles and an ultrasound probe.
The Simulation Center curriculum and equipment encompasses the following:
- Robotic surgical simulation console
- 3D Systems/Simbionix Ultrasound Mentor
- Laparoscopic virtual reality
- Endoscopic virtual reality
- SimMan and SimMom
- Blue Phantom ultrasound-able training models
- Two fully equipped patient rooms
- Debriefing room
- Laparoscopic simulation room
- Surgical procedure lab
- All rooms are able to convert to simulated operating room
"We are thankful to the state of Nevada for its grant that assisted in building and equipping the GME SIM Center," said Jeremy Bradshaw, MountainView Hospital Chief Executive Officer. "The future growth of graduate medical education in our state will take a community effort, as we strive to recruit and retain the brightest residents in Nevada."