Simulation lab will train VA workers

Associated Press

DAYTON

A new $3.3 million simulation laboratory will train thousands of VA health workers and others in the state at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in southwest Ohio.

The Dayton VA Medical Center also has rolled out a $1 million mobile training laboratory that is a one-of-a-kind facility within the VA’s nationwide hospital and clinic network, VA officials said Friday.

The laboratory inside the Dayton facility covers 17,000 square feet and has six simulation rooms, eight other medical-education-related rooms and a 125-seat auditorium, The Dayton Daily News reported.

“This is a very unique simulation center in that we really have the full spectrum of offerings,” said Dr. Rosalyn P. Scott, a VA medical adviser.

Mannequins and electronic patient monitors will provide training opportunities for health care workers. It also has nursing stations and supply rooms for medicine and equipment.

“We really can replicate not just the room the patient is in, but we can replicate the whole system,” Scott said.

Heart doctors in training can detect if a lifelike mannequin is having a heart attack and insert a heart stent and monitor vital information on a sonogram depicting the inside of the mannequin’s chest.

“The biggest benefit is you can practice and do no harm to a patient,” said Michael Stogsdill, a former Dayton VA simulation manager who demonstrated the technology. “If you make a mistake, you can reboot the computer and start over again.”

The mobile lab will travel to VA hospitals throughout Ohio and parts of Indiana and Kentucky. It offers two simulation stations outfitted with human-like mannequins and a debriefing room where students can review video recordings of how they performed.