Our Accomplishments

Simulation Center Network Now in Three States

Leadership

In 2006, the HSSC-supported SmartState Center in Clinical Effectiveness and Patient Safety was an army of one: MUSC’s Dr. John J. Schaefer, III, MD, the Lewis Blackman Endowed Chair in Patient Safety. Charged with creating a statewide network of simulation centers to train South Carolina’s healthcare workforce, Dr. Schaefer, who is an internationally known simulation training expert, lost no time. In two years, simulation centers were opened, renovated, or expanded at Greenville Health System, Clemson University College of Nursing, Greenville Technical College, Medical University of South Carolina, and the University of South Carolina College of Nursing.

The Greenville Healthcare Simulation Center was the first in the statewide network of simulation centers. Opened in March 2007, the Center, which is located on the Greenville Memorial Hospital campus and affiliated with the Greenville Health System, trains medical, nursing and allied health students. The 6,500-square-foot center is home to a half million dollars in technology, including more than 12 adult and infant patient simulators and 12 training rooms. Students from the University of South Carolina (USC) School of Medicine, the South Carolina College of Pharmacy, nursing and allied professional students, and Greenville Hospital System staff use the lifelike simulators to gain hands-on experience treating patients.

By 2015, Dr. Schaefer and his team had increased the network, now known as the Healthcare Simulation SC Network, to 14 collaborative partners in South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama that employ some 2,000 simulation training scenarios used to educate a wide range of healthcare students and professionals. This includes simulation training centers at HSSC member organizations Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, and the University of South Carolina. Each employs the same high-tech mannequins and educational modules. The centers also share a statewide data network to collect data used to objectively assess competency of students and effectiveness of the courses.

Snapshot

Accomplishment Data

Initiative: Organizations: Theme:
  • Advancement
Focus:
  • Clinicians
    Health Care Systems