Geisinger's SimMan keeps it real for Sen. Casey
DANVILLE - Sen. Robert Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) visited Geisinger Medical Center yesterday for a first-hand look at the on-site and mobile medical training simulation labs. These labs allow healthcare professionals at Geisinger and in the community to train on a life-size mannequin, also known as SimMan®, with real-life body functions that simulate breathing, blood pressure, pulse and even dying.
Sen. Casey was greeted by Geisinger Chief Operating Officer Frank Trembulak; Chief Medical Officer Howard Grant, M.D., J.D.; Associate Chief Academic Officer Douglas Kupas, M.D.; John Skiendzielewski, M.D., director, Emergency Medicine Services; and EMS Programs Coordinator Scott Danowsky.
Sen. Casey, who was gathering information regarding Senate bill 616 that allocates funds for simulation training to reduce medical errors, said he was pleased to get a first-hand view of how the on-site and mobile simulation labs work.
Simulation training provides a safe environment for healthcare providers, including doctors, medical students, nurses and local EMS personnel, to practice providing life-saving care. According to Kupas, “Training on a simulator reduces medical errors by permitting learners to make mistakes on a dummy and them learn from those mistakes, preventing them from occurring with patients. It also allows us to simulate rare conditions that may only be seen once or twice throughout a healthcare provider’s career – similar to pilots training on a flight simulator.”
After touring the on-site lab, Dr. Kupas, Dr. Skeindzielewski and Danowsky gave the Senator an overview of the mobile simulation unit. The unit takes these educational opportunities to paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police and fire personnel.
“The mobile lab travels to emergency response units throughout a 32-county area and trains approximately 750 healthcare providers a year,” noted Danowsky. “It is used for advanced life support certification and EMS skill reviews, and clearly brings life-saving education to the communities we serve.”
SimMan, which can be turned into a woman, is controlled through a laptop computer. It has realistic heart, lung and bowel sounds; speaks in simple phrases; and even has airways that swell. Geisinger’s Department of Emergency Medicine has several simulators, including three adult simulators, two child simulators and two infant simulators.
Photo caption: From left, Sen. Robert Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) learns about the value of simulation training from Douglas Kupas, M.D., associate chief academic officer; John Skiendzielewski, M.D., director, Geisinger Emergency Medicine Services; and EMS Programs Coordinator Scott Danowsky during his visit to Geisinger Medical Center Wednesday morning.
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