NAPLES, Fla. – May 11, 2021 NCH is proud to announce the opening of the Judith & Marvin Herb Family Simulation Center – the only multi-disciplinary simulation center between Tampa and Miami.
The Simulation Center was made possible by a $5 million lead gift from community philanthropists Judy and Marvin Herb, which was announced at the virtual 62nd NCH Hospital Ball earlier this year. This ground-breaking resource will educate the healthcare workers of tomorrow while keeping the current staff updated on the latest procedures through experiential learning.
The 8,000 square-foot facility dedicated to training healthcare professionals that opened today will eventually move into a planned, brand-new state-of-the-art facility that will expand floor space to 10,000 square feet. The larger home for the Simulation Center is planned to be complete mid-2022.
“We wanted to make sure that NCH remains a first-class healthcare system, and this is a way to develop that for the community,” said Marvin Herb. “This is how you’re going to effectively train the physicians of the future, with a hands-on operation, not just theory and book learning.”
“We’re grateful for the Herb’s generous gift which helped to make the Simulation Center a reality,” said Paul Hiltz, President and CEO of the NCH Healthcare System. “We’re also grateful for the opportunity to be able to offer to our caregivers this amazing innovation which promises to dramatically improve healthcare delivery and outcomes for our patients.”
Medical simulation is an experiential teaching technique in which the learner practices in a situation that mimics a real-life event, including complexities and distractions that are present in the real clinical setting. While only 15% of information is retained through traditional classroom teaching, 90% is retained through experiential learning.
At the simulation center, two or three learners participate in an exact mock-up of an ICU room, an emergency room, or a hospital room with either a high-definition mannequin or standardized patient. The mannequins can simulate coughing, talking, crying, and even track students with their eyes. Learners are immersed in the scenario while others watch them perform. Educators sit behind one-way frosted glass and manipulate the mannequins to direct the experience. After the 10 to 20-minute session, the learners debrief, and the class discusses the experience with the educator. Eventually, the simulation center and its amenities can also be available as a resource for training purposes by private medical practices, local schools and universities, and others in our community as well.
“The Simulation Center is not only a benefit for NCH staff to be able to learn and safely practice the latest procedures,” said Douglas Harrington, DO, Medical Director of the Herb Simulation Center, “but the center is also a gift to the entire Southwest Florida community as we extend this resource to paramedics, police officers, firefighters and other industries in our area.”
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